Health
Encouraging Hand-Washing To Keep You And Your Class Healthy This Winter

Achoo! Sniffle, sniffle. The sounds of cold and flu season are in the air and in your classroom. It starts with one child, then another, and soon you have every symptom of a miserable cold. Can you help prevent this familiar cycle from happening all over again? Laura Nieboer, a consultant for the National Education Association Health Information Network, spoke to Mary Lou Dishop, a school nurse at Highlands Elementary in Wilmington, Delaware. Dishop says, yes, the spread of germs can be curbed, and it all begins with the proper washing of hands. Was mom right all along?

What exactly does hand-washing have to do with not getting sick?
Everything, especially when you're talking about colds and flu. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, it's the most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick. You catch the cold your students have because your hands pick up their germs, and then you rub your nose or eyes and the cold virus gets into your body. If your students wash their hands, and you wash yours, you can dramatically reduce the number of germs spread throughout your class.

Is there any specific hand-washing method that works best?
Yes. I'm always surprised by how many students don't know how to properly wash their hands. They either don't get their hands wet first or they're not washing between their fingers. To teach proper hand-washing technique, I go into classrooms every year to give a refresher course. I stress counting to ten to ensure that the soap and scrubbing action has had enough time to dislodge the germs. For younger children, singing a song, such as "Happy Birthday," helps them not rush through the process.

I also post signs near sinks in my school that remind staff and students to wash their hands, and I give them tips to ensure it's done correctly. I also teach children to cough and sneeze into their arm if there isn't a tissue available. This decreases the number of germs on their hands that can be spread.

Kids can be impatient or forgetful. How can we motivate them to wash their hands regularly and properly?
Once students know how to wash their hands, teachers need to set up routines to ensure that it gets done. As soon as children walk in the door, they should put their stuff away, then head to the sink to lather up. After recess is another great time for an all-classroom trip to the sink.

To encourage students to wash their hands at other times--after sneezing or using the toilet--it helps for them to understand why washing hands is so important.

An activity or science experiment is a great visual lesson in how germs spread and how soap and water help fight them.

At my school, we use bananas and colored chalk dust to demonstrate to kids how germs spread.

We'll have a child lightly rub a peeled banana between his or her hands, and then shake on some chalk dust.

As the day goes on, the dust spreads child to child, desk to desk. At the end of the experiment and before cleanup, the children count how many of them have dust on their hands, faces, or desks.

You can also wet your hand, sprinkle some glitter on, and then shake hands with several children--and then have them shake hands with other students. This make-believe "chain of germs" will travel a great distance throughout a school day.

To show how "sticky" germs can be, rub a little petroleum jelly mixed with cinnamon or paprika on each child's hand. Then have the children wash their hands until they can see that the "germs" have disappeared.

Proper Hand-Washing Techniques

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control offers these instructions for proper hand-washing:

• Use soap and running water.

• Rub your hands vigorously as you wash them (10-15 seconds, soap should be bubbly).

• Wash all surfaces, including the backs of hands, between fingers, and under fingernails.

• Rinse well and leave the water running until after drying hands.

• Dry your hands with a paper towel.

• Turn off the water using the paper towel.

If your classroom doesn't have running water, two products can help keep hands clean and germ-free. First, baby wipes or towelettes can be used to wipe dirt away. Then follow up with a waterless hand-washing solution. They kill germs when used in the recommended amounts and when rubbed in completely.

Resources

• "Arthur Conquers a Cut." Featuring Arthur and his friends, this videotape teaches K-3rd-grade students about hygiene and first aid. A teacher's resource guide has classroom activity sheets, follow-up ideas, and additional sources of information. Price: $15 plus s&h. Stock #7709-1-00. To order, call the NEA Professional Library at 800/229-4200 or go to www.nea.org/books.

Web Sites

• American Academy of Pediatrics. This web site--www.aap.org--features information on a variety of children's health topics.

• Health Finder. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services web site with online publications, clearinghouses, databases, web links, and support groups: www.healthfinder.gov.

Conquering the Mighty Marathon

For many fitness enthusiasts, taking on a new challenge is the essence of motivation. In the world of running, completing a marathon, an arduous race of 26 miles, 385 yards, is the zenith of accomplishment. This year, NEA member Tom Nicholas set his sights on the legendary race and began the grueling regimen of marathon training. Tom achieved his goal, and he's ready for more.

NEA member Tom Nicholas is a school social worker and former teacher at Bennet Middle School in Manchester, Connecticut.

