Wash your hands

While the world is busy responding to the novel coronavirus, at school, we are taking extra precautions to keep the school clean and bring awareness to keeping our hands clean. If you’re lucky enough to witness the warmth with which our teachers greet their students in the morning, you’ll know that traditionally this is done with a handshake, clear eye contact and welcoming words. This week, our class teachers are finding creative alternatives to handshaking and are greeting their students with a bow or a gentle touch at the shoulders. Last week, the first grade class made posters for all the bathrooms to emphasize the importance of handwashing, and their class teacher, Ms. Taiga, along with Ms. Allesandra and the fifth grade class, demonstrated the proper way to handwash along with a catchy tune during our Friday all school assembly. Afterwards, one could hear students singing this little ditty in the bathrooms all over school.  Meanwhile, in our faculty meeting, one of our teachers shared out a little “comic” to further educate older children (and ourselves) about this illness. The final page of this little comic advises: “And don’t forget! There are a lot of helpers out there who are working to protect you. It is not your job to worry.” This is a good reminder for us as adults too, as we want to protect our children from unnecessary anxiety and promote a healthy sense of life and continue to support their learning at home and at school.