Remember to encourage children to use a tissue and cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze. Make hand washing a policy in the classroom when they blow their noses and especially when they use the bathrooms. Washing before snack and after recess or physical education can also cut back on the germs.
If you do not have a sink available or fear of it disrupting lessons, you could have a bottle of hand sanitizer available for children to use. Encourage good eating habits, getting plenty of sleep, and some fresh air. Classrooms could even benefit from being aired out from time to time :)
You could also add to your newsletter about free clinics for flu shots. Or even places where parents could find information about the flu shots and other prevention techniques.
Here in Bangor, Maine they are holding one for the H1N1 ( Swine Flu) in the Civic Center on November 4th . Click here to see information on clinics for your local school districts.
I agree that it's very important to stress healthy habits in a classroom. Even in the college environment people need to realize that they are more susceptible to getting sick, and it's soo important to wash your hands, cough or sneeze into the inside of your elbow (not on your hands, more germs that way!) and use hand sanitizer. A lot of people think that illness isn't going to effect them, and they are so wrong.
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