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20 Activities Focusing on Health for Middle School Students

June 27, 2022 //  by  Sharayah Lynn Grattan

The educational system is responsible for teaching kids and young adults the fundamentals of being a self-sufficient member of society. Knowing how to live a healthy lifestyle is an important component we should include in our school health lesson plans and cross-curricular learning.

Middle School health classes can cover a variety of topics including physical activity, nutrition programs, as well as health science subjects like body composition and hygiene.

We have put together a list of 20 of our favorite activity ideas to inform your students about healthy living.

1. Learn Your Body Type

Most teens have no idea what is going on with their bodies, so many changes are occurring and they could benefit from some information and resources to reassure them they are completely normal. Create a handout fit for students and inform your middle school students about the 3 different somatotypes.

Learn More:  mPort

2. 5-Minute Stretching Routine

Studies show that even just 5-10 minutes of stretching daily can greatly improve our flexibility, joint strength, and mobility. Students spend most of their school day sitting down, so incorporate this or another simple yoga demonstration into your class warm-up.

Learn More:  DCSD Wellness

3. Encourage Brain Breaks

Our mental health is a part of our overall health and well-being, so to help diffuse stress and anxiety , you can give your students strategies to give their brains a little break. A few suggestions to try are self-soothing by hugging and breathing, rubbing their hands together to make heat, and stadium standing.

Learn More:  25 Refreshing Brain Break Activities for Middle School

4. Vocab Hopscotch

Our brains can sometimes remember or recall information easier when we are moving. A fun kids' health lesson you can try with any subject (including health science) is vocab hopscotch. Print out pictures of different words or body parts and see who knows the human body best!

Learn More:  Multibriefs

5. Healthy Habits Bingo

There are some really great bingo worksheets available that can start discussions on nutrition and overall student health. This resource has advice about what students can do for their mental health and safety, and things to avoid to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Learn More: Pinterest

6. Focus on Mental Health

Mental health awareness should be included in all middle school health curricula. One way to check in with your student's mental health is by creating a safe space for open and honest sharing. You can set up a big circle and make this a whole-class discussion or pair students off for one on one talks with question prompts.

Learn More:  Everfi

7. Stress-Management Exercise

The school health science class covers not only physical health, but mental health, and what can happen if stress or other negative emotions take over. Information is key in students' understanding why they feel bad and what they can do to feel better. Talk about fight or flight, relationships, hormones, and more.

Learn More:  Counselor Keri

8. Sleep Tracker Apps

Decide which free app you want to use with your students then ask them to download it and make an account. Each week, have a quick check-in to see if your students' sleep improves as they learn about the importance of rest and strategies for how to get the most out of sleep.

Learn More:  NY Times

9. Healthy Sleep Habits

Teenagers may struggle to keep a consistent sleep schedule and don't know the effects lack of sleep can do on their bodies and minds. Inform your students all the jobs sleep is responsible for, and what can happen if they do not get a sufficient amount of it.

Learn More:  Speech Buddy

10. Sleep Action Card Game

Make healthy sleep practices part of your in-class learning process. This card game rewards and takes away points for good and bad habits before sleep. Keep a record chart for each student on the wall of your classroom and add or remove points on a daily basis.

Learn More:  Pinterest

11. The Birds and the Bees

This may not be the most popular lesson plan topic in middle schools, but it is a very important one. Many teens are beginning the stages of puberty at this time and most do not know what to expect. This activity has a series of cards with different changes that happen to boys and girls during puberty. Have students pick cards and guess if this change happens in girls, boys, or both.

Learn More:  ASD Sex Ed

12. Limit Screen Time

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Now in our current global situation, many students have had to greatly increase their amount of screen time for virtual classes, projects, and social calls. Limiting screen time is a critical topic when covering comprehensive nutrition and wellness practices. Work to reduce the amount of technology/screens your students need to complete work for your class.

Learn More:  Action For Healthy Kids

13. Positive Self-Talk

With social media, celebrities, and unlimited access to edited content, students can begin to doubt their value/abilities and practice negative self-talk. A big part of the learning process we go through to become self-aware and confident adults is to work on positive self-talk.

14. Hygiene 101

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The human body is going through a huge transformation during the entire time of middle school. Learning how to have proper hygiene is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Teach your students the basics of a hygiene routine. Encourage them to do their own laundry, take regular showers, and wash their hands often.

15. Emotional Wellness

Normalize daily mental and emotional learning check-ins with your students. When they come into class ask them to place a sticky note in the row they resonate with today. Notice who is struggling and talk to them after class or find them help through the school counseling center.

Learn More:  Good Housekeeping

16. Mood Music Playlist

Many people find relief and enjoyment in listening to music. One activity you can incorporate in your middle school health lesson is a mood music chart. Ask your students to create a happy playlist of songs that bring them peace and joy. They can share their playlists with the class to foster connection and openness.

17. Healthy Food Categories Ball Game

Ball games are a fun addition you can add to your health lesson plans. Depending on how many students you have, there are a few game options you can choose from. Some incorporate color-coordinating fruit and veggie names, while others recall different nutrients and their role in a healthy diet.

Learn More:  SSWW

18. Stay Hydrated!

Even though many students bring water to school, many forget to drink enough throughout the day. Here are some fun water drinking games to play with your students to get them to laugh and drink water during class.

Learn More:  Infinite Spider

19. Hygiene Fun Facts Lesson

The informative topic of hygiene is a popular health science area. Some habits should be done on a daily basis, while others are more regular than that. Cut these cards out and play some guessing games to make sure your students are taking care of their bodies.

20. Calculating Nutrition Facts

We can use our mathematical skills to make sure we are making wise nutritional choices . Teach your middle schoolers how to read and interpret nutrition fact labels and be critical of food packaging health claims on their favorite foods so they can be educated grocery shoppers.

Learn More:  WikiHow

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Health Science | Middle School | Lesson Plans

7 Health Science Lesson Plans Perfect for Middle School

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July 27th, 2022 | 9 min. read

7 Health Science Lesson Plans Perfect for Middle School

Brad Hummel

Coming from a family of educators, Brad knows both the joys and challenges of teaching well. Through his own teaching background, he’s experienced both firsthand. As a writer for iCEV, Brad’s goal is to help teachers empower their students by listening to educators’ concerns and creating content that answers their most pressing questions about career and technical education.

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When teaching health science to middle school students, you are responsible for introducing learners to several different health science subjects. This will be the first time many students learn about some of the critical topics you will cover.

You may be concerned that your students receive age-appropriate lesson material to their experience as middle schoolers. You also want to make sure you are providing them with high-quality content that will help them grow academically and be prepared for more advanced material in the future.

Based on what we’ve heard from teachers, seven of the most popular lesson plan topics for your middle school health science class are:

  • Health Career Exploration
  • Health Care Careers
  • Client Status
  • Legal and Ethical Responsibilities
  • Communications
  • Medical Math
  • Wellness and Nutrition

Below, you’ll find more information about each of these health science lesson plans and how they can help you teach your middle school students.

1. Health Career Exploration

HealthCenter21 Module: Health Career Exploration

When teaching middle schoolers health science, the perfect place to start is a lesson on health career exploration. For students contemplating the CTE health careers pathway, it’s important to ensure students are fully aware of the opportunities and challenges facing them if they pursue an occupation in healthcare.

A solid health career exploration activity introduces students to opportunities in each of the five healthcare career pathways:

  • Diagnostic Services
  • Therapeutic Services
  • Health Information
  • Support Services
  • Biotechnology Research and Development

When students have learned about each of the pathways, you can introduce them to specific careers within each path and allow them to explore the diverse possibilities working in a health science occupation can offer them.

Where to Find Health Career Exploration Lessons

There are some great places to find health career exploration lessons, including these sources:

  • Health Occupations for Today and Tomorrow (HOTT)
  • Healthcare Career Exploration Activities Bundle
  • Health Smart Virginia Health Careers Unit

You can also look here for more recommendations on How to Teach Health Science Careers in Middle School .

2. Healthcare Careers

HealthCenter21 Module: Healthcare Careers

A natural next step for teaching health science to a middle school audience is instruction on healthcare careers.

While health career exploration aims to familiarize students with their options for working in an occupation in the CTE health science pathway , healthcare careers lessons take a step further in the learning process.

Healthcare careers lessons look at the specific skills, knowledge, degree, and certification requirements necessary for students to achieve their occupational goals. A good healthcare careers lesson leads students to select a career aligned with their personal values and interests and helps them understand the steps they will need to take to work in the field of their choice.

After completing instruction in healthcare careers, students are more likely to be motivated to work toward a particular academic and vocational goal that they’ll keep in mind for the remainder of your class and beyond.

Where to Find Healthcare Careers Lessons

You can locate healthcare lessons from reliable sources like these:

  • National Institutes of Health (NIH) Changing the Face of Medicine
  • University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health

3. Client Status

HealthCenter21 Module: Client Status

After a thorough introduction to the possibilities available to middle school students in the health science careers pathway, a logical next step is to teach the most basic element of healthcare, measuring client status.

Client status consists of accurately taking and recording body measurements and vital signs. In a good client status lesson, your middle schoolers will learn about different types of body measurement for infants and adults and the type of equipment medical professionals use to make these measurements.

Students will learn how to take and record basic measurements such as:

  • Temperature
  • Respiration
  • Blood Pressure

Learning to measure client status is a fundamental aspect of healthcare essential to students’ progress in the CTE health science pathway.

Where to Find Client Status Lessons

There are many lessons available online that cover specific measurements within client status:

  • Blood Pressure Basics from TeachEngineering
  • Ins and Outs of Respiration: Determine Your Respiratory Rate from the Science Museum of Minnesota

4. Legal and Ethical Responsibilities

HealthCenter21 Module: Legal and Ethical Responsibilities

Even at a beginner level, it’s paramount that learners understand a healthcare worker’s unique legal and ethical responsibilities. As future healthcare workers, students need to know specific regulations that will affect them daily.

Legal and ethical responsibilities lessons can cover several measures particular to working in healthcare, including:

  • The Patient’s Bill of Rights
  • Scope of Practice
  • Contract law
  • Confidentiality and privileged communication

When you introduce students to their unique responsibilities early in the learning process, they’ll better appreciate how essential understanding the law is to providing healthcare of the highest standard.

Where to Find Legal and Ethical Responsibilities Lessons

There are great resources on the legal and ethical responsibilities of healthcare workers that you can access online:

  • Legal and Ethical Responsibilities Lesson Plan from Joshua ISD
  • Introduction to Legal and Medical Ethics from Del Valle Health Science Technology

5. Communications

HealthCenter21 Module: Communications

Learning solid communication skills is appropriate for health science students of every age, including middle school. In healthcare occupations, it’s critical to communicate with clients in a manner that is both professional and sensitive to their particular situations.

In communication lessons geared towards middle school health science students, learners discover the fundamentals of interpersonal communication and different types of communication technology used in medical care. They’ll also learn how to overcome personal, cultural, physical, and environmental barriers when communicating with patients.

By developing compassionate communication skills early in their education, students will be ready to work directly with patients sooner and be well on their way to becoming sensitive healthcare professionals.

Where to Find Communications Lessons

You can locate many free and low-cost health science communication resources from reputable sources, including these options:

  • Health Science Communication Bundle from The Purposeful Pedagogy
  • Mad Gab - Healthcare Edition
  • Communication Barriers Lesson Plan from Texas CTE

6. Medical Mathematics

HealthCenter21 Module: Medical Mathematics

Healthcare workers frequently use mathematical skills as part of providing proper patient care. Middle school is a great time to review basic math that students will use when working in health science.

Since medical math is part of everything from measuring and administering doses of medicine to patient intake and output, students need to be fluent in measurements according to the household, metric, and apothecary systems.

In particular, students should be to work with:

  • Whole numbers
  • Percentages

By learning and continually reviewing medical math, students are less likely to make crucial mistakes later when working directly with patients in a clinical setting.

Where to Find Medical Math Lessons

Medical mathematics is a popular health science subject with several valuable resources available to teachers:

  • Medication Dosage Activity from Lesson Planet
  • Basic Medical Math Curriculum Bundle from Mrs. Curfew
  • Medical Math Bell Ringers from The Purposeful Pedagogy

You can also try these free medical math lesson plans .

