Issue 15 Fall 2013

H E A LT H Y S C H O O LC E L E B R AT I O N SSchools can help promote a positive learningenvironment by providing healthy celebrations.There are many benefits of healthycelebrations:� Contributes to the health of students and

healthy students learn better� Reinforces what students are learning in

the classroom� Fosters a school environment that

supports healthy living� Creates excitement about healthy eating� Protects children with food allergies� Shows parents and the school community

that the school is interested in the healthof its students

Here are some easy, healthy ways to reinvent aparty:

Celebrate with Healthy Party Snacks

� Fruit smoothies� Fruit kabobs or fruit salad� Fruit and yogurt parfaits� Vegetable and fruit trays� Hummus served with vegetables

or pita wedges� Whole grain crackers and cheese

Shift the Focus from Food to Fun

� Organize a scavenger hunt � Plan special games and activities� Celebrate with outdoor activities such

as hopscotch and jump rope� Go for a class walk and sing songs� Have a dance party� Have students decorate a plant pot

and plant seeds� Set up craft stations

If parents want to contribute to a classroomcelebration, ask them to send items thatsupport your party plans instead of unhealthyfood choices. For example, parents can sendfruit, vegetables and cheese and students canassemble their own kabobs. The possibilitiesare endless!

This edition features two teacherswho support the social andemotional wellbeing of theirstudents:

Ms. Marie McGrath,formerly of Newtown Elementary,and her grade 3 class participationin the Little Green ThumbsProgram.

Ms. Jacqueline Poole of St. John Bosco School describes herexperience implementing the Rootsof Empathy program in a grade 4classroom.

CURRICULUMIN MOTION

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K I D S E AT S M A R T W E E K :A G R E AT S U C C E S S !October 6-12, 2013 was the annual Kids Eat Smart Week. This is agreat opportunity to highlight the work of the Kids Eat SmartFoundation, as well as the volunteers and supporters of the 228Clubs throughout theprovince that providebreakfast, lunch andsnacks to over 20,000children every schoolday.

One of the highlights of the week was the TD Kids Eat Smart Province-Wide Walk to Breakfast. 125 schools from the Avalon to Labradorwalked to support their Kids Eat Smart Clubs. Some clubs raisedmoney while others held food drives to support their clubs.

St. Matthews Elementary, St. John’s, held their version of a food driveand called it “Cram the Van.” Students, parents and volunteers filled aminivan with cereal, fruit juice and fruit cups. Their goal was tomatch last year - to receive enough cereal to support their Kids EatSmart Club for the entire school year!

Even though Kids Eat Smart Week has wrapped up for another yearthe work continues. Every school day, teachers, school staff, parents,grandparents and community volunteers prepare nutritious food forchildren in schools throughout our province to ensure they are wellnourished and ready to learn.

For information on how to support your Kids Eat Smart Club or if youare interested in starting a club at your school, contact:

AVALON EAST: � jgenge@kidseatsmart.caAVALON WEST, BURIN AND VISTA: � porbasli@kidseatsmart.ca

S T. A U G U S T I N E ’ S E L E M E N TA R Y PA R T I C I PAT E S I NS P O R T F E S T & V I S I T S T H E R O O M SIn October, grade 5-6 students from St. Augustine's Elementary, Bell Island, travelled to St. John’sto participate in Sportfest. After catching two buses (one from the school to the Bell Island Ferryand the other from Portugal Cove to St. John's) the day at Sportfest began. Students were amazedby the variety of activities offered and how interactive they were. Many students won prizes whichmade them very proud. This experience exposed the students to a variety of sports that some maynot have had the opportunity to try. In fact, several students expressed interest in becominginvolved in some of the sports they tried. The students had a "ball" at this event. Staff andstudents decided to make a full day field trip out of the visit to Sportfest. Following Sportfest,students boarded the bus, ate their lunches and headed to The Rooms for a tour. It was a long day,but everyone had a great time which is what it is all about. It was a great day for all involved!

