Wellness is the foundational building block of learning and personal success in our schools. Within the school district’s student achievement plan, the third goal has inspired many conversations at the classroom, school and community level with respect to enhancing student health and wellbeing.
The district’s healthy schools coordinator, itinerant elementary counsellors, mental health counsellors, helper staff and school counsellors, in tandem with school based teams, have worked closely to support our vulnerable learners who often struggle with wellness. This important work has rippled throughout the district to develop a broader understanding of highlighting healthy eating, active living and positive social-emotional relationships for all students and staff.
What is Comprehensive School Health?
Comprehensive School Health is an internationally recognized framework for supporting improvements in students’ educational outcomes while addressing school health in a planned, integrated and holistic way. It is not just about what happens in the classroom. Rather, it encompasses the whole school environment with actions addressing four distinct but inter-related pillars that provide a strong foundation for Comprehensive School Health.
- Social and Physical Environment
- Teaching and Learning
- Healthy School Policy
- Partnerships and Services
When actions in all four pillars are harmonized, students are supported to realize their full potential as learners and as healthy, productive members of society.
Comprehensive School Health
- Recognizes that healthy children learn better and achieve more.
- Understands that schools can directly influence children’s health and behaviours.
- Promotes the health and well-being of students.
- Integrates health into all aspects of school and learning.
- Links health and education issues and systems.
- Involves families and the community at large.
Information adapted from Pan Canadian Joint Consortium for School Health
Meet SD83’s Healthy Schools Co-ordinator
Healthy Scho
ols Coordinator & Lead on Self Regulation Initiative SD83
Laura Paiement
on Twitter @LauraPaiement
https://twitter.com/LauraPaiement
Laura is SD83’s Healthy Schools Coordinator and heads up the team looking at improving staff and student’s self-regulation abilities. Laura provides workshops to students, teachers, and parents on a variety of health topics with a focus on Self-Regulation and Physical Activity. Laura has extensive training and experience in paediatric physiotherapy and child development including post graduate training in health psychology, attachment, and self regulation. As well, Laura is a hip hop dance teacher and an Action Schools facilitator. Laura believes that we learn best when we are moving and having fun. Laura is a huge lover of brain science and thoroughly enjoys educating kids and adults on the brain, how it works, and how you can use that knowledge to move better, live healthier, and be happier.