Tips for After School Healthy Habits

Remember to encourage healthy habits to help avoid the spread of germs.

Lysol Sanitizer

Students are officially back to school, and so is increased exposure to viruses and bacteria. Try refreshing your sanitizing and disinfecting routine at home and practicing healthy habits with your kids. Here are a few tips that can help your family avoid the spread of illness-causing viruses and bacteria: 

Utilize Lysol Air Sanitizer  

Introducing Lysol Air Sanitizer, the first antimicrobial product approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to effectively kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria1 and eliminate odors2 in the air when used correctly. Traditional air fresheners only freshen the air, and traditional disinfectant sprays kill viruses and bacteria on surfaces, but Lysol Air Sanitizer is a first-of-its-kind product in the air-care category that is proven to sanitize the air.  

Boost Immunity With Nutrition 

Eating a well-balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins and dairy can give your child’s immune system the strength it needs to ward off potential illnesses.3 When your children are enjoying their after-school snack or family dinner, remember to reflect all of these food groups in their meals and remind your child the importance of making healthy choices. 

Reinforce Regular Handwashing  

When your child comes home from a long day of fun and learning at school, it’s important to remind them that germs and bacteria can live on the surfaces that they touch frequently like doorknobs, tables, chairs, toys, etc. Encourage them to wash their hands regularly using soap and water and make sure they are washing for at least 20 seconds.4 

As the school year unfolds and your child immerses themselves in learning, friendships and experiences, remember that a healthy body supports a healthy mind. These tips can help your family have a protected and happy school year ahead! 

National PTA does not endorse any commercial entity, product or service. No endorsement of Lysol is implied. 

Plan Ahead for a Healthy School Year

ids running into school

Our kids are returning to school, but germs don’t have to. We’ve all learned just how important in-person learning is to our children’s academic and social development. Maximizing in-school time requires protecting our kids from the spread of the flu and other illnesses caused by germs. Local PTAs can play a role in cultivating healthy habits that make a big difference.  

We’re Here for Healthy Schools

Since 2012, National PTA has partnered with Lysol to help reduce student absences due to illness by cultivating habits that help to reduce the spread of germs. Our collaboration expanded in 2019 when Lysol launched its Here for Healthy Schools initiative and took on even more urgent importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. This fall, we’re continuing the effort. 

Our partners at Lysol have developed free resources—including lesson plans, activities, posters and stickers—that educators and PTAs can use to help instill germ-curbing habits in a way kids find memorable and fun. This back-to-school season, Lysol is reintroducing a favorite: the Welcome Back Pack. Refreshed for the 2023-2024 school year, these physical and digital resource packs provide engaging materials to reinforce healthy habits with students. 

School nurse Holly Giovi of Deer Park, N.Y., says, “This initiative equips educators with an arsenal to impart lasting habits and reinforce a culture of health-consciousness. By empowering students to embrace proper hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and regular sanitization, we expand their defenses against infectious illnesses and promote a more conducive atmosphere for learning.” 

Find out what your local school is doing to reduce the spread of germs. Not every school has a full-time nurse to lead the charge, so you can help by sharing free resources that make healthy habits easy for kids to remember. 

Stocking Healthy Classrooms

PTAs often take the lead in ordering essential supplies for classrooms. This fall, here are a few important items to put on your list. 

  1. Hand sanitizer and hand soap – Students should wash their hands several times per day to reduce the spread of germs. Hand soap is a must for classrooms with sinks, while hand sanitizer can get the job done in any setting. We recommend ordering both in bulk! 
  2. Lysol® Disinfecting Wipes and Lysol® Disinfectant Spray – Disinfecting wipes and sprays are essential for killing germs on high-touch classroom surfaces like desks, toys, doorknobs and light switches. Don’t forget the lunchroom! Cafeteria staff will appreciate your support stocking up too.
  3. Sandwich bags – A handy trick to keep small hands out of shared supplies: Sandwich bags! Educators can use them to prepack and distribute individual portions of snacks, manipulatives or craft supplies to kids. 

Check out our advice on how to simplify and save on school supply orders.  

