Living Healthy Newsletter [Winter 2011]:Layout 1.qxd - Eastern Health

Issue 9 Winter 2011
WALK
to Breakfast
What promotes healthy eating, physical
activity and learning
It’s the TD Canada Trust Kids Eat Smart Province-Wide Walk to Breakfast
and on October 22nd over 20,000 students, along with teachers,
volunteers, businesses, and community members across Newfoundland and
Labrador took to their feet and at the same time raised awareness and funds
for Kids Eat Smart Clubs.
Now in its sixth year, participants walked in their community, around their
school, or in their gym and enjoyed a nutritious breakfast served by volunteers.
Employees of TD Canada Trust, the title sponsor for the sixth consecutive year,
and Kids Eat Smart staff and board members also joined students at various
schools. Scotsburn Dairy and General Mills helped sponsor the walk.
For more information on Kids Eat Smart
Foundation or Kids Eat Smart Clubs in your area:
1-877-722-1996 | www.kidseatsmart.ca
In this issue
2 Living Healthy In Action
7 Chatterbox
What is Health Promotion
8 Healthy Things to Know

A “Healthier Me” at St. Anne’s School in
South East Bight
St. Anne's School in South East Bight had a great Living Healthy Commotion
which started with setting individual goals for a Healthier Me. Students set
personal goals for improving their overall health for the school year and placed
their goals in an envelope. During the year students will write reminder notes
and posters to add to the wall where the envelopes are stored. This refreshes
their goals in their minds and inspires them to work towards achieving their
goals. Towards the end of the year they will open the envelope and see if they
have met their goal and to what degree. During the Commotion there was also
a walk around the town, a fitness video dance, and bobbing for apples. There
were discussions on healthy choices as students designed posters and enjoyed
Fruit KaBobs with yogurt for dipping as a snack at the end of the day. A fun
filled, educational day was had by all.
A Healthy Halloween at
St. Francis
This year St. Francis School in Harbour
Grace held their Healthy Commotion
to coincide with Halloween.
Students were treated to fruit and
veggie snacks for recess which
provided them with a healthier
alternative to the traditional Halloween
treats. They finished off the afternoon by
dancing to a variety of action songs in their Halloween Costumes!
Living Healthy Commotion Day at All
Hallows Elementary
The Living Healthy Commotion Day at All Hallows Elementary jump
started with a healthy breakfast provided, prepared and served by
the school breakfast team and the Brigus United Church
Volunteer group. All students then moved to the gym for
an assembly where Ticker Tom discussed the importance
of being active and eating healthy. The assembly
finished with a fitness dance that got everyone moving
and ready to participate in activity stations that were set up
on the school grounds. The primary students participated after
recess and the elementary after lunch. Overall it was an active and fun
filled day.
2
Mount Pearl Intermediate’s Character
Counts / Healthy Living Commotion
On October 29, 2010 Mount Pearl Intermediate (MPI) held their
Character Counts kick-off and Healthy Living
Commotion. The day started off with a lesson
on Character Education and the Six Pillars of
the Character Counts program. All students
and staff then assembled in the gym for a
rally and game of Character Counts tag.
After Recess the Elementary students
participated in MPI Survivor where tribes
competed for the “Be Active”, “Eat Healthy” and “Be
Smoke Free” idols. Junior High students then participated in team events,
including a relay race, dodge ball and tug of war. Healthy snacks were provided
for everyone at recess. School spirit was high and the hallways were a sea of
colour as staff and students sported colours to represent their Character Counts
team. It was a great day for everyone!
Happy Healthy Halloween at St. Peter’s
Junior High
Friday October 29 students at St. Peter’s Junior High streamed outside dressed in
house colours to join a school wide conga line with their super enthusiastic
teachers and Rod Stockley from Coast 101.1. They all danced the YMCA, Bird
Song and practiced their monster walks to the Monster Mash. A cameo
appearance by Elvis aka G, was a disturbing delight indeed. The Healthy
Commotion ended outside with a Thriller dance tutorial by Rod Stockley leaving
students and staff pretty pumped for the next parking lot party!! The fun
continued with a sock hop in the gym with games, a costume contest, a jam
session with our rock star teachers and some healthy treats all around. Pythons
ROCK!
