Keeping kids healthy is always a major concern for parents, especially as they head back to school.

Being around other children and their germs makes the classroom a virtual breeding ground for disease, but there are things that children and parents can do to limit their risk.

Preventative measures such as hand washing and covering coughs is especially important this school year with the looming threat of a spread of the H1N1 flu.

More than a dozen cases have already been reported in the nearby Visalia Unified School District, making this school year particularly alarming for Kings County parents and school officials.

Hanford Elementary School District Director of Special Services Karen McConnell said it's imperative that students and parents know how to protect themselves and those around them from the spread of seasonal flu, including H1N1.

"We're asking that the staff and everyone at the schools remind their students to wash their hands as much as possible with soap and water and also to use the alcohol-based hand rub that we have available in all our classrooms as well as our cafeterias," she said.

Parents should also teach their children to wash their hands thoroughly by rubbing them together for at least 30 seconds.

Students should be advised not to share personal items such as food, drinks and utensils, which happens frequently on school campuses.

Another preventative measure is to keep hands away from eyes, nose and mouth because those are the easiest ways for germs to get into the body.

Pat Soper, a Hanford Elementary School District nurse, recommends teaching students to cough or sneeze into the crook of their elbow when a tissue is not available.

"It can decrease the passing of germs, which is imperative," she said.

Getting adequate sleep plays an important role in keeping children healthy both physically and mentally, experts say.

Studies show that 5-to 12-year-olds need nine to 10 hours of sleep each night while teenagers need eight to nine.

Parents can ensure this happens by establishing a bedtime routine and not allowing children to drink caffeinated beverages, especially after 3 p.m.

Soper said that parents should also be proactive about communicating their child's medical needs to the school.

She said parents should begin by listing things like allergies, asthma or more serious conditions on the emergency cards that are sent home at the beginning of the school year. They should then update the school nurse throughout the year if anything changes.

"That's just really critical that we have that information so we know what to do in the event of an emergency," Soper said.

Sometimes this should even include medications that are administered at home, if the student could experience any side effects.

"That way we can make sure we're watching for any adverse reactions," Soper said.

The cold and flu season usually doesn't set in until the winter months but this year it's come early, she said: "The H1N1 has been going on all along and that's what's different because you're seeing them right now."

The school district is also urging parents to keep children home from school if they are experiencing any flu-like symptoms.

Symptoms include a sore throat, runny nose, cough, body aches, headaches, fatigue or a temperature at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

"We would ask that they keep their student home for 24 hours or until they no longer have a fever without the use of fever reducing medication," McConnell said.

Parents and school staff should all be on the same page when it comes to students' health, especially if they have existing medical conditions, she said.

"Close communication and working together is important because we're all a team in keeping the kids healthy and safe," Soper said.

This reporter can be reached at 583-2427.

(Sept. 6, 2009)