News
Healthy Schools BC Website
We are excited to announce the launch of the refreshed Healthy Schools BC website. The site contains select educator-focused resources, featured stories, news and events, and a host of evidence informed HSBC Resources.
Check it out.
Promising Practices for School Mental Health
Last fall, Share2Care, a mental health activation initiative by PHE Canada, gathered over 300 promising practices for promoting positive mental health in schools and classrooms across the country. Five entries were selected to receive $5000 to continue advancing their promising practice. Get inspired by the diverse range of ideas including a "wild-woods area" for teens, building connections through a Hope Wheel and a soft start welcome program
. Find out more.
Articles
Building Resilience through Physical Literacy
Teaching physical literacy is a fundamental step to ensuring children are active for life. A new study found that physical literacy may also have the added benefit of enhancing children's mental health.This study measured resilience in school children aged 9-12 in five schools in Winnipeg, MB. Researchers found that resilience was associated with a number of indicators of physical literacy, such as, movement capacity, confidence and environmental engagement.
Find out more.
Stories
Operation Leave No One Behind
When a class of Grade 6 students at Trafalgar Middle School in Nelson B.C., titled their pre-holiday hike Operation Leave No One Behind, it was clear this would be no simple winter walk. Recognizing that one of their classmates wouldn’t be able to participate due to his limited mobility, the students embarked on designing a special sled. One classmate stated, “Because he’s our classmate. Bringing him helps us learn about empathy.”
Find out more.
Wellness Week in Aldergrove
Aldergrove Community Secondary and Betty Gilbert Middle School in Aldergrove, B.C., recently celebrated their fourth annual Wellness Week. The week is designed to promote mental, physical, and relational wellness for staff and students. This year’s events included a Walk for Wellness, a tulip planting session in the school garden, and kind messages posted to students’ lockers to remind them how special they are.
Find out more.
Reso
urces
Cold Weather Recess Planning
Cold weather can put a damper on outdoor play making it a challenge for students to be physically active. Ever Active Schools from Alberta has compiled a list of strategies to help your school develop a cold weather recess plan. This free, downloadable resource includes strategies, tips and customizable documents, like letters to parents, that have been tried and tested in schools across Alberta.
Find out more.
Food Friendly Scavenger Hunt
Are you looking for an interactive way to teach Canada's Food Guide to your students? BC Dairy Association's new lesson plan, Food Guide Digital Scavenger Hunt, encourages students to explore the healthy eating recommendations found within Canada's Food Guide while increasing their digital literacy skills.
Find out more.
Announcements
Global School Play Day is February 5th
Invite your students to bring their favourite toys and games to school on February 5
th
and devote all day to unstructured playtime for Global School Play Day. No screens, no structure, just play! If you can’t play all day, make it an hour or two. The idea behind Global Play Day is to help raise awareness and start a conversation about the benefits of unstructured play. To find out more and register your school click
here
.
Pink Shirt Day is
February 26
th
Pink Shirt Day is a campaign to spread awareness against bullying. This year’s theme is Lift Each Other Up. It’s a clear and powerful message to look beyond our differences and celebrate the things that make us unique. Click
here
to download posters for your school and classroom.
For more resources and tools on how to build safe and caring school communities visit
ERASE.