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S P O R T F E S T 2 0 1 3 , B I G G E R A N DB E T T E R T H A N E V E R !The third annual Sportfest kicked off on October 3, 2013 at theTechniplex in St. John's. In previous years Sportfest had taken placein the Spring, but this year's event moved to the Fall, and proved tobe bigger and better than ever.

Sportfest's School Days took place over two days. The School Dayshosted upwards of 5,000 students representing 30 schools from theEastern Region of the Newfoundland and Labrador English SchoolDistrict (NLESD). Students from St. John's, Mount Pearl, Paradise,Conception Bay South and as far as Bell Island, Placentia, SouthernShore, St. Bride’s and Mt. Carmel participated in what one studentcalled "the best field trip ever."

Sportfest is a celebration of sport and activity and promotes anactive, healthy lifestyle for the youth of Newfoundland and Labrador.It is not your ordinary tradeshow! Sportfest provides a greatopportunity for youth to learn about the types of sport and recreationactivities that are available to them.

This year’s Sportfest was an interactive experience with over 25"hands-on" sports being represented in 7 zones. Sports includedultimate to shooting, baseball to cycling, squash, tennis, curling,biathlon and more. One of the most popular zones was theParasport Zone that promoted inclusion and provided an opportunityfor students to see how much skill it takes to participate in sports likewheelchair basketball and sledge hockey.

Sportfest is a Sport Newfoundland and Labrador event withsignificant support from the provincial government and the EasternRegion of NLESD.

For more information visit: � sportfestnl.caor contact Rosie Stead at Sport NL:� rstead@sportnl.ca | � 709- 579-5977

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I N T R O D U C I N G B E S S I E , T H E R U B B E RC H I C K E N !Some of the students in Ms. White’s grade 5 class at Holy Cross Elementary,Holyrood, found Bessie, the Rubber Chicken one day in the Eastern ActiveSchools resource bin and decided to make her their unofficial class mascot.Very quickly, Bessie became a valued member of the class. She sits with theclass leader every day and the children look after her wellbeing. Atplaytimes the children make a house for her, dress her in scarves and playBessieBall. One day the children suggested (and Ms. White agreed), thatBessie should have her very own blog! Each day a child takes Bessie homefor the night and helps Bessie write a blog post about her adventures. My,doesn’t Bessie have fun with the kids…as well as some very interestingencounters with some of their pets! When it came time for the class to holdtheir French café, the students named it “Café Bessie.” She truly won theirhearts, powered their creativity, and energized their spirit! Merci, Bessie!

C O L E Y ’ S P O I N T P R I M A R YWA L K S TO B R E A K FA S TIn October, students, staff and community members ofColey’s Point Primary, Bay Roberts, got together toparticipate in the TD Kids Eat Smart Province-Wide Walk toBreakfast in celebration of Kids Eat Smart Week. Inpreparation for the walk, the school community gatheredoutside the school and warmed up with some funactivities and stretches. Following the walk, studentsenjoyed a nutritious breakfast prepared and served by thewonderful Coley’s Point Primary Kids Eat Smart Clubvolunteers.

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B A LT I M O R E S C H O O LC R E AT E S A C O M M OT I O NBaltimore School, Ferryland, celebrated its ownHealthy Commotion Day in October. The day began at8:20 when all students were dropped off at adesignated area and walked to school as a group.When students arrived at the school they were treatedto a healthy breakfast provided by parent volunteers.At 10:30, a guest speaker, Fred Fox, Terry Fox's brother,spoke about his relationship with Terry and theimportance of believing in yourself. At 11:30 allstudents headed to St. John's to participate in thefollowing activities: Kindergarten - grade 3 visitedAxtion; grades 4-9 attended Sportsfest; and grades 10-12 enjoyed Laser Tag. A great time was had by all!!

B I S H O P W H I T E S C H O O LB U I L D S P L AYG R O U N DBishop White School, Port Rexton, recentlyreceived a Let Them Be Kids grant whichsupported the school community’s efforts tobuild a new playground. The finishing toucheswere placed on Trinity Bight Memorial Parkduring the community’s Build Day inSeptember.

