SCHOOL HEALTH RESOURCES in BC

DASH Healthy Schools Network Inquiry Database – Are you interested in what actions schools are taking to improve the health of their students? View the Healthy School Network’s Inquiry Question database to learn what inquiries schools across BC are exploring. The database is searchable by school name, district, or inquiry question element. To view the database: http://forms.dashbc.org/dashbc/forms/hsn-school-inquiry-form/search.asp.

Healthy Schools Network Newsletter January Edition - learn more about members attending winter meetings and sharing the strategies and ideas being used in their school inquiries http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/health/hsnetwork/newsletter_jan10.pdf.

2010 Nutrition Month Posters – March is Nutrition Month! Get your orders in now for colourful nutrition month posters entitled Celebrate food…from field to table! Posters are available in French and English and comes with two educational resource sheets. Order posters through BC Dairy Foundation http://www.bcdairyfoundation.ca/nutrition-month/2010/letter.pdf. More nutrition month eating tips and recipes can be found at: http://www.nutrition2010.ca/en/home.

New Action Schools! BC DPA Pages! – The Action Schools! BC website is host to eight DPA Pages! which provide one daily physical activity implementation idea with recommended resources per page. New additions include the French DPA Pages! Classroom Olympic and Paralympic-Themed Physical Activities and DPA Pages! Dynamic Stretching. Dynamic stretching which, unlike traditional (or “static”) stretching, involves movement, momentum, and muscular effort to create a stretch. These and other DPA Pages! (on dance, circuits, skipping, etc.) are downloadable at www.actionschoolsbc.ca under Quick Links - Support and Resources.

RESOURCES … BOOKS, NEWSLETTERS, RESEARCH FINDINGS

Announcing the Promoting Health in Schools: from Evidence to Action document - The IUHPE is pleased to announce the publication of the Promoting Health in Schools: from Evidence to Action document. This 2010 document complements the recommendations to establish and sustain health promotion in schools set out in the Achieving Health Promoting Schools: Guidelines for Promoting Health in Schools. It is an advocacy document for the health and education sectors to undertake school health promotion activities based on the evidence of effectiveness. It provides succinct evidence-based arguments to support the need for school health promotion. Finally it advocates for a whole school (Health Promoting Schools) approach to strategically plan and implement school health initiatives. The document is available in English on the IUHPE website http://www.iuhpe.org/index.html?page=516 and will soon be available in French and Spanish.

Joint Consortium for School Health Winter Newsletter – showcases innovative tools and resources developed since their inception in 2005 http://eng.jcsh-cces.ca/upload/JCSH%20newsletter_Feb_2010_EN.pdf and to learn about the advances in comprehensive school health across the country and how they are taking hold view their 2009 Annual Report http://eng.jcsh-cces.ca/upload/JCSH%20Annual%20Report%202009%20English%20Sept%2029%2009%20WebReady.pdf

Canadian Health Measures Survey – The recently released survey results show that body composition and fitness levels of children, youth, and adults have declined significantly since 1981. The 2007 – 2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey is the most comprehensive national survey ever conducted in Canada to determine fitness levels using body composition measurements and fitness testing. This survey provides national baseline data for major health concerns such as obesity and high blood pressure. View the summary and link to the studies here: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/100113/dq100113a-eng.htm.

The Aroostasha, FITastic FUNdraiser, and More – Learn about these and other unique Alberta school health activities on the new Alberta Promising Practices for Health Promoting Schools Database, a searchable database developed by The Alberta Ever Active Schools Program in partnership with Physical and Health Education Canada. The database allows submissions of promising practices from schools across Canada to build a national database. Find the database here: http://www.phecanada.ca/weightoftheworld/e/challenge/promisingpractices/results_list.cfm.

UPCOMING EVENTS…CONFERENCES…COURSES…INTIATIVES, ETC

BCRPA Presents New BC Youth Week Sogo Active Grants
Twenty $250 grants are available to youth groups who are hosting a physical activity event to coincide with BC Youth Week (May 1 - 7). The deadline for grant applications is Monday, March 1st, and successful applicants will be contacted by March 31st. In order to qualify your youth group must register for Sogo Active and give participants the opportunity to register at the event. Also, your event must: have a physical activity component; be at least 3 hours in length; involve youth aged 13 - 19; include youth from diverse backgrounds, levels of ability and both male and female youth; and plan ways to encourage people to stay physically active after the event. Download the application form and information sheet on the BCRPA website or contact Allison Prieur, BCRPA Youth Engagement Project Coordinator for more details. Also stay tuned to the Sogo Active website for changes to the initiative in April 2010!

2010 Provincial Aboriginal Youth Conference – March 10 – 13, Hyatt Regency, Vancouver The BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres is excited to announce the 8th Annual Provincial Aboriginal Youth Conference "Gathering Our Voices." The conference will attract over 1000 Aboriginal youth from across BC and Canada. This year’s theme is "Our Health and the Environment", and it will be reflected in 30+ workshops, a 40 booth Health and Education Fair, Cultural and Recreational Activities, Evening Events and Motivational Speakers. For more information: Contact Rosy Steinhauer, Youth Conference Coordinator at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

To view the January 2010 DASH E News, please click here.