December 20, 2012 Page 3 Miracle in the Making Reaches Wiseburn Still Looking to Third Year of Spreading Hope Improve Fitness Test Results By Cristian Vasquez to receive up to five or seven toys during It has been more than five years since Renee the one-day event. Last year there were so By Dylan Little receiving a passing rating. “We are spiraling O’Neill first took her son Pat to Children’s many toys collected, that other kids in the During its most recent meeting, the Wiseburn downward,” said Silvers. Hospital Los Angeles to begin treatment hospital were able to come in and pick a toy School Board discussed the results from its Board President Nelson Martinez pointed for his leukemia. Three years ago, O’Neill out of the box. 2012 Physical Fitness Test. While Wiseburn out that another factor in the difficulties the took her son home and he was clear of “Christmas for them, it’s just another outpaces many of its neighboring districts, it District has had with Body Composition might cancer with a fresh start at life. However for day and I know that because when my son still faces challenges in making sure students be the history of cuts to physical education. O’Neill, the experience of spending so much was in the hospital for Christmas, we were are fit. With school education budgets being strained time at a hospital alongside her son marked starting to decorate--then he got sick and we The Physical Fitness Test is administered to cover core standards, areas outside of the the beginning of a passion in life--helping had to take everything down,” O’Neill said. to fifth, seventh and ninth grade students standards in math, science and language arts families whose kids are fighting cancer. Since “We couldn’t have a tree, we couldn’t have nationwide to assess six areas of physical fitness: have been neglected--with physical education then, O’Neill has been donating toys to kids anything because of dust. Even though it was aerobic capacity, body composition, abdominal being a ripe target for cuts to instructional hours. at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles that are Christmas, it didn’t feel like Christmas to us. strength, trunk extensor strength, upper body Martinez believes that the current increase being treated for cancer. We had to get up at six in the morning to be “While we were there, we saw the need that at the hospital at seven. He Pat would go “The challenge we’re facing now and have been in the last few arises when someone becomes sick during through chemo--then we would come back years is only 41 percent of our students meet all six standards.” the Christmas holiday,” O’Neill said. “The until nine o’clock at night just exhausted.” children needed clothing and toys, so that first O’Neill, who is also part of the Hawthorne strength and flexibility. These tests consist of a in students’ BMI can be closely tied to the year, of our own pocket, we went and bought Lions Club, the Hawthorne Women’s Club and mile run, curl-ups, push-ups, behind-the-back decrease in physical education. “That the lower toys and happy meal cards McDonald’s for recently became the Director of Hospitality shoulder reaches and an assessment of each passing rate in Body Composition could be a the kids there. By the second year, I was for the Hawthorne Historical Society, got a student’s body mass index (BMI). While over result of the cuts that have been made to PE more exposed and experienced since I had bit of a late start in the toy collection effort 68 percent of Wiseburn students pass five of in the last 10 to 15 years,” said Martinez. “I become actively involved with my city. The this year. Yet she is confident that she will the six categories on the test, Superintendent suspect that is a very strong factor.” City helped me out a lot, the Hawthorne be able to collect enough toys to bring a Tom Johnstone said that getting students to However in previous problem areas, such Police Department also helped and we were few moments of happiness to sick children pass all the tests isn’t necessarily a walk in the as Aerobic Capacity, the District has been able to collect three huge boxes of toys. We at the hospital. park. “It’s very difficult to get our kids in shape successful in implementing new programs that had toys, we had clothes and we had money, “I am really going to push it these next in all six of the categories,” said Johnstone. have lead to better student physical performance which we used to buy $200 worth of happy couple of weeks,” O’Neill said. “I am going Blake Silvers, Assistant Principal at Dana outside of the formal physical education meal cards.” around to different companies in the city Middle School, agreed with Johnstone. He curriculum. Recently, Dana has implemented O’Neill’s toy collection efforts is one of and since they know me now that I am pointed out in his presentation on the District’s a running club that has been successful not many that take place at Children’s Hospital more involved with the city, it should go results that while over 40 percent of Wiseburn only in increasing students’ aerobic strength, Los Angeles to bring a few moments of joy well. Christmas is not about toys or having students pass in all six categories, success in but also improving self-esteem with several and happiness for kids fighting to regain their a party. I know that. It is about being with raising that number has been elusive for years. members even completing the Los Angeles health. “We have a wonderful toy program family and your loved ones, helping sick “The challenge we’re facing now and have been Marathon. In addition to trying to find a here, as most children’s hospitals do, but people and poor people. This is why I want in the last few years is only 41 percent of our solution to problems in Body Composition, ours is unique because of its size and how to continue to do this.” students meet all six standards,” said Silvers. Silvers noted that at the middle school level, For the District, its lowest scoring category the physical education department has placed was Body Composition, which is tied to the an emphasis on upper body strength. “One of “Many of the patients at Children’s Hospital students’ BMI. Unfortunately, this area is hard the goals of the PE department at Dana is to Los Angeles do not have toys at home to improve directly due to