Last updated: June 3, 2024*
*Get the Latest pages will be updated monthly moving forward
Looking to infuse wellness into your classroom, school, or school authority all year long? Watch this page for new resources, announcements, and tips for health-related theme days. We've got you covered!
- To find out what's happening in your local area, connect with the health promotion facilitator assigned to your school authority.
- For school health updates delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter.
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The grades are in for the ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth
- Tools to support the transition out of high school
- AHS social media
- Key informant survey on mental health literacy resources for children and youth
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Teaching Canada’s food guide: Toolkit for educators
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Engaging students in healthy living through drama
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Creating welcoming school environments for newcomer students
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Start your school’s Spring Run (or Walk) Club
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School-based physical activity experiences guidebook for students of all abilities
Announcements
The grades are in for the ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth
The 2024 report card looks at how climate change can impact how much activity and play kids take part in, and recommend ways to keep kids moving and build resilience. The report card explores 4 key areas and grades are given to each area with recommendations for improvement.
Tools to support the transition out of high school
With less than 2 months left in the school year, it’s a great time to think about supporting grade 12 students as they transition out of high school. Whether they’re off to post-secondary studies or employment, graduates will face common challenges, like dealing with roommates and paying bills.
Know before you go is a set of tools for grade 12 students and the educators who work with them. Developed by the AHS team behind mentalhealthliteracy.org, these materials are available in both English and French.
- Student tools: Know before you go
- Educator tools: Know before you go: Teachers' guide
AHS social media
Alberta Health Services (AHS) is consolidating its social media platforms. Effective February 22, 2024, the TeachingSexualHealth.ca social media accounts have been closed. If you are following Teaching Sexual Health on Facebook or X, please use our AHS social media accounts. AHS social media accounts are designed to help Albertans live healthier lives and connect you with the health information, resources and support you need—when and where you need it.
Teachingsexualhealth.ca and our team will continue to support teachers and parents with evidence-based sexual health information, lesson plans, tools and resources available on the website.
Key informant survey on mental health literacy resources for children and youth
In collaboration with mentalhealthliteracy.org, the University of Alberta is building a national repository of evidence-based resources that promote child and youth mental health literacy. This project is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. The repository will become publicly available in spring 2024.
If your school or school authority is involved in programs or initiatives, the research team wants to hear from you! Please visit key informant survey on mental health literacy resources for children and youth in Canada to learn more and share your experiences.
New resources
Teaching Canada’s food guide: Toolkit for educators
Are you planning activities for kids to learn about healthy eating? The new Canada’s food guide toolkit for educators is a free resource that includes ready-to-use information, activity instructions, and worksheets for ages 4-6, 7-8, and 9-11. These activities can be used with children to help them learn food skills, develop healthy eating patterns and understand Canada’s food guide.
Engaging students in healthy living through drama
A new resource, Engaging Students in Healthy Living through Drama, has been developed to support grades 7 - 12 educators in planning and exploring new approaches to teaching healthy living through drama-based activities. The Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (OPHEA) created this resource to provide important information to consider when getting started, a series of activities, and sample assessment strategies and tools.
Creating welcoming school environments for newcomer students
School Mental Health Ontario has developed a new resource called Creating welcoming school environments for newcomer students. This tip sheet supports school staff in creating welcoming and identity- affirming school environments to foster the well-being of newcomer students. When school staff practice cultural humility and centre the views of newcomer students, they’re better able to promote mentally healthy schools, engage with newcomer students, and provide meaningful support when needed.
Start your school’s Spring Run (or Walk) Club
The Alberta Medical Association (AMA) Youth Run Club (YRC) is not a new resource but a great seasonal reminder of the partnership program between the AMA and Ever Active Schools (EAS). It’s a free, fun and flexible program aimed at increasing physical activity levels in children and youth across Alberta. They provide registered clubs with all of the necessary tools and resources to start and maintain a successful run (or walk) club, including: Runner and coach handbooks; finisher prizes for all participants; free local workshops for coaches; running logs; and more.
To learn more and join the club go to: Alberta Medical Association Youth Run Club
School-based physical activity experiences guidebook for students of all abilities
Did you know that 1 in 5 people in Canada (22%) have one or more disabilities? To learn more about how you can support students with a disability in your school community and enhance the inclusivity and accessibility of your everyday physical activity programming, check out the recently released Physical Health and Education (PHE) Canada inclusion of students of all abilities in school-based physical activity experiences Guidebook and poster for free.
Mark your calendar
Taking part in health-related days, weeks, or month-long events is a great way to bring your school community together. These events can raise awareness of health topics and kick-start important conversations around wellness at school.
Be sure to connect health-related events back to the priorities, goals, and action plans in place in your school or school authority. Use the comprehensive school health framework to guide activities that are coordinated, meaningful, and likely to last.
- May 29 – June 4: Safe kids week
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June: Pride Month
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June 21: National Indigenous Peoples Day
- June 27: Canadian Multiculturalism Day