Lysol is a Proud National Sponsor of National PTA. This article contains sponsored content from third parties. National PTA does not endorse any commercial entity, product or service. 

How Parents Can Support Teachers for their Child’s Back-to-School Success

Kids with family

As parents, you know how much of a team effort it is to raise a child–that includes partnership between educators in school and family at home. Back-to-school season is quickly approaching, which means it’s already time to start thinking about the year ahead. Here are some tips to help support your child’s education this year.

Encourage Teachers to Utilize Available Resources

There are many resources out there for teachers to utilize, like the “Clear the Wish List Giveaway” presented by WeAreTeachers and Lysol. This is an exciting opportunity for teachers to clear their Amazon wish lists (up to $200). To enter and for full terms & conditions, educators should visit WeAreTeachers and make sure they have at least one Lysol product included on their Amazon list and submit the link. There are 200 chances to win between now and September!

Support Homework and Learning

Create an environment conducive for homework and learning at home during the start of the school year. Establish a designated study area, set a consistent routine, and encourage your child to complete assignments on time. By emphasizing the value of education at home, you reinforce the teachers’ efforts in the classroom.

Stay Engaged in Your Child’s Education

Maintain active involvement in your child’s education by attending school events, PTA meetings, and workshops. Stay informed about curriculum updates, school policies, and upcoming projects. Your engagement demonstrates your commitment to your child’s learning and helps strengthen the overall educational experience.

Parents and teachers have the same goal–to see their children and students thrive. By working together, you can provide comprehensive support that extends beyond the confines of the classroom, empowering students to reach their full potential.

Tips to Grow Your PTA Membership

National PTA

As you prepare for back-to-school, a new school year means new opportunities to grow your PTA. We talked to PTAs across the country that continue to grow membership every year—here are the tips they shared to help engage families in the community and grow membership. 

Ask everyone to join (support or invest in) your PTA! 

  • Membership is open to anyone who supports the PTA mission: moms, dads, grandparents, foster parents, extended family members, teachers, staff, students (if allowed), community members, business leaders, public officials, etc. Target outreach recruitment each month to a different group.  
  • Make sure everyone on your PTA board joins! 
  • Use our DEI resources to support your recruitment efforts. Our new Multicultural Reference Guide has strategies to enhance PTA’s inclusion of untapped markets. 
  • Need ideas? Check out over 20 Membership Minute videos in both English and Spanish. Or join us on this year’s Membership Mania journey. 

Start as early as you can.  

  • Ask everyone who was a member last year to support your PTA/PTSA again this year, even if their child has moved on to another school. Send out periodic email or text renewal notices.  
  • Ask your principal if you can have five minutes at the back-to-school staff meeting to share the value your PTA brings to your community and ask all staff to join PTA. Create a PTA value presentation or make a video using our PTA Welcome Back to School PowerPoint template. 
  • Ask everyone to join at all summer or back-to-school events at your school or in your community. 

Make joining as easy as possible.  

  • Use an online membership platform to make it quick and easy to join. Contact your state PTA to find out if they provide a free online membership platform for PTAs in your state. 
  • Use a QR code that links to your online membership platform and put it everywhere! Have it on signs at all your PTA and school events, on your social media, on any flyers that are sent home, on signs around the school or even on business cards for your board. Check out our video on How to Create a QR Code in less than a minute. 
  • Have a paper form to join in addition to an online platform, and make sure it is available everywhere. Not everyone has internet access or is comfortable paying for membership online. Make sure all PTA board members and the school office have a supply on hand. 
  • Use all communication channels—in-person ask, emails, texting, newsletters, flyers, banners, school marquis and social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Provide a URL link, QR code or form to join your PTA in every communication. 
  • Make a personal ask to join PTA at every PTA and school virtual, in-person or drive-thru event.  
  • Add a “Join PTA” button/link to all your online event registrations or volunteer sign-ups. 

Share the value of your PTA! 

