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Educators and Curriculum Resources

Educators play an important role in the health of school communities

A team of health professionals including the school public health nurse, immunization nurses, oral health staff and health protection staff are dedicated to promoting and protecting the health and well-being of children and youth in all schools in Durham Region. The team strives to achieve optimal health of the entire school community through partnership and collaboration with school boards and schools.

Please contact the Durham Health Connection Line at 905-668-2020 to find out who your school public health nurse is.

Learn more about the school health team!

Get support and resources

Your school health team can provide you with support and resources to assist you in teaching the health curriculum and promoting health and well-being in your school. If you would like additional information regarding health topics in your school or would like to borrow interactive, skill-building tools for your classroom, contact us!

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.

Dental (Oral health)

Current topics
Cavity connection
Does chewing gum prevent cavities?
Fluoride

Healthy Smiles Ontario (English)

Healthy Smiles Ontario (French)
How much sugar is in your drink?
How to brush your child's teeth
How to floss your teeth
Less sugar = healthy mouth + healthy body
Mouth and dental emergencies
Mouth protection
Tips for good oral health
Tips for a healthy smile
Tooth friendly snacks
Why is oral health important?

Environmental health

Current topics
Environmental Health in Durham
Everything you wanted to know about bed bugs!
Hamburger safety
Keeping your hands clean
Lyme Disease - get tick smart
Lyme Disease - get ticked off
Pack a safe lunch
Personal protection against mosquitoes and West Nile virus
Potassium Iodide (KI) Tablets
Rabies... know the facts
Talking turkey

Healthy eating

Current topics
Add some splash to the holidays
Are they getting enough? Tips to get your teens to eat more vegetables and fruit.
(Secondary schools)
Choose water first!
Create healthy routines for you and your family
Family fun with vegetables and fruit
Packing a healthy school lunch? Be salt savvy.
School lunches and snacks that make the grade!
Season's eatings - eating healthy as a family during the holidays
Starting your day sunny side up!

Infectious disease

Current topics
Reliable infectious diseases resources
Tips to stay healthy
When to attend school or stay home if ill

Immunization

Current topics
Aged 14 to 16?
(Secondary schools)
Fight the flu and COVID-19 too
Online immunization reporting and viewing

Mental health and resiliency

Current topics
Growing Resilient Children: Create Connections
(Part 1 of 3)
Growing Resilient Children: Provide a Safe and Caring Home
(Part 2 of 3)
Growing Resilient Children: Teach and Learn
(Part 3 of 3)
Stress-busting for kids in 3 steps
Teen resiliency heading into high school

Physical activity

Current topics
Active kids are fit to learn
Active parents, active kids
Connect with your teen through physical activity
(Secondary schools)
Help your kids be active for life
Tips to reduce screen time
Walk or wheel everyday!
Walk or wheel everyday!
(Secondary schools)

Personal safety and injury prevention

Current topics
Car and booster seat safety
Prepare your teen for the road
(Secondary schools)

Positive parenting

Current topics
Healthy sleep routines for your family
It begins with family
Positive parenting

Substance use

Cannabis: Talk early, talk often (Grades 5 to 8)
Cannabis: Talk early, talk often (Grades 9 to 12)
Talking about opioids with your teen (Grades 9 to 12)
Current topics

Sun safety

Current topics

General sun safety awareness

Tobacco and vape-free living

Current topics
Not An Experiment Parent/caregiver resource
Health Canada: Consider the consequences. Talking with your teen about vaping: A tip sheet for parents
Vaping - Clear the clouds

Visual health

Current topic
Visual health for school aged children English | French

Substance use protective factors and skill building

Evidence tells us that the best prevention measures often have nothing to do with substance use at all. Protective factor skill building is one prevention measure that can minimize youth’s risk of substance-related harms. Teachers and trusted adults can help students learn about and practice protective factors that support substance use prevention.

As educators know, school-based efforts to prevent substance-related harms must reflect school communities' unique needs, resources, culture and values. Contact your Durham Region Health Department school assigned public health nurse who can help with the implementation of substance use prevention strategies.