7. Wellness and Nutrition

HealthCenter21 Module: Wellness and Nutrition

Perhaps the most long-lasting health science lesson you can provide your students is a quality overview of wellness and nutrition. Especially during middle school, young students need to understand the basics of their personal wellbeing.

Learning nutrition and wellness early on will help students as they continue their studies in school and begin to make decisions that affect their health.

A comprehensive nutrition and wellness lesson equips learners with the resources to create their own wellness plan and pursue holistic health.

Some topics you can explore in your nutrition and wellness lessons include:

  • Holistic health and healthy living
  • Nutrition, food groups, and diets
  • Choosing healthcare providers
  • Prescriptions and medications
  • Effectively managing stress

When you teach wellness and nutrition in your middle school health science courses, you’re giving your students the knowledge they need to make better choices and pursue a healthy lifestyle.

Where to Find Wellness and Nutrition Lessons

Thankfully, there are many places to find nutrition and wellness lessons appropriate for your middle school students. Here are just a few:

  • 8 Nutrition Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students
  • Let’s Eat Healthy Middle School Curriculum
  • John C. Stalker Institute of Food and Nutrition
  • USDA Nutrition.gov Kids’ Corner

Teach Health Science with a Comprehensive Curriculum

As a middle school health science teacher, it’s essential to find appropriate resources for your students to prepare them for future coursework in the health careers pathway and eventually a health occupation.

Each of the topic areas in this article is an excellent fit for students to explore during your middle school class. If you’re looking for lessons on a specific subject area, any one of the lesson recommendations could give you the resources you need for your particular situation.

However, you may find that you need to cover many or all of these subjects in your health science classes. In that case, consider HealthCenter21 from AES. HealthCenter21 is a comprehensive health science curriculum that provides teachers with resources to cover subjects throughout the health careers pathway, starting in middle school.

Click below to learn more about HealthCenter21 and discover if it's the right fit for your classroom.

health activities in school

  • KidsHealth for KIDS
  • KidsHealth for TEENS

Nemours Reading BrightStart!

  • Healthy Habits for Life Resource Kit
  • imHealthy with Michael Phelps
  • Teacher's Guides: Preschool
  • Health Problems
  • Personal Health

Welcome to KidsHealth in the Classroom!

Get on board with KidsHealth's new online resource for educators! KidsHealth in the Classroom offers free health curriculum materials for all grades and subject areas. Each teacher's guide includes discussion questions, activities, and reproducible handouts and quizzes - all aligned to recently updated national health education standards.

  • Sesame Street
  • How the Body Works
  • Special Needs

From your sniffing nose to your wiggling toes, learn How the Body Works with these 19 movies for kids. The movies come with doctor-approved, age-appropriate articles (in English, Spanish, and audio formats), quizzes and other activities to help reinforce learning.

Watch the Movies

KidsHealth in the Classroom offers educators free health-related lesson plans for PreK through 12th grade. Each Teacher's Guide includes discussion questions, classroom activities and extensions, printable handouts, and quizzes and answer keys — all aligned to National Health Education Standards.

Do your students need help with writing reports? Studying for tests? Getting organized? Dealing with problems at school? Give them these links to expert-approved, age-appropriate articles, in English, Spanish, and audio formats:

  • Homework Help minisite for kids
  • Homework Help minisite for teens
  • Helping With Homework minisite for your students' parents

As a child care provider, you play an important role in children's lives, especially when it comes to food and fitness. To make things easier on you, KidsHealth and Sesame Workshop present the Healthy Habits for Life Child Care Resource Kit.

These hands-on activities use Sesame Street characters to help you show your students how to eat right and be active.

These Special Needs Factsheets explain the basics about health conditions that can affect learning in the classroom, and offer quick tips on teaching strategies to help students succeed in school.

View the Factsheets

Reading Readiness

Nemours Reading BrightStart! has the tools and training to promote reading success.

Lesson plans on emotional health created with the Michael Phelps Foundation.

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Health Literacy for Teens

Get four free lessons to help teens take control of their health care as they move into adulthood.

Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Corbis, Veer, Science Photo Library, Science Source Images, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com

Schools For Health

Healthy Activities

Schools are an avenue for participation in a number of activities outside of the traditional classroom environment. As much as possible, these activities should continue to be provided to students to support engagement, health, mental wellbeing, and development.

Provide recess

  • Do not limit children’s access to recess, the schoolyard, or fixed play equipment
  • Wash or sanitize hands before and after recess or using high-touch equipment
  • Increase supervision to limit high-risk behaviors
  • Stagger recess times, or, if necessary, separate classes by schoolyard area

Recess, often the only opportunity to participate in unstructured free-play during the otherwise structured and sedentary school day, is beneficial to children’s development of autonomy, participation in physical activity and various sensory and physical experiences, practice of social and motor skills, and attention restoration. As different areas of the schoolyard afford different levels of physical activity, types of play, and social interactions, consider the impact of new recess policies on children’s ability to confer the benefits of recess. Schools can develop strategies to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in order to allow for continued use of fixed equipment (play structures) and portable equipment.

One of the most important steps that can be taken is for children and teachers to wash their hands with soap and water both before and after recess. Hand sanitizer containing at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol can be used in situations when this is not feasible. Schools may consider having students use hand sanitizer before and after using high-touch equipment (e.g., fixed equipment or play structures). Supervision could be increased to ensure safe practices are followed, particularly during high-risk times (start/end of recess) and in high-risk locations (enclosed or small, hard-to-see places on fixed equipment, or anywhere with high child density). Supervisors should maintain physical distance from students and continue to wear masks. Physical distance between students should be promoted as much as possible. Schools may consider offering physical activity options that allow students to maintain physical distance while they are playing. However, transient interactions while masked are lower risk and should not be used as the basis for limiting all activities.

Ideally, recess times could be staggered so that children in different classes or cohorts would not interact (to maintain group distancing). If classes or cohorts must share the same recess time, entry and exit times could be staggered, or different entry and exit locations could be used for each group. If the schoolyard is large and diverse enough to provide adequate space and variety to each class (including access to all types of schoolyard locations and equipment), classes or cohorts could be provided with designated spaces on the schoolyard in which to play (if recess times cannot be staggered). These designated spaces could be rotated frequently (e.g., daily, weekly, depending on the variety available) to provide children access to a variety of schoolyard experiences.

Schools can allow use of shared portable equipment (e.g., balls, wheeled toys) as play with portable equipment promotes physical activity and allows children to practice motor and social skills. Shared equipment can be disinfected between each class/cohort, and students should wash hands after using shared equipment. Schools may also allow children to “sign out” pieces of equipment and clean each piece between uses. When possible, schools could consider how to modify games/activities to promote safe play. For example, the game “tag” could be replaced with “shadow tag,” in which children step on each other’s shadows instead of touching each other directly.

A diagram showing various recess guidelines including keeping play structures open, washing hands, supervision, portable equipment, and a variety of play spaces.

Modify physical education

  • Hold physical education classes outdoors when possible
  • Modify activities to limit the amount of shared equipment
  • Choose activities that limit close contact over those with a high degree of personal interaction
  • Limit use of locker rooms

Physical education aims to develop children into physically literate individuals who have the skills, fitness, and motivation necessary to participate in physical activity across the lifespan. Importantly, while both facilitate physical activity participation, recess and physical education have unique benefits and should not be substituted for one another.

When designing lesson plans, schools could choose activities that limit the amount of shared equipment (e.g., children rotate through stations and equipment is cleaned before/after each use) and contact between students (e.g., children have their own pool noodle to tag others with instead of their hands and to remember to keep distance). As some children may be less physically fit due to limited participation in activities over the previous months, schools could apply progressive overload to allow for safe, gradual increases in workload. Physical distancing, washing hands, and healthy building strategies are particularly important during indoor physical education due to increased breathing rates of students. Locker room access should be limited or staggered. Furthermore, physical education is much more than just physical activity, so schools may consider focusing on teaching the components and values of physical activity and physical fitness, as well.

Reimagine music and theater classes

  • Replace higher-risk music and theater activities with safer alternatives
  • Move outdoors
  • Increase space between performers

Music education is associated with numerous benefits, including higher academic scores, better memory recall, and the development of areas of the brain related to language and reasoning. Music and theater education should continue, but there are ways they can be made safer. Instruments that do not involve blowing air from the mouth, such as percussion or strings instruments, could be used instead of higherrisk wind instruments, which have the potential for spread of aerosols and droplets because masks cannot be worn while playing. Singing and voice projection are also higher-risk activities that carry a higher risk of viral transmission because of the higher emission rates of aerosols and droplets. Indoor instruction of these higher-risk activities can be replaced with outdoor practice (weather permitting), music theory, theater history, or vocal anatomy lessons. Another option is to continue online instruction for certain instruments, choirs, or ensembles, or practice outdoors in smaller, well-spaced groups. If schools decide to practice indoors, additional precautions are necessary. Practice should only take place in rooms with enhanced ventilation and filtration and where maximum physical distancing can be achieved (minimum six feet). Additional distancing beyond six feet is required for unmasked wind instrument players. Masks should be worn at all times for string instruments players, singers, and performers who are projecting their voice, and for wind instrument players at all times when not actively playing the instrument (e.g., during instrument setup, between songs).

Additionally, all equipment, even student’s personal instruments, should be cleaned routinely. Smaller music spaces such as individual practice rooms may be difficult to properly ventilate, so there should be time set aside to keep the door open and clean the room in between uses, or the rooms can be temporarily closed. In theater classes, it may be preferable to focus on rehearsing monologues, remote performances, more performances with small casts that do not require close interaction or performances that can be rehearsed outdoors.

Continue sports with enhanced controls

  • Offer every sport if the right controls are in place
  • Play outdoors as much as possible
  • Limit time spent in close contact and in big groups
  • Limit shared equipment, shared spaces, and the number of contacts of the team
  • Modify the season schedule and restrict game attendance if feasible
  • Analyze each element of practices and games to identify ways to reduce risk
  • Wash or sanitize hands before and after practice, games, or using high-touch equipment

Sport participation offers students a number of psychological and physical benefits and drives physical activity both in childhood and later in adulthood. The risk of transmission for each sport will depend on a number of factors, so decisions regarding specific sports will need to be nuanced. All sports carry some risk of transmission, and that risk varies by the activity. For example, some sports may be a higher risk during competition but can be a lower risk during practice and drills. But even for sports with lower overall risk, there can be periods of higher risk times during practice or in the locker room. The overall risk is not necessarily about the sport, per se, but about the activities taking place within each sport. The flow chart provided in this section may help decision-makers identify the overall risk level of sports activities across three factors: location, distancing, and group size.

A diagram showing a decision matrix for evaluating sports activities. In general, outdoor activities carry a smaller risk than indoor activities, and physically distant activities lower than close contact.

Outdoor sports may be less risky than indoor sports, so hold as many practices and games outdoors as possible. Individuals being in close contact increases risk of transmission, so strategies to limit close contact of players should be employed. For example, limit full gameplay to competitions and focus practices on other elements of skill development. Also, consider limiting the number of competitions in a season overall or hold within-team or within-school competitions. To the extent possible, teams should avoid competing with teams that are not local or not part of their conference or league. If big groups are present during the sport, implement strategies to de-densify (e.g., alternate work out days/times for different parts of the team) and maintain physical distancing as much as possible. Teams may also consider ways to shorten the duration of time spent indoors for a particular practice or competition when feasible.

Regardless of overall risk level, there are some strategies that can be implemented in all sports to reduce risk of transmission. An overarching goal is to limit shared spaces and close contact. This means not using locker rooms or staggering locker room use, and avoiding team huddles and high fives, and washing hands or using hand sanitizer frequently. In-person meetings (e.g., team meetings) should take place remotely, outdoors, or in spaces where physical distancing can be maintained. Workouts, practices, and drills could be completed individually or in small cohorts to maintain physical distancing and so that equipment can be cleaned between uses. A certain number of practices per week could also be dedicated to at-home workouts.

Consider limiting the number of competitions in a season overall or hold within-team or within school competitions. To the extent possible, teams should avoid competing with teams that are not local or not part of their conference or league.

The number of people in direct contact with the team and/or staff can be reduced by eliminating or limiting the number of attendees and other non-essential personnel at sporting events. Physical distance between spectators should be maintained, and schools should clearly mark six foot distances in lines, hallways, and/ or seating. Spectators, if allowed at all, should wear masks and be asked to bring signs and applaud the players instead of yelling and cheering; playing music on a loudspeaker at certain times during the event may help improve energy without the cheering.

