05/10/12
Local Students Join Winchester Hospital in Celebrating Centennial
Students from nine schools and six towns joined in the continued celebration of Winchester Hospital’s 100th birthday by developing creative projects. After several months of hard work, these students finally had the chance to unveil their projects to the community. 
Schools from Medford, Reading, Burlington, Woburn, Winchester and Wilmington converged in the hospital’s main lobby on Tuesday, April 24 for the School Partnership Program Fair in recognition of the hospital’s centennial.
“From the beginning, we recognized that for students in our community, their only exposure to Winchester Hospital is when they are sick or injured or if they are visiting a loved one,” said Kevin Smith, President and CEO of Winchester Hospital. “We saw this partnership as an opportunity to share a different aspect of the hospital, recognizing that not too many years from now these kids could be the leaders of Winchester Hospital.”
Students from Barrows Elementary in Reading focused on how physical activity, snacks and medication changed over the past 100 years. They developed a creative poster board that displayed what the third graders had learned.
“They felt so proud to be going to the hospital to present their project,” said Barrows teacher Caresa Encarnacao.
But the students from Barrows weren’t satisfied with just doing a poster board. As they stood in front of fellow students, teachers, school administrators, as well as hospital doctors, nurses and staff, the students sang a song thanking Winchester Hospital for its service to the community.
Eighth grade students from the W.S. Parker Middle School in Reading also got in on the celebration as they toured the hospital, interviewed many members of the staff and spent time with Ellen Knight, author of the recently published hospital history.
Sixth graders at Parker Middle School learned about the electromagnetic spectrum and hospital radiology. The hospital’s radiation staff jumped in to provide real life examples of how it is used in our everyday lives. The students then went on to create videos to demonstrate their learning.
The students at McGlynn Middle School in Medford learned about healthy eating choices through games, presentations and taste testing, from nutrition experts from the hospital. After all their work, their project culminated with a musical video informational clip.
“I already have students for next year’s class asking if we can come back to Winchester and do it again,” said McGlynn teacher Mary Hoarty.
Students at the Medford Vocational Technical High School designed and built a time capsule. The capsule was originally going to be buried at 620 Washington St. in Winchester, but because they did such a great job, the capsule will be displayed at the site before being buried for the next 100 years.
Students at John F. Kennedy School in Woburn looked at changes over time in health care delivery, services, technology and cancer treatment. Students interviewed residents at New Horizons, the former site of Choate Hospital, and met with Arlan Fuller, MD to learn about robotic surgery.
The students also developed a dynamic PowerPoint presentation about the hospital’s history and their learning experience.
Students at McCall Middle School in Winchester created four mobile apps for the hospital. One helps patients find the quickest way to the hospital, another directs employees to which parking lots have available parking, one helps patients and families find their way around the hospital, and another is a patient app that can tell you how many calories you had for dinner or when your next doctor’s appointment is.
If that wasn’t enough, some students even worked on redesigning the hospital’s kitchen area.
The Wilmington Middle School eighth graders spent time learning about the hospital and the services it provides to the community. They reviewed the hospital’s web site and interviewed hospital staff members as they created a documentary about the hospital, which is now posted on YouTube.
Students from Burlington High School partnered with the leaders of the ‘Where are those Winchester Hospital Babies Now’ project to creatively display all of the wonderful stories that we heard from our babies.
“It’s amazing how many of the students had some type of connection to the hospital whether they were born there, or they knew someone who was born there or had to visit family there,” said Burlington graphic design teacher, George Ratkevich.
The dedication of the schools, students, staff and parents were crucial in making this event a success.
“I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the school administrators and teachers who have been involved,” said Paul Andrews, chairman of Winchester Hospital’s Board of Directors. “I recognize the demands placed on all of you, so for each of you to step up and participate in this project, that is really going above and beyond.”
About Winchester Hospital
Winchester Hospital is the first community hospital in Massachusetts to earn Magnet recognition, the American Nurses Association’s highest honor for nursing excellence. As the northwest suburban Boston area’s leading provider of comprehensive health care services, the 229-bed facility provides care in general, bariatric and vascular surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, oncology, gastroenterology, rehabilitation, radiation oncology, pain management, obstetrics/gynecology and a Level IIB Special Care Nursery. Winchester Hospital has clinical affiliations with several nationally recognized hospitals in the region, including Children’s Hospital Boston, Tufts Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. To learn more, visit www.winchesterhospital.org.