Living Healthy Commotions
On Wednesday, October 27th, 2010, Eastern School District hosted its 5th
annual Living Healthy Commotion. Living Healthy Commotions are schoolwide
celebrations that provide an opportunity for schools to highlight to
parents, school councils and community leaders how they are promoting
health by creating healthy school environments. Living Healthy
Commotions are a project of Healthy Students Healthy Schools and are
supported by:
• Department of Health and Community Services
• Department of Education
• Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
• Eastern School District
• Eastern Health

Persalvic Students Enjoy Healthy Living
Commotion Day
The students of Persalvic in Victoria enjoyed a day full of physical activities, healthy
snacks and information on nutrition as part of Living Healthy Commotion Day. The
day began with nutrition bingo and came to an end with the annual Terry Fox Walk.
Daily activities involved physical fitness stations, trivia challenges and a friendly
distance running competition for each class. The entire day was filled with laughter
and sheer excitement as staff and students enjoyed healthy snacks and physical
fitness together. Persalvic is committed to having its students live a healthy way of
life each and every day, not just for one day of the year.
The City of
Causes a Healthy Commotion
Living Healthy Commotion 2010, proved to be another great example of how
the Eastern School District embraces and supports healthy active schools. The
City of St. John’s, Department of Recreation welcomed the opportunity to be
part of a day that encourages healthy active living.
Department of Recreation staff were thrilled to not only visit and plan activities
for one school, but got the chance to meet teachers and students from six
schools. Vanier Elementary, St. Kevin’s High School, Prince of Wales Collegiate,
Macpherson Elementary, St. Paul’s Junior High and Virginia Park Elementary
participated in a variety of activities organized by the City of St. John’s.
Vanier Elementary and St. Paul’s Junior High wanted a little “Khaos” in their lives
with this active game that teaches the participants teamwork while learning
about Newfoundland and Labrador plants, animals and activities that our
province has to offer.
Debbie Shortall, Physical Education Teacher at Vanier Elementary says "The
morning worked out FANTASTIC for the teachers and especially the students.
Your staff were amazing. All so calm and ready to do whatever fit the kids
needs. You have a great group and their passion to teach and guide the
students towards active moving bodies in a creative and fun way really put the
icing on the cake.”
School spirit was literally bouncing off the walls at Prince of Wales
Collegiate as students and teachers took on the cooperative, easy
to play, aerobic game of Kinball in an all out battle with a four foot
ball.
Students from Macpherson Elementary were in a flurry of activity in their gym
that was filled with human sized snakes and ladders, connect four, balance and
reflex boards, bowling and twister to name a few.
St. Kevin’s High School students took a shot at Archery. After learning the basic
techniques they competed to see who came closest to the bull’s eye and to win
bragging rights of top shooter for their entire school. "The archery session was
fantastic, the students really enjoyed themselves!” says Geoff Robinson, the
Physical Education Teacher/Athletic Director.
The week ended on a high note with Virginia Park Elementary who put a little
frenzy in their day. Students took part in a high energy fitness adventure that
kept them moving from start to finish!!
This was a fantastic day for all involved and the Department of Recreation Staff
were full of compliments for the students and teachers they met throughout
their day. The connection with schools has become a integral part of the
Department of Recreation and to work with such great groups of teachers and
students makes this a very rewarding aspect of our work.
The City of St. John’s, Department of Recreation would like to thank schools for
allowing them to help keep children and youth active, have fun and live healthy
– Keep spreading the message!
For more information, please contact the City of St. John’s,
Department of Recreation at : 576-2574.
Winter 2011
3

An Active and Healthy Fall at Coley’s Point
Primary
Coley's Point Primary got a new school year off to an active, healthy start with emphasis on
"Eat Great, Participate." Throughout the month of October students participated in the
Terry Fox Run, Kids Eat Smart 6th annual Walk to Breakfast, the 5th annual Living Healthy
Commotion and outdoor fun. Early in the month, students were "treated" to fruit trays for
each class. A school wide pancake breakfast with milk and fruit was also enjoyed by all.
The pancake breakfast was made possible with the assistance of parent volunteers and
some guests who dropped by like the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, MP Scott Andrews, Senior
Education Officer, John Way, and the town's Recreation Director. The month ended with a
special Halloween treat prepared by the parent volunteers of veggie 'feline' skeletons.
