Healthy Schools BC Newsletter

November 2015

Join the Healthy Schools BC Mailing List

Stay Connected to the Healthy Schools Movement in BC

There are plenty of ways to stay connected to the healthy schools movement! Follow DASH on social media for all your healthy schools news and happenings.

Grant Opportunities

BCTF Ed May Social Responsibility Education Fund

Deadline: Nov. 23, 2015

Tire Stewardship BC Community Grant Program
Deadline: Dec. 31, 2015

View other healthy school grant opportunities here.

Healthy Happenings: Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre Meet and Greet

On Wednesday, November 25th from 12:00pm - 1:00pm join the online Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre ''Meet & Greet''. This is a great learning opportunity to explore available child and youth mental health resources across the province and in your community, and learn more about the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre.

To participate, attend the online webinar to learn more about how you can be supported to access information, resources, peer support and navigate the mental health system. Click here to register and learn more about the Meet & Greet. You can also contact keltycentre@cw.bc.ca

Video of the Month: Circle of Courage

Students with Aboriginal Ancestry from Lakeview Elementary School in Quesnel participated in a two-week Video Design Program. The topic of the project is the Circle of Courage. The Circle of Courage is based on the medicine wheel and is intended to help youth live a resilient and healthy lifestyle. Students created an outstanding video - click here to watch their video and read their story!

Submitting an Article for the Newsletter

How would you like 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 website here for submission dates and guidelines.

About DASH BC

The Healthy Schools BC Newsletter is brought to you by DASH BC. Our vision is that ALL children and youth in BC will realize their full potential as healthy learners who feel connected and engaged in their community

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.

DASH BC

#530-510 Burrard St.

Vancouver, BC

V6C 3A8

www.dashbc.ca

info@dashbc.ca

phone: 604-681-0600

fax: 604-681-0602

Featured Articles

Inspiring School Connectedness Videos Now Available

Schools and school districts share their journey of school connectedness

School connectedness is about creating a school community where everyone feels safe, seen, heard, supported, significant and cared for. In 2014, school connectedness grants were available to schools and districts as a way to learn from and be inspired by opportunities to build school connectedness. Grant recipients each created a video sharing their inspiring learnings about fostering school connectedness. Click here to read more.

DASH Update

Recap of the First Annual Healthy Schools Week

Working together to create healthier school communities

From October 5th to 9th, DASH BC kicked off the first annual Healthy Schools Week by inviting school communities to take action to ensure all students are healthy, engaged, and connected at school. Each day during the week, we focused on a different aspect of healthy living by sharing resources, stories, grant opportunities, and more! Click here to read more.

Healthy Schools Network

Healthy Living Grant update

We have been greatly encouraged by the number of educators and schools who are taking actions to address healthy living goals in their classrooms and schools through the Healthy Living Grants. The demand for the grants has been unprecedented this year, and as a result this HSN grant cycle is now closed.

For those of you in the midst of the application process, we recognize the early closure of the grants may present a challenge, and we truly apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you, your colleagues, and/or your school community. We invite you to check back in the New Year when information on additional grant cycles will be posted here.

In the meantime, we encourage you to review our compiled list of external grants for additional opportunities.

Thank you for working with us to continue to grow and evolve the Healthy Schools Network as a meaningful and supportive learning network for fostering healthier students and healthier schools.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at hsn@dashbc.ca

School Connectedness

Calling On the Village

Fostering school connectedness through the school community

We all know the African proverb"it takes a village to raise a child", but are we making the most of what our village has to offer? How might our village participate in fostering connectedness in our classrooms and schools? Read more here.

Healthy Schools Stories

Walk and Wheel to School
School District 44 shares their story of active transportation

On the North Shore, there is a united effort to increase the use active transportation. This year, 12 North Vancouver schools from School District 44 participated in Walk and Wheel to School Week from October 5th to 9th. Throughout the week, schools held exciting events, learning opportunities and developed partnerships. Click here to read their story.

Healthy School Resources

WellAhead is Looking for Your Input

Help improve student wellbeing into school communities

WellAhead is a collaborative initiative aimed at integrating social and emotional wellbeing into school communities. Working in partnership with six school districts in British Columbia, WellAhead is helping build local capacity to innovate within school communities. From now until November 23, 2015, WellAhead is looking for your input about various ideas that have been co-created by school communities to promote change. Click here to read more.

SLS: Student Leadership in Sustainability

Supporting global and local health and sustainability inquiries in classrooms around BC

In collaboration with a dynamic team of certified teachers, Be the Change Earth Alliance (BTCEA) has co-created middle and secondary school curriculum materials called SLS: Student Leadership in Sustainability. This inquiry-based program helps students develop core competencies of critical/creative thinking, communication skills, and personal/social responsibility regarding 21st century global sustainability issues. This program also supports students to be engaged in their health and the health of those around them, including the planet to address healthy students, healthy community, and healthy planet. Learn more about SLS here.

Celebrate Sports Day in Canada 2015 at Your School!

Resources and materials available

2015 is Canada's "Year of Sport" and a great way to celebrate is to get your school involved in RBC's Sports Day in Canada! This national celebration of sport is an opportunity for all Canadians to celebrate the power of sport and build community and school spirit! Click here to read more and learn how you can get involved!

Farm to School BC

Stories from the field

Did you know that Farm to School BC regularly shares up close and personal accounts of Farm to School programs across the province in the Stories from the Field series? You can read the Stories from the Field series from their homepage here. Check out the latest story featuring Oliver Elementary School, which has been running its Farm to School program since 2008. Today the program is not only self-sustaining, but also turns a small profit. The organization had a great interview with Marji Basso, the school's Farm to School lead.