Clean hands mean healthy kids

Elementary schools are known as places where young minds are cultivated, where knowledge is gained and where character is developed. They are also known as places where illness spreads, often through seemingly harmless acts.

That is why Lysol created the Healthy Habits bus, which recently visited District 30’s three elementary schools. On Oct. 2, the bus stopped by Shaw Avenue School, then Clear Stream Avenue the next day before finishing its tour at Forest Road School.

Valley Stream was the only community in New York state to get a visit from the bus this year, which first went into service in June. Jeanine Wiese, the nurse at Clear Stream, got the application back in May and sent it in. Lysol then selected District 30 for a visit.

The bus included several interactive workstations for students to learn about germs and disease prevention. At one station, the Science of Sneezing, they learned about the impact one sneeze could have. At another spot, a machine put germs on their hands, and children had to wash them away.

When students got off the bus, they visited a hand-washing station where they learned how to thoroughly clean their hands. “Washing your hands cuts down on quite a number of sick days,” said Jeremiah Kemp, a healthy habits instructor with Lysol, “because children touch a lot of things with their hands.”

Kemp pointed out that germs are tiny, and can’t be seen, so it is important for everyone to wash their hands regularly. He said there are many situations where kids should wash up, like before eating and after touching a pet.

The bus has visited several states already, and has been as far west as Minnesota. There are six crew members plus a driver. “The kids absolutely adore it,” Kemp said. “I never thought I would get a hug from a child from teaching them about germs.”

Chloe Morris, a second-grader at Clear Stream Avenue School, said she was surprised to learn how many germs could be on her hands. She said she washes her hands a lot, but will do so even more after learning from the Lysol instructors.

“Washing your hands is good and it kills the germs,” added her classmate, Marco Durand. Marco explained that anyone who sneezes should cover their nose with their arm to avoid getting other people sick.

Kemp also introduced the kids to three large plush toys — influenza, rhino virus (the common cold) and salmonella. At the end of the presentation, every child was named a Healthy Habits Hero and received a badge.

Principal John Singleton said the bus was a great learning tool for the children. “In a school with 410 kids,” he said, “it’s always difficult to maintain clean and healthy standards. We are happy that the Lysol company and the Healthy Habits bus were able to share with our students what they know about staying clean and safe.”

Singleton added that the learning stations on the bus were designed in a way that really speaks to the “digital generation.”

Kemp said that the ultimate goal of the program is to educate students to be healthier so they don’t miss school. “Healthier students learn better,” he said. “The more time they spend in school, the more productive they will be.”