  • Brand everything you do so your community knows it is the PTA doing the work or providing the financial support. It takes just a few minutes to Customize PTA logos, or you can use graphics from the You Belong in PTA or Membership Campaign to share the value of your PTA. 
  • Toot your PTA horn! Make sure your whole community (not just members) knows how your PTA is supporting students, teachers and families.  
  • Ask your principal to share the value your PTA brings to your school and encourage families and teachers to support PTA at staff meetings and school events. Check out this video for ideas to develop or improve your relationship with your principal. 
  • Provide special benefits/perks to your PTA members: family membership, free popcorn at movie night, discount to a local business, membership bundle with PTA gear, prizes and giveaways, etc. 
  • Offer in-person PTA meetings and events in a virtual way to attract more families who can’t always attend in person. 
  • Translate materials into the languages that are spoken by families in your community to be inclusive. 
  • Check out our grant opportunities and apply for all that will enhance your PTA’s work. Invite your families and community to attend your program event. Share your program stories with everyone! And share them with us by tagging @NationalPTA and using #HowWePTA #PTAProud!  
  • Focus on issues important to the families in your community. Our DIY Kit for Membership Growth helps you determine the needs of your community and how to align your PTA priorities. 
  • Share with your community how your PTA, state PTA and National PTA are advocating at the local, state and federal level to improve the lives of all children and families. 

Back-to-school is a strategic time to focus on membership, but it is also important to focus on membership all year round. Check out the membership recruitment tools on National PTA’s website filled with graphics, PowerPoint presentations, videos and templates for more resources to help you grow your PTA. Together we are stronger and our voices are louder for our nation’s children. And together we can grow membership and make every child’s potential a reality. Email us at Membership@PTA.org if you have any questions or need additional support. 

4 Back to School Tips for Parents

Practice healthy habits so we can be “stronger together” this back to school season!

Lysol and National PTA hope families everywhere enjoyed their summer vacation and the quality time that comes with it! This school year is the first time many students are back together at school following the COVID-19 pandemic. Children are stronger together in the classroom, so it’s important to follow the below healthy habits to help keep students at school, learning from teachers—and each other—this academic year:

  • Complete all health requirements: Schedule your annual checkups including medical, eye, and ear exams for your child, and ensure they are up to date with their immunizations. This will help ensure your child is ready for the school year.
  • Go to bed on time: We know bedtime can vary over the summer, but it’s important to get back on a regular sleep schedule to be energized and refreshed for the day. Students aged 6-12 should sleep 9-12 hours a night, while students aged 13-18 should aim for 8-10 hours a night. Sleeping the recommended length of time helps students stay focused and improves academic performance.1
  • Get the right supplies: Prepare your student for success by acquiring all school supplies early. Make a list to double check what you may already have at home and pick up everything your child needs to start the year. Each school year presents its own unique challenges, and the correct supplies can help your student be ready to tackle anything that comes their way.
  • Practice healthy habits: Lysol is proud to support healthy habits at home and in school through the Here for Healthy Schools initiative. Encourage teachers, administrators, and school leaders to utilize Lysol resources and downloadable activities on handwashing, germ transmission, and other valuable lessons available through the Healthy Habits Program. Practicing healthy habits can help curb the spread of illness-causing germs in classrooms and support a successful school year!

Healthy habits are important to instill in children so they can feel their best as they come together at school. This year, Lysol captured candid conversations from real students who shared who they really are and said what they really think on topics such as celebrating differences, what they missed about school, and more. Please visit Lysol.com/HERE to watch and learn more.

5 Tips for Keeping Your Child Safe From COVID at School

Children everywhere are heading back to school and in-person learning. It’s important to keep in mind that many communities continue to be affected by the COVID pandemic.

As of August 22, the risk that COVID poses—based on how many people are getting infected and need hospital care—is medium to high in more than 75% of communities nationwide.

Here are 5 ways to keep your child safe from COVID as they head back to school.

1. Get your child vaccinated as soon as possible

Vaccination is the best thing you can do to protect your child from the dangers of COVID.

Since vaccines became available, people of all ages—including children—who are up to date with their COVID vaccines have been less likely than unvaccinated people to get very sick from COVID.

Everyone 6 months or older should get vaccinated. Find COVID vaccines near you at vaccines.gov.

2. Keep your child home when they’re sick

If your child has COVID or COVID-like symptoms, they should stay home from school to reduce their chances of spreading the virus to others.

