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Overview

​​​​​​​Most kindergartners are curious about their bodies and what makes them grow and be healthy. Setting a foundation for proper health practices can lead to a lifetime of good health outcomes. Teachers and administrators play an important role and have responsibility for the promotion of personal, community, and environmental health of their students. Adults can help students practice how to ask for assistance with health-related problems and help them learn about their local environment and how their actions can affect it.

The Orange County Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of links to particular items in hypertext are not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.​​​​

Information and Resources

American Red Cross (Emergency Community Resources)

The Red Cross offers emergency aid, advice, and assistance about disaster recovery and preparation.​​​

School-Wide Handwashing Campaigns Cut Germs, Absenteeism

This Education World article provides information and a list of Handwashing Resources and Lesson Plans. ​​

Don’t Fry Day - National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention

The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated the Friday before Memorial Day as “Don’t Fry Day” to encourage sun safety awareness.

Sun Safe Summer Activity Packet - Karen Clifford Skin Cancer Charity (skcin)

Sun Safe Summer Activity Packet helps raise awareness and promotes skin cancer prevention and early detection.​

Staying Healthy - Sesame Street in Communities

Information and activities about brushing teeth, washing hands, eating well, and exercising regular doctor and dentist check ups to ensure that families have the support, information, and care they need to help kids stay well.​

Epilepsy Education and Awareness

California Department of Education provides ​Information for parents and educators on the needs of children with epilepsy in the Ca​lifornia school system.​​​

Curriculum and Lessons

PBS Parents Lesson Plan - Reduce, Recycle, Reuse

​In this lesson, students consider how the concept of "needs" vs. "wants" can help them think about ways to protect Earth's natural resources by reducing, reusing, and recycling materials.​​

Stop Germs with ACE! Alliance for Consumer Education

​A library of lessons, games, activities, and coloring pages that make learning about disease prevention fun.​

Vaccination Education Materials

The DEA has joined forces with Discovery Education to provide no-cost online tools that support every member of the community with the power of prevention. Help kickstart life-saving conversations today with standards-aligned English & Spanish-language resources for students in grades 3-12, plus additional resources designed for educators, families, and professionals. ​​

National Geographic Learning

Interdisciplinary COVID-19 teaching resources, including presentations, worksheets and teacher's notes, to use with K-12 learners in online classes.​

BAM Resources (Mental Health and Hygiene for ages 3-8) - CDC

This unit has information on the mental health, development, and hygiene of school age children. Topics include bullying, anxiety and depression, stress and coping, and sleep, hand and oral hygiene.

Ray and the Sunbeatables® & Be Sunbeatable™ - CATCH

Created and developed by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Ray and the Sunbeatables®: A Sun Safety Curriculum for Pre-K through 1 and Be Sunbeatable™ for grades 2-5, are sun safety programs that are flexible and easy to implement by educators into their daily classroom routines, age-appropriate, and free for schools to use.

CATCH Healthy Smiles

​CATCH Healthy Smiles is a program for grades Pre-K – 2 that is designed to improve the oral health of students by teaching about and encouraging proper toothbrushing and flossing techniques, a nutritious diet, and regular visits to a dentist.

Healthy Teeth, Bright Futures: K-12 Oral Health Curriculum

This K-​​​12 Oral Health curriculum was designed for Oregon school districts. This initiative was developed by The Healthy Teeth Bright Futures Coalition, which is comprised of representatives from philanthropic organizations, health plans, the education sector, health equity and social justice groups and health care providers who advocate for and advance children’s oral health in Oregon. Curriculum in English and Spanish.

Book List

Kindergarten - Grade 3

Classroom Activities

​Hand Washing​ 
  • Do a glitter/paint hand-washing activity with students. ​ 
Reuse/Reduce/Recycle 
  • “I Spy” magnifying glasses to identify reusable items in the classroom. 
  • Celebrate Earth Day. 
  • Organize a School Clean Up Day. 
  • Organize a School Improvement Day. 
Skin Health 
  • Participate in Don’t Fry Day​ (the Friday before Memorial Day).
  • Participate in Skin Cancer Awareness Month during May. 
  • Participate in Melanoma Day (the first Monday in May). 
  • Make DIY sunglasses. 
  • ​Invite a dermatologist to speak to students about sun safety. 
Family and Community Health ​
  • Have students create a “I Can Make a Difference!” poster campaign. 
  • Make a class Yucky Picnic Collage. 
  • Environmental Health Challenge. ​

Partnerships

​Partnering with the Family​​

  • ​Invite parents to help at a School Improvement Day. Paint murals, plant gardens, etc. 
  • Provide information for health services to families. 
  • ​Encourage students to talk with their parents, guardians, and caretakers about having an emergency plan at home, as well as smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers. ​

​​Partnering with your School​​​

  • Celebrate Earth Day by making a creative poster showing how they will help make Earth a better place. 
  • Students can host or participate in a Clean Up Day to make their school or playground clean.
  • Invite guest speakers such as dermatologists or a representative from a cancer prevention organization to talk about sun safety and protection against skin damage. 
  •  Students recognize other students as ‘Health Heroes’ with stickers or ribbons.​

​​Partnering with your Community​​

  • Invite a doctor, dentist, optometrist, or school nurse to visit the class and share good health practices and what students should expect when they visit a healthcare provider. 
  • Field trip or virtual field trip to doctor, dentist, or other health care provider’s office. 
  • Who can I call? Students research who they can call for help if they feel threatened.  ​
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