Healthy Schools BC Newsletter
March 2016
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.

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Grant Opportunities 
Deadline: Mar. 15, 2016


BCTF Local Social Justice Grant
Deadline: Apr. 15, 2016

Artists in the Classroom Grant
Deadline: May 27, 2016 
 

View other healthy school grant opportunities here.
Video of the Month:
Farm to School Vancouver Area Regional Hub 
Watch this inspiring video that highlights the positive impacts that engagement in school community gardens, such as the Farm to School program, can have on students and the school community. Click here to watch the video.
Have a Great Story? We Want to Hear It!
We want to hear your healthy schools story! Educators, students and community members across the province are working hard to create healthier schools. Sharing your stories can help support and inspire others, and viewing stories from other schools can do the same for you. Check out the Healthy Schools Stories Map today!
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
 

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Featured Articles
March is Nutrition Month 
Celebrate with healthy eating opportunities for your school

March is Nutrition Month in Canada! This year, the theme for the campaign is dedicated to making a small change and making it stick! The slogan for the campaign is Take a 100 meal journey. Make small changes one meal at a time. To learn more about Nutrition Month and explore healthy eating opportunities for your school, click here.
DASH Update
Healthy Schools and Healthy Learners Webinar Series 
Activity Before Learning (ABL) webinar today!
 
The Healthy Schools and Healthy Learners Webinar Series showcases inspiring stories from schools across the province that improve health and learning for students and school communities. The first webinar of the series highlights the inspiring Activity Before Learning (ABL) initiative in Victoria and will take place today, March 1, 2016 from 3pm - 4pm. You can access information on how to join here. Upcoming webinars will take place in April and will highlight stories about innovative learning environments, school gardens, food literacy and more!
School Food Literacy Capacity Building Initiative  
A whole school approach to food literacy

The School Food Literacy Capacity Building Initiative currently underway is supporting schools and districts to adopt a comprehensive school health approach to food literacy. This approach has been shown to have a significant impact on students' knowledge, attitudes and behaviours around nutrition and healthy eating. Click here to learn more, and hear about recent research that supports a whole school approach to food literacy.
Learning from Alberta's Shaping the Future 2016 
Positive youth development

In January, DASH staff travelled to Kananaskis Village, Alberta for Ever Active Schools' Shaping the Future 2016 conference. We received a warm welcome - both from the healthy schools champions in attendance and the Chinook wind blowing through the area! DASH gave a presentation on the After School Sport and Arts Initiative (ASSAI), sharing what we have learned in BC about offering engaging after school programs to children facing barriers to participation. Click here to read more.
Healthy Schools Leadership Symposium 
Fall 2016 Symposium

For the past 9 years, the Healthy Schools Leadership Symposium in May has brought together leaders from school communities across the province to learn, share and inspire one another on topics such as social innovation, school connectedness, social-emotional learning, student health data, and examples of leading edge healthy schools practice as shared by a variety of healthy school partners. This year, we are excited to shift the Symposium from the spring to the fall of 2016 where it can be a launching pad to ignite ideas, foster connections, and build capacity to support school communities in their efforts to create healthier school communities. Stay tuned through the  Healthy Schools BC Newsletter and DASH website for upcoming information.  
School Connectedness
Recharging Our Batteries 
Teacher wellbeling to foster school connectedness 
 
It's almost Spring Break - a perfect time to "recharge our batteries" and focus on our wellbeing as we head into the homestretch of the school year. Click here to read about tips for teacher wellbeing.
Healthy Schools Stories
Exploring Healthy Eating in BC Schools 
Sharing stories from schools across the province
Many schools from across the province are addressing healthy eating  by focusing on a variety of topics, as well as settings. For Nutrition Month, we are highlighting a few of the many inspiring stories from the Healthy Schools Network (HSN) that demonstrate the diverse ways schools are exploring healthy eating concepts. Click here to read the stories. 
Healthy School Resources
Order Your Free 2016 Nutrition Month Poster 
Make small changes, one meal at a time 
 
March is Nutrition Month! The 2016 campaign is dedicated to supporting Canadians to make small changes in their eating habits - one meal at a time. Order your free nutrition month poster and download resources, such as educational resources for students that support Nutrition Month. Click here to order your poster and learn more. 
Farm to School BC 
Sharing a story from the field 
 
Farm to School BC is an initiative dedicated to changing the way children think about, and consume, food in their schools. In the spirit of Nutrition Month, Farm to School BC would like to share a new Story from the Field from Grandview Elementary School in Vancouver. Click here to read the story.
Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in BC Schools 
Resource supports Nutrition Month celebrations 
  
The Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in BC Schools define the nutrition standards that schools are required to apply to all food and beverages sold to students. The Guidelines can support Nutrition Month celebrations by increasing access to healthy choices while limiting access to products high in sodium, sugar and fat. Learn more about the Guidelines and access helpful fact sheets, frequently asked questions, ready-to-use presentations and more here.