Teachers of Health
Date: March 22, 2004

At 10 years old, Hannah Smith’s biggest worries should have been about vocabulary words, science fairs and obnoxious fifth-grade boys, but after hearing Dr. Kevin Brown speak on the dangers of tobacco Hannah was worried that her father’s smokeless tobacco use would lead him to gum decay or even cancer.

Dr. Brown, Dr. Ed McBride and Nurse Practitioner Sylvia King partner with Hannah’s school, Armuchee Elementary, each year to bring the Tar Wars program to fourth-graders at the school.

The program, coordinated by Kathy Brown, wife of Dr. Kevin Brown, is geared toward fourth-and fifth-graders. It’s a fun program with activities that involve the students.

“They are all eyes and ears when we go and give a presentation,” Kathy said.

Hannah went home from school in tears the day she heard Dr. Brown speak to her class. She pleaded with her dad to stop his habit.

“I don’t want your mouth to look like that,” she said. “I don’t want you to get cancer.”

Hannah’s dad did quit, and, inspired by her father’s response, Hannah designed a poster urging others not to “dip.” The poster won local and state competitions and finished third in the nation for Hannah’s creativity in presenting her message.

This is making an impact on the families of our community.

That is why Armuchee Elementary School’s partnership with Armuchee Family Medicine is so important, and, that is why Floyd Healthcare Foundation is renewing its efforts to bring Tar Wars and additional anti-tobacco programs into the schools.

“The outlook of the students has changed on smoking,” Kathy said. “You can almost see a light bulb go off in their little brains. It is really neat to see what educating the kids on smoking can do. They immediately say, ‘I am never going to smoke,’ and they all show a huge concern for the people they know and love who do smoke.”

The Tar Wars curriculum teaches children that it is not their responsibility to get the people around them to stop smoking.

“We tell them they can tell others what they have learned and that they are concerned,” Kathy said.

In education, we often talk about partnerships. Our success models involve bringing the community into our schools and taking our students into the community. We pair children with mentors, internships with jobs and community leaders with school councils.

We are blessed to be partners with Armuchee Family Medicine. Dr. McBride, Dr. Brown and Sylvia are our friends and ardent supporters, giving liberally of themselves to help improve the health of our community.

They alter their schedules and work on their off days to bring the Tar Wars program to our students. In fact, over the past 3 years more than 500 students have learned about this program.

Partnerships in education are a win-win situation, and when these partnerships bring generations of families together and make our communities healthier, we’re winning more than situations. We’re winning wars.

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