Newsletter – September 2024
InteriorHealth.ca
HEALTH PROMOTING SCHOOLS
NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2024
DENTAL HEALTH
Teaching and Learning
Oral Health Tips for the School Year
As the school year begins, it is a great time to encourage students to
maintain healthy teeth and gums. Establishing good oral health habits
early can benefit them for a lifetime and improve your student’s overall
health and wellbeing. Below are simple reminders to keep in mind:
• Encourage Hydration: Remind students to drink water
throughout the day.
• Limit Snacking: Advise students to reserve snack for recess
and lunch time.
• Promote Healthy Snack Choices: Educate students about nutritious snack options.
• Reinforce Oral Hygiene Habits and Routines: Emphasize the importance of brushing for 2
minutes, 2 times a day.
Additional Fun Ideas:
• Toothbrushing Song Challenge: Invite your class to create a fun and catchy song that they can
use for toothbrushing at home. Check out these 7 Toothbrushing Tunes Kids Will Love for
inspiration.
• Personalized Brushing Charts: Have students design their own personalized
toothbrushing chart to track their brushing habits at home. You can even turn it
into a friendly competition by seeing who has brushed the most at the end of
the month. For a great example and activities, check out this resource from the
American Dental Association: Healthy Habits for Healthy Smiles!
Explore Interactive Teaching Materials:
• America’s Pediatric Dentists Healthy Snack Ideas
• Canadian Dental Association Teaching Resources
• American Dental Association Lesson Plans
• Canadian Food Guide - Toolkit for Educators
• Canadian Food Guide - Healthy eating at school
• Interior Health Dental Health Toolkit
Let’s start the school year off on the right “Tooth”!
Newsletter – September 2024
InteriorHealth.ca
FOOD LITERACY
Teaching and Learning
Classroom Resources
Students benefit from having many opportunities to build their comfort and
skills with food at school. Providing positive exposures to growing, preparing
and eating food improves food literacy and has lasting impacts on physical
and mental health. Have a look at the following resources that promote food
literacy in your classroom this fall:
Hands on Food – food literacy lesson plans for grades 4-7.
Watch the 45 minute webinar on Hands on Food.
Teach Food First: An Educators Toolkit for Exploring Canada's Food Guide –lesson plans and nutrition
messaging that aligns with BC curriculum.
Farm to School Fall Learning Activities – BC curriculum-based activities.
The Learning from the Land Toolkit –resources
and stories related to indigenous plans and
pedagogy (K-12).
Community Partnerships
Stay tuned for upcoming Grants available through Farm to School BC this October.
HEALTHY SCHOOLS
Teaching and Learning
Canadian Healthy Schools Standards
The Canadian Healthy Schools Alliance has developed The Canadian Healthy
School Standards that aims to spark conversations and be a tipping point where
the school community comes together to elevate wellbeing in schools in a way
that:
• reinforces specific accountability and processes for taking a systemic approach
to enhancing wellbeing in schools
• builds on existing work
• centres equity, diversity and inclusion
• acts on truth and reconciliation
• supports staff wellbeing
This document was prepared for people who are interested in advocating for, initiating and
strengthening Healthy Schools across Canada. You can use this resource as a checklist with which to
chart your healthy school journey, or in a non-linear fashion, as you need it.
Newsletter – September 2024
InteriorHealth.ca
IMMUNIZATION
Teaching and Learning
BC Centre for Disease Control CARD System for Vaccination-A Resource for School Immunizations
This year immunizations provided in school will be offered along side
the CARD System. The CARD System, which stands for comfort, ask,
relax and distract, provides strategies students can use before and
during the immunization to make the experience more positive. The
system includes videos, handouts, and activities students can use to
help prepare for immunizations. Information for school staff, parents
and students can be found here: CARD System for Vaccination.
