Health & Wellness Story

Shira Joy

ECE214 Nutrition & Health of Children & Families

Lynn Morrison

August 24, 2020

My teacher told us that we would be learning about how to stay healthy in school today. She said there are many ways we can keep each other safe and healthy at school.  We can protect each other from getting sick or getting hurt and encourage each other to stay healthy. There are some precautions we can take to keep everyone safe, and others we take to keep certain people safe from specific dangers. 

Staying Healthy in School

My teacher explained that Lilly has an allergy to peanuts. That means that any foods made with peanuts could make her sick. An allergic reaction is how her body reacts to peanuts when she touches or eats them. For example, her throat feels tight and it is hard for her to breathe. Other poeple might get a rash or a stomach ache. People can have allergies to many different things. Some of the most common food allergens include, nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, and fish (Groark & Song, 2012). The USD suggests that sunflower butter is a great peanut butter alternative for schools (USDA, 2015). 

What does allergy mean?

My teacher explained that we can help keep Lilly and everyone else safe at school. By not sharing food, and washing our hands regularly, we can reduce the risk of allergic reaction for Lilly AND prevent infectious disease. My teacher said that infectious diseases are illnesses that can be passed from person to person when we share germs. In order to properly clean our hands, we must wash for a minimum of 20 seconds with warm water (Groark & Song, 2012).

    Wash your hands!

Another way we can keep each other healthy and prevent disease is through vaccinations.  That was another new word for me, so I asked my teacher. She said that sometimes we call these vaccines or shots. I told my teacher about how I felt scared to get my vaccine from the doctor. But my doctors was really nice and now I know that I am safe from getting certain illnesses. Our school has a vaccination checklist that lists all the vaccines we need to keep us safe at school. 

My teacher explained that another way to stay healthy at school is to exercise! Physical activity is an important aspect of our health. Kids need 30-60 minutes of outdoor play every day, especially if we are not being active indoors. Daily physical activity can help us focus better in school and keep our bodies healthy. Opportunity to play outside can increase overall physical activity  (Tonge, Jones, & Okely, 2020). Outdoor play time also supports our cognitive and physical develompent and gives us a chance to enhance our gross motor skills. 

While there are many ways to encourage physical health at school, mental health is also important. My teacher said that our mental health is supported at school through diet, excercise, and love! My teacher helps guide me through difficult emotions and provides encouragement when I need it. My teacher and parents work as a team to communicate with each other when I am experiencing big changes or challenges. My mental health is also supported when I play with my friends. Developing connections with others allows me to practice social skills and feel a sense of belonging at school. 

See our vaccination checklist

NUT-FREE

ZONE

WASH HANDS BEFORE 

PREPARING 

FOOD

At the end of the day, I helped my teacher hang posters around the school to help us remember to wash our hands and avoid bringing nuts to school. Now we all know how to work together to stay healthy in school.