When parents send their children to school they trust that they will be safe and cared for. Well, at Sycamore Park, that has proven to be true more than expected over the past month. Not one, but two students were saved from choking at Sycamore Park by two different staff members.
Lunchroom Buddy Saves the Day- Hero 1
On Friday, August 25th, Kindergarten student Donnie was eating breakfast in the cafeteria just like any other day. However, this day was not like others because he began to choke on his cereal. He then sought out the help of a trusted friend in our SPES lunch lady, Janet Lemen. Since his time at Sycamore Park, Janet had been kind to Donnie and helped him get his lunch and settle into the lunch room. According to Donnie, she had become someone that he looked forward to seeing each day and had built a relationship with. Well, that relationship proved important when Donnie approached Janet when choking. She immediately stepped into action and performed light back blows to dislodge the food that was stuck in Donnie's throat. He was scared, but his trust in Ms. Lemen saved his life. Ms. Lemen says about that day, “He came running to me, which made me feel special. Instinct kicked in…I was relieved when it popped out and that he is ok.”
Caring Teacher Comes to the Rescue- Hero 2
On Monday, September 18, 2023, a small group of third graders were having lunch with their teacher when a candy roll-up became stuck in the throat of Iris Jenkins. Her teacher, Alexis Pendleton jumped up to help when Iris could not cough or breathe. Mrs. Pendleton performed the Heimlich Maneuver and the candy released from Iris’s airway. According to Mrs. Pendleton, “It was a scary moment for everyone and I’m so glad Iris is ok! The students were concerned and checked on our friend the rest of the day. It was nice to see how our class looks out for each other in all types of situations”. Iris’s mother, Heather Jenkins, also an SPES teacher, had this to say, “You are a hero! Our family can never repay you! Iris went to her girl scout meeting tonight, but our night could have been very different if it wasn’t for God looking out for her and Alexis saving her life.”
The compassionate adults who interact with students each day at CCPS build relationships that matter to our students and families. We are so lucky to shed the light on our CCPS staff who choose to care about students each day enough to save lives.