To limit risk during practices and competitions, players, coaches, and attendees should wear face masks at all times, including on the sidelines/bench, in locker rooms, and/or during gameplay. To ensure anyone wearing masks stays hydrated, they should be encouraged to take mask-free water breaks, while physically distanced from others and while following safe mask removal techniques (e.g. only touching the mask from its straps). Team members could have a spare in case the mask gets too sweaty. In addition, coaches can create areas far removed from other people and near areas of good ventilation where athletes can take short mask breaks (e.g., near the gym door). Athletes with asthma or other breathing problems should consult with their physician if there are concerns about mask use during physical activity. Finally, coaches are recommended to analyze every element of practices and games to identify ways to reduce risk, such as using hand or electronic whistles instead of whistles that touch the mouth, and to consider sport-specific strategies.

Add structure to free time

  • Establish occupancy limits and clear physical distancing guidelines in common spaces like a library or cafeteria
  • Encourage students to remain outside when not in class
  • Replace unstructured time with supervised study halls, if feasible

Children in older grades often have more freedom than younger children. Although breaks from classes are important, safety precautions need to be maintained. When possible, schools could have students spend free blocks outside where there is more fresh air, and physical distancing is easier. If inside, schools may consider assigning student classes to specific common spaces (to preserve group distancing), putting limits on the number of students allowed in each space, and creating clear rules and demarcations on how to maintain physical distance. To limit unsupervised time further, schools may consider entirely replacing free blocks with supervised study halls.

When possible, schools could have students spend free blocks outside where there is more fresh air, and physical distancing is easier.

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Students washing hands before entering their classroom in Guinea. Credit: GPE/Tabassy Baro

School health activities not only support the sustainable development goals for health (SDG 3) and education (SDG 4), but also SDG 2 (reducing hunger), SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation). School health programs represent a great investment.

Building on the lessons of the Millennium Development Goals, the SDGs work along a similar path of development objectives, as well as encourage new strategies for long term sustainable development by linking activities across sectors. Educators working in school health see synergistic collaboration across many sectors.

Making education equal for all children

The most important SDG for school health activities is SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all .

Research has demonstrated that school health activities promote equitable access to, and participation in, quality education through activities such as deworming (providing medicine to fight intestinal worms, which can cause anemia, stunting, lethargy, impaired cognitive development, poor short-term memory, and increased absenteeism), micronutrient administration, school meals, provision of water and sanitation facilities.

Other programs also boost efforts under SDG 4: reproductive health education, prevention education on HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections, counseling and support services for orphans and vulnerable children, and life-skills education.

It is commonplace to observe that school health activities level the playing field for all students, supporting goals for equitable access and participation in a quality education. Each of these key school health activities, by definition and practice, also overlaps with other important SDGs.

Fighting hunger through schools

SDG 2 – End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture – is addressed directly by school feeding activities. There is strong evidence that a mother’s education improves her children’s nutrition, but school-based feeding activities are a real-time response to the immediate needs of school age children.

School feeding reduces the economic burden on families by providing a meal at school or take-home rations, and can be complemented by micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) administration. These activities are often linked with nutrition education, and they make a lasting impact on families by building the capacity of children and communities for resilience to food insecurity deriving from economic and agricultural shocks.

Learning to be healthy in school

SDG 3 – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages – not only addresses the provision of quality health care, but also improved health knowledge and healthy behaviors. It is directly supported through school health activities that often are implemented in coordination with ministries of health.

Activities such as provision of clean water and sanitation (latrines), STI and HIV prevention education, provision of reproductive health services, school-based deworming, vision screening, and vaccination programs, are a few examples of school health activities that either provide health services to school age children, improve health knowledge, or promote health seeking behavior.

Making gender equality a reality

SDG 5 – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls – is one of the goals that education is best-suited to address through its own processes, as well as through school health activities. Education enables girls and women to reach their full potential – in parity with men and boys – in their homes, communities, workplaces and institutions of influence. This is a fundamental attribute of classroom-based education as well as distance and non-formal educational opportunities for all persons in a community.

School health activities that promote gender equity and equality in participation and attainment of education include provision of clean water and separate sanitation facilities for girls, menstrual hygiene management, provision of hygiene kits, reproductive health education, STI and HIV prevention, prevention of unwanted pregnancy, of early marriage, of gender based violence and other forms of abuse, life skills education, and school safety promotion. Comprehensive sexuality education and reproductive health services in schools are other important ways school-based health activities serve SDG 5. All of these school-based health activities also link synergistically to SDG 3.

Clean water and sanitation for all

SDG 6 – Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all –  The goal promoting clean water and sanitation is fundamentally promoted by school-based provision of quality infrastructure for education, including water points, hand-washing stations, as well as separate sanitation facilities for girls and boys.

Hygiene promotion activities in school health also promote synergy with SDG 3 (helping to prevent water-borne diseases) and SDG 5 (by de-stigmatizing menstruation and promoting improved menstrual health practices at schools and in communities.)

Learn more about how education interacts with all SDGs

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Wow! All my recent thoughts in one article! Bravo! Thank you for sharing such an insightful piece. The lack of proper health education and knowledge how it impacts development of a society and economy is an everyday problem in most countries. I hope your ideas, Mr. Strickland, and GPE efforts reach the masses

In reply to Slam dunk article by Haddy Coulibaly

Thank you for your kind comments. You might also have like this volume of articles providing the compelling evidence on school health and its effectiveness for education outcomes. http://dcp-3.org/resources/child-and-adolescent-health-and-development-… . There are also a couple of other resources on the GPE website you might find interesting - a fact sheet, and an infographic - both linked here; https://www.globalpartnership.org/content/better-education-outcomes-thr… ; https://www.globalpartnership.org/multimedia/infographic/how-improve-he… Forward with Progress!

The link to the factsheet seems to be faulty - here is the link provided again. Thank you! Brad https://www.globalpartnership.org/content/better-education-outcomes-thr…

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Healthy Activities to Do at Home

Fostering healthy behaviors, staying active, and eating nutritiously at home are vital for children’s development for many reasons, in addition to the obvious. Practicing health at home:

  • Helps build resilience and the ability to better manage stressors
  • Helps prevent disease and boosts the immune system
  • Reinforces lessons learned at school and helps create a 360-degree healthy environment

When kids are out of school for any reason, whether it’s the weekend, a holiday break, or a school closure, parents and caregivers can use these activities and resources to keep their kids moving, learning, and eating healthily.

Movement & Play

  • Practice yoga techniques and poses to build strength and flexibility and help relax.
  • Get “family fit” using activity points to encourage movement.
  • Create a backyard (or basement) fitness circuit course .
  • Use common household objects for some fitness fun and games.
  • Have recess at home by playing old school throwback games , jumping rope , or doing any of these 50 ideas .
  • Play! Try sensory play or play on the go to encourage kids’ imaginations whenever, wherever.
  • Do a nature scavenger hunt to get kids exploring the outdoors.
  • Have active screen time using these fun, kid-friendly physical activity videos compiled by Active Schools.

Healthy Eating & Nutrition

Visit our Healthy Eating Toolkit for dozens more tips and ideas, but here are some easy-to-implement activities.

  • Incorporate nutrition education into your home routine.
  • Start the day with a healthy breakfast , and keep them going with healthy snacks .
  • Introduce new foods with a taste test (and get creative with how items are prepared). Here are ideas for whole grains , dairy , and fruits and veggies .
  • Try mindful eating .
  • Cook a dish or meal with your kids trying one of these recipes.
  • Grow fresh veggies out of kitchen scraps .
  • Go the distance to make your food and meals last longer .

Mindfulness & Emotional Health

  • Try journaling, breathing exercises, and more .
  • Explore feelings through art and color.
  • Talk about feelings with these family conversation starters.
  • Use movement to express emotions .
  • Set intentions with your children .
  • Learn basic mindfulness techniques together .
  • Create a letter-writing tradition in your family.

Visit Edutopia’s list of social emotional learning resources for parents to see other ways you can encourage empathy, foster gratitude, help kids navigate the digital social sphere, and more.

Sign up to get other tips and resources from Action for Healthy Kids.

Categories: Health at Home , Physical Activity, PE, & Play

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☘️ St. Patrick's Day Activities: Books, art ideas, experiments, and more!

22 Empowering Mental Health Activities for Teens

Help them build resilience.

Examples of mental health activities for teens such as building self-esteem through journaling and creating a quiet space in the classroom.

If you talk to just about any middle school or high school teacher, they’ll tell you—kids are struggling right now. Schools are sounding the alarm on the growing mental health crisis for America’s kids , and a ccording to a national poll conducted by Effective School Solutions, the country’s school administrators, parents, and students continue to battle a significant youth mental health crisis. Results show “Nearly 90% of administrators and almost 60% of parents reported that the crisis is growing. Roughly 60% of administrators say young people’s mental health remains the same or has worsened compared to a year ago.” Obviously, it’s never been more important to focus on supporting students’ mental health. That’s why we collected 22 mental health activities for teens to help you support their well-being in the classroom.

1. Create a positive vibe

Set your classroom up for student success by creating a supportive, safe environment in your classroom. Place a high value on relationships. Offer choices. Celebrate mistakes. Model compassion. Let your students know that their mental health is at the top of your priority list and include mental health activities in your curriculum.

Learn more: Easy Ways To Build a Mentally Healthy Classroom

2. Give students time to talk

teens talking in class- mental health activities for teens

From helping students process what they’re learning and encouraging them to successfully work with one another to build connections, making space for talk time in your classroom is critical.

Learn more: Why Kids Need More Talk Time in the Classroom

3. Leave space for quiet

Much of the typical school day involves busy, noisy interaction. Preserve time in your schedule for snippets of peace and quiet to give students time to settle down and focus. Run relaxing videos in the background or put on soft, soothing music during quiet work time. Or dim the lights and light a few (battery-powered) candles for a few minutes of silence.

Learn more: How To Use Transition Times for Mental and Emotional Health Check-Ins

4. Go outside

teens having class outside

The benefits (for both physical and mental health) of spending time outdoors have been well documented. Allowing students to step outside for just a few minutes helps counteract the overstimulation of the classroom. A breath of fresh air and a moment to look up at trees or stare up at the sky does wonders for recharging their batteries. If you don’t have direct access to the outdoors, even five minutes at an open window can do the trick. Hold class outside as often as you can.

Learn more: Healthline/Health Benefits of Spending Time Outdoors

5. Incorporate calming mind-body exercise

The benefits of mind-body exercises for students include increased self-control, anxiety management, concentration, and mental focus. Teach focused breathing techniques. Experiment with relaxation exercises and guided visualizations.

Learn more: Calming Mind-Body Exercises To Try With Your Students

6. Get up and move

Movement breaks are great mental health activities for teens because they help help students reenergize and refresh. Incorporate short bursts of exercise like the one above into your agenda. Practice a few simple yoga poses or shake out pent-up energy. Or put on some tunes and have a five-minute dance party. 

Learn more: Responsive Classroom/Movement Breaks to the Rescue

7. Introduce specific mental health tools

There are many resources available to help your students stay on top of their mental health. Tools like thought record worksheets, feeling wheels, daily mood trackers, and self-care assessments take very little time, but they can have a big impact.

Learn more: Positive Psychology

8. Allow fidgets

Best Fidget Toys for the Classroom- mental health activities for teens

Fidget toys are a great tool for students to calm their nerves, relieve stress, and serve as a distraction in an overstimulating environment.

Learn more: Classroom-Friendly Fidget Toys and Devices To Help Students Focus

9. Tap into art therapy exercises

The healing power of art is especially beneficial for the mental health of teens. After all, art serves as a safe and effective way of expressing thoughts and feelings. Incorporate short art sessions into your week. Try one of these Spontaneous Art Therapy Activities.

Learn more: The Studio Director/Healing Art Therapy Activities

10. Create a quiet space

classroom safe space with a comfy chair, plants, and calm down activity center

A calm-down corner, also known as a peace corner, gives students a place to take a breath and re-center so they can join the learning again. Fill the space with various mental health activities for teens, such as fidgets and poetry books .

