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�1Working together to create the conditions that support healthy schools: healthy students are better learners

Our Big Announcement!

On October 8, 2013, Health Promoting Schools announced funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Innovation Strategy for Achieving Healthier Weights. Health Promoting Schools will receive four years of funding to go towards program implementation and evaluation in 20 Saskatoon and area schools as well as 8 schools on Vancouver Island.

The announcement took place in partnership with Saskatoon-based Bishop Klein and Vincent Massey Community School, and first included a warm up from Christine Duval, Yogi in Residence at Bishop Klein School, followed by addresses from Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, Eve Adams, President and CEO of Saskatoon Health Region, Maura Davies, Principal of Vincent Massey Community School, Ian Wilson, Principal of Bishop Klein School Kent Gauthier, and Hanna and Sierra, two student leaders who participated in a Girls’ Group and spoke to their learnings and excitement for the year ahead. The event ended with students dancing. It was a wonderful morning to celebrate Health Promoting Schools.

Highlights: September 2013-July 2014

It was an exciting year for Health Promoting Schools. Our twenty schools in Saskatoon and area entered into their second year of the project, while Vancouver Island joined as a partner and has now established eight health promoting schools. We look forward to sharing and learning from each other over the course of the project to better understand the success factors for implementing and evaluating a health promoting schools approach.

We welcomed new public health nurses, community nutritionists, engagement facilitators, principals, a Vancouver Island Site Coordinator, a Project Evaluator and a Project and Knowledge Development and Exchange Coordinator to our ever growing team. We are so fortunate that our team is comprised of passionate, caring and committed individuals who believe in the project.

We are very pleased to share with you highlights from the past year. Click on words in blue for links. A big thank you to all of our team members, partners and stakeholders for your contributions.

A Health Promoting School brings together students, the principal and staff, parents and the whole school community in order to make sure students have the best opportunities to learn and be healthy.

Health Promoting Schools Program

Student First Engagement

On April 10, 2014, the Health Promoting Schools team met in consultation with Student First Advisors Russ Mirasty and Patricia Prowse to discuss the program and the Comprehensive School Community Health model in Saskatchewan. Through public engagements, Student First will help the education system meet the targets identified in the Plan for Growth, while addressing local priorities, and bringing them together into one plan for action.

Working Together, Moving Forward June 19&20

Health Promoting Schools in partnership with Healthy Start/Depart Sante, MEND, and Saskatchewan in motion co-organized Working Together, Moving Forward: a forum on healthy children, youth and families to bring together diverse stakeholders to explore synergies, discuss local and provincial priorities, and grow sustained momentum in Saskatchewan. The Health Promoting Schools team presented a first person narrative on the impact of the approach. More than 80 people attended.

Project Highlights

Active Neighbourhoods Canada comes to Saskatoon

The Public Health Agency of Canada supports knowledge development and exchange between the 13 funded Innovation Strategy projects. In April, Car Martin, Active Neighbourhoods Canada Project Manager, came to Saskatoon to learn more about our project, particularly around participation of leaders, youth engagement and evaluation strategies. She made a public presentation at Station20West on participatory design towards better streets that included some friendly competition and lots of fun with the Complete Streets Game. We were fortunate to have diverse representation including two City Counsellors as the City of Saskatoon develops an Active Transportation Strategy.

Atii! Let’s Do It! Youth Engagement learnings in Nunavut

Amanda Clarke, Project and K* Coordinator, and Hollie Turner, Evaluation Lead, visited the project: Atii! Let's Do It! A comprehensive healthy-living intervention for children, youth and families in Inuit Communities located in Arviat, Nunavut in May. They met with with Shirley Tagalik, author of A Framework for Indigenous School Health: Foundations in Cultural Principles and discussed it’s application to the HPS Program. They presented HPS to the Health Committee and Community Directorate, visited three schools and even saw the Atii! Let’s do it! game in action. Since their visit, community members have already connected with the Government of Nunavut about interest in creating a Comprehensive School Health Strategy.

The HPS Program follows an evidence based approach supported by the World Health Organization and the principles and processes set out in the document Achieving Health Promoting Schools.

