6 EDCAL June 18, 2018
The Walnut High sports medicine class demonstrates therapeutic treatments and interventions. Techniques learned include Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Chinese medical cupping.
High school students learn sports medicine careers
When stepping into the sports medi-
cine classroom at Walnut High School, the
space is filled with padded therapy tables,
rolling stools, skull and skeleton displays,
muscle and tissue charts, a variety of cool
gadgets and state-of-the-art medical equip-
ment. This is hands-on learning at its finest.
Students here are actively engaged in
learning therapeutic treatment and inter-
vention skills to help patients feel better,
perform better and im prove movement.
This month, 11 seniors will be complet-
ing the rigorous three-year career technical
education pathway. They will proudly be
wearing sports medicine sashes during
commencement to mark the accomplish-
ment.
ROP teacher Elva Salcido has led the
advanced Therapeutic Exercise and Reha-
bilitation course, known as Ther-Ex, for the
past year.
“All these students have chosen to pur-
sue physical therapy or other careers in the
medical field,” Salcido said. “That’s the goal
of this program.”
There are currently 160 students en-
rolled in the CTE sports medicine pathway.
During the first year, sophomores learn
about anatomy, common injuries, how to
spine board and splint, and become certi-
fied in first aid and CPR.
In the second-year assessment and
Ed Trust-West conference
Education Trust-West is offering their
second Educational Equity Forum, Sept.
12-13 in Sacramento. The conference
theme is Bright Spots: Prioritizing Equity
in School Improvement and Student Suc-
cess Efforts, and will focus on advancing
equity with breakout sessions including:
• Bright spot schools, districts, colleges
and universities advancing outcomes for
low incomes students and students of color.
• Using data to advance equity in school
improvement.
• Engaging community engagement
and advocacy through the use of capacity
building tools and research.
• How to support resource equity and
fiscal adequacy to promote equity.
• Levers to advance English learner
achievement.
The event offers a stellar group of fea-
tured speaker, including:
• Sylvia Mendez, civil rights activist and
plaintiff in Mendez v. Westminster.
• Shaun Harper, provost professor,
Rossier School of Education and Marshall
School of Business, founder and executive
director, Race and Equity Center, Universi-
ty of Southern California.
evaluation course, they “really dig deep,
practicing in their evaluation and hands-on
skills with patients,” Salcido said.
The teens learn to take patient histories,
use observation skills to assess injuries and
utilize palpation skills.
“Medical professionals see with their
hands, not as much their eyes. You can get a
better feel for what’s going on beneath the
skin,” she said.
The third year is where students put all
the learning together.
“We have a small group of students in
this class because we want to offer a per-
sonalized experience for those going into
this field,” Salcido said. “They are passion-
ate about it and want to help people in the
community.”
“We’re using all the tools you’d see in
any PT clinic that help athletes get back
on the field or track,” said senior Edmund
Garcia, who has racked up about 200 hours
volunteering with the school’s certified
athletic trainer.
All sports medicine students are re-
quired to complete mandatory work-based
learning hours.
“I like to expand the classroom learning
and apply it to real-life situations,” Garcia
said. “Everything here is part of the big
picture.”
Last semester, the teens had the oppor- tunity to work with the Walnut Walkers
senior citizens club. They were able to see
first-hand how the treatments and inter-
ventions helped the patients.
“It really opened their eyes and was a
rewarding experience,” Salcido said.
Given the opportunity, the professional-
ly-dressed group was eager to demonstrate
some of their training.
“We’ve done a lot of therapeutic mo-
dalities this year – the muscle re-education
techniques used to break down scar tissue
and help mobilize patients,” said senior
Jasmine Perez.
At one station, senior Justin Shen
administered a flexibility test using a
goniometer to measure range of motion on
hamstrings.
“Then it’s a leg raise, stretch, foam roll
and we test again,” he said.
“PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular
Facilitation) stretches are not passive, but
moving and activating muscles into a deep
stretch,” Garcia said.
During another modality, the deep
muscle stimulator, teens used a power
tool known as the “human jackhammer”
to break down any spasm in muscles that
restrict range of motion.
Jason Shen and Lawrence Liu showed
the TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical
Nerve Stimulation) medical-grade machine that uses electrodes for pain relief.
“We’ll be doing it for about 10 seconds
and then combine with a heat pack. If it’s
too much, the muscle jumps,” Shen said.
