Welcome to the Ever Active Schools Blog!
We are pleased to present healthy school community stories surrounding thought leadership, health champions and innovative ideas, all supporting healthy school communities through a Comprehensive School Health lens.
Want to contribute to our blog? Contact us with your idea!
Written by Rebecca Marjoram, Communications Technologist You’ve probably seen some posts on our social media accounts or blurbs on our e-newsletter about Shaping the Future, but what exactly is it and what can you expect when you go? A CONFERENCE FOR HEALTH CHAMPIONS Now in its 11th year, Shaping the Future is…
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MORE THAN 300 STUDENTS, TEACHERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ELDERS FROM FIRST NATIONS AND METIS COMMUNITIES ACROSS ALBERTA GATHERED AT WINSPORT IN CALGARY ON NOVEMBER 27 AND 28 FOR A SUMMIT ON HEALTH, WELLNESS AND RESILIENCE. The two-day event began with a host of active icebreaker activities that saw students interacting with new faces right off…
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THE 2019 NATIONAL FORUM ON WELLNESS IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION, HOSTED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA VANCOUVER CAMPUS, BROUGHT TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM 14 UNIVERSITIES AND NINE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. The two-day event centred around a sharing of knowledge and ideas among faculties to advance wellness in teacher preparation programs across the country. The room was filled…
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It is our hope that every student in Alberta experience the diversity of Indigenous cultures on National Indigenous Peoples Day! Every year on June 21, schools all across the nation take the opportunity to celebrate Indigenous culture and history.
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Written by: Kayli McClelland, Creative Media Specialist, Ever Active Schools THIS YEAR’S RESILIENCY SUMMIT HAS LEFT OUR WHOLE TEAM PUMPED FOR NEXT YEAR ALREADY! Although we had some big changes this time around, we still had a successful two days of learning, sharing and celebrating. More than 30 school teams from across Alberta representing Treaties…
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Written by Kayli McClelland, Creative Media Specialist, Ever Active Schools THAT’S A WRAP! The 2018 Live Active Summit has officially come to a close. Many heads nodded in agreement to Dr. Mariana Brussoni’s keynote Popping the Bubble Wrap: Making Space for Risky Play on day 1 and we heard some incredible concurrent sessions and workshops…
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Submitted by Alberta Mentoring Partnership MENTORING IS AN EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGY THAT SUPPORTS STUDENTS’ MENTAL HEALTH, SENSE OF BELONGING AND CONNECTEDNESS, ENGAGEMENT AND ATTENDANCE, HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION AND ULTIMATELY SUCCESS IN AND BEYOND SCHOOL. In addition, mentoring contributes to a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment. The Alberta Mentoring Partnership (AMP) is a network of…
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Written by Megan McCormick, School Health Facilitator, Ever Active Schools FALL IS BUSY, BUT TEACHER SELF-CARE SHOULDN’T TAKE A BACKSEAT. Students are back in school, and we find ourselves scheduling everything down to the second—even our bathroom breaks. It’s important that when things become busy, we do not overlook how important our own self-care is…
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Written by: Dayna Landry, Wild Rose School Division WHEN I STARTED MY FIRST AMA YOUTH RUN CLUB SIX YEARS AGO, I DID IT AS A WAY TO GET ACTIVE. I had a very challenging group of boys that year. They came every day with a bunch of physical aggression, and a mind full of way…
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW INNOVATIVE IDEAS SERIES! We’ll be posting interviews and stories from school health champions from across Alberta. We hope you’ll find their ideas inspiring and informative, and that they’ll spark some great ideas of your own! Our first idea is from Adam Pratt, a Physical Education teacher at Heloise Lorimer School in…
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Written by: Megan Jones, School Health Facilitator, Ever Active Schools I recently had the opportunity to spend five months at Kitaskinaw School, in Enoch, and felt lucky to have so much time to connect with the staff and students. A grant with Sport for Life initially brought me to the school and it gave me…
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Written by: Louise McClelland, Projects Coordinator, Ever Active Schools There are more than 1,000 after-school programs operating in Alberta. These spaces are the perfect place for children and youth to engage in a variety of physical activities outside of school. Recent Stats Canada data tells us that only about one third of Canadian children are…
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Written by: Cindy Andrew, The Psychology Foundation of Canada Stress can be a great thing. But when we experience too much of it, especially on a chronic basis, it can lead to serious problems in the short run and over the long haul. Let’s start with the basics and then explore how we can help…
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Written by Sissy Thiessen, Resiliency Coordinator, Ever Active Schools Every year on June 21, schools all across the nation take the opportunity to celebrate Indigenous culture, history and contributions for National Indigenous Peoples Day. A way that many schools commemorate this special day is by hosting school-wide activities and celebrations. Many Alberta school jurisdictions have…
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Written by: Tracey Coutts, Active School Travel Coordinator, Ever Active Schools SHAPE’S WALKING SCHOOL BUS MASCOT HAS FOUND A NEW HOME IN CALGARY’S COPPERFIELD SCHOOL! On Monday, April 9, 2018, over 50 students, families, school administrators, staff, and other important guests gathered for the launch of the school’s Walking School Bus initiative. This initiative…
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Written by: Cecilie Fenger-Andersen, Practicum Student, Ever Active Schools As a child, I had more energy than my parents knew how to handle—and a habit of being upside down at any possible moment. To tackle both of these qualities, my parents put me in gymnastics. After more than 10 years of training and competition, the…
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Written by: Mac Walton, Resiliency Coordinator, Ever Active Schools In 2016-17, Ever Active Schools received funding from the Urban Partnerships program to launch the Miyomahchihowin project, which means “in good health” in Cree. The project provided pathways for 30 Indigenous youth to build personal skills and access employment or volunteer opportunities in the areas of…
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Written by: Stephanie Shantz, Media Coordinator, Ever Active Schools Pink Shirt Day 2018 is here! This annual awareness day is part of the growing movement to foster healthy, safe and caring school communities in Canada and beyond. But building school communities where all students feel included and supported isn’t just limited to a single day…
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Written by: Katie Mahon, Provincial Projects Coordinator, Ever Active Schools This past fall, Ever Active Schools launched GO! Run – a ‘Girls Only!’ run club program that aims to create safe, welcoming and inclusive spaces for girls’ participation in physical activity. GO! Run was launched in an effort to support the ongoing work within school…
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Written by Chesa Corsiatto, School Health Facilitator, Ever Active Schools As an educator, you’re part of numerous aspects of your student’s development. It’s a big job, and at times it can seem overwhelming. Focusing on your strengths as an individual and as an educator is often comfortable and safe. This is okay. Actually, it’s great!…
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