Learn more: How To Create and Use a Calm-Down Corner in Any Learning Environment

11. Facilitate community with team-building activities

All work and no play doesn’t work for anyone’s mental health, regardless of their age. Build team-building activities into your curriculum throughout the year to encourage community and help strengthen relationships among your students.

Learn more: Icebreaker Activities for Middle and High School Students

12. Cultivate a class garden

teens working in a greenhouse with their teacher- mental health activities for teens

Nothing is more grounding than digging in the dirt and watching something grow. And though tending to a garden—from seed to harvest—is a slow process, the rewards are immeasurable.

Learn more: Growing Minds: Farm to School

13. Set up a tea station

Another great way to calm your nerves—a good cup of tea. Set up a tea station in your classroom, complete with electric tea kettle and mugs. Ask families to donate boxes of tea, sugar packets, bottles of honey, etc., then invite students to visit your tea station when they need to take a break.

14. Adopt a classroom pet

students gathered around a dog in the classroom

Studies show interaction with animals can help decrease stress, improve physical and mental health, and even help kids with their emotional and social skills. Consider adopting a classroom pet. Or if classroom pets are not allowed at your school, look into finding registered Pet Partners volunteers who can bring a therapy animal into your classroom.

Learn more:  Dogs in the Classroom Improve SEL, Cognitive, and Even Reading Skills

15. Have a supply of adult coloring books on hand

From reducing stress and sparking creativity to utilizing their brains, taking a few minutes to zone out and just color helps students hit the reset button and get back to learning.

Learn more: Project Helping/Benefits of Adult Coloring

16. Let the music flow

teens listening to music in classroom- mental health activities for teens

From stress relief and self-soothing to emotion regulation and physiological benefits, music plays a powerful role in mental health and well-being for many people. For teens, music often takes on an even greater significance—it can contribute to the process of identity formation. Whenever possible, allow your students to tune in to music.

Learn more: Princeton Health/Music Fosters Healing for Teens

17. Practice mindfulness

It’s hard for students to focus when they’re experiencing stress and anxiety. Mindfulness is an excellent tool to help reduce tension and recharge students’ attention spans. Try these Mindfulness Practices for High Schoolers. 

Learn more: Ways To Bring More Mindfulness and Self-Care Into Your Classroom

18. Write it out

teen writing in a notebook

Writing activities are a powerful tool to help teenagers convey their feelings. Writing allows the expression of sensitive emotions that might be difficult to state verbally. These mental health activities can help teens gain a better perspective on their emotions while also building confidence and self-esteem.

Learn more: Mom Junction/Therapeutic Activities for Teens 

19. Reinforce the importance of diet and sleep at home

For the most part, teachers don’t really have a lot of control over what students eat and how much they sleep, but these things do matter when it comes to managing anxiety. Not surprisingly, a healthy diet and plenty of sleep make a difference in how well a student is able to handle situations that could be overwhelming.

Learn more: Ways To Help Students Who Struggle With Anxiety

20. Allow snacks in your classroom

teens enjoying a snack in the classroom- mental health activities for teens

Along those lines, trust students to know when they need to feed their bodies. Yes, snacks can create messes in the classroom, but the benefits of preventing low blood sugar, hunger headaches, etc., are worth a little mess. Simply have a chat with your students and lay out your expectations for responsible snacking in your classroom.

Learn more: Real Mom Nutrition/Healthy Snacks for Teens

21. Try aromatherapy

Aromatherapy  is thought to help activate certain receptors in the brain, potentially easing anxiety. Whether in the form of essential oil, incense, or a candle, natural scents like lavender, chamomile, and sandalwood can be very soothing. Check for sensitivities among your students before introducing a scent to the whole class. An alternative could be an unlit candle, dried herbs, or a sachet treated with essential oil kept in the classroom safe space for students to use individually.

Learn more: Ways To Help Students With Anxiety

22. Brain breaks are for big kids too

Sometimes we forget that our seemingly grown-up kids still like to have a little fun in the classroom. Brain breaks are a great way to take five, move around, and even giggle together. You can adapt these ideas to fit your particular crew.

Learn more: Educational Brain Breaks Your Students Will Love

If you liked these mental health activities for teens and want more articles like this, be sure to subscribe to our newsletters !

Also, check out teaching seniors at the end of the school year: a 5-step survival guide ..

Looking for ways to support your teenage students' social-emotional well-being? Try these mental health activities for teens .

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Health Promoting Schools: An Update

1 Centre for Health Education and Health Promotion, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 4th Floor, Lek Yuen Health Centre, Shatin, New Territory Hong Kong

2 JC School of Public Health, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong

Associated Data

The concept of a Health Promoting School has been found to be effective to improve health and well-being of students as well as a help with teaching and learning in school. Effective implementation of Health Promoting School is a complex intervention involving multi-factorial and innovative activity in many domains such as curriculum, school environment and community. Many studies evaluating Health Promoting School do not include outcomes reflecting the organisational or structural change as many of those studies are quantitative in nature and the statistical assumptions are not valid reflecting the organisational structure changes. Recent global meetings of experts have reviewed the impact on student health from the perspectives of school environment, school policies on health, action competencies on healthy living and community linkage. The English Wessex Healthy School Award Scheme and the Hong Kong Healthy School Awards Scheme have developed detailed systems to analyse whether each individual school has reached the standard of a model Health Promoting School reflecting a more holistic appreciation and understanding of all the effects of school-based health promotion with positive award-related changes. However, not many schools are able to implement Health Promoting School in its entirety, so cores indicators are needed as a starting point for wider implementation. Hong Kong Healthy School Awards Scheme is still ongoing with data for analysis of indicators with significant correlation with better health and well-being. We identified the core indicators and substantiated the requirements for successful outcomes by supplementing the established award-scheme framework with a review of recent literature and documents. Framework of Health Promoting School would go beyond improvement of health literacy to enable a more efficient system for education and health on children, hence a good investment in children.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s40258-020-00575-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Key Points for Decision Makers

Need for updating on health promoting schools, health promoting school framework to tackle triple health burden.

A recent paper on school health has raised the question of what constitutes school health with wide debate depending on geographic location, morbidity and mortality pattern of children and adolescents in the area, existing infrastructure and resources, and culture [ 1 ]. Equipping schools with the capacity to tackle the ‘Triple Health Burdens’: the emergence of ‘new’ communicable diseases, the epidemics of non-communicable disease (NCD) and the global burden of mental health, should be the fundamental vision and mission of a school. The ‘Triple Health Burdens” are challenges for both developed and developing countries of the contemporary world. The emergence of ‘new’ communicable diseases (the unexpected outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS] in 2003 with more than 1800 patients in over a dozen countries worldwide within two months, with clustering of cases in Hong Kong and Toronto [ 2 ]. The recent COVID-19 with over 1.1 millions confirmed cases globally (82,930 confirmed cases in China, over 600,000 cases in Europe and over 300,000 in America as on 5 April 2020) in over 100 countries within less than 3 months since outbreak in China at the time of writing [ 3 ]. This reminds us of the dictum of public health practice, ‘prevention better than cure’ [ 2 , 3 ]. This is true not only for infectious disease but also for NCD. In 2011, the United Nations adopted ‘The Declaration of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCD’ [ 4 ]. The key action is to reduce risk factors and create health-promoting environments [ 5 ]. NCD accounts for one-third of premature deaths [ 6 ] so it is important to reduce the risk factors for NCD early. World Health Organization (WHO) published a ‘Mental Health Global Action Program’ and a ‘Movement for Global Mental Health’ in 2007 [ 7 ]. The disease burden for mental illness is estimated to show that the global burden of mental illness accounts for 32.4% of years lived with disability (YLDs) and 13.0% of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), instead of the earlier estimates suggesting 21.2% of YLDs and 7.1% of DALYs [ 8 ]. Effective school health intervention should target preventive measures at primary and secondary levels at an early stage. Health Promoting School (HPS) framework can help to build up effective preventive strategies in school setting.

Young people ought to be involved in school and community-based intervention for NCD [ 9 ]. Effective school health promotion programs in changing health behaviours are more likely to be complex, multi-factorial and innovative activity in many domains (curriculum, school environment and community) [ 10 , 11 ]. During the eighties, WHO initiated the concept of HPS moving beyond individual behavioural change to consider organizational structure changes for health improvement covering six key areas: healthy school policies, school physical environment, school social environment, action competencies for healthy living, school health care and promotion services, and community link [ 12 , 13 ]. Evidence should be gathered extensively about what schools actually do in health promotion using the HPS framework with a detail system of analysis how each individual school has reached the standard of a model HPS [ 13 – 17 ].

Healthy School Award Scheme to Establish High Quality Standard of HPS: Hong Kong Experience

The HPS model has shaped school health promotion in different parts of the world including the low-income countries [ 18 ]. The WHO Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents (AA-HA!) guidance reiterates that “every school should be a health promoting school”, and recommends that “Countries that do not have an institutionalised national school health programme should consider establishing one and countries that do have such programme should continuously improve them to ensure that they align with the evidence base on effective interventions and emerging priorities” [ 19 ]. The English Wessex Healthy School Award Scheme (WHSA) [ 15 ] and the Hong Kong Healthy School Awards Scheme (HKHSA) by Centre for Health Education and Health Promotion of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CHEP) [ 16 , 17 , 20 ] have developed detailed systems to analyse whether each individual school has reached the standard of a model HPS, reflecting a more holistic appreciation and understanding of all the effects of school based health promotion with positive award-related changes. The schools will undergo evaluation of the performance and status in relation to the six key areas of HPS adapted from the WHO’s guidelines to be considered for award. The evaluative process for HKHSA included reviewing the documentations, conducting interviews with teachers, parents and students as well as observation of school physical and social environment. Schools with HKHSA are recognised in the Healthy School Forum and on the CHEP’s website.

Data from the pre- and post-surveys of the 962 Primary 4 (P4) students and 1221 Secondary 3 (S3) students in five primary schools and four secondary schools presented to be audited for accreditation of HKHSA after 2 years of implementing the scheme were collected for analysis. Students from the schools which reached certain level of HPS standard as indicated by HKHSA, were compared with students whose schools did not receive the award, and the results showed significant improvement in self-reported health status and academic standings, certain health behaviours as well as satisfaction with life [ 21 ]. Primary 4 and Secondary 3 students were chosen to examine the changes for the cumulative impact of HPS at this mid-point of schooling. Another study adopted multi-stage random sampling among schools with awards and those schools not involved in the award scheme nor adopting the concept of HPS (non-HPS). For award group, 5 primary schools and 7 secondary schools were sampled for the study with 510 students and 789 students sampled respectively, and for the ‘Non-HPS’ group, there were 8 primary schools and 7 secondary schools sampled with 676 students and 725 students sampled respectively [ 22 ]. Students of the schools with award were found to be better with statistical significance in personal hygiene practice, knowledge on health and hygiene as well as access to health information [ 22 ]. Award schools were found to have better school health policy, higher degrees of community participation, and better hygienic environment [ 22 ]. CHEP was commissioned by Quality Education Fund of Hong Kong SAR Government to establish the Thematic Network of HPS aiming to sustain the HPS movement in 2010. The pattern of emotional health of students over years was analysed among 1204 primary 4 and 678 secondary 3 students of 17 primary schools and 5 secondary schools when they first joined the network in 2010. Similarly, to the rationale of previous study [ 21 ], students from those grades were chosen. The self-harm behaviours of students had dropped significantly among schools involved in the CHEP thematic network of HPS [ 23 ].

There are also numbers of papers analysing the data from the HKHSA as comprehensive system of monitoring and evaluation of performance of HPS [ 24 – 28 ]. Cochrane Review of WHO HPS framework for improving the health and well-being of students and their academic achievement has been conducted [ 29 ]. The review was only based on 67 included cluster-randomised controlled trials (RCTs) taken place at the level of school, district or other geographical area. The RCT is not designed for testing organisational or structural change as the statistical assumptions underpinning RCT are not valid reflecting organisational or structural change because of the requirements of RCT such as blinding, randomisation, are needed for drawing statistical inference. Inchley et al. challenged whether HPS initiatives would lead to immediate change at the individual level, so one should study the potential markers of success associated with process [ 30 ]. Therefore, updating of HPS through scoping study is needed to identify the indicators of HPS to highlight the ways in which schools have adopted HPS principles successfully under the six key areas: healthy school policies, school physical environment, school social environment, action competencies for healthy living, school health care and promotion services, and community link [ 12 , 13 ], and the conditions to be in place to flourish. There is also a need to review the evidence of HPS effectiveness on a boarder perspective dealing with complexity of the school system [ 31 ] to link education and health [ 18 , 32 ]. The following sections report the findings from international forums, review of recent literature, documents and guidelines from international institutions on HPS and child and adolescent health to supplement and substantiate the core indicators and requirements evolved from HKHSA, an established award-scheme framework.

