Healthy Buddies™ provides a method for incorporating health as a school goal. Through the Program students are paired with disperately aged school mates in a buddy class and together, they learn about and practice health promotion. The Program teaches kids about the three components to healthy living through the delivery of 21 weekly lessons. With report cards, winter and spring breaks, professional days and holiday school closures, we find the Program generally lasts the duration of the school year. Students from all classes have opportunities to promote health in their school and be physically active with their buddies as the materials are designed to reach kids from Kindergarten to Grade 7. Health is raised to the forefront of student and staff awareness when the entire school participates. This can lead to a school culture change and increase the likelihood of longer-term benefits. The buddy component intrinsic to Healthy Buddies™ promotes school-wide social responsibility, supports empathic development and social skills development, and can aid with new students' transitions. Healthy Buddies™ may also be implemented by a few primary - intermediate teacher teams in a school. (top)
1. Moving your body (“Go Movel!”)
2. Nutrition (“Go Fuel!”)
3. Feeling good about yourself (“Go Feel Good!”)
In the first half of the year, students learn how to be positive buddies and learn about the three components to healthy living. In the second half of the year, the content is framed with the intent of identifying the challenges to living a healthy life and learning how to overcome these obstacles.
Each week the same classroom lesson (in age-appropriate formats) is delivered to all students. Older students first receive direct instruction. With guidance from their teachers, they then support the learning of their younger buddies. Throughout the 21 classroom lessons students deliver presentations, practice relaxation techniques, interview each other, play games, and create art displays.
Learning aids include fun card games, skits, poster design challenges, and cooperative in-class group activities.(top)
There is also a significant physical activity component to Healthy Buddies™ as buddy classes meet twice a week in the school gym or outside for the Healthy Buddies™ physical activity component: Fitness Loops. The fitness activities are incredibly easy for teachers to facilitate. Each buddy class participates together in two, structured aerobic physical Fitness Loops per week. Buddying the two classes in the gym helps address the shortage of gym time and space that exists in many elementary schools. This strategy allows more students to use the gym facilities at one time and provides an authentic opportunity for the older buddies to encourage their younger buddies. It is also a great chance for buddy teachers to work together to get all the kids moving!Fitness Loop themes change weekly to provide novelty and are accompanied by posters indicating the movements to be performed. The themes are designed to be safe, fun and challenging for both younger and older buddies. Students exercise to aerobic CDs included in the Program Resources. The use of high intensity (non-lyrical) CDs really gets and keeps kids moving throughout the Fitness Loop session. *Relaxation techniques are also taught; theyare part of the classroom lessons. A children's yoga DVD is included in the Healthy Buddies™ resource also.
Introduced in this phase of Program development and implementation is a stretching manual. This manual is easy to use and understand, providing generalist teachers with a tool for teaching kids proper stretching techniques. Kids learn how to stretch properly to prevent injury, strain, increase fitness and improve mood. Buddies practice safe stretching with each other. (top)