Activity

Curriculum connection

Making decisions and refusal skills

Grade 6: OPHEA influencing choices (Lesson plan)
  • D2. Making Healthy Choices
  • A1.6 Critical and Creative Thinking

Grade 7 to 12: PHE Canada refusal skills activity

Elementary:

  • D2. Making Healthy Choices
  • A1.6 Critical and Creative Thinking

Secondary:

  • Grade 9: C3.4 [IS, CT]
  • Grade 10: C3.4 [IS, CT], C2.4 [PS, IS, CT]

Grade 7 to 12: Refusal skills (Video - accompanies activity above)

Elementary:

  • D2. Making Healthy Choices
  • A1.6 Critical and Creative Thinking

Secondary:

  • Grade 9: C3.4 [IS, CT]
  • Grade 10: C3.4 [IS, CT]

Elementary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Critical and creative thinking

A1.6 Critical and Creative Thinking

Secondary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Critical and creative thinking
  • Grade 9: C1.3 [PS, CT]
  • Grade 10: C1.3 [PS, CT]
  • Grade 12: C2.3 [PS, IS, CT]

Faith and wellness: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Critical and creative thinking

A1.6 Critical and Creative Thinking

Catholic graduate expectations are listed within individual activities.

Coping with criticism and dealing with feelings of exclusion

Elementary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Positive motivation and perseverance

A1.3 Positive Motivation and Perseverance

Elementary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Self-awareness and sense of identity

A1.5 Self-Awareness and Sense of Identity

Secondary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Positive motivation and perseverance
  • Grade 9: C1.3 [PS, CT]
  • Grade 10: C1.3 [PS, CT]
  • Grade 12: C2.3 [PS, IS, CT]

Secondary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Self-awareness and sense of identity
  • Grade 9: C1.3 [PS, CT]
  • Grade 10: C1.3 [PS, CT]
  • Grade 12: C2.3 [PS, IS, CT]

Faith and wellness: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Positive motivation and perseverance

A1.3 Positive Motivation and Perseverance

Catholic Graduate Expectations are listed within individual activities.

Faith and wellness: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Self-awareness and sense of identity

A1.5 Self-Awareness and Sense of Identity

Catholic graduate expectations are listed within individual activities.

Identifying and managing stress

Elementary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Stress management and coping

A1.2 Stress Management and Coping

Secondary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Stress management and coping

Grade 9: C1.3 [PS, CT]

Grade 10: C1.3 [PS, CT]

Grade 12: C2.3 [PS, IS, CT]

Elementary faith and wellness: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Stress management and coping

A1.2 Stress Management and Coping

Catholic Graduate Expectations are listed within individual activities.

SMHO virtual field trips

A1.2 Stress Management and Coping

Communication, conflict resolution and healthy relationships

Empathy video | PHE Canada

A1.4 Healthy Relationships

Elementary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Healthy relationship skills

A1.4 Healthy Relationships

Secondary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Healthy relationship skills

Grade 9: C1.3 [PS, CT]

Grade 10: C1.3 [PS, CT]

Grade 12: C2.3 [PS, IS, CT]

Faith and wellness: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Healthy relationship skills

A1.4 Healthy Relationships

Alcohol

Grade 5

  • Discovering You! Student workbook (English | French) (Curriculum connection: A1.6, D2.3, D3.3)
  • Discovering You! Teacher companion guide (English | French)
  • OPHEA Factors of Intoxication (Lesson plan)** (Curriculum connection: A1.6, D1.2, D2.3, D3.3)
  • OPHEA Factors That Affect My Decisions (Lesson plan)** (Curriculum connection: A1.5, A1.6, D3.3)
  • OPHEA Factors that Affect My Healthy Choices (Activity)** (Curriculum connection: A1.2, A1.6, D3.3)
  • OPHEA Who Can Help (Lesson plan)** (Curriculum connection: A1.4, A1.6, D2.3, D3.3)
  • OPHEA Awareness Campaign (Lesson plan)** (Curriculum connection: A1.1, A1.4, A1.5, A1.6, D2.3, D 3.2, D3.3)
  • Interactive activity available from your school public health nurse*

**Requires an OPHEA log-in

Grade 6 to 8

Grade 9 to 12

*Resources available through your public health nurse.

