Start With Two Ideas: Cover and Wash
Cough and sneeze etiquette covers many details, but a handwritten newspaper has limited space. Focus on two actions: cover the mouth and nose and wash hands afterwards. Add a short reminder about keeping a little distance, and the page will feel complete.
Before writing, sketch three circles on scrap paper: What to Do, Why It Matters, and My Promise. Once the three areas are placed, the content is easy to fill in.
Four Text Boxes That Fit This Theme
Box 1: Why Etiquette Matters at School
Explain in two or three sentences that coughs and sneezes send out tiny droplets, so covering up protects classmates nearby. Keep the wording gentle rather than scary.
Box 2: The Three-Step Habit
- Step one: when you feel a cough or sneeze coming, turn your head away from others.
- Step two: use a tissue if you have one; if not, raise the inside of your elbow to cover your mouth and nose.
- Step three: throw the used tissue into the bin, then wash your hands before going back to your seat.
Box 3: Easy Mistakes
- Covering a cough with an open palm, then touching desks, door handles, or a classmate's book.
- Coughing or sneezing towards a friend or towards food.
- Pushing used tissues into a desk drawer instead of throwing them away.
Box 4: My Promise
Leave a small box that says: I will cover my mouth, put tissues in the bin, and wash my hands. Below it, draw five small squares for Monday to Friday so pupils can tick each day they keep the habit.
Short Lines and a Rhyme to Copy
- A sneeze is on its way, turn and cover, then say okay.
- Tissue in the bin, clean hands to begin.
- Cough away from a friend, keep a little space to the end.
- One small tissue, one big shield.
- Elbow up, sneeze is caught, good manners are what we have taught.
A four-line rhyme also fits neatly in the middle: Turn your head before you sneeze, use a tissue or your sleeve; drop the tissue in the bin, wash your hands and you will win.
Layout, Colors, and Easy Drawings
- Put the main title across the top, with a small figure covering a cough beside it.
- Place a three-step flow chart in the middle, linking three circles with arrows.
- Put Easy Mistakes in the lower left and My Promise in the lower right.
- Use blue, white, and green as the main colors, with a thin blue border and a little orange for key words.
- Decorate with tissues, water drops, a sink, a mask, and small bubbles, but leave some blank space so the page still feels light.
Three Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Copying one long paragraph makes the page look like an essay. Split it into short lines instead.
- Too many drawings squeeze the text. Mark the text boxes first, then draw in the gaps.
- A long title may run past the border. Sketch it lightly in pencil and check the width before coloring.
Need a Faster Start?
If time is short, open the WeChat mini program Smart Handwritten Newspaper and pick a campus hygiene layout to see how the sections are arranged. Fill in your own handwritten text, then add a few small drawings. This keeps the handwritten feel while making the whole page neat and easy to read.