Leopold Primary School’s extra staff members care for, monitor four diabetic children, educate other students
A trained support team assists the teachers at one Geelong primary school to care for four students. Here’s why.
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A team of four education support staff is just one measure a Geelong primary school has in place to support four of its students.
Leopold Primary School students Jet, 9, Pippa, 10, Ellie, 11, and Timothy, 12 are all diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
The school also has a teacher who was diagnosed last year.
The auto-immune condition occurs where the body’s own immune system is activated to destroy the beta cells in the pancreas which produce insulin.
Leopold Primary has installed a dedicated area for high and low episodes for the students, and has hired a support team.
The team of four is present throughout the school day to support the students and teachers with the daily needs of type 1 diabetics.
Records are also kept throughout the day.
Education support staff member Marion Coe said all their teachers were trained in level one management of diabetes, with teachers “tagged” with the diabetic students having levels one and two, and some with level three.
The school is celebrating National Diabetes Day with a diabetes colour day on Tuesday, November 14.
Ms Coe said it was to celebrate the children and their families in the school community who lived with the condition.
“(It is also) to encourage awareness and knowledge of type 1 diabetes,” she said.
“(We want) to celebrate the students and peers that support them daily by running to get support if (a student gets) hypoglycaemic, sitting with them while treating and asking questions and always wanting to learn.”
Leopold Primary is hosting a dress up day on Tuesday, asking students to wear either blue or red.
All staff and students are encouraged to participate with a gold coin donation.
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