Announcing Winners of the 2009 Franklin Township Handwashing-It’s A SNAP! Awards

Somerset, NJ -- Franklin Township Health Department announces the winners of the Franklin Township Handwashing—It’s a SNAP! program.  Franklin Township Handwashing – It's a Snapis an initiative to encourage students and entire school communities to become involved in good health habits by empowering students to develop peer-oriented handwashing campaigns in their schools. 

Franklin Township Health Department visited all 14 public and private K-12 schools in the township, providing students and staff with information and resources about the healthy advantages of regular hand hygiene.   Youth in the township were then invited to share and build upon what they learned, and their boundless enthusiasm in spreading handwashing concepts launched a variety of student-powered It’s a SNAP! projects and learning opportunities.  Students were creative in how they opted to spread the clean hands message, using a wide variety of methods, including skits, videos, original songs, and posters.

Franklin schools’ handwashing projects will now be judged alongside school projects from across the U.S. for further recognition as part of the National It’s A SNAP!  awards program.   Last year, a handwashing rap video from students at Sampson G. Smith School went on to receive top honors in the national competition. 

Hand hygiene is of great importance to help keep kids in school healthy and learning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 22 million school days are lost each year due to illnesses that can be prevented by the simple act of handwashing.

Recognition Awards for the local prize-winning students will be presented during the Franklin Township Council Meeting on Tuesday, May 26th at 7:00pm at the Franklin Township Municipal Building, 475 Demott Lane, Somerset, NJ.  All are welcome to attend.

This year’s Franklin Township award-winning projects are as follows: 

Student Handwashing projects:

First Place: Krisztina Máthé
            Sampson G. Smith School
Teacher:  Ms. Grinberg

            Second Place:  Jaime Rudbaft
            Sampson G. Smith School
Teacher:  Mrs. Carolla

            Third Place:  Christian Washington
            Sampson G. Smith School
            Teacher:  Ms. Grinberg

Honorable Mention:  Davon Williams and Shayla Williams, Sampson G. Smith School

Classroom Handwashing projects: 

            Title:  The Adventures of Soaper Woman and Sanitizer Sidekick
            Teacher: Kaz Wright
School:  Sampson G. Smith School        
Description:  Fifth grade students worked together to produce a short video on the importance of handwashing in fighting bacteria and disease in the school setting.

Title:  Poster Project
Teacher:  Ms. Grinsberg
School:  Sampson G. Smith School
Description:  Fifth grade students created a wide variety of posters bearing an assortment of clean hands messages.

Title:  Poster Project
Teacher:  Ms. Christopher
School:  Central Jersey College Prep Charter School
Description:  Students in the drawing elective put their talent to work in creating a variety of colorful mini-posters with valuable clean hands messages. 

School Handwashing Spirit Award               

New Road School of Somerset
Principal:  Mr. B. Duz
Description:   This school demonstrated widespread student commitment to handwashing and enthusiastic participation in the Franklin Township Handwashing—It’s a SNAP! program.

For further information on the It’s A SNAP! program, please contact Franklin Township Health Department at 732-873-2500, extension 372, or on the web:  www.itsasnap.org