After Personal Battle, Clinton Principal Brings Sun Protection Education to Students

Dr. Steven Wang of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center spent the entire day on Thursday, May 5, educating students at Clinton Elementary School about the importance of proper sun protection.

But Dr. Wang's visit to Clinton School had a deeper resonance for students than those of many other visiting professionals: Clinton’s principal, Patty O’Neill, met Dr. Wang during her own treatment for skin cancer last year. Upon learning that he had written a children’s book, O'Neill invited him to visit with Clinton students.

In the weeks leading up to Dr. Wang’s visit, Clinton’s art teacher Christine Tischio created beautiful illustrations to accompany his story.

Wang and O’Neill read from Wang’s book, Alma and the Sun, to each of Clinton’s four kindergarten classes. The young students donned sunhats and sunglasses as they listened to the story, an age-appropriate tale about the importance of protecting your skin from the sun.

Fourth and fifth grade students were then invited to the library where stations were set up to raise awareness about the risks of excessive sun exposure. Students were able to look through a microscope at slides depicting healthy skin and skin damaged by the sun. They learned about the proper amount and application of sunscreens, and they were also able to try out a high-tech facial imaging system that reveals sun damage.

The fun and educational program was filmed for NJN News by correspondent Sara Lee Kessler and is scheduled to air soon.

Both O’Neill and Wang feel strongly about educating children about skin protection.

Said Wang, who heads up Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Basking Ridge Dermatology Section, “It is known that the majority of UV exposure is acquired in childhood, and that early education about proper sun protection can decrease the risk of skin cancer.”

Wang and O’Neill hope to make this event an annual one.