The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board has become the first school board in Ontario to register all its schools for the OPHEA Healthy Schools Certification.
OPHEA's Healthy Schools Certification recognizes and celebrates school communities for promoting and enhancing the health and well-being of students, school staff, and the broader community. Participating schools across Ontario complete the 6-Step Healthy Schools Process, which aligns with the Ministry of Education's Foundations for a Healthy School resource. Through a point-based system schools plan their Healthy Schools process over the course of the school year. They outline the steps needed to achieve certification as gold, silver, or bronze.
Quotes:
"For the first time ever, all schools from one school board are participating in OPHEA's Healthy Schools Certification! The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board should be proud of all its schools for their commitment this school year in becoming a Healthy School, and in promoting and enhancing the health and well-being of students, school staff, and the broader community."
- Sarah Christie, Bilingual Projects Leader, OPHEA"We know that active healthy living and exercise is important for everyone, and particularly youth. Being physical and in turn promoting physical and mental well-being has become a priority for all of us in our schools. We know that in Northern Ontario, physical health and well-being are even more important and we are proud in Keewatin-Patricia to ensure we are doing our best to encourage this way of life. Congratulations to all of our schools and their champions in each location for promoting and making this a way of being."
- Sean Monteith, Director of Education, Keewatin-Patricia District School Board
Background
OPHEA is a charitable organization that champions healthy, active living in schools and communities through quality programs and services, partnerships and advocacy, and is led by the vision that all children and youth value and enjoy the lifelong benefits of healthy, active living. In the 2017-2018 school year, 16 KPSDB schools received the OPHEA Healthy Schools Certification with 11 achieving gold level certification.