Let Them Be Kids is an all volunteer, non-profit,community based organization. Since 2008, theorganization has supported over 160 projectsacross Canada including skate parks,playgrounds, and fitness parks. For moreinformation about Let Them Be Kids visit: � ltbk.ca

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L I T T L E G R E E N T H U M B S AT W O R K !BY MS. MARIE MCGRATH, FORMERLY OF NEWTOWN ELEMENTARY, CURRENTLY AT GOULDS ELEMENTARY

Last year, my grade 3 class at Newtown Elementary, Mount Pearl,participated in the Little Green Thumbs program, sponsored byAgriculture Canada. This program promotes wonderful cooperationand collaboration among students. We observed daily plant growthwith a classroom greenhouse and harvested our own vegetables. Thestudents learned about green plants and agriculture which met manyof the Science curriculum outcomes. We celebrated the end of theprogram by visiting Lester’s Farm and had individual vegetable pizzas.Students had a fabulous time and learned so much in a motivationaland fun learning environment!

I would strongly recommend this environmentally friendly programfor your class. Think green and help your students become littlegreen thumbs!

More about Little Green Thumbs…

The Little Green Thumbs program aims to help young people valuethe health of themselves, the environment and their communitythrough active participation in a classroom garden. The grow kits, soiland seeds form an indoor garden that complement learning conceptssuch as where food comes from, how to grow healthy plants,sustainable food systems, community interdependence and nutritionin fun, interesting and relevant ways.

Educators can use Little Green Thumbs to help students learn crosscurricular concepts in Science, Social Studies, Health, EnglishLanguage Arts and Mathematics. By gardening together, students

will develop lifelong values of stewardship, and gain an awareness ofhow humans can positively interact with their surroundings.

For more information visit: � littlegreenthumbs.org To participate in the Little Green Thumbs program contact: Christa Wright, Agriculture in the Classroom Coordinator� christa@nlfa.ca

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R O OT S O F E M PAT H YBY MS. JACQUELINE POOLE, INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCE TEACHER, ST. JOHN BOSCO SCHOOL, ST. JOHN’S

Roots of Empathy offers empathy-based programming for children.The organization’s vision is to change the world - child by child.Throughout my teaching career, I have had the privilege of being aclassroom teacher where Roots of Empathy has been implemented.This past year, I was fortunate to receive instructor training and toimplement the program in my grade 4 classroom.

As an instructor I was able to see how the Roots of Empathycurriculum works towards achieving its mission of building caring,peaceful, and civil societies by using a systematic approach in thedevelopment of empathy in children and adults.

During the delivery of the program I emphasized our differences andthe children were taught to embrace each other’s differences. Therewas a focus on acceptance and belonging. I strived to achieve anenvironment where the students felt comfortable taking risks andsharing their ideas and opinions. This became evident during a lessonwhen we were discussing what our baby would be able to do on hernext visit. The students were raising their hands and sharing theirthoughts when up shot the hand of a student who was generally veryshy, and withdrawn. She whispered her ideas and I responded with athank you. She beamed at her success and I melted a little inside tosee her step outside of her comfort zone and take this risk of speakingout in front of her peers.

Over the course of the year I witnessed the children grow into morecaring and empathetic individuals. It never ceases to amaze me howan infant so tiny and naive could be such a powerful teacher withoutever uttering a word.

More about Roots of Empathy…

Roots of Empathy will be supporting approximately 65 programs inthe Avalon East, Avalon West, Burin and Vista areas of theNewfoundland and Labrador English School District during the 2013-14 school year.

Key research findings show that Roots of Empathy students perceive amore caring classroom environment by the end of the program.

Roots of Empathy students also exhibit:� A decrease in aggression� An increase in prosocial behaviour� An increase in social and emotional understanding� An increase in knowledge of parenting

For these reasons and many more, Roots of Empathy has receivedsupport from government and community sources including theDepartment of Health and Community Services, Department ofEducation, Eastern Health, the United Way of Newfoundland andLabrador, the O’Neill Foundation, The Sisters of Mercy, ThePresentation Sisters, Rotary Club St. John’s Northwest and ValeCanada.