HPS and Better Health of Children and Adolescents: Reviewing Previous Studies/Research from International Consultation Meeting/Forum

Two global projects, (Global Consultation meeting on Emerging issues in Adolescent Health at Wingspread Conference Centre, USA [“Wingspread Consultation”]) in 2011 organised by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Stellenbosch Institute of Advanced Study on International Health Promoting School (HPS) Colloquium (“Stellenbosch Colloquium”) in South Africa in 2011 supported by Peter Wall Institute of Advanced Study of University of British Columbia, Canada); gathered leading scholars on child and adolescent health and HPS to shed further lights on HPS. They shared the recent science on different aspects of child and adolescent health to enlighten the direction of HPS development along the six key areas to improve health of children and adolescents more effectively.

The “Wingspread Consultation” explored the implications of recent research in the fields of epigenetics, adolescent neurodevelopment and neurobiology on adolescent health. Special journal issue reports the science challenging our thinking to place the individual adolescent within the context of both his/her environment, and within a life course perspective [ 33 ]. The linkage of policies and programmes to current understanding of science has added new insights on research on young people’s health [ 34 ]. Adolescent brain is associated with elevated activation of reward-relevant brain regions, and sensitivity to aversive stimuli may be attenuated [ 35 ]. Review of current biological models for addiction highlights the interactive influences of genetic and environmental contributions to addictive behaviours of adolescents supporting the evidence of preventive strategies targeting risk factors and enhancing protective factors at individual, familial and community levels [ 36 ]. Greater understanding of the epigenetic mechanism being dynamic in responding to both internal and external environmental stimuli has highlighted the new opportunities for development of early prediction and prevention paradigms with early intervention [ 33 ]. These new insights have led WHO to prioritise their interventions addressing the common social determinants of health risk behaviours of adolescents and the importance of the balance of action directed towards the policy and regulatory environment influencing individual behaviours [ 33 ].

“Stellenbosch Colloquium” was attended by 40 experts from 5 continents to share the global and regional experience surrounding HPS with Stellenbosch Consensus Statement [ 37 ]. There is agreement that both health promotion in school setting and HPS can have positive change in the lives of school children and the communities in which they live, and the capacity of HPS to:

  • reduce the burden of disease and improve the resilience of individuals and communities
  • be transformative for individuals, schools, and communities, enabling and empowering them to attain higher levels of function, and ultimately be stronger citizens with greater capacity for contribution to society

The other key areas of HPS, action competencies for healthy living and school health care and promotion services, need continuous enhancement to sustain those positive changes. Adopting the HPS model requires a change in mindset or a paradigm shift and refinement of educational investment and just provision of resources, engagement of non-government organisations (NGOs), or obtaining of international funding. The Consensus Statement has suggested some novel approaches including:

  • The opportunities that HPS create may provide common ground for alliance between government departments (particularly health and education), and between various disciplines, professionals and sectors. This “bridging” function may be one of the most powerful influences of successful HPS, and is likely to promote healthier public policy as well as more cost effective, equitable and higher quality collective action to promote wellness
  • Accreditation and rewards programmes that define commitment and recognise excellence may encourage schools to expand their health promoting programmes or to become HPS
  • Comprehensive evaluation methods are needed to adequately quantify the cost–benefit of health promoting programmes or HPS and their effectiveness.

There are not many accreditation and rewards programmes for recognising excellence in HPS. The WHSA [ 15 ] and HKHSA [ 16 , 17 , 20 ] have developed detailed systems to analyse whether each individual school has reached the standard of model HPS, reflecting a more holistic appreciation and understanding of all the effects of school-based health promotion with positive award-related changes. For HKHSA, based on the HPS Performance Indicators (PI) developed by CHEP, evaluation tool including sets of questions related to the PI were developed to assess the HPS status of the school. Stakeholders’ survey collected information from all teachers and non-teaching staff, 20% of all students and their parents. Additionally, the team would observe the school environment on the day of visit to evaluate the physical and social environment of the school. Individual interviews with the teachers and various posts of staff together with group interviews of parents and students were also conducted to retrieve information on the implementation of HPS and the health education and health promotion that had been conducted. WHSA scheme developed a set of indicators with a number of statements or targets relating to each area in which schools performed and the goals to achieve. Status of health education and promotion was assessed, and weaknesses and areas for development within the Award were identified as well as setting targets to be achieved. The tool was sent to schools for completion by a senior teacher and the co-ordinators of Physical Education (PE) and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) [ 14 , 38 ].

WHSA was developed in the 1990s and HKHSA is still ongoing, and study has recently been conducted to identify core indicators with potential leading to better health and well-being [ 39 ]. Taiwan has taken reference from HKHSA to develop an award scheme for accreditation and awards [ 40 ]. “Wingspread Consultation” and “Stellenbosch Colloquium” have reinforced the importance of the six key areas of HPS being the main pillars for school health improvement. The existing established framework of HKHSA (Appendix 1) supplemented with review of recent literature and documents on HPS would identify the core requirements under the different key areas [school environment (physical and social), school policies on health, community links, action competencies, school health care and promotion services] to become an effective HPS.

Further Substantiation of Elements for Health Promoting School

Scoping study.

This update of HPS has taken reference from scoping reviews that are used to present a broad overview of the evidence related to the topic, irrespective of study quality, but useful to examine emerging areas to clarify concepts and identify gap [ 41 , 42 ]. As explicit guidelines for scoping review are still emerging [ 41 ], this study makes use of scoping study which has included literature search and review of recent policies/guidelines/recommendations/reports/studies and other relevant documents on the current recommendation and implementation of HPS. The authors have already identified 20 indicators having significant impact on health-related outcomes [ 39 ], and the scoping study can provide detail standards of those core indicators under the five key areas (not including school health care and promotion services as explained later on) building on HKHSA framework based on WHO standard [ 11 , 43 ] (Appendix 1). The sources of international documents come from leading global organisations such as WHO, UNESCO, World Bank, ASCD (Association of Superintendents and Curriculum Development) FRESH (Focusing Resource on Effective School Health) partnership and IUHPE (International Union for Health Promotion and Education) either as part of managerial practice or school health programme, were searched and reviewed as part of the scoping study. Literature search was also conducted from November to December 2018 using combination of literature search strategies to collect the research-based evidence, including electronic database queries (Global Health, Medline, PubMed), hand searching of key journals and consultation with experts and stakeholders with the following keywords: Healthy School or Healthy Schools or Health Promoting School or Health Promoting Schools. The grey literature was collected via Google and the leading academic/professional institutions on health promotion.

The documents included in the review are empirical studies describing health promotion action(s) in school (either managerial practice or school health programme) focused on student health, and based on a whole school approach, which committed to consider making change in HPS (either initiation or further development) and providing explicit information about the outcomes/impacts/opportunities/difficulties of the action(s) on a structural, organisational and/or individual level. A three-stage selection process has been conducted to screen out the included document for analysis. The selection process comprises:

  • review of the title and abstract by two researchers to determine the relevance for review. The document that does not fulfil the inclusion criteria (either not within the scope or insufficient information) will be excluded after reaching a consensus;
  • review of the full text of selected documents by two reviewers independently, based on a shared template to ensure internal validity and to further select the documents after discussion; and
  • analysis of the remaining documents by the researchers.

Details of the process are included in the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) Flow Diagram (Fig.  1 ) [ 44 ]. As described earlier, literature search was conducted via electronic database queries (Global Health, Medline, PubMed) as well as hand searching of the key journals. A total of 1400 articles were retrieved using these methods. The research team underwent selection process of the papers and documents by their titles and abstracts. There were 183 full-text articles and documents being selected and assessed for eligibility by reviewing the abstracts. After reviewing the full text, reviewers excluded 71 papers that did not fit the criteria, and 112 papers were included. One researcher reviewed all the scientific papers, another reviewed all the selected international documents, and a third researcher reviewed the grey literature. During the review process, the researchers identified elements that would supplement the existing indicators of HKHSA. They categorised those elements and placed them under the related indicators as annotation to substantiate and/or expand the contents under each indicator. Tables  1 , ​ ,2, 2 , ​ ,3, 3 , ​ ,4 4 and ​ and5 5 provide substantive annotation of the different components and the respective elements of the five key areas of HPS. The key area, school health care and promotion services is not included, as this paper aims to focus more on educational investment particularly on bridging functions so school environment (physical and social), school polices on healthy school, community link and action competencies for healthy living are the key areas with greater significant impact. Children tend to learn their patterns of behaviours from the norms and values held by the school environment [ 45 ].

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PRISMA flowchart. PRISMA Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Table 1

Healthy school policies (PO)

Table 2

School physical environment (PE)

Table 3

School’s Social Environment (SE)

Table 4

Action competencies for healthy living (AC)

Table 5

Community Links (CL)

ASCD Association of Superintendents and Curriculum Development, FRESH M&E Focusing Resource on Effective School Health-Monitoring and Evaluation, IUHPE International Union for Health Promotion and Education, PTA Parents Teachers Association, UNESCO United Nation Education, Science and Culture Organization, WHO World Health Organization

The scoping study provides detail standards of the core indicators (identified in another study [ 39 ]) under the five key area building on HKHSA framework based on WHO framework [ 11 , 43 ].

With regard to Healthy School Policies, it is more applicable to define policy that would influence the behaviour of a manager or managed objects to influence and guide the school’s actions in promoting health and wellbeing of its students, staff, family and the wider community [ 46 ]. Table  1 shows how the position of health education and health promotion in school can be further substantiated [ 24 , 31 , 42 , 47 – 58 , 60 – 64 , 84 ] and factors to be considered in reviewing existing policies related to health on four topics [ 50 , 59 , 65 , 66 ] (healthy eating, safe school, harmonious school and student health care). School health profile should be created to reflect the needs responding to local priorities and the needs of all students, including marginalised children, and it should NOT be limited to narrowly defined health outcomes to be achieved through single health promotion. It should be articulation of the joint vision, mandate and framework for the HPS programme in a written policy to secure leadership and commitment, and should clarify resource allocation with strong and sustained integrated school health programming embedded within Education Sector Development Plan (Table  1 ). School should move towards “fostering coalescing leadership in combinations of leaders’ work together” to include students, and other educational personnel, parents and caregivers as well as outside service providers (Table  1 ). There should be re-orientation to new public health movement with emphasis on using structures and spaces to stimulate individual health-promoting behaviour, and schools need more-detailed guidelines related to physical structures, e.g. how to address hygienic standards and food safety (Table  1 ).

Safe and healthy conditions for the life and work of the whole school community can promote better teaching and learning, and also better interpersonal relationship. The school environment should be a place where students are free from danger, disease, physical harm or injury. Table  2 shows how school physical environment can be further enhanced under different elements to be more conducive for health and safety [ 13 , 50 , 67 – 70 ]. The eating environment should emphasise health in terms of nutrition and hygiene including food safety (Table  2 ). Children learn their patterns of behaviours either prosocial or antisocial from the norms and values held by the social environment in which they are bonded [ 45 ]. The school environment should be a place where all students are free from fear or exploitation, and codes against misconduct exist and are enforced with clear rules and procedures for responding to aggressive acts and ensuring that students, staff and parents are aware of and enforce these rules and procedures (Table  3 ). Different elements under different components of school social environment can be further substantiated to create the values conducive for desirable social behaviours (Table  3 ) [ 49 , 50 , 53 – 55 , 59 , 71 – 76 ]. Students should be engaged and empowered in planning and implementing school activities. School needs to cultivate socially supportive relationships giving people a sense of being valued and cared for with reciprocity. This can be promoted through a teaching curriculum and extra curricula activities that place the importance of opportunities for pupils (Table  3 ).