St. John’s Schools Get Active in Their
Transportation Choices
The City of St. John’s, Department of Recreation and Engineering and Traffic
Division in partnership with the Eastern School District, Royal Newfoundland
Constabulary, Eastern Health and Department of Health is thrilled to introduce a
new and exciting pilot program called School Travel Planning.
St. Matthew’s Elementary, St. Mary’s Elementary, Cowan Heights Elementary,
Roncalli Elementary, Larkhall Academy, St. Andrew’s Elementary and Goulds
Elementary were the seven elementary schools chosen to be part of the two
year pilot program. Over 2400 students and their families will be potentially
impacted by being part of this program.
School Travel Planning (STP) is a community-based approach to increasing the
number of elementary school children choosing active transportation modes
such as walking and cycling to get to and from school, thereby reducing traffic
congestion at schools, improving air quality, decreasing climate change impacts,
and improving student physical fitness and alertness.
"St. Matthew's Elementary is thrilled to be part of the School Travel Planning
Pilot Program" says Principal Kyran Dwyer. "Even though we are only in the
data collection phase so far, some parents are already changing their travel
habits and making more of an effort to walk with their children to school.
Others are compromising and choosing to park a little further away and walking
the rest of the way. I look forward to seeing more positive outcomes like this as
a result of participating in this program."
Green Communities Canada has taken the lead role on this program and with
funding of $2.1 million from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and the
Public Health Agency of Canada, this has enabled School Travel Planning to
reach 120 schools; supporting healthier and happier lifestyles for students and
potentially reducing the incidence of chronic disease.
“Nearly 60 percent of children are being driven less than 2 km to school,” says
Jacky Kennedy, Director of Canada Walks, Green Communities Canada, “Over half
of parents whose children are currently driven see the option of their child
walking or biking to school as convenient and appealing. Clearly, there is
tremendous potential to shift school travel behaviour toward active choices, and
School Travel Planning is the model that can take us there.” This is such a
valuable program to our community and to all children. It is the first one of it’s
kind to be piloted in Newfoundland and Labrador and the results will be useful
for helping other schools implement and address School Travel issues.
The pilot schools have been very busy this fall conducting Classroom Hands Up
Surveys, distributing Family Surveys and conducting a Traffic, Pedestrian and
Cyclist Count. The results of this data collection is pouring in and will be used to
create an Action Plan specific for each school that will be significant in moving
forward.
Thirteen Elementary Schools in the St. John’s area also participated in
International Walk to School Month (IWALK), an annual, premier event of the
Active & Safe Routes to School program, that took place in October.
Congratulations to Larkhall Academy who won the $500.00 program
participation draw prize from the City of St. John’s. Keep up the great work and
lets make active and healthy choices part of our daily routine!
For more information, please contact the City of St. John’s, Department of
Recreation: 576-2574.
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Harbour Grace Primary Walks to Breakfast
Students at Harbour Grace Primary participated in the Kids Eat Smart 6th annual provincewide
Walk to Breakfast. Due to inclement weather the walk took place in the corridors of the
school but this didn’t dampen spirits as a great time was had by all. Following the walk
students enjoyed a pancake breakfast. Many parents volunteered to cook while Senior
Education Officer Ray Noel of Avalon West helped serve pancakes to students.
St. Mark’s Hosts a “Hair
for the Cause” Event!
It all began with a generous offer and a well
timed suggestion! Constable Corey Benger, an
officer with the Bonavista detachment, visited
St. Mark’s and offered his head for shaving for any
fundraiser we may be planning. Coincidentally, a lady
from the “Relay for Life” organization in Bonavista
suggested that the school have a student team enter
the relay in September! When the students were
approached they pounced on the idea!
So on May 21, 2010, St. Mark’s hosted a fundraiser in their K-12 school! The
school used a number of initiatives to raise funds for their Relay for Life
fundraiser including hair shaving, collecting pledges and pieing teachers. Nine
students and Constable Benger collected sponsor money for their locks. Several
students who didn’t shave their heads collected for the cause too! The final tally
was $2100.00…a huge success for a small school of 123 students! St. Mark’s
would like to thank students, parents and staff for their Relay for Life event!
