Hygiene at school:
As illness spread through the year, it will be very important for your student to understand basic hygiene in order to help prevent the potential spread of illnesses to and from him/her. Some of the most basic hygiene habits can be the most effective. Some tips to review with your student are:
- Teach your student to cover his/her mouth when coughing/sneezing with the bend of an arm or a tissue
- Wash hands often, especially after coughing/sneezing. Teach your student to scrub, sing Happy Birthday at least twice before rinsing
- Keep hands away from eyes, nose, and mouth (T-Zone). Touching these mucous membranes with a dirty(contaminated) finger is the usual way people become infected with a respiratory or gastro-intestinal illness.
- Personal space, stay home when ill and avoid being around anyone with a known illness as much as possible.
For other great tips on preventing the spread of illness at school, visit the CDC website.
Puberty is discussed beginning in 4th grade for girls and 5th grade for boys. These discussion will also emphasize the importance of proper hygiene, diet, exercise, and overall health during the time of rapid developmental changes of students' bodies.