In the name of service learning, the second graders at St. Clement School worked together to create a soap and other personal hygiene items drive to donate to St. Vincent de Paul. In accordance with the GCS (Graded Course of Study) for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, the students were already learning under a personal health and wellness curriculum that have taught them to practice appropriate hygiene habits and behaviors that prevent infectious diseases.
Students also learned that hygiene related illnesses are the leading cause of death for kids around the world. They continued to learn about how germs are spread through improper hygiene habits, and learned proper hygiene habits, with a focus on hand washing.
Students learned about cultures where poverty prevents families from being able to practice hygiene that prevents the spread of germs, a large reason they came up with the idea for a personal hygiene drive.
The students learned the importance of hygiene, especially proper hand washing, and they greatly impacted the community by donating soap and other hygiene items to people in need. The students took part in hands-on-activities pertaining to the spread of germs and how proper hand washing can stop this.
Also, students worked together to come up with a letter to send home to parents to inform them on what they learned and the importance of hygiene products as well as urging them to collect and send in items for their drive. To round out all their work, the students made signs for the bathrooms at school to remind/inform students on tips for proper hand washing technique. In total, they donated 138 personal hygiene items to St. Vincent de Paul and gained a lifetime experience.