School Food Service Provider Workshops
School food service frontline staff are in a position to help students make
healthy food choices. Eastern Health and Eastern School District held School
Food Service Provider Workshops throughout the Fall. Frontline food service
staff from schools throughout the district were invited to attend a day-long
session which coincided with regional closeout dates. The session began with a
food safety presentation by regional Environmental Health Officers. Regional
Nutritionists and School Health Promotion Liaison Consultants then teamed up
to present and guide discussion of other topics. These topics included an
introduction to the revised School Food Guidelines, the role of the frontline
cafeteria staff in promoting the School Food Guidelines, as well as ideas to
encourage students to choose healthy food. The workshops were well-received.
Participants shared ideas they could use to help support the School Food
Guidelines and make healthy food the easy and popular choice.
Annual School Team Meeting: Eastern
Health Staff Learning about Best Practices
in Health Promotion
In the Avalon West, Burin and Vista regions of Eastern School District, Eastern
Health staff are organized into School Teams. The purpose of an Eastern Health
School Team is to coordinate the services and programs available to schools from
Eastern Health using a multi-disciplinary approach. Eastern Health School
Teams are available to help schools plan, implement and evaluate school health
initiatives. On June 4, 2010, Eastern Health School Teams came together to
celebrate and reflect on their work with schools throughout the year. This
Annual School Team Meeting focused on supporting staff in their work around
health promotion. Eastern Health School Teams spent some time discussing
how staff can support schools in applying for Healthy Schools Grants.
In addition Eastern Health School Teams looked at best practice approaches in
supporting healthy relationships and positive body image. Lots of new
information and activities were shared which made for a great day. If a school
would like more information on their Eastern Health School Team, please email
Colleen Kearley colleen.kearley@easternhealth.ca.
Macdonald Drive Junior High Roadrunners!
MacDonald Drive Junior High is running, running and running! Last year on
Monday, Wednesday and Friday of every week, rain or shine, 15-20 grade seven
and grade eight students ran different routes around the east end of St. John’s
for approximately one hour. Students learned to eat healthier and understand
the importance of being active. The runners became a competitive, avid runners
group who felt mentally, physically and socially a whole
lot better. Students were getting in shape and having a
blast doing so! There was also a “Learn to Run” Group
at Macdonald Drive Junior High for staff and students
who are just learning to run on Monday’s and
Wednesday’s. Staff and students worked together to
eat healthier and be more physically fit. Macdonald
Drive Junior High Roadrunners promote healthy living
and challenge students to new heights!
Winter 2011
5

Tips on making Eastern Active Schools
part of your school culture:
• Reflect on those activities which you like the most
• Think of how you can incorporate current outcomes into those
activities
• Look to your students for direction. Have them come up with
an activity…students can also learn from their peers
• Keep your Eastern Active Schools bin close to your desk where
you can see it. If you forget it, your students won’t!
• Have your class choose an activity they like doing
• Schedule activity breaks throughout the day
• Assign active homework for students. This can include digital
photo hunts where students need to take pictures of things
that they are learning about, a walking observation of things
learned in class or bringing classroom games home to play with
parents and/or siblings.
• Incorporate activities into school wide events such as literacy
and project peace days
• Keep in touch with your Eastern Active Schools Coordinator for
new activities and ideas or to schedule a visit to your classroom
786-7182 ext. 277 | natashakean@esdnl.ca
Eastern Active Schools Expansion
Throughout Eastern School District, schools have been implementing the
Eastern Active Schools program as a way to provide students with the
opportunity to learn through activity. Eastern Active Schools is a fun,
non-competitive program in which the classroom teacher incorporates 20
minutes of curriculum-linked activity in the classroom each day.
Although Eastern Active Schools was developed for K-6 grade levels,
many intermediate and high schools are incorporating the concept of
teaching through activity into their lessons.
Directions:
1) Write statements (factual or fictional) on cue cards equal to
the number of students in the class.
2) Explain the difference between a fact and something that
is fiction.
3) Have the students decide independently if the statement
on their card is a fact or fiction.
4) On a board write fact on one side and fiction on the other.
5) Have each student, one at a time go to the board and stand
under the heading they think their statement falls under.
6) Once they choose their heading they have to pick an
activity to do (i.e. running on the spot)
7) They have to do this activity until someone new joins their
group and changes the activity.
8) Once the activity is changed, all group members must do
the same activity as the new group member
9) Once the last person has chosen their heading and joined
their group the activity will continue for 10-15 seconds.