One team wrapped and taped ankles
and used the Gameready icy cryotherapy
machine.
“The compression will reduce swelling,”
said Christian OCompo.
Perez partnered with Sunny Savarius
to demonstrate how traditional Chinese
medicine cupping technique can be used
to break down scar tissue and increase
circulation.
The forearm skin quickly puffed up and
turned red as it was suctioned under the
clear device.
“If you get a dark color it’s a good thing
– that indicates stagnation and there will be
more blood flow,” Savarius said.
Aspiring pediatrician Melissa Flores
credits the sports medicine pathway and
dedicated teachers for her decision to go
into the medical field.
“During these past three years, I have
learned and had the chance to experience
so much,” Flores said. “I know I am better
prepared for college and everyday life.
“We are the students we are today
because of the passion we share for sports
medicine.”
• Anurima Bhargharva, fellow, Har-
vard Kennedy School, former chief of the
Educational Opportunities Section of the
Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of
Justice.
• Tyrone Howard, professor of educa-
tion, associate dean of Equity and Diversity
and director of the Black Male Institute
University of California, Los Angeles.
• Laurie Olsen, founding director and
strategic advisor, Sobrato Early Academic
Language Initiative.
• Eloy Ortiz Oakley, chancellor, Cali-
fornia Community Colleges.
• Jorge Aguilar, superintendent, Sacra-
mento City Unified School District, asso-
ciate vice chancellor for Educational and
Community Partnerships, UC Merced.
• Lashawn Chatmon, founding execu-
tive director, National Equity Project.
• Ryan Smith, executive directo r, Ed
Trust-West.
More information and registration can
be found at www.edequityforum.org. tion aims to develop a statewide system
of certification, preparation, and support
for early childhood professionals. CCSSO
and NGA will provide ongoing technical
assistance, and up to $12,500 to support the
development of a policy agenda.
“We want to ensure a high-quality
workforce across the continuum of early
learning and care settings that can effec-
tively meet the needs of children from birth
through age eight,” Torlakson said. “Work-
ing together, we can set students up for suc-
cess, so they come to school ready to learn,
ready to discover their inner strengths, and
ready to dream big and go far.”
Research shows that high-quality care
and education in the earliest years of life
has a positive effect on children. In addi-
tion, there is growing understanding of
the need for a knowledgeable and skilled
workforce to provide quality early child-
hood education.
Ten states will participate in the Im-
proving the Early Childhood Education
Workforce partnership. The NGA Center
for Best Practices Education Division’s
project will provide technical assistance
and grants for the development of a policy
agenda to Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii,
Illinois, Montana, and North Carolina.
CCSSO will provide technical assistance
and grants for Michigan, Maryland, Cal-
ifornia, and Pennsylvania. Together, these
states will receive support to develop and
carry out action plans focused on one or
more specific state policy priorities.
“CCSSO is proud to partner with the
National Governors Association to support
states as they strengthen the quality of early childhood education and increase access to
these important opportunities for all fam-
ilies,” said Carissa Moffat Miller, executive
director of CCSSO.
Support for this project comes from the
W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Alliance for
Early Success, the Foundation for Child
Development, and the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation.
n n n
n n n
ECE workforce
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Tom Torlakson has announced that Cal-
ifornia will receive a grant and support to
strengthen the quality of early childhood
care and education. California will join a
partnership with the National Governors
Association (NGA) and the Council of
Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
titled Improving the Early Childhood
Education Workforce.
The California Department of Educa-
AVID grads
Of the 129 high school students who
completed the Advancement Via Individual
Determination program in Santa Maria
Joint Union High School District, 119
were accepted to the UC or CSU systems.
However, not all will go. The reasons,
teachers and school counselors say, are
complex: Money, leaving home or the first
time, cultural, family obligations including
contributing by working and others. All the
students completed A-G requirements to
become eligible to apply.
“The reality of this is that not all stu-
dents want to go to a UC or CSU,’’ said
Assistant Superintendent of Instruction
and Curriculum John Davis. “If they do
and want to put in the work, we have a
program for them that works very well here
and nationwide. It’s a major commitment.’’
The SMJUHSD AVID program starts
for students as freshman and wraps up with
arming them with study strategies, read-
ing/writing support, mentoring, personal
statement help and peer-support tutoring
efforts. More information about the district
can be found at www.smjuhsd.k12.ca.us.