Policy Manual

F-140-AR: Health and Wellness of Students and Staff

References:

• F-140-AP, Health and Wellness of Students and Staff (COVID-19 Response)
• Alberta Education Framework for Kindergarten to Grade 12 Wellness Education
• Comprehensive School Health Approach – Alberta Health Services
• Working Together to Support Mental Health in Alberta Schools - Alberta Education
  
  

1. Definitions:
   1. A Comprehensive School Health approach is an internationally recognized approach to supporting improvements in students’ educational outcomes while addressing school health in a planned, integrated and holistic way. This whole-school model builds capacity to incorporate well-being as an essential aspect of student achievement.  There are four distinct but inter-related components that comprise a comprehensive school health approach: 
      1. Social and Physical Environment includes the quality of the relationships between school community stakeholders, the emotional well-being of students and the buildings, grounds, play spaces and equipment in and around the school.
      2. Teaching and Learning includes resources, activities and curriculum where students gain skills and knowledge related to health and wellness.
      3. Healthy School Policy includes management practices, decision-making processes, policies and procedures that promote and support health and wellness.
      4. Partnerships and Services includes connections between schools, families, community organizations, the health sector and other sectors that support student health.
   2. Physical wellbeing: the ability, motivation and confidence to make choices that result in healthy growth, development, and care of the body.
      1. Active living: developing knowledge, skills and attitudes that strongly correlate with leading a healthy, active lifestyle.
      2. Healthy eating: promoting healthy food choices and healthy attitudes about food.
   3. Mental Health: the capacity of each and all of us to feel, think and act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face (Public Health Agency of Canada). 
   4. Positive Social Environments: building a predictable and safe environment, relating positively and respectfully to others, supporting a strong sense of belonging and connection.
2. Division schools and workplaces work towards creating and maintaining learning and working environments that support a division culture of health and wellness by:
   1. recognizing the importance of students’ and staff’ wellness;
   2. establishing environments that support ensure and integrate active living, healthy eating and positive social environments;
   3. acknowledging that active living, healthy eating, and mental health play significant roles in students and staff’ overall health and wellness; and
   4. promoting healthy attitudes toward active living, healthy eating, mental health and positive social environments.
3. Division schools and workplaces work towards supporting active living by:
   1. encouraging successful and meaningful engagement in physical activity and encourage lifelong fitness; and
   2. encouraging students to engage in physical activity inside and outside of regular curriculum (e.g. community events, clubs, special events, teams, intramurals, etc.) to support their development as healthy, active learners. 
4. Division schools and workplaces work towards supporting healthy eating by:
   1. fostering knowledge, skills and attitudes that promote healthy eating, promoting nutrition education and create an environment of positive food messages;
   2. establishing a strong connection between nutrition education and foods available at the school/workplace;
   3. providing opportunities, supports and encouragement for staff and students to eat healthy foods;
   4. creating an environment where healthy foods are available, accessible and promoted as the best choice; and
   5. encouraging healthy nutritional practices.
5. Division schools work towards supporting mental health by:
   1. implementing school-wide approaches that increase understanding of mental health and mental illness;
   2. supporting strength based approaches that build resiliency;
   3. supporting social-emotional learning;
   4. offering a continuum of supports including universal, targeted and specialized supports and services; and
   5. partnering with community and health service providers to promote seamless access to service. 
6. Division schools work towards supporting positive social environments by:
   1. fostering relationships between students, staff, the school division and community;
   2. supporting and embedding character education programs to support emotional well-being, creating learning environments where emotional well-being is role modeled and developed in students;
   3. accessing resources and link with community agencies, partners and support networks to help students develop the skills to be aware of and monitor their emotional well-being;
   4. recognizing the importance of students’ emotional, social, intellectual and physical wellness to their success in school and expect students to adhere to the Division’s Code of Conduct and schools’ code of conduct;
   5. promoting digital citizenship education including a proactive approach regarding the physical and psychological health risks of technology; and
   6. encouraging reporting to a responsible adult all incidents of threats, bullying, harassment, violence, intimidation or discrimination.