The buses are on the road, children are settling into their new routines and school is in session.

As teachers, parents and students prepare for the new school year, Rolesville Elementary School prepares for a new, interactive health education program, "RAH for Rolesville," Really Awesome Health.

Raleigh Community Hospital has teamed-up with the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education and Rolesville Elementary School to provide improved health education to the students, staff and the community. "This is a great opportunity for our students and their families. Health education is an important component of our curriculum," said Lillian S. Lee, principal of Rolesville Elementary School.

Raleigh Community Hospital saw a need in the community to help teachers provide better health education to students at an earlier age. The goal of RAH for Rolseville is to provide education about healthy lifestyles at an early age to help prevent illnesses, decrease absenteeism and develop life-long, healthy habits. "By working together with the Poe Center we can meet the needs of the Rolesville community in their backyard," said Carla Parker Hollis, vice president of marketing at Raleigh Community Hospital.

The Poe Center provides health education to children through innovative, interactive programs. "This program is like a dream come true for us," said Pam Kohl, executive director of the Poe Center, "This is an ideal opportunity to pair with a corporate sponsor and an elementary school to help meet our mission of improving the health of our children through education."

Students, staff, parents and the community will benefit from this program through not only student-focused education, but also community-wide health fairs and PTA programs. Raleigh Community Hospital will help provide screenings and education at a health fair this fall. The community is welcomed and encouraged to participate in the event on Saturday, September 23, 2000 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rolesville Elementary School.

In addition, the hospital plans to offer programs for parents on topics such as; when to take a child to the doctor, when to take a child to the emergency department, the affects of second-hand smoke on children and the benefits of exercise. "By working together, we can impact the lives of our children, one child at a time," said Hollis.

Raleigh Community Hospital is a 218-bed acute-care facility located one block north of the beltline on Wake Forest Road in North Raleigh. Raleigh Community Hospital is part of the Duke University Health System. A full-service acute care hospital, RCH's range of services includes a 24-hour Emergency Department, Intensive and Critical Care, Child Birth Center, Rehabilitation, Newborn Hearing Screening, Diabetes Treatment Center, Senior Health Center and community education.