For more information visit: � rootsofempathy.orgTo participate in the Roots of Empathy program contact:

Hazel Clarke � hclarke@rootsofempathy.org� 709 722-4805

Frances Cole � fcole@rootsofempathy.org� 709 722-4805

Photo by: Melanie Gordon, Roots of Empathy

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A R E YO U U P F O R T H E E V E R YO N EJ U M P 2 0 1 3 / 2 0 1 4 E D U C AT I O N A LC H A L L E N G E ?Everyone Jump is a fun, school-based diabetes awareness program thatsupports educators in teaching students in grades 1-6 about diabetes and theimportance of regular physical activity and healthy eating to prevent type 2diabetes. The Everyone Jump resource manual is FREE and consists of ateacher’s guide, a music CD and a student Educational Challenge. Get a jumpon your planning and order your FREE 2013/2014 manual at: � everyonejump.ca/order.

Is Your Classroom up to the Challenge?

Everyone Jump celebrates student, classroom and school participation byproviding grade 1-6 classrooms in primary and elementary schools with theopportunity to participate in an Educational Challenge. The Challenge allowsprimary and elementary students to work individually, in pairs, in groups or asan entire classroom to complete one of the Educational Challenges.

This year Ophea is providing curriculum connections to the Everyone Jumplessons. Newfoundland and Labrador provincial curriculum connections canbe found by visiting: � everyonejump.ca/resource-supports/provincial-curriculum-guide

Participate in the Educational Challenge to

WIN GREAT PRIZES!

Everyone Jump Celebration Concertat your school, which brings the

resources to life with a live performance of the songs fromthe music CD (available to win by schools within a onehour drive of St. John's).

An Everyone Jump resource andequipment package that

includes an Ophea daily physical activity kit, 50 fitnessactivity cards, yoga alphabet cards and equipment for yourclassroom/school. Each package is valued at over $500.00and is available to win by all schools.

Educational Challenge submissions will be accepted onlineat: � everyonejump.ca until February 14th, 2014.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:� everyonejump.ca

or contact Tina Wadham of Ophea:� tina@ophea.org | � 416-426-7291

1st Prize:

2nd Prize:

?

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H E A LT H Y L I V I N G A TO Z : O N L I N EH E A LT H I N F O R M AT I O N F R O ME A S T E R N H E A LT HFor information and tips about healthy living, check out EasternHealth’s online listing of health topics. More than 100 topics arefeatured on Eastern Health’s Healthy Living A to Z, ranging fromadolescent health to child safety, eating well to smoke-free youth,fundraising ideas to safer sex, and much more!

The Healthy Living A to Z pages provide brief information in languageeasy to understand, along with links to reliable websites. HealthyLiving A to Z is a convenient way to quickly find health information –

but it is not meant to replace professional medical advice. Alwayscheck with your health care provider (doctor, nurse practitioner, orother) if you have health concerns that need attention.

To access the Healthy Living A to Z pages Google...Eastern HealthHealthy Living.

Healthy Living A to Z is a work in progress, so Eastern Health will beadding new pages over time.

Let us know what you think about the A to Z pages, and send yoursuggestions for new topics to the Health Promotion Division ofEastern Health at: � yourhealth@easternhealth.ca

…there is a Parent Edition of Living Healthy News available two times per school year?Living Healthy News for Parents is distributed electronically to coincide with thedistribution of Living Healthy News. The goal of the parent issue is to provideparents/guardians with information regarding healthy living in schools. The topicscovered mirror the school edition. This resource is available on the Healthy Students

Healthy Schools website: � livinghealthyschools.com and is posted on the FirstClass Living Healthy Schools Conference.It is also sent to all principals in the Eastern Region. Check out this great resource and inform parents that it is available tosupport them by posting it on your school’s website and/or promoting it through your school newsletter.

