By MARY BAILEY The Reporter

Pre-Kindergarten students from across the county were in for a real treat this week as they were able to get their health screenings at the Marshall County Technical School.

Suzann Peppers, one of the Med Prep Instructors, said all the Pre-K students in the county will be seen by their Med-Prep students.

“They are required by the state to have a health screening,” Peppers said of the Pre-K students visiting. “Our students have always gone to each individual school and helped out with it a little bit, but I was approached by the lead nurse Ms. Mitchell with how about this year we bring them all to the Technical School and your students run it.”

Peppers said their students have run the entire health screening.

“They are doing, dental, height, weight, blood pressure, BMI and hearing screenings. We also have Vision Research here who are doing the students vision screenings,” Peppers continued.

Peppers said it has been all hands on deck and ran really smoothly.

“Our Teacher Academy has really, really helped and has done all kinds of creative projects with them to help with the down time. They have entertained them and done little learning activities with them. They even made a photobooth for pictures and showed them how to make hats. Our Public Safety Program came out and showed them things that they could learn in their program.”

Peppers said the day went well, and it was a great learning experience for the Med-Prep students.

“This helps them have the hands-on experience that they need to go into healthcare. They are able to interact with the children. It’s just helping them all across the board with their hands-on skills, their communication skills and valuable other things they need in the field of healthcare,” she continued.

“It's really cool what the kids have been telling them, I have been listening, they check how big their muscles are when they do their blood pressure and counting their teeth to them at the dental screening.”

Douglas Pre K II Teacher Tracie Knott and her class were very excited for the day at the Tech School.

Four-year-old student Hayden Gardner said he was told he was really healthy during his screening.

“They looked at my eyes,” he said. “The fire fighter was really cool, and I want to be an alligator when I grow up.”

Kaylee Terrell doesn’t remember how many teeth were counted during her dental exam, but she did get a cool goodie bag with a toothbrush.

“A nurse helps me feel better when I’m sick,” she said. “I want to be a nurse when I grow up.”

Azul Ramos, a Douglas High School student in the Med Prep Program, had a great time examining the students.

“I think since I want to be a dentist is has helped me a lot. They are so little, so it was really cute.”

Douglas High School junior, Kemberly Gutierrez helped to transport the students from station to station.

“My main job today was calling up the children to each station,” said Gutierrez who has aspirations to be a nurse. “Today made me come out more, be more social. Especially with little kids because they are so unpredictable.”

The Medical Pre-Program is one of nine programs offered at the Marshall Technical School.