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About DASH BC
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Our vision is a society where student participation in a healthy school community is the norm, not the exception. We are a non-profit society that inspires our partners and stakeholders to improve the health and learning of students in BC by promoting, supporting and facilitating a healthy schools approach. Visit our website for more information.
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We Want to Hear From You!
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Do you have a Healthy Schools story you'd like to share with our readers? Or, are you looking to promote your organization's message to members of the health and education sectors across BC? To learn how to submit an article for the Healthy Schools BC Newsletter, please visit the Healthy Schools BC portal for submission dates and guidelines. |
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School Grant Opportunities
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S'Cool Life D.R.E.A.M.S Grants
$2,000,000 per year for Canadian elementary schools for drama, recreation, extra-curricular activities, arts, music or sports.
Apply today!
Applications accepted September 13th, 2012 to May 15th, 2013.
WWF Canada Green CommUnity School Grants Program
$200,000 each year for Canadian elementary and secondary schools
Next intake spring 2013
Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds School Ground Greening Grants
$500.00-$3,500.00
Next intake March 1st, 2013
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Share Your Feedback
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We are interested in keeping our content current, relevant and interesting to our valued readers. If you have feedback, suggestions or comments on the Healthy Schools BC Newsletter, please contact us here.
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Featured Partner: Vancouver Island Health Authority
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VIHA has adopted a vision of "Vancouver Island students achieving optimal potential to learn in supportive and healthy school communities." VIHA staff work in partnership with school communities to support programs and initiatives that use a comprehensive school health approach. Collaboration focuses on positive mental wellness strategies and programs, as well as key priorities like physical activity, healthy eating and being tobacco free. To learn more about how your school can get involved with VIHA, please visit the VIHA website here.
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Featured Program: BC Sports Hall of Fame
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Not only is the BC Sports Hall of Fame a space to educate about, and celebrate accomplishment in, BC sport; it also offers online, curriculum-linked resources for students and teachers to support goal setting, personal planning and physical education.
To learn how the BC Sports Hall of Fame can support learning in the classroom, please click here.
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What's New on the Healthy Schools BC Portal?
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The tools and resources available in the Useful Tools section of the Healthy Schools BC portal provide step by step instructions and examples that schools can use to help them adopt the comprehensive school health (CSH) approach through a phased process outlined in the Healthy Schools BC Learning Framework. They are designed to assist healthy school teams to enhance their understanding of CSH, create areas of focus and develop customized action plans. To view the Useful Tools, please click here.
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Did You Know?
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The Healthy Schools Network is in its 7th year of operation. The Healthy Schools Network received its first inquiry questions on December 6, 2006 from 33 schools in 18 school districts. As a core DASH program, the HSN remains connected to the Ministries of Education and Health through the Healthy Schools BC initiative. Click here to read more!
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Archived Healthy Schools Newsletters
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Producing the Healthy Schools Newsletter regularly for over six years has created quite an archive of healthy schools history in BC! To view past newsletters full of helpful and relevant content, please visit the Healthy Schools BC portal here.
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 Mindcheck Helps Students Understand Mental
Health
The mindcheck.ca website was created in order to assist young people to identify and understand mental distress they may be experiencing and to link them to sources of help that will enable them to learn skills and strategies to manage these problems. The website uses a series of straightforward online quizzes, such as the Stress Check Quiz, that help youth identify problems, experiences, thoughts or feelings that are associated with topics such as substance abuse, anxiety, stress or psychosis. To learn more about how you can get students and youth involved with mindcheck, please read the entire article here.
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Healthy Schools in Action
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Eat Well, Get Moving with VIHA!
Free annual program supports healthy weight promotion, eating well and being active
 In Healthy Schools in Action, DASH highlights a member of the healthy schools community making a difference in BC schools. This month, DASH is pleased to introduce Janelle Hatch, MHSc, RD, and Community Nutritionist with the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA). As a Community Nutritionist, Janelle supports healthy choices for pregnant women and young families, and supports healthy eating and healthy choices in the community. As part of her healthy schools focus, Janelle would like to introduce a school-focused program Eat Well, Get Moving!, which she has been chairing and leading for 4 years. Eat Well Get Moving! is a healthy weight promotion program with the aim of encouraging students to eat more vegetables and fruit and be more active. Research shows that eating more vegetables and fruit and being more active are the most effective behaviours a person can have to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.The program takes place between February 1st and April 30th, 2013 . Participants can start any time within that period, although participation is encouraged for the full three months. To learn how your classroom can get involved with Eat Well, Get Moving!, please read the entire article here. |
The Healthy Living Youth Council: Youth Engagement in Action
Student-led discussions lead to a student-developed mission and vision for BC's first province-wide Healthy Living Youth Council
Last month, DASH proudly introduced British Columbia's first Healthy Living Youth Council (HLYC). The HLYC offers high school students from all over the province an opportunity for meaningful youth engagement in the context of healthy living and healthy school initiatives. After a successful kick-off event in November, teachers, students, and parents from across BC are eager to learn more about the council, and discover how a "for youth, by youth" mode of student engagement can contribute to developing healthier schools and communities of learners.
