“Connect the Dots” Between Health and Education

Make your school community the best place to learn, work and play with three outstanding Resources for students in grades 7–12.

1. Wellness: A Question of Balance – An Educator Resource
2. Teens and Transition: A Teacher Guide
3. Teens and Transition: A Parent Guide

The Resources are written by a recognized pioneer in the field of wellness education. They provide a complete health and wellness curriculum.

Resources include lesson plans with activities, handouts and self-assessment tools. They can easily be adapted for use with elementary students, adults, and community partners.

Make wellness education accessible and meaningful to all students regardless of age, gender, race, ability, socio-economic status or religion.

The Resources build health knowledge, skills and behaviour in the cognitive, social, and behavioural domains – physical, emotional, mental, spiritual dimensions.

Health and education are two cornerstones of human development – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General WHO, October 2018, Official Launch Event UNESCO, Chairs Global Health & Education

Check out some samples

Flip through the books to see what’s in them.

Download handouts

Download handouts that explain the Resources and their benefits:

• Overview (PDF)
• Framework (PDF)
• Transition Guide (PDF)
• Resource: Wellness: A Question of Balance (PDF)

Wellness Team for a school community

Something that is integral is very important or necessary. If you are an integral part of the team, it means that the team cannot function without you. An integral part is necessary to complete the whole. In this sense, the word essential is a near synonym.

Research points to the need for schools to invest time and resources into building a health-promoting environment that supports the wellbeing of students and staff.  A key component is a wellness team that includes students, staff, parents and community partners. Community partners would include, for example, school health nurse, police liaison officer, social worker and business representative. While this may seem like a daunting task, there are small steps everyone can take to drive change.

The Resources are for use by:

• School counselors
• Teachers
• Administrators
• School psychologists
• Support staff
• School social workers
• Parents
• Health promotion specialists
• Public health nurses
• Community partners e.g. parks/recreation staff, police liaison officers, businesses

“Your books are very accessible to teachers, parents and students; as well as from my perspective, an excellent fit with the redesigned curriculum in BC.

With the new focus on competencies in our schools – most notably the 3 core competencies (Thinking, Communicating and Personal & Social), I believe these are invaluable resources to teachers.

There is also a great fit with the new Physical and Health Education curriculum.”

— Pat Duncan, retired Superintendent of Learning, BC Ministry of Education

“…your resources are a good fit with our re-designed PHE curriculum, particularly the resource “Wellness: A Question of Balance.”

— Joan Kloss, Learning Resource Evaluation Co-ordinator, Surrey School District

What Matters In Education?

The pandemic is showing us what really matters in education. Student well-being is the foundation for successful education systems. Well-being concerns everyone in a school community where theory, practice and policy are woven together to create the building blocks for a healthy school system.

Designing a roadmap that is comprehensive and has a reciprocal relationship between well-being and student success is the key element in creating a successful education system in a school community.

I have been involved in this research for many years. Learn about A School’s Guide to Success: The 7 Cs. 

Resources for a Whole School Approach

Three resources dovetail with a whole-school approach. These resources have concrete, clear, adaptable lesson plans and activities that can reverse even the most difficult situations that face a school community.

They are for use in the classroom, for work with parents, teachers and community partners.

1. Wellness: A Question of Balance: An Educator Resource (Grade 10 to adult)
2. Teens and Transition: A Teacher Guide (supports the move to high school and during the first year)
3. Teens and Transition: A Parent Guide (helps parents and their teenager develop a capacity to manage the move to high school)

Learn about the author and the development of these resources.

Flip through our sample books to see what’s inside the Resources.

Create a legacy and ensure a healthy future for all

Benefits of the Resources

• A common vision is created
• Responsibilities are shared
• Services are linked
• Knowledge and skills gained maximize health and well-being

Use of the resources has provided benefits that pay close attention to resiliency and asset development, self-efficacy, sense of belonging and connection to the school community, health literacy, and personal responsibility. Read some testimonials from more than 30 years of use.

Healthy School News Blog