If your child tests positive for COVID, follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance on when and how long to isolate.

3. Test to prevent spreading COVID to others

You should test your child for COVID immediately if they have symptoms.

If your child was exposed to someone with COVID and doesn’t have symptoms, wait at least 5 days to test them. You may get an incorrect result if you test them too soon after exposure.

If your child tests positive, that means they’re infected with COVID. They should isolate, and you should tell everyone they’ve recently had close contact with, to avoid spreading the virus to others.

4. Wear a mask

Regardless of whether your child is vaccinated, they should wear a mask around others at school when the risk that COVID poses to your community is high.

If your child has been exposed to COVID, they should wear a mask around others at school for 10 days following exposure.

Don’t send your child to school if they have COVID. But if they do go to school with COVID-like symptoms or develop symptoms while at school, they should wear a mask around others.

5. Encourage your child to wash their hands often

Handwashing removes germs from one’s hands. It helps prevent getting infections and spreading infectious diseases to others.  

Encourage your child to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Handwashing is especially important:

  • After you blow your nose, cough, or sneeze
  • Before and after you eat
  • After you use the restroom
  • After recess or playtime with others

If your child doesn’t have soap and water, they can use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Children 5 and younger should only use hand sanitizer with adult supervision.

Back to School and Back to PTA means Engaging Families and Growing Membership!

by Linda Johnson and Kirthana Krishnathasan

A new school year means new opportunities to grow your PTA. This past year was tough for so many PTAs, families and communities. As you prepare for back to school, you may be wondering how you can grow your PTA membership this year. Would you be surprised to learn that even during the pandemic, there were PTAs across the country that were able to grow their membership last year?!

We talked to some of these PTAs and here’s what they shared about what helped them engage families in their communities and grow their membership.

  • Start as early as you can, but it’s never too late to make the effort!
  • Make joining as easy as possible. Contact your state PTA to find out if there is an online membership platform available. If you use a paper form, make sure they are available everywhere. Make sure all PTA board members and the school(s) have a supply on hand. Provide a link to your join PTA page or form in every communication.
  • Ask everyone who was a member last year to support the PTA/PTSA again this year. Send out email renewal notices to everyone who was a member last year.
  • Use a QR code that links to your online membership join platform and put it everywhere! Have it on signs at all your PTA and school events, put it on your social media, on any flyers that are sent home, on signs around the school or even on business cards for your board. Check out this video on How to Create a QR code in less than a minute.
  • Ask your principal to share the value your PTA brings to your school and encourage families and teachers to support PTA.
  • Use all communication channels—in person, direct emails, newsletters, flyers, banners, school marquis, social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok.
  • Ask for people to join PTA all year at every virtual, in person or drive thru event. Check out these sample Join PTA/PTSA emails.
  • Ask everyone to join your PTA. Membership is open to anyone who supports the PTA mission: families, teachers, staff, students (if allowed), community members, public officials, etc.
  • Add a Join PTA button to all your online event(s) or volunteer sign ups.
  • PTA in a virtual way to attract more families who can’t always attend in person.
  • Focus on issues important to the families in your community. DIY Kit for Membership Growth helps you determine the needs of your community and how to align your PTA priorities.
  • Provide special benefits/perks to your PTA members: family membership, free popcorn at movie night, discount to a local business, etc.
  • Toot your PTA horn! Make sure your whole community (not just members) knows all the ways your PTA is supporting students and families. Brand everything you do so your community knows it is the PTA doing the work or providing the financial support. It takes just a few minutes to Customize PTA logos or you can use graphics from the Membership Campaign to share the value of your PTA.
  • Translate materials in the languages that are spoken by families in your community to be inclusive.

Check out the new 125 Ways to Grow Membership, 10 Myths/Truths and many other membership recruitment tools available to help you grow your PTA.

Have questions or need support, reach out to us at membership@pta.org.

Go Back-to-School with National PTA

Dear fellow PTA members,
As your 55th National PTA President, it is an honor to welcome you to another exciting school year. As we begin an energizing new school year, I ask that you stay laser-focused on our PTA mission. We must ensure that all children have equity and quality in learning, and that they have access to a first-class public school education.
National PTA’s resources, guides and tips can help you achieve our mission.
Help us celebrate the 2017 Back-to-School Season! Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram by using #PTAB2S or #PTAProud.