This month, we will introduce youth engagement to you. We are happy to present the mission and vision of this year's HLYC which were generated by council members and serve as an exciting example of youth engagement in action. To read the entire article, please click here.
 | | Youth Council members chart ideas for the purpose and vision of the council |
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Action Schools! BC Update
DPA Pages! Snowy Day Outdoor Physical Activities
 Winter days offer unique opportunities to engage students in daily physical activity. Check out the newest DPA Pages! on Snowy Day Outdoor Physical Activities to find many easy-to-implement activities that work well in snowy weather and are a great addition to your school's student leadership program. This resource, along with 12 other DPA Pages! on themes like school-wide physical activities and classroom dance, are available for download at www.actionschoolsbc.ca.
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Healthy Schools Network Update
HSN Schools Are Gearing Up for Action!
Happy New Year, HSN schools! We hope you enjoyed the holiday break and are looking forward to 2013. We are certainly excited for the year ahead! We are especially keen to learn about all your great healthy schools initiatives, including the student-led projects that are taking place across the province. HSN schools have submitted their inquiry submission forms and are gearing up for action to address their inquiry questions. In terms of the Healthy Schools BC Learning Framework, schools are now entering the Plan, Gather Support & Act phase. This phase is about asking "What can we do?" andtphasehase is about asking,hase of the inquiry process" involves putting the knowledge and evidence gathered in earlier steps into action in order to answer the inquiry question. A plan is created to address the inquiry question, to identify any further support that is needed to execute the plan (e.g. support from health partners such as the local health authority or community organizations), and to help start action. To read the entire article, please click here. |
Building Healthy School Environments Through Farm to School
How local food for students supports comprehensive school health
Farm to School is broadly defined as a school-based initiative that connects schools (K-12) and local farms. One of the primary goals of this program is to ensure children have access to fresh, local, nutritious, safe and culturally appropriate foods while at school. Farm to School programs aim to improve student nutrition, and provide students with educational opportunities about foods and the local food system, while supporting local farmers and the local food economy.
Farm to School is a dynamic way to bring the Comprehensive School Health Framework to life in schools. This is a program that nourishes the bodies and minds of children, while contributing to the health of farms, communities, the environment, and schools. For information about how to get Farm to School in your school, please read the entire article here.
 Students from North Peace Secondary School in Fort St. John, BC, working on their Farm to School roof top garden. |
Mess Your Hair, Not Your Head
Preventable.ca website promotes head injury prevention with a new Facebook contest
It's pretty simple: wearing a helmet can help you avoid a serious brain injury. So, to get students in the habit, Preventable is having a contest. Upload your messed-up hair to the Preventable Facebook page and you could win up to $1,500. How's that for a good hair day? The contest is open to students aged 13-19 and registered at a Canadian high school. For more details on the Preventable campaign, click here. For contest details, click here.  |
Evidence-Based Anxiety Prevention Program
FRIENDS program helps students with positive mental health
The FRIENDS program is a 10-12 week evidence-based anxiety prevention and resiliency program delivered by educators in the classroom. FRIENDS addresses many learning outcomes within the Health and Career Education K-7 curriculum. Students are taught  skills to help them manage their worries and fears, as well as many other life skills that strengthen emotional resilience. By identifying and normalizing feelings, learning ways to relax, changing negative thoughts into more positive thoughts, and breaking down challenges into manageable steps, children are better equipped to face challenges and adversity in life. To learn how you can introduce FRIENDS into the classroom, please read the entire article here. |
Students Ski for Free with SnowPass!
Program offers BC students in Grades 4 and 5 up to three free days of skiing or snowboarding
The SnowPass program was developed to encourage kids and their families to participate in skiing and snowboarding. Valid for the entire 2012/13 season, the program offers up to three free days of skiing/snowboarding to children in Grades 4 and 5 (or children born in 2002 or 2003) in the province or region where the child lives. For more details, please visit www.snowpass.ca.
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Learn Outdoor Preparedness Skills with Stop and Survive on Mount Seymour
Free in-school workshops teach lifesaving skills
 Stop & Survive is a free, one hour, in-school, interactive workshop for Grade 3 students in the Lower Mainland. This workshop, hosted by Mount Seymour Resorts, educates students on how to be prepared in the wilderness, what to bring with you, what to do if you get lost, and how to prevent getting lost. As a bonus, all students taking part in Stop & Survive will receive a free Mount Seymour Season Pass for the 2012/2013 season! For more information, click here.
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