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S C H O O L S & R E G I O N A LW E L L N E S S C O A L I T I O N S : A H E A LT H Y PA R T N E R S H I PCreating a health promoting school requires support from manypartners, both from within the school setting and from thecommunity. Regional Wellness Coalitions provide an avenue forschools to connect with the broader community and communitygroups to connect with and support healthy living in schools. Schoolsin the Eastern Region of the Newfoundland and Labrador EnglishSchool District are supported by two Regional Wellness Coalitions:Eastern Regional Wellness Coalition or ERWC (Avalon West, Burin &Vista areas) and Wellness Coalition-Avalon East or WCAE (Avalon Eastarea). The Coalitions are a network of diverse communityorganizations such as youth groups, seniors clubs, recreationcommittees, municipalities, and the non-profit sector, that have cometogether to promote wellness activities in communities. To see if yourschool is a member, check out the membership directory on thewebsites listed to the right.

Schools have received past funding for various initiatives through theCoalitions’ Community Grants Program, such as: � equipment for outdoor/indoor play� resources for walking and bicycle safety programs� resources to assist with intergenerational projects� school-based programs (i.e. skipping and hula hooping clubs)

Annual deadlines for Community Grant Programs applications are:� Eastern Regional Wellness Coalition (New dates!) – February 1

and September 30� Wellness Coalition-Avalon East – January 15, May 15, and

September 15

Working in partnership is essential to create a healthy schoolenvironment and a healthy community. Both Coalitions look forwardto continued partnership with schools! For more information,contact:

AVALON WEST, BURIN AND VISTA SCHOOLS

Eastern Regional Wellness Coalition� easternwellnesscoalition.comTammy Greening | � 709-466-6316

AVALON EAST SCHOOLS

Wellness Coalition-Avalon East� wellnesscoalition-avaloneast.caHeather Powell | � 709-752-4912

L AW R E N C E S T. L E G E RP R E S E N T S TO H E A LT H& E D U C AT I O NIn May, international leader in school healthpromotion Lawrence St. Leger presented at the

2013 School Administrators’ Conference in St.John’s. The conference, which was organized by the SchoolAdministrators Council of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’Association, provided St. Leger with the opportunity to shareevidence of the benefits of school health promotion. St. Legerhighlighted the importance of using a comprehensive approach to

school health. Social and emotional wellbeing was the theme of hispresentation as he displayed examples of effective school healthpromotion programs from all over the world.

Eastern Health built upon the conference by holding a session forstaff who work with schools. In this session, St. Leger focused onhow health and education sectors can work collaboratively and theComprehensive School Health Framework. Two documentshighlighted throughout St. Leger’s presentations included: AchievingHealth Promoting Schools: Guidelines for Promoting Health in Schools(2009) and Promoting Health in Schools: From Evidence to Action(2010). Both documents can be found at: � iuhpe.org/index.php/en/iuhpe-thematic-resources/298-on-school-health

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A L L A R O U N D T H E TA B L E :N E W F O U N D L A N D S E N I O R SS H A R E F O O D S K I L L S A N DK N O W L E D G EA vegetable garden, laying hens, a fishing boat, berry grounds:when local seniors were younger, the grocery store was out theback door. Since then, however, Newfoundland and Labrador hasbecome increasingly dependent upon an uncertain global foodsystem, leading communities to seek more sustainable andhealthy local alternatives.

In our search we can look to the traditional ways of growing,preserving, and preparing our food that still make sense today andshare that knowledge with young people. Food Security NetworkNL (FSN) has released a new series of 12 short videos called AllAround the Table, showcasing interviews with 12 local seniorssharing their personal food stories. Use All Around the Table as aresource to inspire dialogue and activities in a range of curriculumareas with grades 4-12. View All Around the Table online at: � rootcellarsrock.ca/all-around-the-table

To request a DVD contact: Sarah Ferber | � info@rootcellarsrock.ca� 709-237-4026

FSN is a provincial non-profit organization whose mission is toactively promote comprehensive, community-based solutions toensure physical and economic access to adequate and healthy foodfor all. Learn more at: � foodsecuritynews.com

Did you know that your health before pregnancy affects your:fertilitypregnancybaby’s health

You plan for school, work, holidays and your retirement. Whatabout pregnancy?

