Healthy Buddies Program Newsletter: February 2008 (Click here to download)Healthy Buddies Program Newsletter: January 2008 (Click here to download)(top)Healthy Buddies™ Program Newsletter: Fall 2007
Hello and happy fall to all of you! It’s been fun to meet all of the new school staff on board this year, and always good to connect with last year’s schools. We’d like to keep you updated with recent news, ideas submitted by teachers, and lots of encouragement!
Fitness Loop News!For classes that have mastered (and need a change in) the fitness loop activities, we have brainstormed some new ideas:»Hop balls!»Circus ribbons!»Hula hoops!»Skipping!»Lunge-walk!»Cartwheels!»Stationary bike (lie on back with legs in air)!»Karate punches with scissor legs!»Graduated steps!
The ideas are endless... Email us with innovations you find are working, and we will publish them in the spring newsletter.
The Healthy Buddies™ program is in its second year of implementation, and teachers are being creative and exploring how to fit the program into their own unique schools. Here are a few nuggets from teachers:
»Music class with focus on healthy foods: Banana Boat Song (Day-O), Apples and Bananas.The website www.bussongs.com/food_songs.phb has some lyrics, and good ol’ Raffi and Graham Walker like to sing about food too!
»Healthy Buddies rainbow colours and nutritional themes to represent house team names, ex: Rockin’ Raspberries for Red theme
Classroom ideas to supplement your Healthy Buddies™ program:»Contact your local health unit for presentations on a variety of health topics»Contact your local grocery store, as a dietician will often give nutritional info in the store
(top)Healthy Buddies™ Program Newsletter: March/April 2007Program FeedbackA few weeks ago we sent out a brief review for all staff perticipating in Healthy Buddies™. We limited the questions to provide us with the maximum amount of information while not asking for too much of your time. Please return the reviews to the school leader, who will forward them to our office. Special thanks for Ken Gillies and Brenda Westmacott (SD 68, Cilaire Elementary in Nanaimo, BC) for their DVD highlighting student projects and Fitness Loop activities.(top)
Healthy Buddies™ Program Newsletter: February 2007 Report Card SuggestionsWith the second term report cards approaching we encourage everyone to look to the Learning Outcome Links section in Binder B; use your Healthy Buddies™ work to report student achievement on mandated learning outcomes. The art and language arts activities are also useful as additions to student portfolios.
Program FeedbackThis week we will be sending out a brief questionnaire. We have limited the questions to provide us with the maximum amount of info while not taking too much of your time. You may wish to complete the questionnaire with your teaching buddy. Please return the forms to your school leader or administrator.
Healthy Buddies™ Schools for 2007/2008
The deadline for new applications is March 9th! We are currently in the process of contacting schools in selected districts to ensure that we reach all Health Authorities in the province. If you have a colleague in another region of the province please let them know of this opportunity. While we can only accommodate 20 schools in the coming year, we do encourage all those interested to apply. It is helpful if we can show that there is a demand for the program, if we secure funding beyond 2008.
Healthy Buddies™ Program Newsletter: January 2007 Hello and welcome back from the winter break! We hope you found time to connect with family and are feeling refreshed. For your interest we are sending along some recent health news updates. We look forward to hearing from you. The photo from the Fall workshop will follow in a separate email.
~David & Valerie
Healthy Buddies™ Program Newsletter: December 2006
With winter break approaching quickly we would like to wish you an enjoyable and restful holiday! These past few months your staff has been working collaboratively on implementing a new resource; an effort of which we are very appreciative.
We have really enjoyed reading your responses to our Release Feedback form. Many of your suggestions will now be included in our second print run of resources for schools participating next year. We have summarized the comments received from participating schools to date and included a sample of these below for your interest. We are encouraged by your commitment to providing the students with engaging learning experiences! Thank you for your energy towards empowering children to live healthier lives!
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. We are out of the office during the holidays and will return the first week back to school! Merry Christmas everyone!
Feedback Received from schools about Release Money Uses:
- Created new themes for fitness loops.
- Laminated other posters.
- Two part days for intermediate teachers to prep lessons.
- Lead teacher sets up the fitness loops.
- Documentation by video of some of the activities.
- Each pair of teachers was given an hour of planning time.
- We added our own money to buy 4 TOC days to allow each team to meet for 2 hours.
- We went over the binders in more depth.
- Release time for reflective dialogue and planning preparation of lesson materials.
First Impressions of the Healthy Buddies™ Program:
- The primary students love their buddies.
- Fabulous! Well designed, well planned.
- Intermediate students have shown great leadership.
- Teachers like the lesson lay-out.
- You need at least 45 minutes for the intermediate lesson and possibly also for the buddy lesson.
- Students in grade 4/5 may need help in some reading activities.
- Very thorough and easy to use.
- There is a lot of photocopying.
- Huge, inclusive and a little overwhelming.
- Having the whole school involved is important to the success.
- Avoid start-up in November (too busy with report cards).
- The program is “hefty”; you need more time to “muck around” before implementation.
- The resource is well laid-out and user-friendly.
- I like the progression of three areas of focus.
- We like the lessons…it’s stuff the kids needed and they already understand the value!
Other Comments received from teachers and staff implementing the Program:
- The school visit motivated the staff, who in turn motivated the students.
- Continue to stay in touch with us (keeps the enthusiasm going).
- Make this a regular part of staff meetings.
- Lessons seemed framed for primary students.
- Staff training visit was imperative.
- The material bins are very helpful.
- Lots of good communication/follow-up.
- Terrific resource.
- Release teachers to observe basic management strategies in the gym.
- Provide a longer staff training session.
- Feeling the time crunch in intermediate.
- Doing an actual fitness loop with the staff would be helpful.
- Prep and implementation takes a lot of time.
- Very complete but too dense. It takes too much time to implement when other
curricular areas need to be addressed. We have shortened up the lessons.
- Provide a “Week at a Glance” in the orientation session.
- The learning outcome links are great.
- Great organization of binder, good visuals.
- I appreciate the layout of how to be a good older buddy.
- Include a 2nd set of binders for the primary teacher.
- Separate the intermediate and primary lessons.
- A great, comprehensive program but very time consuming.
- The primary Social Responsibility survey was difficult for the students.
- Thorough and complete; easy to follow; easy to get the kids engaged.
- Gym circuit fun and valuable.
- Older kids are very into it!
- Lots of rosy cheeks coming out of the gym.