Additional Resources:
CARD System Information for Staff-PDF
"School vaccinations - Improving the vaccination experience at
school" Video
Resources for Parents
Community Partnerships
Kids Boost Immunity
How to Handle Your Vaccines Like a Champ lesson incorporates the CARD System. For more
information see: :Health Care Provider Toolkit: How to Handle Your Vaccines Like a Champ lesson | Kids
Boost Immunity
Kids Boost Immunity has a free online lesson on How to Handle Your Shots Like a Champ. There is also
a lesson plan for teachers. Allocating class time for this lesson prior to the vaccination day will help to
prepare students to use the CARDs System. The best time to do this lesson is when vaccine consents
forms go home. For support or additional information on this course, connect with the public health
nurse/school nurse.
LEGAL SUBSTANCES
Relationships and Environments
Seeking new YOUTHWISE members!
The Legal Substances Team is seeking new youth members to join the YOUTHWISE Teen
Advisory Council. This group helps to shape and guide youth-focused health and wellbeing
services and programs offered in the IH region. The group meets virtually once every 6-8
weeks, and provides a safe space where members are able to share their personal
experiences around substance use and other health-related issues. All students aged 13-19 are welcome
to join!
Students are paid $25/hr for their participation efforts. Interested teachers, parents, or students can
connect with the team at LegalSubstances@interiorhealth.ca for more information.
Newsletter – September 2024
InteriorHealth.ca
Teaching and Learning
UBC EPAV Project Opportunity
On Sunday, September 29
th
from 9:30am-4:30pm, UBC is hosting an in-person workshop in the
Kelowna Landmark District for any students in grades 9-12. The purpose of the workshop is to learn
about youth experiences around vaping, and will include opportunities to create impactful vaping
prevention messaging for social media platforms that could be shared with other students Canada-
wide!
Youth who participate will be compensated with a $200 gift card, and will be provided with lunch,
snacks, along with tons of prizes and swag on the day. For any questions or to register for the
workshop, visit www.epavproject.com, or connect with Dr. Laura Struik (Lead Researcher) at
SLEEP
Teaching and Learning
Promoting Good Sleep Habits
Summertime provides a wonderful opportunity for families to spend quality time together; taking
holidays or enjoying the local parks and community events. It can, however, disrupt sleep routines that
can make it difficult when it is time to head back to school. For sleep tips see this Back to School Sleep
Routines resource on the IH Public Website along with other resources under the Sleep section on the
website here: Promoting Health of Children & Youth in School.
YOUTH ACTION GRANTS
Relationships and Environments
Youth Action Grants
McCreary Centre Society is accepting applications for the Youth Action
Grants (YAG). Youth in BC aged 12-19 can apply for up to $750 to deliver a
project to improve youth health in their school or community. The YAG
posters and application forms in English and French can be found their
website.
Teaching and Learning
Fall Newsletter
McCreary Centre Society is pleased to release their Fall 2024 Newsletter,
which includes details on the release of the 2023 BC AHS regional and special
topic reports. It also highlights the Next Steps workshop that engages youth
with the 2023 BC AHS results, along with updates from McCreary's youth
engagement initiatives, including the Youth Research Academy, Young
Indigenous Research Team, Youth Advisory and Action Council, BC Health
and Wellness Council, and Youth Health Ambassadors.
Newsletter – September 2024
InteriorHealth.ca
RESOURCES
Teaching and Learning
Interior Health Website
The School Health section of the Interior Health Public Website will take you to the following sections
where you can find more information: Information for School Staff, Promoting Health of Children &
Youth in School, and Medical Conditions at School.
Healthy Schools BC Website
The Healthy Schools BC Website is a great resource for teachers.
Look for the “Classroom and School Resources” and “Teach Food First”.
Healthy Schools Information Sharing
The following School Districts have a Healthy Schools tab on their websites. Take a look at all the great
information available from: SD 5, SD 6, SD 8, SD 19, SD 23, SD 53, SD 73, SD 83
Community Partnerships
Harm Reduction Resources
For resources visit the Interior Health Website.
To connect with a Harm Reduction Coordinator email: [email protected]
Legal Substances Program
For resources on tobacco, vaping or cannabis use, visit the Interior Health Tobacco & Vaping
Information for Schools webpage or the Cannabis Information for Youth webpage.
To connect with a Legal Substances Reduction Coordinator, email: [email protected]
For previous newsletters: Health Promoting Schools Newsletters