Information can improve people’s knowledge about the health consequences of their choices, but there is little evidence that information alone changes behaviour. Enhancement of action competencies on healthy living is needed with a comprehensive health education curriculum to enhance personal health skills and developed strategically with professional development of teachers. Table  4 shows how those perspectives can be further enhanced under different elements [ 26 , 49 , 50 , 52 – 54 , 56 , 57 , 59 , 68 , 69 , 76 – 83 ]. For example, schools should ensure student participation in programme implementation to enhance their capacity and connectedness to the programme, using diverse learning and teaching strategies to account for different learning styles including and making use of real-life conditions as “life skills education” so students can gain insights into matters related to health (Table  4 ). The ethos of HPS should be part of the curriculum in teacher training and education to strengthen teachers’ understanding of student’s participation in class with paradigm shift of delegating school health promotion activities to lay school health counsellors not only relying education or health professionals together with improved system of monitoring and evaluation of health education needs in school setting (Table  4 ).

Community can synergise and synchronise with school initiatives and intended learning outcomes rather than adopting passive roles and even expressing hesitation. Community members can appreciate a balanced approach recognising the importance of academic and non-academic factors and values of developing social and human capitals to nurture young people. Schools would also develop deeper understanding of the needs of the community to enable schools acting as agents of change in the lives of students, families and communities. Table  5 shows how different elements under different components of community link can substantiate the effect of linkage with community [ 49 – 51 , 53 , 54 , 57 , 73 , 84 , 85 , 86 ]. Strong linkage with community can ensure a consistent approach across the school and between the school, home and wider community, and the knowledge exchanged would enable the community-based partner to provide a better service to the school and the school benefits from receiving higher quality products (Table  5 ).

Proposed Key Standards for HPS and Outcome Measures

Tables  1 ​ 12, 2 , ​ ,3, 3 , ​ ,4 4 and ​ and5 5 provide detail standards of the core indicators under the five key area building on HKHSA framework (Online Appendix 1). Study by Lee et al. has identified those indicators to have significant impact on health-related outcomes [ 39 ] and those core indicators can be good starting point for wider implementation of HPS because not many schools are able to implement in full scale [ 24 , 87 ]. Table  6 lists 19 core indicators from 5 key areas reflecting the inputs of HPS performance. The outcome measurements of the different indicators can take reference from the Hong Kong Student Health Survey Questionnaire (HKSHQ) [ 23 , 40 ] measuring the student health-related outcomes. HKSHQ incorporates the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Youth Risk Behavioural Surveillance [ 88 ] and WHSA [ 15 ] adapted by CHEP [ 20 , 21 ] with continuous refinement as a tool for assessing student health status/health-related outcomes [ 23 , 89 ]. K6 scale by Kessler and colleagues [ 90 ] has been used to assess emotional disturbance as well as the Life Satisfaction scale by Huebner and colleagues [ 91 ] as part of HKSHQ building up the student health profile. Table  6 provides the core indicators as inputs for HPS performance and also the possible outcome measurements. This should serve as a basic framework for HPS standard with outcome measures to evaluate the HPS effectiveness. Apart from providing a framework for holistic approach to improve health literacy [ 92 ], HPS can also provide a framework for holistic approach to improve school’s organisation and culture.

Table 6

Proposed key standards of HPS and outcome indicators

Source: CHEP 2019 http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/med/hep/hchsc/index.html

CHEP Centre for Health Education and Health Promotion, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

No detailed scoping study was conducted on the key area, school health care and promotion services and one would take reference from the “Forum for Investing in Young Children Globally” (iYCG) initiated by the Institute of Medicine (now renamed as National Academy of Medicine), USA during the period 2014–2016 [ 93 ]. Keynote by Dr Helia Molina, past Minister of Health in Chile described an integrated system in Chile based on an intersectoral public policy on childhood and social protection in one iYCG workshop in 2015 with the theme ‘Using existing platforms to integrate and co-ordinate investments for children’ [ 94 ].

The scoping study has enriched the contents of the core indicators under the five key areas. There are now more updated details of standards required under each core indicator taking reference from global experience in implementation of HPS (Tables  1 , ​ ,2, 2 , ​ ,3, 3 , ​ ,4, 4 , ​ ,5 5 and ​ and6). 6 ). The findings of this paper can provide explicit information on ways to implement HPS under the different key elements (the core indicators) of different key areas, namely school environment (physical and social), school polices on healthy school, community link and action competencies for healthy living. This would enable and empower the school setting to integrate and co-ordinate a more efficient education, health and social system for healthy child development. HPS is good framework for inter-sectoral approach, and the findings of this paper would provide practical guidance for practitioners to learn how to make a start.

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express sincere thanks to Ceci HY Chan for her assistance in literature search at the early stage of the project. The authors would like to thank Quality Education Fund of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to support the Hong Kong Healthy School Award Scheme and Thematic Network of Health Promoting School.

Authors’ contribution

Lee is responsible for overall design of the review, reviewing literature to be included, and analysing literature to identify elements substantiating the indicators for HPS, and responsible to summarise all findings in Tables  1 , ​ ,2, 2 , ​ ,3, 3 , ​ ,4 4 and ​ and5 5 and developed the key standards of HPS and outcome measures. Lo is responsible for searching documents and grey literature to be included and analysing documents, grey literature and literature. Li is responsible to search for literature, documents and grey literature, and organization of findings from the analysis. Keung and Kwong are responsible for checking of findings.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

No funding has been received for preparation of this manuscript.

The authors want to express sincere thanks to Quality Education Fund of Hong Kong SAR Government for supporting the Hong Kong Healthy School Award and Thematic Network of Health Promoting School. There is no conflict of interests in preparing this manuscript.

School nurses help students achieve health and well-being

School nurses help students achieve health and well-being

Students arrive at school with health concerns that potentially lessen their educational attainment. School nurses have the expertise needed to help address those concerns.

Donna Mazyck

In delivering school health services, I worked with students with chronic health conditions, limited or no health insurance, and mental health issues, as well as insecure housing and food resources. I learned to assess students—individually and as a population—for strengths and barriers to their health, safety, learning, and well-being.

From then on, my desire to see students thrive and grow in all aspects of their lives determined my career path. From working directly with students, I moved to the state level, where I had the opportunity to influence the health and well-being of many more students. In tandem with my job as a health services specialist in state education, I engaged in volunteer work as a member of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN). When I became executive director of that organization, my passion for the health and well-being of students converged with my commitment to advance school nursing practice.

Student health today Many students have health concerns that need to be managed during the school day. Children are experiencing increased anxiety and depression . One in four students has a chronic health condition . From 2017 to 2018, student use of e-cigarettes  rose by 78%. Chronic absenteeism begins as early as kindergarten.

When elementary or secondary students miss 18 or more school days a year, it adversely affects their learning, engagement, and graduation. Absenteeism tends to be health-related, and home and community situations that impede health and learning—social determinants of health—are contributing factors. To help students attain educationally, schools increasingly focus on the needs of the whole child.  

School nurses essential School nurses coordinate care for students with acute as well as chronic health conditions. For the former, think of the student whose leg is in a cast for six weeks. The school nurse helps him or her develop a plan for health and safety in the school building. An example of the latter is a student who is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on a Thursday and is back in school the following Monday. The school nurse communicates with the student, family, and healthcare providers, including a specialist, to develop a plan that enables the student to thrive in school and prepares staff to handle an emergency.

To enable students to receive immunizations required for school entry, school nurses collaborate with local health departments to provide school-located vaccination clinics. Disease prevention and health promotion activities by school nurses help protect the entire student body. Linking with local agencies, school nurses assist students and their families in accessing healthcare and other resources for student well-being.

School nurses lead in promoting student and school health. When recess occurs before lunch, they advocate with administrators to ensure that elementary students have sufficient time to wash their hands before eating. School nurses join education teams to develop improvement plans that promote safe and supportive learning environments. As a growing number of states seek reimbursement for health services, school nurses participate in random moment time studies .

For optimal student health and to promote learning, school nurses provide both population-based and individual care. In 2016, NASN published a framework for school nursing practice that reflects the care needed for students today and in the future. Depicted graphically, the student-centered framework consists of overlapping circles labeled care coordination, community/public health, leadership, and quality improvement. Encompassing all of them is another circle labeled “standards of practice.”

School nurse framework

Students arrive at school with health concerns—behavioral, environmental, mental, and physical—that potentially lessen their educational attainment. School nurses have the child health expertise needed to help address those concerns. Placing nurses in educational settings with students is an important investment. The health and well-being of students improve, which positively affects learning readiness. Parents and guardians are able to focus better on their work, knowing that the children they care for are healthy, safe, and ready to learn. As a community’s culture of health  improves, the community thrives.

Twenty-five percent of schools across the United States do not employ a nurse, and where they do provide nurses, disparities exist. School nurses make a positive difference for students and their school communities. Every student deserves a school nurse! RNL

Donna Mazyck, MS, RN, NCSN, CAE, is executive director of the National Association of School Nurses.

  • RNL Feature

School nurses help students achieve health and well-being

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Overview of Glencoe Health

Glencoe Health provides high-school students with age-appropriate content that aligns with the National Health Education Standards to help them become health-literate individuals. This research-based program focuses on the development and application of critical knowledge and skills during a crucial period in students' lives. Glencoe Health also emphasizes social and emotional skills while exploring up-to-date information and statistics on timely, relevant topics like:

 COVID-19 pandemic and other communicable diseases.  

 Latest MyPlate guidelines and nutrition label updates 

 Alcohol and drugs (including opioid and heroin abuse). 

 Tobacco use, e-cigarettes, and vaping. 

 Cyberbullying, privacy, and online harassment.

 STD/STIs (including HIV/AIDS).

 Content related to Erin’s Law (covering sexual abuse prevention).  

 An optional supplemental Human Sexuality module. 

Components for Glencoe Health

Student Components

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Flexible and Engaging Resources

Glencoe Health is accessible through print and digital channels, providing students and teachers the flexibility needed for all classroom styles—traditional, digital, and blended. In addition to the robust, traditional text, Glencoe Health also features numerous resources, including:

  • An accessible eBook (also available in Spanish) with built-in videos and activities to keep students engaged.
  • Lesson quizzes and activities that can be assigned and completed online or downloaded and printed.
  • A variety of teacher resources including a wraparound Teacher's Edition, which features comprehensive lesson plans and talking points that correlate to each page of the Student Edition.
  • Pre-made assessments and create-your-own options that allow you to write your own questions or choose from dozens of pre-made questions for each lesson. All assessments can be assigned for students to complete online or to download and print.

The Health Risks of Drug Use

A Customizable Curriculum

If Glencoe Health doesn’t align directly with your school or district’s needs, CREATE allows you to customize your health curriculum to the way you prefer to teach it! You can decide which modules to include and what order to teach them. This allows you to build a curriculum solution that aligns with your district’s standards while still offering up-to-date and relevant information on current health topics that affect the lives of your students.

Contact a rep  to learn more about customizing your Glencoe Health curriculum.

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School Mental Health Activities

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As a way to support educators and student mental health, we have developed new activities which are age-appropriate for students in kindergarten through college. Activities can be implemented in- classroom or virtually. Depending on grade level, activities vary from short stories and films, all the way to full length feature films. Each activity includes discussion questions for students to reflect and share with classmates. The collection of mental health activities for students includes facilitator guides, activity plans, evaluations, and template letters to be sent home to parents.

