Germs

It's been a crazy busy week, but also a fabulous first week of teaching in my new Family Nutrition Program Assistant position. I've visited six different elementary schools in Dickinson County, started two different nutrition curricula, and washed my hands pretend and for-real many times. The beginning of our Kids a Cookin & Movin as well as our Book in a Bag curriculum start with a lesson on germs and hand-washing. The kids absolutely loved using our GlitterBug, which is a giant purple apparatus that looks bug like. The students use magic lotion that shows all the germs on their hands under a black light and then put to the test their hand-washing skills. It's amazing how some students hands' look the same before and after washing. Scary!

Today I read a most fabulous book called Germs! Germs! Germs! and talked about hand-washing with kindergarten and first graders. We made these really cute looking giant germs out of crackers, peanut butter, pretzels and raisins. Several of the teachers were camera happy, and I wish I had some of the pictures now. It is so rewarding to read books with children and make snacks. My heart melted this morning as a class begged me to stay in the classroom. I am loved! Although who wouldn't love somebody that comes into the classroom, reads a story and gives you food?

My body has definitely been close with so many new children this week and I'm feeling good! Still relying on a healthy diet and regular exercise to help me keep away all those germs that cling to children.