In the course of only twenty minutes, Hillcrest school nurse Kim Glielmi tended to one suspected case of strep throat, one bad cold, one headache, one stomachache, and one administration of a dose of daily medication. When she decided to purse her school nurse certification after years in the nursing field, she thought she would slow down a bit after all of the hustle and bustle of clinical work – “Boy, was I wrong!” says Nurse Kim now.
Nurse Kim is busier than ever, but when she speaks of her time at Hillcrest Elementary School, she says she “can’t imagine not being here.” “I love the students, parents, and staff at Hillcrest. I feel very supported by a core group that is always there for me.” Kim clearly enjoys what she does, and it shows in the way that she makes a difference for so many in the Hillcrest community.
Upper Darby School District’s Pupil Services Director, Annette Brandolini, calls Kim “a leader in the area of health and wellness.” In her 16+ years at Hillcrest, Nurse Kim has initiated numerous clubs and activities to promote health and wellness to Hillcrest students and their families. A few years ago, she created the Babysitting Club for 5th grade students, teaching basic babysitting skills in ½ hour sessions before school each week. The ten-week courses ended with the students practicing their newly learned skills with the preschool aged children of Hillcrest’s staff. Nurse Kim also started Chef’s Classes for Hillcrest students last year, where a guest chef demonstrated healthy meal and snack options. Student groups then made these healthy meals to eat and share at home. The Walking Club, established by Nurse Kim in the 2006-2007 school year, had over 100 students participate in walking a mile a day after school. The Club got the attention of the national media and was featured on the nightly news program Nightline in 2007. Though these clubs weren’t sustainable due to time, personnel, and budgetary constraints, Nurse Kim successfully planted the seed for many students to be mindful of healthy choices and overall wellness.
Many of Nurse Kim’s initiatives are still in practice at Hillcrest and beyond, though. She formed the Hillcrest Health Council a few years ago that consisted of teachers, parents, and students. The Council met after school and developed many opportunities for health and wellness in the community that are still in practice today. Apple Crunch Day promotes the importance of eating fruits and vegetables, and encourages all students to bring in an apple so they can “crunch” together at an afternoon assembly. Turn Off The TV Week encourages Hillcrest students to keep the TV off and participate in Hillcrest’s nightly activities instead of watching television. The activities include Family Fitness Night, Bike Safety Night, and a Sock Hop, among other things. Students who keep the TV off for the entire week can win prizes in a raffle held at the end of the week. Walk to School Day, which coincides with the national day in September, finds Hillcrest teachers in specified starting points across the Hillcrest community, waiting to lead groups of students on a healthy walk to school. The Evening Family Walk, which takes place the week before Christmas each year, encourages families to meet at Hillcrest and walk a pre-determined, mile-long trail together. Families love this tradition of walking and admiring the well-lit homes along their route. Hillcrest alumni and their families often come back to join in on the walk each year. Go For the Green Day, occurring sometime around St. Patrick’s Day, promotes eating green fruits and vegetables. Aramark even partners with the schools by incorporating green fruits and vegetables into the school lunch menu for Go For the Green Day! Couch Potato Rehab was the first fitness summer camp, emphasizing the importance of healthy eating and fitness during the two-week camp. The camp was started with the help of a grant and has since been taken over by the township’s recreation department and renamed BeeFit.
Nurse Kim also runs the yearly teacher in-service on universal precautions for the faculty of Hillcrest, and she works hard to change it up from year to year and keep it fun for her colleagues. Though it goes above and beyond her requirement, Kim has used popular shows like Survivor and American Idol as themes for her in-services.
Though Kim gives so much to her students through Hillcrest’s nursing program, her efforts don’t stop there. She volunteers to be a part of every Hillcrest musical, behind the scenes, while her husband of 31 years, Dave, enjoys sharing the stage with the students. “Dave is a ham,” says Kim, “but I just love seeing healthy kids doing healthy things, so I help out backstage.”
Perhaps Nurse Kim is so dedicated to her elementary students because she, too, was an elementary student in the Upper Darby School District. She grew up on Berry Avenue in Drexel Hill and attended Garrettford Elementary School. Though her family moved in 6th grade and she graduated from Marple Newton High School, she loves being back in Upper Darby. Both she and her daughter Lindsay, a life skills teacher at Drexel Hill Middle School, enjoy being part of the Upper Darby family. Kim has two other children that are teachers and a daughter who practices nursing at Bryn Mawr Hospital.
In her spare time, Kim enjoys crocheting, dancing, and exercising. She currently works weekends in a nursing home, but plans on freeing up that time soon to help care for her first grandchild, due in April.
Nurse Kim says there is so much to love about her job at Hillcrest. “Every day is so interesting here. It’s never the same day twice. You never know what is going to walk through the door.” According to Hillcrest Principal Chris Pugliese, there is so much to love about Nurse Kim, too. “Nurse Kim’s dedication to the families and staff at Hillcrest is so admirable. Her kindness, thoughtfulness, and sense of humor help to make Hillcrest the great place that it has come to be. She truly makes a difference at Hillcrest.”
Thank you, Nurse Kim, for Making a Difference in the Upper Darby School District!
