​West Potomac Academy Hosts Health Fair for Head Start Students

From West Potomac Academy: Students studying health and medical sciences career courses at the Governor’s Health Sciences Academy at West Potomac will host the seventh annual health and wellness fair, Passport to Good Health, for children in the West Potomac Head Start Program on Tuesday, February 14, from 10 to 11a.m.; Thursday, February 16, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, February 28, from 10:10 to 11:10 a.m. West Potomac Academy is one of six academies in Fairfax County Public Schools.

Head Start students will meet and learn from academy students studying Dental Careers, Exploring Health Sciences-Exploring the Language of Medicine, Medical Assisting, Pharmacy Tech, and Physical-Occupational Therapy. They will learn what happens during a regular check-up with a doctor and dentist, and how to brush their teeth properly. To engage gross and fine motor skills, the West Potomac health sciences students have designed special physical and occupational therapy activities for the Head Start students. There will also be instruction on which medications at home are helpful and which could be harmful, and how healthy eating can keep you from getting sick. The younger students will create life-sized drawings of their body systems while learning about how their bodies look and work on the inside.

This Passport to Good Health program is an example of how health and medical science students at West Potomac Academy reach out to the community to share health and wellness education. Students participate in service learning projects with Mission of Mercy and Project Smile, and compete in HOSA’s district, state, and national competitions for future health professionals. The West Potomac health sciences students also volunteer in local elementary schools and retirement home facilities. Starting in the spring, students will be placed in clinical observations, internships, and job shadow placements in dental offices, medical facilities, physical therapy clinics, and pharmacies.

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