Kids at Primary Children’s Hospital often have to miss weeks if not months of school, and staying on track can be difficult. But they now have a new room called the School Zone that hospital officials hope will help keep their patients learning.
“I spent my first day of first grade here at Primary Children’s. My teachers’ name was Jody and I loved her. I’m so excited for the School Zone.”
That is seven-year-old Hadlee Jo Kotter. Like many others she was forced to miss school because of an illness, but was able to receive help and tutoring from hospital staff. Hadlee’s mom, Lacie Kotter, says it helped her keep pace with her friends back home.
“And it’s people like Jody, the tutor that came in and helped her, that I am so grateful for," she says. "She did not get behind in her education. She had a great team of people helping her here at Primary Children’s all along the way.”
Elaine Pollock is the school services coordinator at Primary Children’s Hospital. She says before, staff had to go room to room, which could be hard. But now, with this new room they’ll be able to provide more resources and to help more students.
“Most schools are technology loaded and we’ve never been," Pollock says. "So this is our opportunity to connect to the schools, to connect to the newest and latest and greatest of what’s being taught.”
The new room has a wall full of books, several computers, and will be staffed with someone who can help parents negotiate the complexities of dealing with absences and reintegration.