B4UR Pregnant is a project of Eastern Health focused onsupporting women’s health before pregnancy. Connect to thiswebsite to find answers to questions such as:

Does your body weight matter if there is a baby in your future?Why should I be taking folic acid?Do I need to cut back on the amount of coffee that I drink?

To get answers to these questions and more Google… B4URPregnant.

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INGREDIENTS

1 tsp 5 ml Garlic powder

1 tsp 5 ml Onion powder

½ tsp 2 ml Chili powder

5 small Tortillas, whole wheat

DIRECTIONS:1. Heat oven to 475 degrees F.2. Grease a large cookie sheet.3. In a small bowl, mix garlic, onion and chili

powders together. Set aside.4. Brush each tortilla with water. Sprinkle with

a pinch of seasoning mix. Cut tortilla into 6wedges.

5. Put tortilla wedges in a single layer on thecookie sheet. Bake in oven for 5-7 minutes oruntil tortilla chips are brown and crispy.

SOURCE: Sobeys Registered Dietitians

TO R T I L L A C R I S P S

recommends limiting foods and beverages high in calories,fat, sugar or salt (sodium). These tasty Tortilla Crisps are lowin calories, fat and sodium and go great with your favouritesalsa or hummus.

H E A LT H Y E AT I N G AT S C H O O L : I T ’ S N OTO N LY I M P O R TA N T F O R S T U D E N T S !Healthy eating contributes to overall health and wellbeing. More and morepeople are interested in choosing healthier food – at home, in the community,and in the workplace. Workplaces that promote healthy food choices help tocreate and maintain healthy people and healthy communities. For school staff,schools are their workplace. Although there has been a lot happening in schoolsto ensure students are provided with an environment that supports healthyeating, it is important that we also consider the health of staff. Providing healthychoices at staff functions does not have to be complicated. Focus on one or twochanges at a time. As a school, take a look at what you currently offer atmeetings and events, and follow these guidelines for healthy choices:� Choose foods that are included in Canada’s Food Guide.� Offer reasonable sized portions.� Limit food and beverages high in calories, fat, sugar, or salt.

For more information and practical ideas, check out the following:

Choosing Healthy Food and Beverages: A Guide for CommunityGroups and Events:

� wellnesscoalition-avaloneast.ca/images/pdf/choices-brochure.pdf

Putting Health on the Agenda - A Model Policy for HealthyMeetings and Events:

� www.health.gov.nl.ca/health/publications/Healthy_Meetings_and_Events.pdf

Canada’s Food Guide:

� hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php

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STUDENTS’CHOICE STUDENTS’CHOICE

A G R A D E N I N E TO B AC C OE D U C AT I O N R E S O U R C E F O RN L E S DStudents’ Choice is a new grade nine tobacco education resourcedeveloped by the Departments of Education and Health andCommunity Services with input from teachers and students. Theresource was developed to help prevent young people fromstarting to use tobacco and to encourage those who dosmoke, to quit. It is a cross-curricular resource supportingHealth curriculum outcomes as well as those in EnglishLanguage Arts, Mathematics and Science. The Students’Choice resource package includes a Teacher’s Guide/DVD,student ballots and evaluation form.

Students’ Choice provides students with the opportunity to discussand think critically about decisions related to tobacco use. In a classperiod, students view 12 anti-tobacco ads from around the worldand vote for the one they feel is most effective in encouraging themto live tobacco-free. The ads use a variety of approaches includinghumour, graphic images, and real life stories to portray variousperspectives such as addiction, health effects, second-hand smokeand tobacco industry manipulation. Through a teacher leddiscussion, students voice their opinions and share experiencesrelated to the issue while increasing their knowledge and awarenessabout the harmful effects of tobacco use.

During the 2012-13 school year, teachers were asked to try theresource with students and provide feedback to the ProvincialGovernment. This feedback was essential in providing information onthe usefulness of the resource, and in particular, students’ reactions to

the tobacco prevention materials and messages. Four teachers fromthe Eastern Region of the Newfoundland and Labrador English SchoolDistrict won $100 Chapters gift cards to purchase educationalresources for their classrooms by submitting the teacher evaluationform: Ms. Rosemary Norman, Mount Pearl Intermediate; Ms.Beth Hubley, St. Peter's Junior High; Ms. Pam Avery, Swift CurrentAcademy; and Ms. Patti Corcoran, Dunne Memorial Academy.

