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Fit to Be Taught, Vol.10

School-Wide Handwashing Campaigns Cut Germs, Absenteeism

Did you know, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases:

• Nearly 22 million school days are lost each year due to the common cold?
• 52.2 million cases of the common cold affect children under 17 years of age each year?
• Children have about six to ten colds a year?
• Adults average between two and four colds a year?
• Some viruses and bacteria can live from 20 minutes up to two hours or more on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), addressing the spread of germs in schools is essential to the health of our youth and our schools. "The most important thing that you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands," according to the CDC, which also offers tips for stopping the spread of germs on its http://www.cdc.gov/ounceofprevention" target=" _blank"> Ounce of Prevention site.

Those statistics about student absenteeism are a strong argument for introducing handwashing into the school curriculum.

Read the full article on Education World

Wellness News
More Schools Consider Supervised Recess A recent report puts school recess at the top of the class among opportunities to make students' school days more active, and urges adults to supervise fun activities that involve all children.

Surroundings, Policies Contribute to Kids Obesity Easy access to fast food and school policies limiting physical activity are among the key factors behind the rise in childhood obesity, U.S. researchers say.

Making the Switch to Low-Fat Milk

The "1% Or Less" is a nutrition-education campaign aimed at reducing saturated-fat consumption and chronic-disease risk. The campaign encourages adults and children older than 2 years old to drink low-fat or fat-free milk. The 1% Or Less School Kit describes how to plan and implement a school-based, nutrition-education campaign.

The 1% Or Less School Kit contains materials for both primary and secondary school students, including:

• Strategies for marketing low-fat milk to students;
• A model press release to promote a 1% Or Less program;
• Signs to hang in cafeteria dairy cases to encourage students to choose low-fat milk;
• Instructions for conducting milk taste tests;
• Instructions for constructing visual displays to encourage students to drink to low-fat milk;
• Ideas for using peer education to promote low-fat milk to middle and high school students;
• Activity sheets for primary school students to incorporate the 1% Or Less message into other class lessons;
• Model fact sheets and handouts for parents of primary school students to encourage students to choose low-fat milk; and
• Model handouts for secondary school students to encourage them to choose low-fat milk.

Read more about this program at: One Percent or Less School Kit.

Click to learn more about Action for Healthy Kids.

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