Resources in this Toolkit

  • School Mental Health Movie Activity: Inside Out (Grades 4-8)

Print Ready Files

  • School Mental Health Resource Activity Facilitation Overview
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School Mental Health Movie Activity: It's Kind of a Funny Story (Grades 9-College)

  • School Mental Health Movie Activity: It's Kind of a Funny Story (Grades 9-College)
  • School Mental Health Movie Activity: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Grades 9-College)
  • School Mental Health Movie Activity: The Road Within (Grades 9-College)
  • School Mental Health Reading Activity: A Terrible Thing Happened (Grades 2-4)
  • School Mental Health Reading Activity: In My Heart: A Book of Feelings (Grades K-3)
  • School Mental Health Reading Activity: Listening to My Body/Escuchando a Mi Cuerpo (Grades 2-4)
  • School Mental Health Reading Activity: Listening with My Heart/Escuchando con Mi Corazón (Grades 2-4)

School Mental Health Reading Activity: Lola's Words Disappeared (Grades 2-4)

  • School Mental Health Reading Activity: Lola's Words Disappeared (Grades 2-4)
  • School Mental Health Reading Activity: Mindful Mantras: I Will Be Okay! (Grades K-3)
  • School Mental Health Short Video Activity (Grades 4-8)
  • School Mental Health Reading Activity: One Wave at a Time: A Story About Grief & Healing (Grades 3-5)
  • School Mental Health Reading Activity: The Boy with Big Big Feelings (Grades K-3)
  • School Mental Health Reading Activity: The Invisible String (Grades K-3)

School Mental Health Reading Activity: Worry Says What? (Grade 2-5)

  • School Mental Health Reading Activity: Worry Says What? (Grades 2-5)
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20 AVID Activities for Middle School

The pfi roller coaster, educating sex offenders: a school’s duty, 20 fun hand-tracing activities for kids, learning and teaching update, primary assembly: down’s syndrome awareness, how to become a google certified educator, 22 fun activities to create stunning thanksgiving placemats, 15 worthwhile entrepreneurial activities for students, cpd: a breakdown, 20 activities for mental health awareness in high school classrooms.

health activities in school

1. Mindfulness Meditation: Begin each day with a 5-minute mindfulness meditation session to alleviate stress and promote mental well-being.

2. Gratitude Journaling: Encourage students to keep gratitude journals throughout the week, listing five things they are thankful for.

3. Anonymous Sharing Box: Set up a box where students can anonymously share their feelings, concerns, or thoughts about mental health.

4. Mental Health Book Club: Facilitate discussions on selected books that promote mental well-being, empathy, and understanding.

5. Positive Affirmation Wall: Create a wall filled with positive affirmations that students contribute to help boost self-esteem and enhance emotional well-being.

6. Classroom Yoga Sessions: Incorporate short, daily yoga sessions to help students manage stress and improve their overall mental health.

7. Relaxation Techniques: Introduce various relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises or progressive muscle relaxation for students to practice during breaks.

8. Emotion Charades: Conduct a fun game where students take turns acting out different emotions to encourage emotional awareness.

9. Mental Health Guest Speakers: Invite mental health professionals and advocates who can talk about the importance of self-care, coping strategies, and seeking help when needed.

10. Incorporate Art Therapy Activities: Give students opportunities to express their emotions through drawing, painting, or sculpting as a means of coping with stress and anxiety.

11. Digital Detox Day Challenge: Encourage students to take a break from social media and technology for one day to reduce stress and focus on their mental health.

12. Develop Coping Skills Toolbox: Help students create a personalized list of coping strategies they can apply when feeling overwhelmed or anxious.

13. Storytelling Workshops: Facilitate storytelling workshops where students openly discuss their experiences related to mental health in a supportive environment.

14. Role-playing Scenarios: Perform role-playing scenarios to teach empathy and effective communication skills.

15. Film Discussions: Present educational or thought-provoking films about mental health, followed by guided discussions.

16. Peer Mentoring Programs: Train older students to act as mentors for their younger peers to help in building healthy support networks.

17. Wellness Check-ins: Hold weekly wellness check-ins where students reflect on their own emotions and well-being.

18. Suicide Awareness and Prevention Activities: Provide resources like presentations, lectures, and role-playing scenarios to teach students how to identify warning signs and support friends at risk.

19. Mood Boards: Encourage students to create mood boards or collages representing their current emotional state as a creative way to express their feelings.

20. Mental Health Field Trips: Organize visits to mental health care facilities or awareness events to give students firsthand exposure and experience in understanding mental health issues.

20 Independent Reading Activities for Middle School

15 teacher-recommended musicals for middle schoolers.

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Matthew Lynch

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Developing personal health literacy—the ability to find, understand, and use health information and services—should start early in life. Teaching health literacy skills is part of the process of caring for and educating children, adolescents, and young adults. All students should graduate with skills that will help them lead healthier lives.

The resources on this page can help childcare providers, early childhood educators, K-12 (kindergarten through grade 12) teachers, and university faculty recognize and respond to students’—and their family members’—health information and communication needs.

The resources may also help other people and organizations identify common interests and opportunities to work with educators and childcare providers.

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Health & Literacy Education Research

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Teachers can help children develop health literacy skills early in life.

The following list of curricula are divided by grade levels: pre-K and early childhood, elementary school, middle school, and high school and university.

Pre-Kindergarten & Early Childhood

  • Ray and the Sunbeatables (University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 2015-2021) This curriculum teaches children in pre-k through 1st grade about sun protection and promotes sun safety behaviors to reduce children’s lifetime risk of developing skin cancer. Free registration required.

Elementary School

  • ECO Bookworms (American Public Health Association 2022) Each month, the American Public Health Association’s ECO Bookworms book club selects a book about the environment or climate change for young readers or a book that teachers and caregivers can read to pre-readers. Each selection includes a list of discussion questions, so educators can guide the conversation in a fun and informative way.
  • Be Sunbeatable  (University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 2014-2020) This curriculum for children in grades 2 through 5 encourages students to be sun safe. Free registration required.
  • Eagle Books (K-4) and the Eagle Books Toolkit  (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2015) The free downloadable books and toolkit are part of a healthy living and diabetes prevention curriculum for children in kindergarten through 4th grade.

Middle School

  • Eagle Books (5-8) and the  Eagle Books Toolkit (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2015) The free downloadable books and toolkit are part of a healthy living and diabetes prevention curriculum for children in grades 5 through 8.
  • Health Information Literacy Outreach: A Curriculum for Improving Health Information Literacy of 6th Grade Children (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences 2013) This curriculum is designed to improve the health information literacy skills of 6th-grade students and increase their knowledge of lead poisoning. A secondary goal is to encourage 6th-grade students to make attending college one of their aspirations.

students in university classroom

College students can be future health literacy educators.

High School & College

  • NERD Academy curriculum (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2022) Free curriculum to teach students about public health, epidemiology, and related careers. Includes detailed lesson plans and student activities with demonstration videos. Empower students to make informed public health decisions for themselves and their communities.
  • Navigating the Health Care System (Nemours Children’s Health 2021) This four-unit health literacy curriculum is designed to prepare high-school and college-age teens to manage their own health care as they transition into adulthood.
  • Is This Legit? Accessing Valid and Reliable Health Information (NIH, National Institute on Drug Abuse 2021) This health literacy curriculum is designed to help students in grades 9 through 12 identify and use reputable sources of high-quality health information and describe how various sources influence their personal health behaviors.

Health and Science Education Resources

Explore these resources to supplement or enhance health and science lesson plans and educational activities.

  • Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) at CDC . Find apps, lessons, modules, and activities from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that show how public health brings together science, technology, engineering, and math with other subjects like social studies, civics, language arts, physical education and health, and sociology to contribute to creating a healthier world.
  • Adolescent and School Health is a collection of educational materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that address topic areas related to adolescent health.
  • HHMI Biointeractive is a collection of educational resources from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
  • NCI Visuals Online and NIMH Image Library are searchable collections of images and illustrations from the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Mental Health.
  • National Library of Medicine Digital Collections  contains archived documents and images from and of public health, medical practitioners, biomedical science, and allied sciences.
  • National Library of Medicine Exhibitions  feature stories about history, society, and medicine.
  • Science Education Partnership Award Teaching Resources . Educators can use these resources from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to engage their students in science.

Health Education Standards & Analysis Tools

The standards and tools can help you assess heath education curricula and policies.

  • Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT) e-Learning is designed to help you use the HECAT to review a health education curriculum. Developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the HECAT provides guidance to improve curriculum selection and development. The current HECAT reflects updates made in 2021.
  • National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is congressionally mandated and is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics. NAEP assesses progress in math, reading, science, writing, technology and engineering literacy, arts, civics, geography, economics, and U.S. history in grades 4, 8, and 12.
  • Creating a Culture of Health in Head Start Communities: Summary Report  is an analysis of the UCLA Health Care Institute’s work, from 2016-2020, to improve community health literacy and assist Head Start programs in meeting Head Start Program Performance Standards.
  • School Health Index , developed by CDC, enables schools to identify strengths and weaknesses of health and safety policies and programs, enables schools to develop an action plan for improving student health, and engages teachers, parents, students, and the community in promoting health-enhancing behaviors and better health.
  • Characteristics of an Effective Health Education Curriculum is a list of 15 features of effective health education curricula. CDC developed the list based on reviews of effective programs and curricula and input from experts in the field of health education.
  • National Health Education Standards are written expectations of what students should know and be able to do by grades 2, 5, 8, and 12 to promote personal, family, and community health. The standards were last updated in 2007.

For more information, please review the complete text of Goal 3  in the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. See Section 3, Goal 3.

People with higher literacy and health literacy skills tend to experience better health outcomes. The following may provide background for your own research on the intersection of health and literacy or help you set your research ideas in motion.

  • Head Start & Early Head Start research (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families): A collection of current and past projects that guide improvement in Head Start programs, early childhood programming, and early childhood development.
  • Reach Out and Read . Research priorities and a collection of research initiatives funded or partially funded by the Reach Out and Read National Center
  • Research supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development :
  • Early Learning and School Readiness
  • Language, Bilingualism and Biliteracy
  • Reading, Writing and Related Learning Disabilities

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Student Opinion

How Does Your School Address Students’ Mental Health Needs?

Does your school have classes or programs that focus on mental well-being? Are there other resources available for those who seek help?

A portrait of Camryn Baron, who stands and rests her hands on the shoulders of Elizabeth Sanborn, who sits on a stool next to her, in a classroom.

By Shannon Doyne

During this school year or any point in your school career, have you had classes or special programs that have taught you how to deal with emotions, manage stress, know when to seek help from an adult and recognize when a friend is struggling?

At your school, have any students formed groups or clubs intended to boost happiness, ease stress, encourage wellness or offer help with mental health issues? Would you be interested in joining such a program?

In “ When the Biggest Student Mental Health Advocates Are the Students ,” Jennifer Miller writes about student-led initiatives that have popped up in some schools. The article begins:

Last October, to commemorate Mental Health Awareness Week, a group of students at Sacopee Valley High School in Hiram, Maine, created the annual Hope Board. Shaped like an enormous tulip and displayed in the lobby, the board was covered with anonymous teenage aspirations. Some students hoped to pass driver’s education or have a successful playoff season. Others expressed more complicated desires. “To be more happy than angry,” wrote one student. Another wrote, “I hope people are kinder and more mature.” Camryn Baron, 17, created the board as a founder of Sacopee’s Yellow Tulip Team, a student group devoted to mental health. “It’s an outlet for some kids to be able to outwardly express and vocalize something that’s bothering them,” she said. Ms. Baron has struggled with an eating disorder, anxiety and depression; she is bisexual and has not always felt supported. “The things that a lot of us dismiss or struggle with here — to be able to share them with other people is validating,” she said. Sacopee’s Yellow Tulip Team is one of roughly 150 such clubs supported by the Yellow Tulip Project , a mental health education and advocacy nonprofit. Co-founded in 2016 by Julia Hansen, a high schooler in Maine who had lost her two best friends to suicide, the nonprofit works to destigmatize mental illness and help students prioritize their emotional well-being. At Sacopee Valley, the club plays upbeat music to welcome students each Monday and shares mental health information through morning announcements. Each fall, it plants a Hope Garden — 500 tulip bulbs this year — and will celebrate the flowers’ resilience in the spring with a youth wellness day of workshops and activities. At the group’s regular meetings, students might discuss stress reduction strategies, as well as the homophobia, socio-economic inequality and various stigma that many teenagers experience in their conservative-leaning, rural community. In recent years, nonprofits that support school-based mental health clubs have found their programs in demand. The increase is the result of two phenomena: the rising number of adolescents struggling with mental health and the dearth of resources to help them. As schools search for solutions, often it’s the students who are leading the effort. “When we think about mental health, it’s not just about crisis intervention,” said Lisa Padilla, senior behavioral and social scientist at the RAND Corporation, who has studied mental health clubs. “The peer-based organizations are creating an environment in the school that says, ‘We value your well-being, and we know that’s part of who you are as a whole person.’ That message goes a long way to make students feel safe and empowered to speak up about their own needs.”

Students, read the entire article and then tell us:

Before reading the article, had you heard of the Yellow Tulip Project? Does your school have a Yellow Tulip Team or something similar that is run by students who offer support to their peers? If so, what does the group do?