the body types of get that upper body strength number up to 90 and need something to keep them entertained. ” students, as BMI is tied to their diets and percent,” said Silvers. activity levels both in and out of school. Silvers Because of the long history of testing, Silvers said that to make progress in this category, the has been able to compare performance of we distribute our toys,” Manager of Volunteer In addition to providing a toy, O’Neill is District needs to reach out to parents. “Body students when they were fifth graders to their Services for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles driven by the fact that the few moments of Composition is a concern,” said Silvers. “We performance as seventh graders. He found Wendi Kellaris said. “We have two arms-- joy brought to a sick child has a positive need to talk about food with their families.” most students are more likely to improve on the inpatient and outpatient. In the inpatient, impact that nothing else can match. “For While Body Composition is just one the test as they age, despite the fact that the they receive a toy every week that they are five minutes, you can make their sick child category students are tested in, it is also the standards in the test reflect the increase in here. The second arm is the outpatient clinic white cell count go up and it will keep going most important to predicting a child’s future physical abilities between fifth and seventh and the way the program is set up with the up, and that is what we really like to do,” health. According to Silvers, BMI is a more grade. “This is interesting…it’s kind of a clinics is more or less based on incentive. If O’Neill said. “Being the mother of the patient, important factor than any of the other categories longitudinal study,” said Silvers. “As they are we have patients who have done a good job we are always looking to keep that white in the Physical Fitness Test when it comes to getting older, they are getting in better shape.” in between visits and followed their diets, did cell count up. When you bring them toys determining if these children will be at risk With the passage of Prop 30 and Measure their exercises, went to physical therapy and or good news, it goes up. I think Christmas for future health complications. “BMI is the CL, the District has a little bit of leeway in taken medication, then they get a certificate is about giving to others and I always have, most important indicator of future wellness,” restructuring its secondary priorities. Johnstone that says ‘good job’ or ‘good lab’, meaning especially now that I have been brought to said Silvers. “The percentage of ‘high risk’ cautioned that while physical education is good lab results. The patient can bring that this Children’s Hospital and I have seen the students is increasing.” important, to really make a meaningful impact to us and they can go to the toy room and need there.” Silvers noted that while performance in in students’ lives would require a great deal of pick what they want.” Having her son survive has given O’Neill categories other than Body Composition has attention and well-thought-out changes to the Many of the patients at Children’s Hospital a deeper appreciation and understanding for been improving or remained the same as last program. “I know we are getting pulled in many Los Angeles do not have toys at home and what the families at Children’s Hospital Los year, the number of students in the “Healthy Fit directions, but if this is something we want to need something to keep them entertained. In Angeles are going through and keeps her Zone” for BMI has been decreasing annually, do we need to focus on it,” said Johnstone. addition, it is estimated that 5,000 kids a year motivated to fulfill her cause. “How can with this year only 54.9 percent of students “If we don’t focus on it, nothing gets done.” • spend their birthday at the hospital, making I not give? I have my health, I have my the need for toys and joy even greater. children and I have my husband,” O’Neill “We have a list of toys that are not only said. “I have a home to live in and I have safe and hospital-appropriate, but they are food. How can I not do something like this popular with the patients,” Kellaris said. after having learned what these parents go “These are toys that we simply can’t keep on through? Some of these parents are going the shelf because the kids like having them. to lose their kids. Some of these parents are They are generally things that the kids can going to be back there because the cancer do while in bed and that keep them busy comes back. I have lived that, so my family with their minds off of their illness. We do and I are just trying to reach out and give give out a toy drive package which includes back to as many families as we can.” Tani, you were our best Christmas the suggested toy list.” O’Neill added, “We want to let them know present and still are. Love, from Mom While the hospital has many individual, that there are families out there that care about and Dad. Provided by Carol Mikulchik. private and corporate donors, O’Neill them. We may not know you, but there are communicated with Dr. Stuart Siegel, who people out there in the world that want to do treated her son Pat, to bring the toys in that something for you. If I can be that person have a favorite photo? An old yearbook photo?Do youReaders send us your photos! she collected. The toys are taken to Children’s to get all that stuff and bring something to Glamour Shot? Baby photo? We want them. Hospital unwrapped and each child is able them, I think that’s beautiful.” • We will accept only one photo, per person, People “Staff Favorite” and the winner will get a $25.00 from one of our our localbusinesses, who are advertisers.every month. Once a month, we will pick agift certificate Email your photos to: CONGRATULATIONS Management@heraldpublications.com. Adrian Calderon, of Hawthorne, the United States. Calderon is a member of We will only accept emailed photos and they performed in the annual St. Olaf Christmas the Viking Chorus and is a Performance must be in jpg form. Festival in Northfield, Minnesota, one of the Major. He is the son of Roberto and oldest musical celebrations of Christmas in Flor Calderon. •
Lawndale 12_20_12
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