LVCC Wins
Best Float
On September 29th, Allentown continued its 250th anniversary celebration with the Points of Pride Parade. LVCC entered a float using our hot-air balloon logo as the focal point. Diligently made by LVCC staff and volunteers, our float won first prize, $500.00, for Best Float.
Children enrolled at LVCC at Truman School and LVCC at South Mountain created beautiful pieces of art to help decorate the float.
View More Photos Here |
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Fighting the Good Fight... Against Germs |
 Fall is here and along with it comes the sneezing, sniffling, and coughing season. Children love to share all year-round; colds are no exception. Since it's almost impossible for your child to dodge the 200 or so varieties of viruses, measures still can be taken to limit the spread of germs.
Elizabeth Montalvo, preschool teacher for LVCC at St. Luke's, has seen many runny noses come through her door. She has found easy ways to integrate healthy practices into daily learning. |
The Power of Soap and Water
Children have a tendency to touch everything in their sight. The most effective method of preventing germ transmission is frequent hand washing.
"The minute children and parents enter our classroom," Ms. Elizabeth comments, "they are asked to wash their hands." Other times children should wash their hands include (but not limited to):
- before and after eating
- before and after play
- before and after nap
- after using the toilet
- after touching garbage
- after blowing noses, coughing, or sneezing
- after petting an animal
Simply rinsing your child's hands under water will not remove the germs. Ms. Elizabeth describes the five-step process to hand washing used in her class.
- Wet hands with clean running water and apply liquid soap.
- Rub hands together to lather the soap.
- Scrub up and down the fingers, between fingers, and under nails.
- Rinse hands well under running water.
- Dry hands using a clean paper towel, using the towel to turn off the faucet.
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Sing a Song While Scrubbing
The recommended time needed to thoroughly scrub undetectable microorganisms off of little hands is approximately 20 seconds. Many popular children's songs run this length of time. If the A, B, C song becomes tiresome, try another fun melody.
To the tune of Frere Jacques or Are You Sleeping?, Ms. Elizabeth sings, "Top and bottom, top and bottom / In between, in between / Rub your hands together, rub your hands together / It's all clean, it's all clean." Sing once slowly or twice very fast. |
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Read All About It
Many great books are available to introduce personal hygiene to children. Ms. Elizabeth recommends Why Do I Wash My Hands by Angela Royston. As the subtitle suggests, it's "an exciting way to learn about your body." This book answers questions about passing germs, cleanliness, and the function of skin. It also offers interactive activities and colorful photos to keep children engaged. |
All surfaces, such as tables, chairs, changing tables, and floors should be cleaned on a regular basis with a sanitizing solution, like bleach and water.
Toys can become dirty little critters after a day of active play. Plush toys should be thrown into the washer, while other toys should be cleaned periodically with a sanitizing solution.
And what is the final way to prevent the spread of germs? Ms. Elizabeth highly recommends, "If your child has a fever (101oF when taken under the armpit or 101oF when taken orally), vomiting, or diarrhea, he/she should be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school." |
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