Hand-washing is the most important thing a person can do to prevent the spread of germs according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Encourage your child to wash hands often especially during school hours and use tissues to cover sneezes and coughs.

We have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Studies show that children who eat breakfast perform better in school than those who skip breakfast. Breakfast eaters show greater concentration, more energy, and better muscle coordination in the morning. They score higher on tests and are less likely to act out in the classroom. Morning hunger may affect children at the worst time of the school day. In many classrooms, basic skills such as reading, writing and math are taught during the morning hours. Testing is often done in the morning as well. Breakfasts that are high in sugar will burn off quickly leaving the child feeling tired and irritable for hours before lunch. Encouraging your child to eat a well-balanced, nutritious breakfast will help them achieve optimum performance at school.

Good attendance is one of the best predictors of school success.

When a student is tardy, they have difficulty catching up and it disrupts the learning of others in the class. Please, please get your child to school on time and ready to learn!

Children need adequate sleep every night. The amount of the depends on the child's age, activity level, and health status. The school age child should average 9.5 hours of sleep per night.