10) After the activity stops, have each child read the statement
on their cue card and give reasons as to why they thought
their statement was fact or fiction.
**This activity can be applied to any subject. You can put
math problems or equations on cards, statements about
people/historical figures or describe processes in
nature/science. It also gives each student a chance to come up
with their own activity/response and gives them a chance to
socialize with their peers.
Through funding from the Provincial Government, Eastern School District
will be expanding to more than 20 new schools this school year. Through
this funding, classroom teachers at these schools received Eastern Active
Schools training, activity resource kits and activity manuals.
6

Health Promotion is a hot topic these days. For this edition of
Chatterbox we decided to call on Regional Health Promotion
Manager of Eastern Health, Bernadette Duffett to discuss the
topic of Health Promotion as it relates to school health.
How does Health Promotion happen in schools
• Health Promotion happens in schools when there are safe and enjoyable
environments for children to play and learn.
What is Health Promotion
Health Promotion is the process of enabling people to increase
control over and to improve their health.
School health promotion focuses on actions that maintain or
improve the health of students, teachers and families in the
school environment. Health Promotion can help to break down
the barriers that affect some people’s ability to make healthy
choices for themselves.
• Health Promotion happens when there are rules and policies
that keep health in mind eg. School Food Guidelines; non smoking policies;
active and healthy living policy
• Health Promotion happens when support, education and information is
available to help teachers make healthier choices for their school eg PD days
on Active Schools; and availability of grants to do health promotion
initiatives in your school
Health Promotion happens in school through the Comprehensive School
Health Framework (CSH).
Who is available to support health
promotion efforts in schools
There are many resources to help schools in health
promotion efforts from community organizations, to
on line resources. In particular, Eastern Health staff
including: the Health Promotion Division, School
Teams and Public Health Nurses are a direct link to
schools in their Health Promotion efforts.
Why do we need Comprehensive School Health Framework
Health and Education are interdependent: healthy students are better learners, and
better educated individuals are healthier.
The Comprehensive School Health Framework (CSH):
• Recognizes that healthy young people learn better and achieve more
• Understands that schools can directly influence students’ health and behaviours
• Encourages healthy lifestyle choices, and promotes students health and well
–being
• Incorporates health into all aspects of school and learning
• Links health and education issues and systems
• Needs the participation and support of families and the community at large.
A team of Health Promotion consultants are located
throughout the region. Contact Health Promotion
Division St.John’s 752-4910 or Health Promotion
Division Clarenville 466-6334 to get more
information and/or contact your School Health
Promotion Liaison Consultant to access support for
health promotion initiatives.
Winter 2010
7

8
How Can ACT help you
ACT (Alliance for the Control of Tobacco) is a partnership of both
government and non-government
organizations, dedicated to reducing the
negative health, economic, and
environmental effects of tobacco use
in Newfoundland & Labrador.
Together with its partners, ACT is
responsible for developing,
implementing and monitoring the
Tobacco Reduction Strategy which sets out a
coordinated plan for tobacco control activities in the Province.
ACT’s four major goals are:
• Prevention - preventing people from starting to smoke.
• Protection - protecting people from the harmful effects of second
hand smoke.
• Cessation - helping smokers quit smoking and remain smoke free.
• Denormalization - positioning smoking so that it is no longer the
norm in society.
ACT Grant Program
The ACT grant program can be accessed any time throughout the year
to support tobacco control/reduction projects in communities and
schools around the Province. Please do not hesitate to contact ACT if
you have an idea for a project that connects to the Tobacco Reduction
Strategy. ACT is open to discussing any project you might have in mind
to determine if it is something they could assist with financially or in
kind. They have designed the process to be as simple as possible.
Please call Melissa: 709-753-0079 with any questions or to discuss
your idea.
Presentations to Classes
Please contact the ACT office for more information.
Resources for Students
ACT is able to provide resources such as lesson plans, brochures and
pamphlets. As well as ACT may be able to assist you by offering some
promotional items if your school is participating in a healthy, active,
smoke-free activity.
