Toolkit for Healthy Schools Leadership
The Toolkit for Healthy Schools Leadership answers this question: How can I promote school health across my school system?
This Toolkit explores how to implement the Canadian Healthy School Standards , with a specific focus on the actions needed at a school system leadership level. It provides a pathway to follow in the form of six interconnected checklists, along with connections to additional resources, acting as your guidebook for creating a healthy learning climate and workplace. It is one tool within a suite of resources provided by the Canadian Healthy Schools Alliance to enhance the capacity of school system leaders to create healthy school communities.
The toolkit was prepared for school system leaders who are interested in advocating for, initiating and strengthening healthy schools across Canada. It is an online resource that will be updated as new resources are developed. You can use the six checklists provided below to chart your healthy school journey or use the resources provided here in a non-linear fashion, as you need them. Investment from school system leaders is an essential condition for creating healthy schools.
What do we mean by the term “school system leader”?
School system leaders (or school system administrators) make policy and resource decisions that impact student and staff health and wellbeing at a school system level.
Examples include:
Directors of Education
Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents
School Board Trustees, Student Trustees, Indigenous Student Trustees
Indigenous Education Leads
Mental Health Leads
Toolkit Resources
Checklist #1: Leadership
Leadership from school system administrators is integral to creating or evolving healthy schools. Learn how the Standards and the Toolkit can act as your playbook.
Checklist #2: Organizational Conditions
Create the organizational conditions needed to impact student and employee health and wellbeing and achieve system transformation.
Checklist #3: Effective Processes
Build effective and interconnected processes to empower your school community and champion school health from where you stand.
Checklist #4: Sustainable Resources
Invest sustainable resources to ensure healthy schools actions can take flight and continue to soar!
Checklist #5: Valuing Diversity
Ensure your healthy schools actions centre equity, diversity and inclusion, and act on reconciliation.
Checklist #6: Strengths-Based Approach
Build on existing strengths and assets within your school communities to deepen and widen the reach and impact of your healthy school efforts.
Healthy Schools Budget
Use this template to consider what funds may be needed to support healthy schools action across your school system.
One-Pager: Healthy Schools Leadership: Key Steps
Key steps in the healthy schools leadership process are outlined here. These steps, pulled from the Toolkit for Healthy Schools Leadership, are foundational to a healthy school process.
Policy Statement
The policy statement defines why healthy schools matter and outlines the call to action for school system leaders from the Canadian Healthy Schools Alliance.
One-Pager: Healthy School Talking Points
Key talking points to support school system leaders in advocating within their school system-and beyond-for the development of healthy schools.
One-Pager: What is a Healthy School?
Wellbeing is an essential precondition for learning, and a healthy school is a central hub from which to support lifelong health and wellbeing. Use this one-pager to define a “healthy school” for yourself or others!
Extended Reading
Additional readings and resources that informed the Toolkit for Healthy Schools Leadership.
Acknowledgements
The Alliance thanks the following contributors to this toolkit:
Kaitlyn Bailey, Comprehensive School Health Facilitator – Northern, DASH BC
Elle Doherty, Projects Leader, Ophea
Drew Maginn, Director of Operations, Ophea
Chris Markham, Executive Director, Ophea
Gail Markin, Social Emotional Learning Support K-12, School District No. 35, Langley, British Columbia
Genevieve Montemurro, Research Coordinator, SIRCLE/School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Kerri Murray, Director of Projects, Ever Active Schools
Jeff Randhawa, Coordinator, Community Outreach, Surrey Schools, British Columbia
Katelynn Theal, Assistant Director, Comprehensive School Health, Ever Active Schools
Faye Willick, Executive Director, DASH BC
This toolkit was created by:
Ken Bain, Executive Director, Canadian Association of School System Administrators
Heather Callum, Lead, Engagement and Knowledge Mobilization, PHE Canada
Melanie Davis, ED/CEO, Physical and Health Education Canada
Nancy Pynch-Worthylake, Executive Director, Canadian School Boards Association
We want to hear from you! Send your questions or feedback to hello@healthyschoolsalliance.ca.
Page last updated November 2021