No Time to Wait: The Health Kids Strategy - Ontario

3.3 Make schools hubs for child healthand community engagement.Create school communities where nutrition,physical education and health are more thanpart of the curriculum: they are an integralpart of every school day. Schools shouldcollaboratively work with public healthand other community partners to enhancehealth. All schools should be required to:●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Implement the Foundations for aHealthy School framework and trainteachers on integrating the foundationsinto their schoolEstablish Student Wellness Committees,and actively engage children and youthin developing relevant physical andmental wellness programs and activitiesto build resilience and promote healthyeating, active living, coping skills(i.e., stress reduction) and adequate sleepImplement and enforce the health andphysical education curriculum, as well asminimum physical activity requirements,including:– ● increasing the minimum requiredDaily Physical Activity in elementaryschool from 20 to 30 minutes per day– ● giving teachers the tools they need toimplement the DPA– ● making physical education compulsoryin every year of high schoolIncorporate play-based learning to meetDPA requirements and give kids moreopportunities to be active each dayDevelop locally driven strategies toensure that children with special needsand children who live in rural or remoteareas have equitable opportunities to bephysically activeEncourage active school transportationinitiativesImprove community use of schoolsand increase access to affordableopportunities for physical activity.3.4 Create healthy environments forpreschool children.To ensure healthy habits start as young aspossible, establish and enforce minimumphysical activity requirements in all EarlyYears Centres, Best Start Hubs and childcare settings. Ontario should also activelysupport and expedite local efforts to createhealthy kid “hubs” where families can accessco-ordinated prenatal, parenting, literacyand nutrition education, physical activitiesand health care services.44