For More Information
709-753-0079
| www.actnl.com
Eastern School District Passes Active and
Healthy Living Policy
In 2008, after consultation with all stakeholders, the Eastern School District of
Newfoundland and Labrador identified “healthy and active, safe and caring, and
socially-just learning environments” as one of its strategic issues for the next three
years. From this issue the objective of developing an action plan, by June, 2010, to
promote healthy and active living was established. A significant indicator of success
in achieving this objective is the recent passing of the District’s Active and Healthy
Living policy. With this passing and subsequent implementation, the Eastern School
District is one of the first, if not the first, school districts in Canada to develop a
policy with the primary focus of student and staff wellness through the positive
integration of physical activity and wellness pursuits. To quote directly from the
policy statement;
“Promoting physical activity and positive nutritional practices in schools is a sound
investment in education that has been recognized as a vital component of the
“Comprehensive School Health Framework.” Active and healthy living should be
incorporated throughout the whole school with actions addressing the social and
physical environment, teaching and learning, partnerships and services, and school
policies.”
With this policy in place schools now have access to a supporting framework from
which to build and incorporate activity based programs and initiatives that support
the learning environment such as; hosting school wide ‘Living Healthy’ events,
teaching academic curriculum outcomes through physical activity, creating and
improving physical environments to support healthy and active lifestyle, and
partnering with community health and recreation groups. In doing so, the school
can serve as a launching platform for positive active and healthy living messages
beyond the school walls to the community and the home.
Handling Stress: DVD Resource Available
Stress comes in many forms for teenagers, from exam anxiety to being the
victim of bullying. Options for dealing with these situations are explored in
this 30 minute Discovery School DVD, suitable for Grades 9 -12. Teacher
guide included.
To find out how to borrow a copy, contact the Health Promotion Resource
Centre, Eastern Health in your area.
St. John’s & area
709-752-4907 | hpresourcecentre.stjohn’s@easternhealth.ca
Rural Eastern Region
709-229-1578 | hpresourcecentre.rural@easternhealth.ca

Vision and Hearing Screening
When treatable problems go undetected, a child’s ability to learn may suffer
and their social development and safety may be compromised. The Community
Health Nurse assigned to your school is able to screen vision and hearing and if any deficits are identified, can
make referral/recommendation for full evaluation by a doctor or specialist. This is only possible by the full written consent of the parent or legal guardian. Ask
your school nurse for the correct consent form. It is only necessary to screen a child every second school year, so if your student had been screened in the last
school year, the school nurse will not rescreen this year. And if your student has already been seen by a doctor or specialist for vision (e.g. wears glasses)
and/or hearing, please do not contact your school nurse for screening as the child would have already been thoroughly examined and appropriately treated. It
may be a good idea for your school to set a monthly date with your school nurse for the screenings. This would ensure that there is an adequate space
available to properly conduct the screening (e.g. quiet and well lit with table and chairs).
Supporting Schools Implement Eastern School District’s Nutrition Policy
Eastern School District, Eastern Health and the Provincial Government have been working collaboratively to support schools
with the implementation of Eastern School District’s Nutrition Policy. Here’s how:
Brand Name Food List
The Brand Name Food List removes the guesswork when planning
refreshments for school events! The Brand Name Food List provides a list
of locally available foods which fit into the Serve Most and Serve
Moderately categories of the School Food Guidelines as well as a listing of
foods which do not meet current Guidelines. For the current Brand Name
Food List, visit:
http://www.livinghealthyschools.com/brand_name_food_list.html
Food and Beverage Item Review Process
Feeling challenged trying to determine if and when a food item fits with
the School Food Guidelines With all the new food items coming on the
market, it can be quite confusing for administrators and caterers to
determine if and where a food item fits. To support schools, the Provincial
Government has developed a review process to help with these
challenges. If a school administrator or caterer has a food item which they
would like reviewed, they can complete and submit the Food/Beverage
Item Review Form. The submission deadlines are January 31, April 30,
August 31 and October 31 of every year. Regional Nutritionists across the
province will assess each submission and notify schools if the item meets
the School Food Guidelines. For more information the food and beverage
review process, to view items which have already been assessed or to
download the review form, visit:
http://www.livinghealthyschools.com/foodreview.html
Request for Proposal (RFP) for Food Services
Having trouble determining if your school menu meets Eastern School
District’s Nutrition Policy There is now more support available to help
ensure that the food and beverages served and sold in schools are healthy
choices. Eastern School District and Eastern Health now have a mandatory
menu review process incorporated into the Request for Proposal (RFP) for
Food Services. This process is required for all new contracts. Existing
contracts are not required to go through this process until renewal, but a
school can still request to have their menu reviewed by the Regional
Nutritionist to ensure it meets the School Food Guidelines.