Happy new school year!

JimAccomandoSignature.jpg
James L. Accomando
National PTA President

Addressing Recent Questions about National PTA Positions

Hello again National PTA Blog readers! It’s always a pleasure to take some time and write about the association and its happenings…

There’ve been some very interesting conversations on National PTA’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/parentteacherassociation) about recent events and I’m writing this post to address some of those topics.

The first topic includes President Obama’s back to school speech a couple of weeks ago. National PTA proudly commended the President for addressing America’s youth as they launched a new school year.

As we mentioned in our statement (onevoice.pta.org) the day of the speech, the association believes it is positive any time a U.S. President, regardless of political affiliation, speaks directly to students about the responsibility they have for their education and to their families, their country, and themselves.

As an association that includes more than 60,000 students among its membership ranks, PTA maintains that it is relevant and encouraging for America’s students to hear examples of how other children, like them—and even the President himself, overcame the odds to pursue higher education. We also support the President’s remarks regarding the strong role that parents and families can play in the success of their children’s education.

The message of the speech was simple: work hard and stay in school. This speech was not meant to indoctrinate our schoolchildren to any agenda.

Let’s remember that Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush all addressed the same general theme during addresses to schoolchildren during their administration. I think all Presidents should take the time to address our students, every year.

There have also been some assertions that the President’s speech was a violation of parents’ civil rights. I completely disagree. The President’s speech should be looked upon as an opportunity—an opportunity for parents to have a candid conversation with their children about setting goals, staying in school, and completing their education. That’s what I did with my kids following the speech, and I expect most parents did the same.

Now, the second topic I’d like to discuss is the question of vaccine safety… it’s a complicated one. There are so many different opinions about vaccine safety and I champion the rights of Americans to express their opinion.

National PTA has a great campaign to vaccinate children, called Let’s Fight Flu Together. It is set up to make it easy, convenient and accessible for PTA’s to host vaccination clinics.

But, let me be clear: National PTA is not an association of clinical research scientists. We rely on the facts available and the expertise of other national advocacy groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Medical Association, to guide our policies.

It is my understanding that no causal link between vaccine additives and autism has been established up to this point. The increased incidence in autism to which some may refer is actually an increase in diagnoses of autism and not necessarily an increase in prevalence of autism, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics among other groups. Some increase in autism diagnosis should be expected, as the medical profession furthers its understanding of the collection of disorders that we refer to as autism. The predominant view of the science and medical community is that the number of disorders in this group has grown over time, as has the awareness in the medical community, which could lead to a dramatic increase in diagnoses. As the parent of a special needs child, I see this first hand.

While vaccine additives like thimerosal that are used as preservatives in vaccines are still used in some vaccines, including some flu vaccines, it is my understanding that both the number of vaccines in which they are used and the amount that is used in individual vaccines have decreased sharply.

Again, National PTA does not have expertise in immunization formulation, vaccine safety, or the disorders. However, those who do have expertise should continue to test and monitor the results of immunizations in order to ensure that we are keeping our nation’s children safe. These procedures are ongoing, and National PTA believes they should continue.

The association continues to take great care in aligning its initiatives to our mission and will continue to do so…

Until next time everyone!
Chuck Saylors- president, National PTA

School Year's Eve

Where did the summer go? It’s hard to believe that school has started in several areas of the country. In fact, the Saylors Family started on August 19th.

This is also the time of year when PTA leaders are looking for ways to welcome back their students, teachers and families in an exciting way. That is one of the reasons that National PTA has partnered with Cookie Magazine to launch the School Year’s Eve program. By going to the website www.schoolyearseve.com PTA leaders and families can find expert information and helpful tips for building an exciting back-to-school event.

I am a firm believer that starting off the school year with the students and staff excited helps build a better learning opportunity; School Year’s Eve is a great way to build that event.

Remember, for information and your free School Year’s Eve kit go to www.schoolyearseve.com or www.pta.org

Good luck, have a great back-to-school and a great School Year’s Eve!

Until next time!