Earlier this month, the students in Head Teacher Audrey Schaefer and Assistant Teacher Jamie Sall’s Silver Cluster class had a visit from a special guest.
Dr. Alex Schosheim, a Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Stony Brook Medicine and friend of Ms. Sall, visited the class to talk about his profession, how it has evolved in the current circumstances, and what we can do as a community to stay safe and well.
After hearing a bit about Dr. Alex and the types of children he treats, the students jumped right in with questions.
For example, Juan Diego asked how much sleep Dr. Alex gets. Dr. Alex said that since he is doing phone and video telemedicine right now, he is generally getting enough sleep.
After answering questions, Dr. Alex shared his advice for how to stay healthy, and how to help healthcare workers:
- Wash hands for at least 20 seconds. Dr. Alex sings the ABC song to make sure he’s washing long enough.
- Cover your nose with your elbow when you sneeze.
- Try to stay away from crowded places.
- Let doctors and nurses know that you are thankful for their efforts, and let them know you are doing your part.
- Keep learning!
At the end of the conversation, Dr. Alex thanked the students for a “wonderful, respectful, and insightful conversation.”
After his visit, the students wrote letters to express their gratitude and appreciation towards healthcare professionals. They were then distributed to the healthcare staff at Stony Brook Medicine.
The students eloquently showed their support and gratitude. A few quotes:
“You all are risking your own lives to help others. You are the best. I hope you all are appreciated because you one-hundred percent deserve it. I am doing my part by staying inside and washing my hands. Thank you for being so fierce!”
“You help people and make it possible for them to get up and running. You are in our hearts. I bang pots and pans out the window for you all. When this is over, we will be proud of you forever.”
“You are doing an awesome job during this terrible time. I hope this will be over soon and try to stay safe. I am staying in my house and hope you are taking precautions to stay safe.”
“I really want to give a shout-out to the nurses. You are helping the doctors, you are helping people and you are going to change the world. I may want to work in healthcare when I grow up because I want to have that feeling of changing the world and helping people.”
Director of Intermediate Division Michelle Fox said, “It was clearly such a meaningful experience for the children and the letters that students wrote are a testament to just that. As I read each letter, I felt even more proud of our students and to be part of our remarkable Gaynor community.”
Blue Cluster students also showed their appreciation for healthcare professionals during their class advisory.
Students wrote thank you cards for the staff at Mt. Sinai hospital. After drawing their card, students scanned it and sent it via email to a hospital representative.
The cards were then printed, laminated, sanitized, and then distributed among the hospital staff.
One card read, “Thank you to all the helpers. You are the strongest out of all of us.”
Another read, “Thank you healthcare workers for doing everything you can to protect us from the coronavirus.”
Head Teacher Jane Moskowitz’s Silver Cluster class was also joined by a special guest this week.
Dr. Marks, who works in the Emergency Room at Mt. Sinai West hospital, joined room 601 students to chat about his experiences in the ER during this time.
He discussed what has made these last few weeks stressful, and also how he is finding endless strength and positivity from the New York community, which keeps him and his team going.
Throughout this month, Gaynor students were able to learn more about the experiences of healthcare workers during the pandemic, while also expressing their appreciation for all that they do, today and every day.