Cannabis

*Resources available through your school’s public health nurse.

Curriculum support - Grades 5 to 8

*Resources available through your school’s public health nurse.

Curriculum support - Grades 9 to 12

*Resources available through your school’s public health nurse.

*Resources available through your school’s public health nurse.

Concussions and injury prevention

Durham health statistics

Durham health stats

Healthy routines

Curriculum support

Helpful links

Curriculum support

Playground activity leaders in schools (PALS)

Helpful links

Helpful links

Sunsense Program

Register your school for SunSense Program (English | French) to gain access to a variety of free downloadable resources related to sun safety education, policy development and shade. Registration begins February 1, 2025.

Other

There are several interactive activities available from Durham Region Health Department. Please contact your school’s public health nurse if you would like further information on any of the activities below.

Primary grades

  • Animal Alphabet
  • Apple Tree Activity*
  • Kindergarten Readiness Practice Backpacks and Lunchbox*
  • Physical Activity Dice and Hopscotch Mat

Grades 7 to 12

Crack the Code

Other interactive activities

  • Amazing Wellness Race* (For grade 4 onwards)
  • Fruit and Veggie Feud (All ages)
  • Kahoot! (All ages)
  • Plinko Game* (All ages)
  • Sleep Activity Board* (All ages)
  • Spinwheel* (All ages)
  • Sugar Sweetened Beverages* (All ages)

*These activities are available in English and French

Durham Region Health Department offers several resources to promote healthy routines for students!

The resources below are available for download and use in print-friendly format.

Healthy sexuality

Human Development and Sexual Health Educator Resources

Infectious diseases prevention and control

⊕ Monthly chickenpox reporting form

As per Ministry guidance, no respiratory outbreaks will be declared at this time. You are not required to report increases in absenteeism due to respiratory symptoms in your classes and schools. Please continue to report potential enteric outbreaks in your classes and schools as necessary.

Mental health promotion

Educators are encouraged to use School Mental Health Ontario to support a comprehensive approach to school mental health. Resources are available in both English and French.

Grade JK to 3

Access audio files (songs, videos) to support Mindmasters 2

Grade 4 to 8

Grade 9 to 12

Resources for educators to support parents/caregivers

* Resources available through your public health nurse. Download Kahoot instructions.

Please refer to your school board for additional supports.

For crisis intervention

Crisis and suicide prevention

Opioids

Substance use protective factors and skill building

Oral health

Road and off-road safety

Tobacco and vaping

Grades 1 to 4

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health School Mental Health Ontario (CAMH SMHO) Vaping: what elementary school educators need to know

Grades 4 to 6

Grades 7 to 12

Interactive vaping/tobacco activities

The following interactive activities are available from Durham Region Health Department. Please contact your school’s public health nurse if you would like more information on these resources.

  • Clear the Clouds Quest (Grades 4 to 6)
  • Vaping/Tobacco online Trivia Kahoot*– (Grades 7 to 12) *requires Kahoot account
  • Vaping/Tobacco Interactive Trivia Kits (Grades 7 to 12)
    • Plinko
    • Spin Wheel
    • Drop Zone
    • Fact Stack - *NEW*
  • Not an Experiment Escape Room Activity
  • Tobacco Enforcement Officer (TEO) and Public Health Nurse (PHN) presentation

Not An Experiment resource

Not An Experiment is a website that increases awareness of the health risks associated with vaping and provides resources and information to educators, students, and parents. The following are some of the resources on the website:

*Consult with your school public health nurse about Not an Experiment, Escape the Experiment game adaptations and for further information.

Cessation supports

The following are free apps to help youth quit vaping/smoking:

Contact us

Health Department - Durham Health Connection Line
The Regional Municipality of Durham
605 Rossland Road East
Whitby, Ontario L1N 6A3
Telephone (within regional limits): 311
Fax: 905-666-6214
Email the Health Department
Map this location

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