View our web pages for grades K-12. Join the ... Consider these strategies to help build a safe, healthy and inclusive .
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Nov/Dec 2015 Issue Feature Topic Engage your students Engage your parents What's new? What's happening in the community? School grants
Welcome to School Health ENews (K-12)! School Health ENews supports school administrators and teachers to encourage comprehensive health, safety and well-being (physical, emotional, spiritual, social and intellectual) of the whole school community from kindergarten to grade 12. Do you have an idea for a feature? Let us know! Email us at
[email protected].
Quick Links School health information for professionals (K 12) School health ENews (K12) Health promotion calendar School newsletter inserts
Do you have questions or concerns? Halton Region public health nurses (PHNs) are here to help! Dial 311 or email
[email protected] View our web pages for grades K-12. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and HaltonParentsblog.ca
Feature Topic Let’s build an inclusive school community together!
Diversity is what makes us differ from each other. It can include one’s culture or country of origin, faith, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental and physical ability, literacy/educational level and economic circumstances. In Halton’s growing school communities, creating inclusive school environments that support diversity builds social connection, enhances a sense of belonging, builds resiliency, and reduces stigmatizing and bullying. Consider these strategies to help build a safe, healthy and inclusive classroom, school, and community: Build assets to create caring and respectful relationships in your school. Educate staff, students and parents on the Accepting Schools Act (Bill 13) and equity and inclusive education in schools. Integrate equity and inclusion in school planning (i.e. Safe Schools Action Plan, School Improvement Plan, and Healthy Schools Committee). Integrate inclusive language into your classroom. Involve parents and students when planning school-wide equity and inclusive initiatives. Connect with community organizations that focus on equity and inclusion.
Engage your students Inspire students to respect and embrace diversity! For students, feeling connected is an important part of feeling mentally healthy, which contributes to building a positive school culture. Students will feel motivated and rewarded when encouraged to initiate and lead school activities on issues that really matter most to them. Examples of youth-led activities aimed at equity and inclusion include: Hosting a ‘Multicultural Day’ Creating a mural to build awareness of school’s diversity Creating a classroom ‘Code of Conduct’ Running a peer mentorship program
Engage your parents Build relationships and connect with parents at your school Engaging parents in your schools helps to build trusting relationships and support a better understanding and appreciation for family cultures and diversity. Educate and build awareness of diversity and safe and inclusive schools with parents at your school. Build awareness of diversity with a multi-faith calendar of events. Provide newcomer parents with information/ newsletters in other languages or connect them to the HCDSB Newcomer Welcome Centre for additional support and collaboration.
What's new? Ready, Set, Whoa! Grade 9 parent package and web page For the second year, Our Kids Network is providing resource packages to all Grade 8 families in Halton to help prepare parents and their teens for high school. The package directs parents to Ready, Set, Whoa! online which provides further information about how to support transitioning teens. This year’s package includes a new tip sheet for parents outlining five key parenting actions that will help their teen to succeed in high school.
Updated Halton Region Oral Health Education Guides The Oral Health Education Guides help teachers to educate students about oral health. These tools have been updated to align with the revised Health and Physical Education Curriculum. For more information about the updated Oral Health Education Guides, please contact
[email protected].
Did you know? Bullying Awareness Week is November 15 to 21, 2015. “The 2012/13 Halton Youth Survey reported that 28% of Grade 7 students and 23% of Grade 10 students had been bullied at school at least once since the beginning of the school year.” (Child and Youth Mental Health: Statistics, Trends and Important Considerations, 2013).
For more information, view Halton Region’s Stats and Trends Teaching Resources (2013).
HaltonParents blogs Join the conversation and share these blogs with your school parent community! Autism spectrum disorder and wandering: A parent’s biggest worry Bullying Prevention: Parents “YOU” are vital! Kids with LDs: Let’s not DIS their ABILITIES Learning more than one language in the early years
What's happening in the community? Upcoming community events: Disable the Label Conference 2015 Disable the Label is a youth-led conference for Halton Region students and school staff to learn how and why to promote mental wellness in their schools. The goal of this conference is to mobilize youth to “disable the label” associated with addictions and mental illness. When: Thursday, November 19, 2015 8:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Where: Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School 1145 Bronte S, Milton This is a free event, click to register.
Upcoming health promotion events: View a complete list of national and international health promotion days to help plan activities in your school.
School grants School grants help support your healthy school initiatives. Visit the Ophea website for 2015 funding opportunities. Please remember to notify your school board when applying for funding or grant opportunities.
Public health values the relationship that we have with schools in Halton. We are committed to supporting all schools as they work towards becoming healthier schools. Public health nurses are available to consult with you and your staff directly for any school health related questions. Please dial 311 or email
[email protected]. Also, visit the School Health Information for Professionals web page for more information and resources.
Throughout this newsletter, there are several resources and website links that teachers may find valuable to engage their students in learning and/or useful for their own unit and lesson planning. The websites and lessons housed in ENews should be used in conjunction with the current school board support resources for Health and Physical Education and/or Science and Technology, and be connected to Overall Expectations and Living Skills at the appropriate grade level. Assessment of this learning should also be done in line with the board's assessment practices. The Halton Catholic District School Board reminds all staff that the main reference for reviewing areas/content of sensitivity-especially within the topic of Healthy Growth and Development-is the Family Life Education text series Fully Alive for the Elementary panel, and core references with appropriate content for the secondary level include religious education texts Turning Points (grades 9 and 10) and Reaching Out (grades 11 and 12). Areas of sensitivity that may be identified via other resources should always reflect and be consistent with the teachings of our Catholic traditions and HCDSB expectations. For more information please contact Curriculum Services at 905-632-6300.
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