Germantown Teacher Honored for Life-Saving Action

Teachers often go beyond the call of duty to help their students, but at least in this one case the actions of the coordinator for Longview School actually helped to save one of her students’ lives.

PHOTO | MCPS

Michelle M. Mach, coordinator of the Longview School, was awarded the Superintendent’s Above and Beyond the Call of Duty award for her quick response on April 29 in assisting one of her students during a life-threatening incident, according to a nomination form for the award submitted by LaVerne Kimball, Montgomery County Public Schools associate superintendent.

According to Kimball, A Grade 1 student was picked up by his mother and while placing him in his car seat, he stopped breathing. Mach “immediately sprang into action by administering rescue breaths to the student while they waited for paramedics to arrive,” Kimball wrote in the nomination form.

The student started breathing again and was taken to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, according to Kimball’s information.

“According to the student’s mother, Ms. Mach’s actions saved her son’s life and was nothing ‘short of a miracle,'” Kimball wrote.

“The parent’s letter of gratitude describes her shock as she and her younger son watched Ms. Mach administer CPR to her son and the comfort and support given to both of them by the staff of LongviewSchool. She continues in her letter by commending Ms. Mach on her leadership skills and describing what she and the staff of Longview School do on a daily basis as “truly a labor of love.” Her praise of Ms.Mach in how she goes above and beyond for her students on a daily basis and shows her integrity and leadership skills in times of crisis, as well as times of calm, demonstrates how in many ways she is the’heart and soul of Longview,'” Kimball wrote.

Longview School is co-located at Spark Matsunaga Elementary School in Germantown. Longview School is a separate special education day school that provides comprehensive educational services in a center-based program to students 5 to 21 years of age with severe to profound intellectual and/or multiple disabilities. Longview students are often challenged with: expressive and receptive language delays, limited motor functioning, visual and/or hearing impairments, medical or physical problems or traumatic (acquired) brain injuries.

About Krista Brick

Krista Brick is a multi-media journalist with Montgomery Community Media.

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