Thank you for your continued cooperation as we strive to create a school
environment that supports healthy eating. If you have any questions
regarding this process please contact your School Health Promotion
Liaison Consultant:
Avalon East
Tracy English
709-758-2388
| tracyenglish@esdnl.ca
Avalon West, Burin & Vista
Krista Manning
709-786-7182, ext. 345 | kristamanning@esdnl.ca
Winter 2011
9

Healthy Snack Ideas for After School Events
School Sports NL has partnered with Eat Great and Participate to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity and healthy eating and to increase
healthy food and beverage choices in recreation, sport and community settings across Newfoundland and Labrador.
If your school is hosting an after school event such as a sport tournament, here are some healthy food and beverage suggestions for your canteen/ kiosk.
Suggestions are based on the School Food Guidelines. For more information check out the Brand Name Food List at www.livinghealthyschools.com
• 100% fruit or vegetable juice
• Fresh fruit (e.g. bananas,
clementines, apples)
• Cut-up fresh fruit served with
yogurt in a small Dixie cup
• 100% dried fruit leathers, raisins
or other dried fruit mixes
• Vegetable sticks served with
low-fat dip
• White or chocolate milk
(skim, 1% or 2%)
• Cheese strings or individual
cheese portions
• Yogurt
• Milk-based puddings
• Sandwiches filled with
tuna, salmon, turkey, chicken or
egg salad
• Home-made chicken or beef soup
• Chili, baked beans or pea soup
• Seeds, nuts or nut butters (refer
to your school’s allergy policy)
• Hummus with flat bread or pita
• Cereal bars
• Low fat, high fibre muffins
• Whole grain breads, rolls or
pita pockets
• Fig bars, animal crackers
or graham wafers
• Pasta salad
• Small bagels
10
Healthy eating and physical activity help our
children be the best they can be.
For more information about Eat Great and Participate:
709-729-4432 | jillmaceachern@gov.nl.ca
http://www.livinghealthyschools.com/eatgreat.html
Eat Well and Be Active
Educational Toolkit
Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada
have launched the Eat Well and Be Active Educational
Toolkit. This toolkit is designed to support those who
teach groups of children and adults about healthy eating
and physical activity, and encourage individuals to take
action to maintain and improve their health. The Toolkit
includes the Eat Well and Be Active Every Day educational
poster, downloadable activity plans as well as healthy
eating and physical activity images and tips. The Eat Well
and Be Active Educational Toolkit is available at:
www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

Belonging makes a difference!
To belong: to have a proper, appropriate, or suitable place; to be naturally
associated with something; to fit into a group naturally – Webster’s New
Collegiate Dictionary
Take a moment. Think back to when you were a young child at a family
gathering or meeting one of your parents’ friends. After you told all the
grown-ups how old you were, what was the question that almost always
came next Without a doubt, it was something like … What grade are you
in or what is your teacher’s name How do you like school One of the most
basic human needs is the need to be a part of a group; to belong. This is true
at any age, but perhaps more so during the childhood and adolescent years.
Children and youth who have a strong sense of belonging tend to have
higher levels of self-esteem, which in turn has a positive impact on health
and well-being ( Medical News Today, 2009).
Given the time that children spend in the school setting, schools are
positioned to provide this much needed sense of belonging. In today’s
society where other sources of belonging, such as family and community
may be lessened, the role of the school is increasingly important. Having a
sense of belonging, or connectedness to a classroom or school is also
essential for learning (Beck and Malley,1998). Research has shown that
students who are connected to school have better overall health, engage in
healthier behaviour and do better academically when compared to students
with less connectedness.
So, what exactly is school connectedness School connectedness is the
extent to which students feel personally accepted, respected, included, and
supported by others in the school and classroom. (Goodenow,1993)
Students who feel a sense of belonging or connectedness
to their school feel:
• Like a real part of the school
• Noticed when they’re good at something
• Teachers are interested in them
• Included in lots of school activities
• They are treated with as much respect as other students
• Proud to belong to the school
• There is at least one teacher or adult in the school they can talk to
(Shochet,and Wurfl, 2008)
School belonging is created by the relationships that exist in the school. The
first that comes to mind and perhaps the most influential in terms of
belonging is the teacher –student relationship. The bond with other school
staff and administrators, and fellow students is significant too.