An avid runner, Nicholas decided this year to shoot for the supreme runners' achievement: completing a marathon.

"I was in fairly decent shape due to my normal exercise routine," says Nicholas. "A marathon is something I've always wanted to do. I admire the ancient runners, such as the Native Americans who brought messages between tribes. It is one of the ultimate physical accomplishments."

The main obstacle for Nicholas was time. Marathon training takes hours each day, and working in a middle school doesn't always afford him that liberty.

"I work in a big school where I am constantly busy," says Nicholas. "Working out helps me a lot in coping with the daily stress of my job, but the hardest part is making time for it. I give myself the time, though, because I know I'm going to function better at home and at school."

Nicholas chose the Nashville Country Music Marathon for the big test, and to help motivate himself to train, he teamed up with a friend and teacher in Nashville. The two kept track of each other's progress via E-mail.

The training paid off. When race day came, in April, Nicholas completed the marathon in Nashville. He was so invigorated by the experience that he decided to go a step further; he entered the prestigious Boston Marathon and is currently in training again.

Nicholas explains that for the bigger marathons, such as Boston's, one must have a very fast qualifying time in order to compete.

"My qualifying time is that of a 70-year-old woman," Nicholas laughingly admits. "But the marathon allows folks like me to compete by partnering with an organization. Boston's Home for Little Wanderers is sponsoring me for the Boston Marathon. I raise funds for their organization and they give me a slot in the race."

Little Wanderers is a private, nonprofit child and family service agency devoted to providing support to more than 11,000 children and families annually through residential care, special education, and community-based services.

Nicholas chose this agency in order to extend his commitment to helping children beyond his own school community.

Even when he's not training for a marathon, Nicholas exercises three to four times a week. His observations about the benefits of regular exercise are useful even if running a marathon is not a realistic option for many.

"I notice a difference in myself if I'm not exercising regularly," says Nicholas. "My energy isn't as high. My clarity of thought is not as good. Exercise is a huge stress reliever for me.

"I believe that the mind, body, soul, and spirit must be in balance for your whole person to be healthy. If you don't take care of yourself, you cannot take care of others."

--Kandra Strauss

Quick Tip

By Sameta Rush

Water is vital when exercising. Your cells and cellular fluids must stay hydrated with water. Dehydration can quickly cause headaches, nausea, and fatigue. Here are some important tips for proper hydration:

1. Prehydrate. Drink a lot of water before school or any activity and allow ample time for visiting the restroom.

2. Buy good stuff. If you are used to reaching for a can of soda or a cup of coffee, try putting some flavored mineral water or sparkling water in the lounge instead.

3. Squeeze a lemon, lime, or orange slice in your water. Add ice. Make it a joyful ritual.

4. Get an inexpensive water bottle carrier and use it. Most of them even have a small pocket for carrying that bundle of building keys we manage.

Sameta Rush teaches physical education, video production, and writing at Steamboat Springs High School and Strawberry Park Elementary, Steamboats Springs, Colorado. E-mail her at srush@sailors.steamboat.k12.co.us.

From the NEA Health Information Network

New Drug Prevention Posters Aimed at Youth and Adults
Three new drug prevention posters aimed at adults and youth are now available free of charge from the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. The two youth posters feature young people and their anti-drugs--the thing that stands between them and using drugs. The examples are skateboarding and softball. The adult poster urges parents to ask more questions about how their children spend their free time. To order up to five of each poster, send an E-mail to ondcp@ncjrs.gov or call 800/666-3332 or fax your request to 301/519-5212. When ordering, please reference the document numbers: Skateboarding poster (youth)-NCJ 188566; Softball poster (youth)-NCJ 188567; or Questions poster (adults)-NCJ 188568.

Considering Your Options
This fast-paced video gives teens information on abstinence and the most common methods of birth control. It features real teens discussing their choices and concerns about sex and contraception. Price: $15 plus s&h. Stock #A05-9001-2-00. To order, call the NEA Professional Library at 800/229-4200 or go to www.nea.org/books.

"TAking Care of Your Health" Tip Sheets
The Council on Family Health, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating consumers about the proper use of prescription and non-prescription drugs, as well as other issues of personal health and safety, offers fact sheets on immunizations, safe and responsible medicine and dietary supplement use, avoiding drug interactions, and the importance of reading medicine labels. The tip sheets are based on the Spanish-language "Taking Care of Your Health" radio series developed in collaboration with Prevencion, Inc. They are available at www.chfino.org.