This resource, Key Messages for Keeping Well, contains health education teaching and learning strategies designed to enhance wellness and in so doing prevent the spread of disease. The suggested generic approaches are designed to focus on the prevention and control of communicable disease.

The key messages, with appropriate resources and approaches for teaching and learning, are grouped by curriculum levels 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, and 7 and 8.

The key messages are:

• We know some ways we can help keep ourselves healthy
• We can look after ourselves in practical ways
• Recognising the need for increased responsibility for self care
• Encouraging others to use good practices that support health
• Positive personal choices can enhance health
• Distinguishing between real and perceived risks to health
• Evaluating laws and policies that protect health
• Managing current health issues at a global and societal level

Many of the items in the reference list should be available in New Zealand schools.

What is influenza?

The key features are:

• A debilitating acute viral disease, infecting the respiratory tree
• Can produce a range of complications
• Spreads readily from person to person via droplets and aerosols, and hand/mouth transmission
• 3 influenza virus families are recognised:
  • A (can cause widespread epidemics or pandemics)
  • B (sometimes causes regional or widespread epidemics)
  • C (sporadic cases and local epidemics).

Hygiene measures for preventing influenza will also reduce the risk of other infections such as meningococcal disease and colds. Regular hand washing and drying is is important to prevent the spread of influenza and other communicable diseases.

Hand washing is thought to be one of the most important means of prevention of communicable diseases.

Schools therefore need to:

• ensure that suitable hand washing and drying facilities, including warm water, soap and cloth towel dispensers or paper towels are available for staff and students to use;
• establish policies and procedures to ensure that students who have handled biological materials (and chemicals) in class wash their hands before leaving the laboratory.

For further information, contact the Curriculum Facilitator, Health and Physical Education, Ministry of Education, telephone (04) 463 8000.

Back to top