Back-to-School Health Tips

Usually I focus on kids' emotional, academic, and social needs, but today I have some ideas to protect their physical health. You know though, I suppose that does relate to their academic success, because if they are not here, they cannot learn!

First, back-to-school can mean back to germs. But, the other day I heard something very encouraging on the radio: "A few years ago, [researchers] tested how effective hand sanitizers were in reducing absenteeism in third-, fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms. They found that when bottles of sanitizer — and wipes — were kept around, and students were cued to use them, they ended up missing significantly fewer days due to stomach bugs."

I think we can all agree that fewer stomach bugs would be a great thing in all our homes. :) Our teachers here at TPS seem very enthusiastic about hand sanitizer, and even our kindergarteners look like they know how to use it already. If you want to add another layer of protection for your child though, the article also offered the idea of giving him or her a pocket-sized bottle for their lunch box or backpack, and helping them identify any times during the day when they might want to use it.

Secondly, I know many of our students enjoy our cafeteria food, but those of you who pack lunches may be interested in this article about making sure that food stays safe until it is eaten.

Smart Choices to Ensure Safety at Lunch (article from the NY Times)

The same story that included the hand sanitizer information above also had these three suggestions for packing lunches or snacks:

1) Put your insulated lunch bags in the freezer overnight so that they're starting out much cooler in the morning.

2) When using ice packs, use two of them and bookend them on both sides of the perishable foods.

3) Wash hands and counters before making lunches. This is probably the most important tip... this is basic but people often forget it — especially if they're rushing around in the morning.

You can read the whole article here: Simple Things to Do to Lessen Back-to-School Stomach Bugs

Here's to good health for our students (and parents and teachers!) this year!

Thank you for reading! We are glad you are here!