Medical professional offers tips to help students stay safe in hot classrooms

Heat exhaustion can land someone in the hospital, so News 12 wanted to know what parents can do to help their kids headed to a hot classroom.

News 12 Staff

Jun 10, 2021, 9:57 PM

Updated 1,215 days ago

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It's been a hot week, especially for some kids who are enduring scorching temperatures inside classrooms with no air conditioning.
Heat exhaustion can land someone in the hospital, so News 12 wanted to know what parents can do to help their kids headed to a hot classroom.
"Dress lightly. Clothing loose, light. Certainly hydrate before eating, light meals before going to school or sports activities," says Nicole Lucas, vice president of nursing at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.
It's also important to recognize the signs of heat exhaustion.
"Whenever they are feeling tired or fatigued, certainly cue into those tips," says Lucas.
Other symptoms of heat exhaustion include nausea, headaches and dizziness.
The best way to address these symptoms is to get out of the heat and stay hydrated.
Tyler Hulen, a fifth grader at the Graham Elementary school in Mount Vernon, says her class is so hot that it makes her feel sick.
"Sometimes I feel like I'm going to pass out or throw up," she says.
Thats why the 11-year-old stayed home from school Thursday.
"When it's hot, I can't focus on my work. And I want good grades, and if I can't focus on my work then that's a problem," she says.
Her stepmom Jana Hulen says it's worrisome and took to Mount Vernon school district administrators.
"The superintendent has said that the buildings are old, and it's not as simple as putting in an A/C - they need to be rewired," she says.
The district sent News 12 a similar answer adding, "We are aware of concerns regarding heat in some of our buildings and classrooms."
The district also said "schools have designated cooling areas that students and staff circulate through during the course of the day."