Better Health = Better Learners; Health and Education are interdependent
Comprehensive School Community Health (CSCH) works to support improvement in students' educational outcomes while addressing school community health in a planned, integrated, and holistic way. CSCH enhances what already happens in the classroom and motivates the whole school community through actions that encompass four integrated components providing a strong foundation for school community health.
What does Comprehensive School Community Health do?
- Recognizes that healthy children and youth learn better and achieve more.
- Understands that schools can directly influence students' health and behaviours.
- Encourages healthy choices, and promotes students' health and well-being.
- Incorporates health and wellness into all aspects of teaching and learning.
- Links and aligns health and education issues and opportunities.
- Thrives with the participation, support and engagement of families and the whole community.
Goals of CSCH
- to promote health and wellness;
- to provide equitable opportunities that address disparities and contribute to academic success;
- to intervene to assist vulnerable children and youth;
- to help support those who are already experiencing poor health; and,
- to prevent specific diseases, disorders, and injury.
2012-2013 Pilot Project
In the 2012-2013 school year, GSSD had two CSCH-based pilot projects in place at Melville Comprehensive School (MCS) and Victoria School in Kamsack.
MCS had a very successful implementation in the Grade 7 classrooms. They implemented a morning physical education and breakfast program which is showing positive results in areas such as decreased bullying, increased homework completion and decreased attendance issues.
Watch Shining a Spotlight on Success: Good Spirit SD Melville Comprehensive School to learn more about the CSCH initiative. This video was developed by the Government of Saskatchewan.
Having previously been designated a Community School, Victoria School had many of the programs and initiatives in place to support CSCH. Being a PreKindergarten to Grade 4 school, they have unique challenges not faced by a high school. Victoria school is also an "inMotion" school that has various student activities. For more information on the Health Promoting Schools Program as well as integration of CSCH in a school, click here to visit their website.
Other schools throughout the division are now also looking into how the tenants of CSCH can be used in their specific school community.