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5 Finger Alert: It's the Flu! |
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In past years the flu has caused high rates of absenteeism among staff and students. Nearly 164 million days of school are missed due to illness (CDC, 1994). Colds and flu are spread not only from person to person, but also from the surfaces you come in contact with every day. These germs are spread person to person, by coming in contact with an infected individual, or more often by coming in contact with a surface that has been touched by and infected person. A cough or a sneeze releases droplets that carry germs to surfaces such as cafeteria tables, doorknobs, desks, and keyboards. Think about how many people may have touched these things before you. If they do not wash their hands, or are not good hand washers, you may have picked up their germs. We know that viruses and bacteria can live on surfaces for two hours or longer. How to Stop the Spread of Germs:- Cover your mouth and nose by coughing into your arm or using a tissue, and clean your hands often.
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water for 15-20 seconds making sure to make bubbles by rubbing your hands together. That is about the time it takes you to sing “Happy Birthday” two times or “Row, Row, Row your Boat” three times. Use a clean towel to dry your hands, and turn off the faucet, if possible, using your towel.
- Alcohol-based sanitizers and hand wipes work, as well.
Students, and staff, need to get plenty of sleep, physical activity, drink plenty of water and eat a healthy variety of foods to stay healthy in the winter and throughout the year. |
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Register Your Giant, Safeway and Target Cards |
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Please remember to sign up your Giant and Safeway cards and designate Westowne. The Giant Bonus Bucks and Safeway programs are great no-cost-to-you ways to raise money for our school. You can go directly to escrip.com to register your Safeway card or the Giant Foods/Bonus Bucks Web site to register your Giant Foods Card, or fill out a form in the school's front office. Please sign up friends and neighbors as well. We are the top earning school in the area, but we need your help to keep up our first place status! Please look out for a contest in the next several weeks.
Also, do you have a Target Credit Card? If so, please stop by their customer desk and ask them to register Westowne Elementary School as your designated school. Then every time you use your Target Card, a small percentage goes back to our school! This small percentage sure adds up!
Questions? Please email Sarah at
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Westowne Designated a Green School |
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 Westowne has earned the status of "Green School" in the State of Maryland! To qualify for the Green School Award, a school must meet rigorous criteria through which students develop the knowledge and skills needed to act on current and future environmental challenges. The program uses the environment as a framework for integrating mathematics, the sciences, reading, writing, social studies and the arts. To every teacher who went to training and then taught students something new, to students who came home and asked their parents to start recycling, to parents who made phone calls and ran programs, to the Westowne administration who helped it all come together, thank you. The adventure continues! Special thanks to Ms. Abby Bozman (faculty) and Sarah Montgomery (PTA). For more information about the program, contact Sarah at
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