TO DOWNLOAD THE STUDENTS’ CHOICE MATERIALS VISIT:

� livinghealthyschools.comFor more information, contact: Bernie Squires, Healthy Living

Division, Department of Health and Community Services � bsquires@gov.nl.ca | � 709-729-1374

“My students particularly enjoyed the videos

and they generated a lot of good discussion.

The videos offered a different perspective on

the issue of smoking and the kids were quite

fascinated. One of the video clips showed young

children working for the tobacco industry.

My students were shocked by this clip.”

— Pamela Avery, Swift Current Academy

“I found the resource very useful. It was a very

interactive way to get the students thinking about

what smoking can do, not only to them, but to those

around them. It was especially significant for me,

since some of the students in the class are smokers.

I hope this resource will continue to be a part of the

Grade 9 Health curriculum.”

—Patti Corcoran, Dunne Memorial Academy

What teachers had to say...

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C A N A D I A N C A N C E R S O C I E T Y ’ STA N - F R E E G R A D C H A L L E N G EThe Province-Wide Tan-Free Grad Challenge from the CanadianCancer Society - NL (CCS-NL) is designed to address thegrowing problem of melanoma skin cancer among youngadults. Melanoma is one of the most common cancers inCanadians between theages of 15-29, and theWorld HealthOrganization hasidentified artificialtanning as a knowncarcinogen related to skincancer.

Information about theProvince-Wide Tan-Free Grad Challengewas emailed out to all schools with graduating classes in theprovince last spring and again this fall, and informationpackages have also been sent by regular mail. Teachersthroughout Newfoundland and Labrador are urged to contactCCS-NL to find out about the challenge and get their studentsinvolved. If your school has not yet received the informationpackage, please contact CCS-NL.

CCS-NL believes that encouraging students to take up thechallenge and spread the word among their fellow studentscan make a significant difference in the alarming statisticsaround melanoma. This applies not only to teachers but toanyone concerned with reducing indoor tanning among youth.

Funding for this project is provided through a grant from theDepartment of Health and Community Services, Newfoundlandand Labrador.

For more information on the Province-Wide Tan-Free GradChallenge contact: Darrell Yetman, CCS-NL � dyetman@nl.cancer.ca �1-888-753-6520, ext. 237

F U N D I N G TO S U P P O R T S C H O O LP H Y S I C A L AC T I V I T Y I N I T I AT I V E S Schools are eligible to apply for two funding programs offeredthrough the Recreation and Sport Division of the Department ofTourism, Culture and Recreation. The programs are designed tosupport physical activity initiatives in the community.

Community Capital Grant Program

These grants are available to support projects aimed at renovatingexisting facilities to increase use, minimize operating costs, andimprove safety and accessibility. The development of new small scalefacilities such as playgrounds, trails and multipurpose courts are alsosupported through this program. Retrofitting of existing facilitiesbelonging to schools is also eligible.

Physical Activity Equipment Program

This funding is available to support the purchase and repair ofequipment that promotes physical activity, encourages participationand increases accessibility to sport. Examples of equipment requeststhat may be supported are:� Nets, sticks and balls for recreation participation in an after

school program� Sit-skis or similar para-ski equipment adaptations� Mats, exercise balls and weights for a fitness program, note:

large equipment like treadmills and elliptical machines etc. areineligible

� Snow shoes, cross-country skis or other materials for activeoutdoor programs

� Racquets, bats and balls for recreational spring or summerprograms

� Sledge hockey sleds and sticks

To complete an application visit:� www.tcr.gov.nl.ca/tcr/sports/capital_grant_program.html

For more information contact: Patti Thorne, Program Coordinator � pthorne@gov.nl.ca | �709-729-5270

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T H E H E A LT H Y B O DY I M AG ETO O L K I T N O W AVA I L A B L EE L E C T R O N I C A L LYThe Body Image Network (BIN) isa non-profit organization withthe mission of promoting thevalue of body diversity. In March2010, BIN launched The Healthy Body Image Toolkit, a resource kitdeveloped to promote positive body image and self-esteem. Thetoolkit targets multiple factors that impact the health of children,including the school environment, curriculum and parents. Thisresource was developed with reference to recent research and inconsultation with representatives from the Provincial Departments ofHealth and Community Services and Education.

