An important message
From the office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell:
STATE SCHOOLS CHIEF JACK O’CONNELL TELLS STUDENTS
HOW TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF THE COLD AND FLU
Delivers “Keep Our Schools Healthyâ€? Toolkit and Wash Your Hands PSALOS ANGELES — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell unveiled a new audio public service announcement in Los Angeles today called “Wash Your Hands,â€? designed to remind students and their families about the importance of hand washing to prevent the spread of the cold and the flu.
“By washing hands often, students can increase their chance of avoiding the flu, so they can stay healthy, stay in school, and keep learning,� O’Connell said. “It is important to remind students about simple steps they can take to protect their health so schools will have fewer sick days for students and teachers.�
“Today the President announced federal plans to prevent the possible pandemic of the bird flu,� O’Connell added. “Although the bird flu isn’t in the U.S. right now, the usual flu season is just about to start, and the very best way to avoid catching colds and any strain of the flu is to take preventive measures.�
The California Department of Education (CDE) is working with the California Department of Health Services (DHS) to provide the “Wash Your Handsâ€? public service announcement. The message is sponsored by the California Coalition for Childhood Immunization and the California Adult Immunization Coalition and is sung to the tune of “Jingle Bells.” The public service announcement is available as a compact disc or may be downloaded as a MP3 through the DHS Web site at http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/dcdc/izgroup/pdf/WashYourHandsPSA.mp3.
O’Connell reminded students about these tips to avoid spreading the cold and the flu:
- Wash your hands OFTEN with soap and water or hand sanitizer to help protect yourself from germs and viruses. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth;
- When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, your sleeve, or your elbow;
- Stay fit by eating healthy foods, drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly, and getting plenty of rest;
- Keep up-to-date with other immunizations; and
- If you become sick, stay home to avoid spreading germs to others.
The CDE and DHS have developed a “Keep Our Schools Healthy� toolkit for schools to download informational posters to remind students about these important health tips. To access the toolkit, please visit http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/dcdc/izgroup/flu.htm.
The CDE also has cold and flu prevention posters in several languages that teachers can post in their classrooms. To download the posters, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/40595.
So now you know.
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