Schools in our region recognize the value that developing a sense of
belonging or connectedness has on the health, well-being and successful
learning of children. Initiatives such as Safe and Caring Schools and Healthy
Students Healthy Schools help to create a positive and respectful environment
for relationships to grow and flourish.
Administrators, teachers, staff, students and parents all have a role to play.
Think about what you can do to enhance belonging in your school! Check
out the following links for more information:
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/ConnectToSchool/
http://www.med.umn.edu/peds/ahm/prod/groups/med/
@pub/@med/documents/asset/med_21771.pdfc
Healthy Students Healthy Schools Display for Parents/Guardians
Are you interested in providing parents/guardians with healthy living tips for their families If so, why not sign out the Healthy Students
Healthy Schools (HSHS) Display for Parents/Guardians for your Curriculum Night or Parent-Teacher Interviews. The HSHS Display provides
information to parents on eating healthy, being active and living tobacco-free. There are two versions: one for K-6 and one for 7-12. The
HSHS Display is a joint project of Eastern Health and Eastern School District. For more information, please contact:
Avalon East
Tracy English, School Health Promotion Liaison Consultant
709-758-2388 | tracyenglish@esdnl.ca
Avalon West, Burin & Vista
Krista Manning, School Health Promotion Liaison Consultant
709-786-7182, ext. 345 | kristamanning@esdnl.ca
Winter 2011
11

Sodium: What’s Shaking
Did you know that there is a Sodium (salt) Reduction Strategy for Canada The average
person in this country consumes 3,400 mg of sodium per day while the recommended intake for
people ages 9 – 55 is actually 1,500 mg and is less for those outside this age range. The
national Sodium Working Group (SWG) has established a goal of 2,300 mg as the average daily
sodium intake in Canada by 2016. The path to reducing the salt in our diets involves important
partnerships with the food and beverage industry, research, as well as learning how to make
healthy choices. This list of simple tips can help you get started:
Sodium / Sodium 860 mg 36%
• Use Canada's Food Guide and the Nutrition Facts table to help lower your sodium intake. Eating Well with Canada's
Food Guide recommends choosing foods from each food group that are lower in sodium and preparing foods with
little or no added salt. You can get a free copy of the guide at your local public health office or on the Health Canada
Website: www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide
• Check the percentage of the Daily Value (%DV) for sodium on food labels. The %DV tells you at a glance if
there is a lot or a little of a nutrient in that specific amount of food. Use the %DV to compare food
products.
• Choose fresh, unprocessed foods to eat or prepare at home in place of
prepackaged, convenience foods and choose plenty of fruits and
vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are also higher in potassium which is
a factor in reducing the risk of high blood pressure.
• Look for foods with claims such as "salt-free" (less than 5 mg of sodium
per serving), "low in sodium" (140 mg of sodium or less per serving), or
"reduced in sodium" (at least 25 percent less than the regular product).
• Remember that there is no need to add salt to children's food. Check the
Nutrition Facts table to help choose foods aimed at children that are lower
in sodium.
• When dining out, order dressings and sauces on the side and use sparingly.
Before you eat at a fast food restaurant, ask for nutrition information to see
how much sodium is in the food on their menu. Many chains now make
nutrition information available online or posted in their outlets.
More information about sodium can be found on the Health Canada website:
www.hc-sc.gc.ca or from your Regional Nutritionist within your Regional
Public Health Office.
Editorial Board
• Tracy English • Melissa Caravan
• Krista Manning • Cindy Saunders
• Bernadette Duffett
special thanks
• All who contributed to this edition
• The Editorial Board
• Strategic Communications Department, Eastern Health
• St. Clare’s Print Shop, Eastern Health
We’re on the Web!
www.livinghealthyschools.com
If you have a submission for the next edition of Living Healthy News please send it by
Monday, March 14, 2011 to:
Tracy English, School Health Promotion Liaison Consultant – Avalon East
758-2388 | tracyenglish@esdnl.ca
or
Krista Manning, School Health Promotion Liaison Consultant – Burin, Vista & Western
786-7182, ext. 345 | kristamanning@esdnl.ca