September 12, 2013
To: Parents of Ms. St.Clair’s Students in PE-PT, Medical Skills and Services Blended, and First Responder
I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Renae St.Clair and I have your
son/daughter in one of my classes this semester. I graduated from Western Illinois University in 2002
with a degree in math with a teaching certification and a degree in athletic training. I have taught math
at HHS for several years but recently I have been heading the medical academy classes and love every
minute of it. I apologize greatly that I was not able to be at open house for those of you that came. My
mom had a Spinal Fusion surgery on Tuesday and was not doing well at all on Wednesday – the day of
the open house. She is doing great now and recovering at home. I want you to know that if you would
like to meet or speak with me I am happy to make arrangement to do so. Just email me at
rstclair@district158.org or call me at 847-659-6800 Ext 6870 and leave me a message. I’m available
most days before school (before 7:30am) or after school (after 2:30pm). I’m also free most days from
around 11:30 to 12:30 if you would like to meet over lunch.
PE-PT: Physical Education – Physical Therapy: This is the first time this class has been offered at
Huntley High School and I’m really excited about it. It’s your traditional PE class in terms of getting
dressed and doing fitness testing however instead of learning sports or games we will be learning
physical therapy exercises. If you have ever had physical therapy you have probably had an exercise
sheet sent home with you. Most physical therapists make these sheets by copying cards out of an
Orthopedic Rehabilitation Prescription Kit. That kit and those cards are the exercises we will be learning
instead of learning about basketball or ultimate Frisbee. Students will be assessed by randomly picking
a card and then having to demonstrate and/or explain that exercise. They will be given daily
participation points just as in regular PE and they will receive a grade for the fitness testing. Any days
that are missed from not dressing or being unexcused absent can be made up during a normal PE makeup like a normal PE class. Built into the curriculum are also review days so if a student misses a day
where they learn new exercises they can learn them on the review day.
MSS Blended: This is my second year teaching MSS Blended. Students attend class on Tuesdays
and Fridays for discussion and to help them with anything they need. They are given the study guide at
the beginning of the chapter and the power point for the chapter and the answers to the study guide
are posted on Haiku. The students are instructed to print off the power point in any form they would
like and use it as a guide to take their notes. If they take great notes they will receive 10 extra credit
points each chapter. Then they have been instructed to find the answers to the study guide questions in
their notes and label them. If they do this they will receive another 10 extra credit points each chapter.
That means there is a possibility of 20 extra credit points for every chapter. In addition, the test
questions will come directly off their study guide – so there are no surprises – they basically have the
test questions in advance. Once they have finished their notes and finished their study guide they can
check their answers online and then take a practice assessment with the exact same questions. They
can quiz themselves and see how they do. They can take the practice assessment up to 5 times and I
will always take the highest score so they can do it the first time using their study guide to get their 100%
and then take it up to 4 more times quizzing themselves so they know what they need to study.
Students are also working on Medical Abbreviations and Terms throughout the entire semester. There
are 10 new words or abbreviations each week and there is a cumulative quiz every Friday. The students
have been given all the abbreviations and words in advance so they know what’s coming up each week.
I also put all the words and abbreviations in www.studystack.com which is an electronic flashcard and
game resource. It takes the words and abbreviations and turns them into games. You can also put this
as an app on your phone and have electronic flashcards available to you at any time. At the end of the
semester they will have a test on these abbreviations and terms and the students will be given a study
guide in advance which will be the exact same questions as the test. Students have already seen this
study guide and test and the study guide is already available to them online but I will have a printed
copy for them as we get closer to the test date. Students also have to do one hands-on practical
assessment each quarter. First quarter they have to come in and test cranial nerves and second quarter
they will take vitals. The cranial nerve testing has already been explained to them and there are videos
on Haiku as a resource for them. Students will have the opportunity to receive extra credit if they
volunteer to test early instead of waiting till the end of the quarter. They will come in and do this
testing on their “off” days when they are not required to be in class.
First Responder: This is the first year we are offering first responder at Huntley high school in
several years. Upon completion of the course and passing the course and exam students will receive
First Aid/CPR/AED certification from the American Red Cross that is good for 2 years from the date of
completion. In first responder we have two in class books. The small American Heart Association book
concentrates on actions they need to take in emergency situations where the bigger Emergency
Responder book gets into more detail with each emergency they may encounter. Unfortunately we only
have classroom sets of these books however they can purchase an American Heart Association book for
$15 and they will receive 15 extra credit points for doing so. They can also purchase a CPR mask for $5
and they will receive 15 extra credit points for that as well. Whatever they purchase they will be able to
take home with them at the completion of the class. If they do not purchase either one of these items
they are available to be borrowed during class. Students will be responsible for reading, taking notes,
and participating in discussions. I’ve been working hard to make sure they have input on their test, they
pick the questions and understand them, and have the questions in advance to study. We are
concentrating on the few minutes you have in between when a medical emergency happens and when
trained medical professionals like paramedics arrive on the scene. A lot can be done in those few
minutes if you know what to do.
I hope that gives you a brief idea of what my expectations are for my students and what
opportunities are available to them to be successful in class. Again, I’m happy to email you more
specifics or meet with you if you would like since I was not able to be here on Open House night.
Detach here and return bottom portion to Ms. St.Clair
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Student Name
Parent Signature
Date