In Middle School, Hand Hygiene Gets Good 'Rap'

While some rap lyrics may be down and dirty, students at Sampson G. Smith Intermediate School kept them clean - as a way to teach their classmates about the benefits of good hand hygiene.

"Yo stop touching that dirty can,
Go to the sink and
Wash your hands,
If you want to go on a date,
Jump up and wash your hands
For goodness sake."

Students in Mrs. Kaz Wright's fifth grade class at the Somerset, New Jersey school have received national recognition for an original rap song and video they created - about the importance of handwashing with soap and water.

The Sampson G. Smith School students are recipients of the 2008 Top Classroom Award from the "Healthy Schools, Healthy People: It's a SNAP" program.

SNAP - the School Network for Absenteeism Prevention - is a collaboration between The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The six-year old program encourages middle schools to help develop programs that make hand hygiene a priority for students, teachers, school health personnel, administrators and parents.