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Published Sunday, October 18, 2009 in Education

Georgia's youth tell flu to 'shoo'

Coweta County students in kindergarten through eighth grade are eligible to enter a statewide contest encouraging people to stay healthy in flu season.

The Georgia Department of Community Health recently announced the 2009 Shoo Flu, Shoo Art Contest. The contest is sponsored by DCH's Roll Up Your Sleeve campaign. The goal is to establish an open dialogue and create awareness among young people about protecting themselves and staying healthy during flu season.

"In the midst of seasonal flu and novel H1N1 flu, we want our children to remain healthy and informed about ways to stay healthy and flu-free during the school year," said Dr. Rhonda Medows, DCH commissioner. "We are pleased to have the support of the state Department of Education in this endeavor. Together, we are offering a way for our youth to learn through creativity."

The contest is open to Georgia students in kindergarten through 8th grade, including private and home-school students. Interested students should submit individual works of art in the form of paintings or drawings using crayons, markers, pencils/colored pencils or pens that depict ways to stay flu-free.

Entries must be postmarked by Nov. 6 and include a signed entry form.

"The Georgia Department of Education and DCH have been working closely to educate and inform school officials, students and parents about ways to stay healthy and avoid the flu," said State School Superintendent Kathy Cox. "This contest is a great opportunity for students to put that knowledge to work and express themselves through art."

Entries are submitted into a category based on the student's grade in school -- grades K-2: Category I; grades 3-5: Category II; grades 6-8: Category III -- and will be judged based on originality and artistic merit. The top 10 entries in each category will be posted on georgiahealthinfo.gov where visitors can vote for their favorite work of art.

The top four entries in each category will be featured in a 2010 calendar. To learn more about the 2009 Shoo Flu, Shoo Art Contest, including contest rules and entry form, visit www.georgiahealthinfo.gov .