Reptiles, Pizza and Doctors…Oh My!
Community organizations and area businesses contributed to a successful 2nd annual Health & Science Expo at Smith Renaissance School
By, Tayo McGuirk
Smith Renaissance School Math & Science Facilitator
Where in Park Hill could you find snakes, hula hoops and cholesterol testing all under one roof? The answer is surprisingly simple: at Smith Renaissance School’s Second Annual Family Health and Science Expo.
On February 4, approximately 275 family members, 30 teachers and 10 community partners gathered at the elementary school for an evening of science and health education. The Denver Public elementary school, located at 3590 Jasmine Street, invited organizations from all over the Greater Park Hill area to share their expertise with families – free of charge.
Among the community partners present were block captains and volunteers from the Stapleton Foundation’s be well Health and Wellness Initiative. One of the organization’s wellness initiatives is to provide complimentary health screenings to adults in the community.
“At Smith, we screened over 30 individuals in two hours time,” reported Frank Lucero, block captain manager. “That is a very good number. Our volunteers worked non-stop.”
One of the most popular events for kids at the Expo was the Family Fit Fest, hosted by the Museum of Nature and Science’s Passport to Health program. Families gathered in the gym, rotating through nearly a dozen fitness stations. Participants tested their physical endurance with hula hoops, their coordination by volleying a beach ball and their flexibility with yoga stretches.
“I really liked trying to stand on the balance board while throwing a beanbag to my friend,” said student DJ Mills. “I realized that I can’t actually balance for as long as I thought I could.”
Depending on whether you asked a student or a squeamish mother, the live animals at the Expo were either adored or carefully avoided. One classroom was transformed into a reptile sanctuary where Chad Brinkley of Party Safari, allowed an albino red tail boa, named Blondie, to slither in and out of his shirt. In the school auditorium, raptor handlers from the environmental awareness group, HawkQuest, introduced a live owl, an eagle and a hawk that swooped down over the heads of families, as they gasped in awe.
In addition, Community Resources served pizza and helped organize speakers, King Soopers provided paper grocery bags for families to decorate as part of an international Earth Day project, residents from the University of Colorado Family Medicine Residency were on hand to provide healthy eating tips and ECE through fifth grade students proudly displayed their science fair projects.
“The highlight of the evening, for me, was seeing all of the hard work that went into the students’ science fair displays,” said Kathryn Johnson, Smith ECE teacher.
Overall, the community-supported event was a great success, offering something for everyone, including services and information from AmeriCorps, the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program and Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer. At the conclusion of the evening, Jason Krause, principal of Smith Renaissance, presented raffle winner, fourth grader, Samara McGhee, with a Wii Fit, video entertainment system.
“The Expo was not only fun, but it was educational and I realized that I need to take better care of my own health,” said parent, Cecilia Mandujano. “I learned and had fun with my family all under one roof, surrounded by the ones I love.”
For more information about Smith Renaissance School’s Annual Family Health and Science Expo or to find out how your organization could become a community partner, contact Tayo McGuirk at tayo_mcguirk@dpsk12.org.