Educators

The Healthy School Award has been offered by Durham Region Health Department for over 10 years. It recognizes schools for their commitment to a healthy schools approach by creating an environment that is supportive of student health and well-being.

About the award

Application form

Health action plan

The Healthy School Award recognizes schools for supporting at least one of the following health topics:

• Healthy eating
• Mental health promotion
• Physical activity and sedentary behaviour
• Road safety
• Substance-free living
• Tobacco-free living
• UV exposure
• Other health topics

The Healthy Schools Toolkit supports schools in creating a healthy school environment that benefits all members of the school community.

Your school's public health nurse can assist you in this process.

Good health supports learning and learning supports good health. The healthy schools newsletter provides relevant information on health topics for educators and school staff.

Fall 2017 newsletter

Spring 2017 newsletter

Ready to use inserts for your school newsletter or website! The healthy schools newsletter inserts for parents provide up-to-date information on health-related topics for parents and guardians. Add the inserts below into your school newsletters or on your school website.  The inserts are listed by health topic, inserts for elementary or secondary schools and recommended month of use.

Order healthy school resources

To get copies of healthy schools resources:

Contact your public health nurse

Contact the Durham Health Connection Line

• Student workbook: English | French
• Teacher companion guide: English | French

Contact the Durham Health Connection Line to order hard copies of the student workbook and teacher companion guide.

• The Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse created Standards for School-Based Youth Substance Abuse Prevention.
• The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has created resources for educators. They focus on substance misuse.
• Health Canada has information on marijuana and alcohol.

Read about local schools' success stories.

Email us and share your school's healthy eating success story.

School councils can support student achievement. They can do this by helping the school community organize healthy eating programs and activities.

• Durham Child Nutrition Project.
• Funding Opportunities Supporting Ontario Healthy Schools and Communities

• Healthy fundraising ideas.
• Parents Reaching Out grants.

Ideas for school projects

• Vegetable and fruit art sculptures.
• Healthy eating activities for your school.

Resources

• A Guide to School Gardens
• Creating a Healthy School that Supports Healthy Eating
• Brightbites
• Lesson plans and activities
• Kindergarten Program 2016
• Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1 to 8: Health and Physical Education, 2015 (revised)
• Health Canada Food and Nutrition
• Dietitians of Canada
• UnlockFood.ca
• School Food and Beverage Resource Guide
• School Food and Beverage Quick reference Guide
• Ontario School and Beverage Policy, Secondary teacher resource Guide, 2012
• Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy, Elementary Teacher Resource, 2011

Videos in French

• How many vegetables and fruit do I need?
• How many grain products do you need?
• How many milk and alternatives do you need?
• How many meat and alternatives do you need?

In Ontario there is a School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150). It includes nutrition standards for food and beverages sold in schools.

Understanding P/PM 150:

• English
• French
• Fact sheet

Trans Fat Standards Regulation

• Trans Fat Standards Regulation
• Trans Fat Standards Regulation question and answers

• Creating a School that Supports: Mental Health
• Mental health messages that can be used in elementary school
• Mental health messages that can be used in secondary school
• Durham District School Board
• Durham Catholic School Board
• Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
• Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board

Mental health resources for educators

Creating and Sustaining Mentally Healthy Classrooms - Online Learning Module

Recognizing and Responding to Anxiety in the Classroom - Online Learning Module

Recognizing and Responding to Mood Problems in the Classroom - Online Learning Module

The Psychology Foundation of Canada stress resources provide curriculum linked lesson plans for teachers to support their students with engaging, easy to use, grade appropriate activities and videos. Public health nurses are available to provide support and training for teachers on the resources.

• Grades 1-3 (Kids have stress too!)
• Grades 4-6 (Stress lessons)
• Grade 7-9 (From stressed out to chilled out)

• Ontario Road Safety website for lesson plans and toolkits to teach children and youth about road safety.
• National Teen Driver Safety Week
• Creating a Healthy Secondary school that supports: Road Safety and Injury Prevention.

Animals can offer a valuable learning experience but can also expose children and staff to infections, injuries and are a source of allergens. Children under five are at a higher risk.

• Animals not recommended
• Supporting resource
• Guidance document

Resources for schools

• Creating a Healthy Elementary School that Supports Physical Activity
• Creating a Healthy Secondary School that Supports Physical Activity
• Active School Guidelines
• Ideas to have physical activity in the curriculum (Math, arts, etc.)
• How can my school promote active transportation?
• School physical activity assessment form
• Ontario Physical Education Safety Guidelines
• Active and Safe Routes to School website
• Physical and Health Education Canada website

Daily Physical Activity (DPA)

DPA ensures that students have at least of 20 minutes of sustained moderate to vigorous physical activity at school daily.

DPA resources

• Grades 1 to 3 Ministry of Education Guide
• Grades 4 to 6 Ministry of Education Guide
• Grade 7 and 8 Ministry of Education Guide
• School Principals Ministry of Education Guide
• OPHEA DPA Resources website link
• Play sport, a website to help teach kids games and sports through play
• Trends In: Active Transportation to School report

Curriculum support

Sunsense Program

The Canadian Cancer Society (Ontario Division), Evergreen and OPHEA have collaborated to provide the Sunsense Program Teaching Guide for educators. The guide consists of lesson plans and interactive activities for grades 1 to 6.

• SUNSENSE Teaching Guide, Grade 1 to 3
• SUNSENSE Teaching Guide, Grace 4 to 6

Grade 2 Curriculum Support Sun Safety package

Durham Region Health Department is pleased to offer the Grade 2 Sun Safety Curriculum Resource package in French and English. This package is designed to complement the grade 2 curriculum and includes:

• a variety of activity pages
• posters (two sizes)
• class set of bookmarks (30 per package)
• class set of pencils (30 per package)
• class set of fact sheets for parents of grade 2 students (30 per package)

Order sun safety resources online

Additional resources

• Be Sun Safe (Canadian Cancer Society)
• Canadian Dermatology Association
• Health Canada
• SunSmart
• World Health Organization (WHO)

If you would like additional information about addressing sun safety in your school, or to borrow our interactive skill building tools for your class, please contact your school’s public health nurse or call the Durham Health Connection Line.

BCI is a tool that teachers can use to assist students in quitting smoking. Your school's public health nurse can provide a presentation to staff to train them in using BCI with students.

Quit4Life is a program designed to help youth quit smoking. It is a 10-week, four-step, group program delivered by an adult facilitator that has experience working with youth in a school or community setting, which could include a school staff member or your school's public health nurse.

For more information or visit the Quit4Life facilitators page.

Quit4Life Resources

• Poster
• Educator guide
• School announcements

Youth often trying alternative tobacco products, such as smokeless tobacco, thinking that it is a safer choice than smoking cigarettes. 10% of Durham Region students in Grades 9 to 12 reported using smokeless tobacco at least once in their lifetime.

Order a copy of the Know What's In Your Mouth toolkit.