The school curriculum has a direct impact on students’ attitudes andbehaviours. The Healthy Body Image Toolkit contains teachingmodules for teachers in grades 2 and 4 which are linked to provincialcurriculum outcomes. In these modules, teachers are provided withup-to-date information on body image and self-esteem, as well asclearly outlined interactive activities that can be used with studentsin the classroom.

In recognition of the importance of literacy-based activities, many ofthe activities included in the grade 2 module are based on the bookPercy Pinhorn. This book was written by clinical psychologist AnneWareham and illustrated by Newfoundland artist James Long.

The Healthy Body Image Toolkit was developed through funding fromthe Provincial Wellness Grants program. With the launch, toolkitswere distributed to grade 2 and 4 teachers throughout Newfoundlandand Labrador. The grade 2 and 4 teaching modules and the PercyPinhorn book are now also available electronically at: � livinghealthyschools.com/bodyimagetoolkit.html

H E A LT H Y E AT I N G I N A F T E RS C H O O L P R O G R A M SEat Great and Participate is aprovincial youth program thatpromotes healthy eating andaccess to healthy food andbeverage choices in recreation, sportand community facilities and at events across Newfoundland andLabrador. Healthy Students Healthy Schools partners with Eat Greatand Participate to promote healthy eating during after schoolprograms including school sport games, tournaments, banquets andother events for students. A variety of resources and tools have beencreated including the Making the Move to Healthy Choices - A Healthy

Eating Toolkit for Recreation, Sport and Community Food ServiceProviders. This resource will be helpful for individuals in your schoolwho determine the food and beverages served or sold during afterschool programs. These individuals might include: � School Athletic Directors� Physical Education Teachers� Parent or Student School Councils� School Team Coaches� School Sport NL’s Participation Nation Facilitators

For more information about Eat Great and Participate visit: � livinghealthyschools.com � recreationnl.com

Let’s continue to work together to help make the healthy choice theeasy choice for our students!

If you have a submission for the next edition of Living Healthy News, please send it by March 17, 2014 to:

2013 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Cardon Physical Activity for Children and YouthActive transportation has the potential to make a substantialcontribution to the health of Canadian children by increasing theirphysical activity levels.

Active transportation – walking, biking, in-line skating andskateboarding to get to and from places such as school, parks andshops – has long been known to be an important source of physicalactivity for children and youth. For instance, kids who use activetransportation to get to and from school canaccumulate up to 45 more minutes daily ofmoderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activitycompared to kids who get to school via car, trainor bus. These kids tend to be more active acrossthe whole day, not just during the schoolcommute. Driving our kids to and from schoolmay be robbing them of an important source ofdaily physical activity. Research suggests that,given the choice, most children would prefer to walk or bike to schoolrather than take a bus or be driven by their parents.

If children walked for all trips of less than one kilometre rather thanbeing driven, they would take an average of 2,238 additional stepsper day! This translates to approximately 15-20 minutes of walkingand thus has the potential to make a substantial contribution to the60 minutes of daily physical activity kids need for overall health.

One of the great things about active transportation is that it can beeasily integrated into everyday life with little to no cost and itsbenefits are significant. Imagine the potential impact this smallchange could have on increasing overall physical activity levels inCanadian kids!

FOR ACTIVE HEALTHY KIDS CANADA’S FULLREPORT CARD, COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS

AND MORE INFORMATION VISIT: � activehealthykids.ca/reportcard

livinghealthyschools.com

AVALON EAST AVALON WEST, BURIN AND VISTA

Krista Manning School Health Promotion Liaison Consultant

� kristamanning@esdnl.ca

Jennifer JanesSchool Health Promotion Liaison Consultant

� jenniferjanes@esdnl.ca