Locust Valley Middle and High Schools have long maintained a commitment to heart health education, having included a CPR unit as part of its physical education program since 2008. This course is guided by information from The American Red Cross and teaches students the skills necessary to perform the life-saving act on adults, children and infants with the aid of an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Students also learn how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on adults, children and infants who are choking. Those in grades 7, 9 and 11 receive a two-year certification, while those in grades 8, 10, 12 participate in refresher courses used to introduce any new information and to keep their skills sharp. Physical Education teachers Tim Bellisari, Matthew McFarland and Nadine Pacifico, lead the course this year.