Here at Newton High School, different courses are offered to students to help expand their educational knowledge. Some of these courses include classes that will help students learn more about a future career, whether that be knowledge a student uses when they attend college or certification that they can earn to begin their career. One of those classes offered is a Certified Nurse Assistant class, which students can attend to earn a CNA certification in high school.
“Our CNA class would be geared towards those who want to care for others, people going into the healthcare field, and even those who are unsure of what they want to do. Trying this out and seeing if it’s for them could even help eliminate some options,” Counserlor Carmen Jarrell said.
CNA class has been offered to students at Newton High School for about eight years and is taught by Ginger Jones who also teaches at Hutchison Community College. Through hands-on learning, assignments, and tests, high school students can earn a CNA certification.
“This is a prerequisite nursing program so a lot of time when you are moving on into that entry-level getting you in the door, this is also another pathway to give young students a certification to go make more money right out of high school,” Jarrell said.
This CNA class, located in Brooks Trade Center, is organized for students to teach them more about the medical field and to prepare them for their future or relevant nursing careers.
“This class kind of gives you a bigger world view when you start to take care of other people and get out in the community you see things through a different lens,” Jarrell said. “It gives our students some experience out in nursing homes so if they’re interested in nursing or CNA it gives them that experience right there in the class and it’s just a good foundation as a job.”
Students who take this class may join for different reasons whether it be to earn college credit or expand their knowledge in the nursing field. Junior Zachariah Garces said he joined because it is awesome.
“It has been pretty awesome, we watched a couple of movies and I am excited to learn how to take care of a patient because I like that stuff it’s cool,” Garces said.
In this class, students complete different assignments as they work on their curriculum such as reading, workbooks, tests, watching educational movies, and hands-on learning. This hands-on learning involves the students going to a nursing home and taking care of real patients.
“We get to go to an actual nursing home and take care of old people,” said Garces.
The students will also get practice taking care of patients by learning different ways to care for them.
“We’re going to start lifting people, moving them, and feeding them,” senior Mariana Porras said.
As Porras has continued to attend the CNA class this year she has mentioned her favorite part of the class.
“My favorite part of the class would honestly be the teacher, her name is Ginger Jones, and she just makes the class so much better,” Porras said.
