Educators play an important role in the health of school communities
Your school's public health nurse can provide you with support and resources to assist you in teaching and promoting health in your school.
Contact the public health nurse associated with your school today!
2017/2018 Healthy School Award
The healthy school award recognizes a commitment to a Healthy Schools approach.
It follows with the Foundations for Healthy School document. We offer it to Elementary and Secondary Schools in Durham Region. The award recognizes schools for their commitment to a healthy schools approach in the prevention of chronic diseases, injuries and substance misuse.
| About the award |
| Applications |
The award recognizes schools for supporting at least one of the following health topics:
Your school's public health nurse can assist you in this process. |
Support health in your school!
Educator resources
Alcohol and drug use
| Discovering you! Grade 5 resource |
| Alcohol and marijuana-free living |
| Creating an Alcohol and Marijuana-Free School |
| Helpful information for educators |
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Healthy eating
Supporting healthy eating in school can help:
- Students adopt healthy eating behaviours.
- Reinforce the curriculum and give students the chance to practice newly learned skills.
| Healthy eating success stories |
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Read about local schools' success stories. Email us and share your school's healthy eating success story. |
| Student councils |
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School councils can support student achievement. They can do this by helping the school community organize healthy eating programs and activities. |
| Healthy snack or breakfast programs |
| Healthy fundraising and special events |
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Ideas for school projects |
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Resources |
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Videos in French |
| School food policies |
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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: |
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Trans Fat Standards Regulation |
Mental health and resiliency
Schools are a place where students can form positive connections with caring adults, peers and the community. These relationships help students develop a sense of belonging, feel valued and supported, and develop skills to handle life's ups and downs in positive ways.
Mental health online learning modules to support educators
Creating and Sustaining Mentally Healthy Classrooms
| Mental health resources for schools |
Stress resources for educatorsThe 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. |
Personal safety and injury prevention
| Road safety |
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| Petting zoos: health and safety |
| 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. |
Physical activity
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Resources for schools |
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
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Reproductive and sexual health
Sex education (SEXed) Manual for educators
This manual has information that will help with teaching the 2015 Ontario Curriculum for Health & Physical Education and is intended to teach sexual health to students in Grades 9 to 12.
Access the SEXed Manual for educators
Sun safety
Teach children healthy sun-safe attitudes and behaviours.
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Web-based curriculum support |
World Health Organization (WHO)
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Tobacco
- Smoking trends in students report
- Youth tobacco awareness posters
- Lungs are for life (K-12)
- Ophea ideas for action
Order tobacco school resources online
| Brief Contact Intervention (BCI) |
| 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 |
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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 |
| Know What's In Your Mouth |
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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. |
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