Boardman students get message out

Students plastered the school’s walls with posters about healthful behavior.

By RICK ROUAN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

BOARDMAN — The Cough Patrol is on the lookout at Boardman Center Middle School.

The school’s Student Leadership Council is using coupons for free food as a reward for the students they see practicing good behavior to stop the spread of infectious disease.

The council and some classes have been promoting best practices to avoid the spread of infectious diseases largely in response to the attention surrounding the H1N1 virus.

“We’re not trying to scare anyone; we just want to be vigilant,” said Marilyn Scheetz, a seventh- and eighth-grade health teacher and faculty adviser to the council.

Scheetz said she has spoken during lunch periods several times and, when she informed students that a prize was available for good behavior, students reacted.

“The fifth-graders instantly coughed into their sleeves,” she said.

Students in Scheetz’ seventh-grade health class plastered the school’s walls with posters reminding their classmates to cover their cough, wash their hands and sneeze into their sleeves. The class also wrote song parodies to remind each other what to do.

“We have always taught [about] the spread of infectious disease,” Scheetz said. “This is the first year we stressed coughing into your sleeve because of the H1N1. ... All our lives we were taught to cough into our hands.”

Scheetz’ students said that their classmates have responded to the posters and rewards program.

“The biggest thing I’ve noticed is that the students are coughing into their sleeves,” said Gabby Napoli, 12, who is in the seventh grade.

The posters are affixed to the walls throughout the school, including the cafeteria, where hand sanitizer is available before eating.

But, given the chance, Scheetz said students should wash their hands with warm water and soap for about 20 seconds (singing “Happy Birthday” twice in their head) to effectively kill germs.

Scheetz also suggested avoiding handshakes and high-fives to avoid the spread of germs.

“We know if you shake hands with someone, you won’t get the flu, but eventually you put that hand in your mouth,” she said.

rrouan@vindy.com