Working together to create the conditions that support healthy schools: healthy students are better learners �2

Presentations

On March 21, representatives from Good Spirit School Division visited Saskatoon to share their experiences with Comprehensive School Community Health. They have piloted the approach in an elementary and high school with much success thanks to strong support from their superintendent and staff. Their story is featured on Student First: Shining a Spotlight. !Amanda Clarke, Project and K*Coordinator, was invited to present at the Forum Sante 2014 by reseau sante en francais de la Saskatchewan. She presented on a Leadership and Public Health Issue Panel, de la jeunesse et des ecoles en sante. !Lauren Sulz, former Project Evaluator and Brent Rioux, Saskatoon Health Region HPS Site Lead, attended the Global Summit on the Physical Activity of Children in May to present a poster entitled, The Power to Move Kids Through Empowering and Engaging School Communities: A Health Promoting Schools Approach in Diverse Contexts.

Our Health Promoting School’s approach is made in, by, and for each school.

Project Site Highlights: Yoga4Classrooms

Yoga4 Classrooms was well received in both Saskatoon and Vancouver Island schools focused on mental health and physical activity priorities. The goal of Y4C® is to create peaceful, learning-ready, productive classroom environment through the systematic use of preventive mind-body tools grounded in yoga and mindfulness practices. Full day training was offered to school staff followed by an 8-week residency in the classroom. The feedback for this program is overwhelmingly positive from both students and teachers and we plan to continue support for yoga and mindfulness in schools:#

Loved the teaching about compassion and overall health.

As a teacher, I felt that the sessions would help calm me down if I was stressed.

Yes, I plan to incorporate Y4C in my classroom, the program gives my students the tools they need to focus, stay on task and at times practice being calm.!

The HPS Program also received a lot of media attention for its use of Y4C and was even promoted on the Y4C website. Thanks to Pleasant Hill School (featured on CTV News), St. Edward School (featured on Shaw Cable TV) and King George School (featured in Metro News) for opening up your classrooms to us and sharing the program’s benefits to students and teachers alike. #

Working together to create the conditions that support healthy schools: healthy students are better learners �3

Project Site Highlights: In Brief ✦ School Team training was a priority this past year. Engagement

Facilitators/Community Builders, Nurses and Community Nutritionists participated in mentorship training offered by Rachelle Brockman of Eureka Experience in both Saskatoon and on Vancouver Island. Rachelle struck a cord using Simon Sinek’s, Start with Why. #

✦ The Community Builders and Site Coordinator on Vancouver Island attended the 8th annual Healthy Schools Leadership Symposium - Collective Impact: Working together to create meaningful change in May. Paul Born, President of Tamarack Institute, shared his experience using collective impact and led an interactive workshop. All of the Community Builders who participated said it was a very worthwhile Symposium and they were excited to take back what they had learned to their respective schools. #

✦ The HPS Team presented the HPS approach to Yellow Quill First Nation’s Education Council in December. Yellow Quill First Nation is interested in adopting the HPS approach in the new school year, and we look forward to further collaboration. #

Project Evaluation

Thank you to all of the education stakeholders, engagement facilitators/community builders, nurses, community nutritionists and site coordinators who participated in focus groups and interviews this past June. We are very happy to have our new project evaluator, Kai Reicken, on board providing data collection, analysis, recommendations and ongoing monitoring for the project. #

School News

A very big congratulations to Clavet Composite School for their second place finish in the Inspired Minds Learning Project. Their idea submission was ‘Clavet Kids in the Kitchen’ to increase understanding and promote healthy food choices. Clavet Composite School focuses on the healthy eating priority and has truly embedded the HPS approach, which they call ‘Cougar Nation’, into everything they do, thanks to the strong support of the school principal and staff, the devoted Youth Leadership Team, parent volunteers, community funders and the dedication of the engagement facilitator and public health nurse. We can’t wait to see what next year holds! !Vancouver Island schools are becoming better acquainted with the program, completing their Healthy School Planner assessment, identifying their school needs and priorities, starting their School Action Plans and hosting year end HPS celebrations, like Shoreline School’s Solstice on the Shore. Speaking of celebrations, congratulations to Ditidaht First Nation Community School which celebrated it’s 10 year anniversary!

For more information about Health Promoting Schools contact: Amanda Clarke, Project and K*Coordinator at (306) 715-3151 or aclarke.hps@gmail.com. Now find us on Facebook!

We are already seeing the healthy approach at the school leaking in to the community - Ditidaht Community School on Vancouver Island

Working together to create the conditions that support healthy schools: healthy students are better learners �4