For Teachers
COVID-FRIENDLY PHYS ED GAMES
September is here and Alberta students are heading back to class, but students under the age of 12 are not yet eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. While masks, physical distancing and other public health policies are fairly straightforward to apply in many classes, Physical Education brings unique challenges: masks are not worn during moderate-to-vigorous…
Read MoreSUMMER SEND OFF – THANK YOU TEACHERS!
Summer Send Off – Thank You Teachers! Farewell, 2020/2021 school year. It’s been a time. We’re sure you have BIG summer plans to get to–hello, sleeping in, enjoying the sunshine and avoiding screens–but before you go, we’ve got a few quick things for you. We’ll keep it short and sweet so you can go find…
Read MoreACKNOWLEDGING THE PAST THAT ENSURED OUR FUTURE
Acknowledging the Past that Ensured Our Future Written by Apsipistoo (Evans Yellow Old Woman) Oki Niksokowa, nistoo’unohk Apsipistoo, nitohmto’to Siksikawa. Hello my friends, my name is Apsipistoo, which is my Siksika name. It was gifted to me by my late great grandmother Koomakii, who hailed from the Blood Tribe. My name means White Owl. My…
Read MoreBEAUTY AND STRUGGLE: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY 2021
Written by Sandra Lamouche June is National Indigenous History Month, and June 21 of this year marks the 25th year of celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada. With over 300 First Nations, Metis and Inuit nations we have a lot to celebrate! As an award winning educator and a champion women’s hoop dancer, this is…
Read MoreSPRINGING FORWARD: END OF THE YEAR WELL-BEING
The homestretch is near as many of us are just weeks away from the end of the 2020/2021 school year. We are sending this note to remind everyone of the importance of well-being and also a heartfelt thank you for your extraordinary efforts in being the strength of our school communities. Research over the past…
Read MoreHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE JOY4ALL PROJECT
By the student team behind Joy4All It’s important to celebrate all things big and small as we move into another spring focussed on virtual learning and caring for the well-being of our families, friends, and communities. Here at Ever Active Schools, we recently celebrated the very first birthday of The Joy4All Project: a phone hotline…
Read MoreUSING ARTS TO EXPLORE WELLNESS
Submitted by Karena Munroe, Calgary Board of Education Special thank you to co-authors Cindy Thomson and her grade 7 classes In my School District, students and teachers have sent a resounding message through an internal survey about the importance of prioritizing school wellness responses as critical work in our school development planning. I set out…
Read MoreCRAFTING MEANINGFUL LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Beginning in September 2020, Ever Active Schools began to question our practice of territory land acknowledgements. The tipping point for some staff could be expressed in the words of Kay Ho: “Oftentimes, when non-Indigenous organizers make a territory acknowledgement, it is done hastily, and then discarded.” (2014, An Introduction to Settler Colonialism: Part Three) This…
Read MorePUT A SPRING IN YOUR STEP!
Written by Megan Weiler, Krista Trim and Kayli McClelland The days are getting longer, the sun is shining warmer, and the people are coming out to play. It’s spring time, and we’re going to enjoy every minute of it. The easiest way to take advantage of the changing weather is to get out there and…
Read MoreMOVE YOUR BODY, GROW YOUR BRAIN
It’s no secret that physical activity boosts brain health: just read the 2018 ParticpACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth! While we all know that movement can help our children and youth learn better, oftentimes we find it hard to prioritize physical activity. Teachers might have curricular outcomes to focus on, out-of-school…
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