Do you feel that your school has adequate resources for students who are struggling with their mental health? Are there groups, safe spaces or adults, such as counselors, available to help?

The article discusses efforts to destigmatize mental health issues, or to make people feel more comfortable talking about their struggles. Do you still see a stigma associated with mental health and with getting help for it? Which of the efforts mentioned in the article do you think would be most helpful in reducing discomfort around these issues? Why?

The article quotes a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that found that, in 2021, 44 percent of high school students claimed they “persistently felt sad or hopeless,” up 7.3 percent from a study conducted in 2019. Do these statistics reflect your own observations? Do you think that your peers struggle more now than they did before the Covid-19 pandemic?

If you were asked to contribute ideas to what schools could do, or do differently, to help foster mental well-being, what would you suggest? Why?

Finally, now that you’ve read about the shortage of mental health resources for students, are you interested in pursuing a career in a related field, such as a school psychologist or a counselor? What qualities do you think a person who works with young people in this capacity should have?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

CafeMom

Tips To Keep Kids' Physical & Emotional Health in Check as They Head Back to School

Posted: September 1, 2023 | Last updated: September 1, 2023

<p>Most parents know to expect the inevitable. With the start of each new school year, our kids are surely going to <a href="https://cafemom.com/parenting/221810-must-have-cold-flu-season-products-for-kids">bring home some colds</a>, viruses, <a href="https://cafemom.com/parenting/banish-back-to-school-stress-overachieving-kids">stresses, and worries</a>. Whether your kids are in day care and <a href="https://cafemom.com/parenting/10-skills-kids-should-learn-in-preschool">preschool age</a> or they're headed to high school, they're likely to encounter a few potential health hazards as they kick off a new academic year. To be honest, it's something most parents dread, even though we know it's probably going to happen within those first few weeks. </p> <p>One thing we've learned in the past couple of years though, is that there's actually a lot more we can do to keep our children — and households — as physically and <a href="https://cafemom.com/parenting/mental-health-resources-every-mom-needs-to-know-about">emotionally healthy</a> as possible. With that in mind, we turned to board-certified <a href="https://cafemom.com/parenting/221285-15-things-your-kids-pediatrician-wants-you-to-know">pediatrician</a> Dr. Preeti Parikh to find out her top back-to-school <a href="https://cafemom.com/lifestyle/expert-weighs-in-on-the-best-health-advice-for-moms">health tips</a>. Here's what she had to say:</p> <p><strong>More from CafeMom:</strong> <a href="https://cafemom.com/parenting/226616-back-to-school-traditions-to-still-keep">16 Back-To-School Traditions To Still Keep</a></p>

Most parents know to expect the inevitable. With the start of each new school year, our kids are surely going to bring home some colds , viruses, stresses, and worries . Whether your kids are in day care and preschool age or they're headed to high school, they're likely to encounter a few potential health hazards as they kick off a new academic year. To be honest, it's something most parents dread, even though we know it's probably going to happen within those first few weeks.

One thing we've learned in the past couple of years though, is that there's actually a lot more we can do to keep our children — and households — as physically and emotionally healthy as possible. With that in mind, we turned to board-certified pediatrician Dr. Preeti Parikh to find out her top back-to-school health tips . Here's what she had to say:

More from CafeMom: 16 Back-To-School Traditions To Still Keep

<p>"I made a little homework nook in our kitchen with all the supplies they might need, comfortable chairs, and some snacks that they can help themselves to. I feel like it helps to have a welcoming space, and I usually make dinner when they are doing homework, so I can get that done but still be close by if they need help." – Jenny N., California</p>

Kids — and parents — are balancing a lot at the start of the school year.

"During the school year there are a lot of things that kids need to balance," says Parikh, who is the executive medical director at GoodRx. "Their academics, extracurricular activities, and social dynamics are all areas they are juggling, which contributes to the stress on kids."

She adds: "So, by keeping your kids healthy it helps them deal with all of these different areas and prevents them from getting sick and mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety."

Of course, we have to keep in mind that mental and emotional health can also take a toll on our kids physically, so we have to be sure to prioritize that aspect of their wellness as well.

<p>"Kids are excited to be back at school and now they are back indoors in enclosed spaces near many children and adults," says Parikh.</p> <p>Kids, teachers, and parents should be more diligent about hand washing than ever before. "Hand hygiene and other hygiene measures, such as sneezing into the elbow and social distancing, which if not done well, can lead to more spread of infections," are crucial according to Parikh, especially as we continue to deal with new and/or different strains of COVID-19, the flu, and other highly contagious illnesses.</p>

Hand hygiene is more important than you might think.

"Kids are excited to be back at school and now they are back indoors in enclosed spaces near many children and adults," says Parikh.

Kids, teachers, and parents should be more diligent about hand washing than ever before. "Hand hygiene and other hygiene measures, such as sneezing into the elbow and social distancing, which if not done well, can lead to more spread of infections," are crucial according to Parikh, especially as we continue to deal with new and/or different strains of COVID-19, the flu, and other highly contagious illnesses.

<p>The strength of a children's immune systems is affected by various things. It's important to make sure kids are getting enough high-quality sleep, that they are eating a balanced diet, and that they are up-to-date on their immunizations.</p> <p>"Parents may experience anxiety when contemplating new immunizations and vaccines because there are numerous channels for people to receive medical information, many of which can contain misinformation. It is important to have trusted resources to read and parents can always turn to their pediatrician for questions to help with their anxiety," Parikh says.</p>

Having a holistic approach to your child's health and wellness is beneficial.

The strength of a children's immune systems is affected by various things. It's important to make sure kids are getting enough high-quality sleep, that they are eating a balanced diet, and that they are up-to-date on their immunizations.

"Parents may experience anxiety when contemplating new immunizations and vaccines because there are numerous channels for people to receive medical information, many of which can contain misinformation. It is important to have trusted resources to read and parents can always turn to their pediatrician for questions to help with their anxiety," Parikh says.

<p>Putting together a medical checklist for your children can eliminate a lot of stress. It's especially helpful for kids who have specific medical conditions, like asthma or allergies.</p> <p>"A medical checklist provides you with a blueprint to help ensure all of your bases are covered while preparing for your child’s return to school," says Parikh. "You should work with your health care provider to create an action plan. So, in case your child has an asthma attack or an allergic reaction, the school and you know what to do. Both the school and you should have the medications needed and the steps to follow in case of an emergency." </p> <p>Having multiple sets of medications for school and home can be costly, so Parikh recommends using a prescription discount program like that offered by GoodRx, to make sure your children always have their medications.</p>

Have an action plan.

Putting together a medical checklist for your children can eliminate a lot of stress. It's especially helpful for kids who have specific medical conditions, like asthma or allergies.

"A medical checklist provides you with a blueprint to help ensure all of your bases are covered while preparing for your child’s return to school," says Parikh. "You should work with your health care provider to create an action plan. So, in case your child has an asthma attack or an allergic reaction, the school and you know what to do. Both the school and you should have the medications needed and the steps to follow in case of an emergency."

Having multiple sets of medications for school and home can be costly, so Parikh recommends using a prescription discount program like that offered by GoodRx, to make sure your children always have their medications.

<p>Basically, that means teaching your kids techniques that they can turn to during stressful moments. "A stress tool kit is important for children in all aspects of their lives to keep them healthy since stress can lead to illness," Parikh tells us.</p> <p>"Starting in a new school or classroom is naturally a stressful experience for kids. But parents should recognize that not all stressful emotions are bad and dealing with them is an important step in emotional growth. Learning to identify, manage, and bounce back from stress can motivate a child to compete and succeed academically or in sports," she says.</p> <p>Talk to your kids about using techniques like labeling their feelings, noticing body sensations attached to certain emotions, and rating their emotions, so they're aware of how serious a situation may be. Then they can do things like paced breathing, meditation, redirecting stressful thoughts and replacing them with more helpful ones, and practicing mindfulness. Using these techniques as a habit will help them be more prepared when stress strikes.</p>

A stress tool kit can also be useful for kids.

Basically, that means teaching your kids techniques that they can turn to during stressful moments. "A stress tool kit is important for children in all aspects of their lives to keep them healthy since stress can lead to illness," Parikh tells us.

"Starting in a new school or classroom is naturally a stressful experience for kids. But parents should recognize that not all stressful emotions are bad and dealing with them is an important step in emotional growth. Learning to identify, manage, and bounce back from stress can motivate a child to compete and succeed academically or in sports," she says.

Talk to your kids about using techniques like labeling their feelings, noticing body sensations attached to certain emotions, and rating their emotions, so they're aware of how serious a situation may be. Then they can do things like paced breathing, meditation, redirecting stressful thoughts and replacing them with more helpful ones, and practicing mindfulness. Using these techniques as a habit will help them be more prepared when stress strikes.

child on tablet

Setting digital media boundaries can help keep mental health in check.

"Back-to-school is a good time to reevaluate your child’s boundaries around digital media and ensure it isn’t impacting their writing and communication skills. In creating your child’s boundaries, consider scheduling screen-free times during meals, homework time, and one hour before bed," says Parikh.

Social media especially, can lead to increased feelings of pressure and inadequacy in children, and of course, it's basically now the new playground for bullies, so parents should be particularly aware of how their children are using social apps like TikTok and Snapchat.

"Talk with your kids, especially teens, about thinking through long-term consequences, worst case scenarios, and responsible use of social media. Having an open dialogue and keeping a pulse on your child’s social media accounts — including who their friends are — is key to helping them cope with challenges they may face online," suggests Parikh.

<p>"Heading back to school is a great opportunity for parents to take stock of a child’s mental and physical health. This is especially pertinent as students continue to shift back from their remote/hybrid learning during the pandemic," Parikh explains. "Conditions that affect children’s learning ability, such as ADHD or dyslexia, can develop at any time, and the signs are not always obvious."</p> <p>Talk to your child's pediatrician and/or teacher if you notice any of these signs of learning struggles: poor organization, difficulty following directions, struggles in specific subjects like math or reading, or acting out in class.</p>

Be aware of any potential learning struggles.

"Heading back to school is a great opportunity for parents to take stock of a child’s mental and physical health. This is especially pertinent as students continue to shift back from their remote/hybrid learning during the pandemic," Parikh explains. "Conditions that affect children’s learning ability, such as ADHD or dyslexia, can develop at any time, and the signs are not always obvious."

Talk to your child's pediatrician and/or teacher if you notice any of these signs of learning struggles: poor organization, difficulty following directions, struggles in specific subjects like math or reading, or acting out in class.

<p>"Keeping kids healthy, both physically and mentally, allows them to better focus on academics, extracurricular activities, and social dynamics, all of which contribute to their growth throughout the school year," Parikh says, noting that "making sure they have good sleep, are eating healthy, exercising, following good hygiene, and are staying up-to-date on their immunizations" should be priorities.</p>

Being proactive about your children's health during the school year can help prevent problems.

"Keeping kids healthy, both physically and mentally, allows them to better focus on academics, extracurricular activities, and social dynamics, all of which contribute to their growth throughout the school year," Parikh says, noting that "making sure they have good sleep, are eating healthy, exercising, following good hygiene, and are staying up-to-date on their immunizations" should be priorities.

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IMAGES

  1. 9 mental health activities to do with your children

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  2. NLPS Mental Health Resources

    health activities in school

  3. Mental Health Awareness Week

    health activities in school

  4. If you need a nutrition lesson plan, this outline and fun ideas is

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  5. Healthy Bodies and Minds

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COMMENTS

  1. 20 Activities Focusing on Health for Middle School Students

    Healthy Habits Bingo There are some really great bingo worksheets available that can start discussions on nutrition and overall student health. This resource has advice about what students can do for their mental health and safety, and things to avoid to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Learn More: Pinterest 6. Focus on Mental Health

  2. Healthy Schools

    CDC Healthy Schools Healthy Students, Ready to Learn Learn more What's New CDC-RFA-DP-24-0139: Improving Adolescent Health and Well-Being Through School-Based Surveillance and the What Works in Schools Program Evidence-Based Strategies for School Nutrition and Physical Activity Healthy and Supportive School Environments School Employee Wellness

  3. Classroom Physical Activity

    Integrate Classroom Physical Activity in Schools [PDF - 269 KB] —This data brief defines classroom physical activity, provides a snapshot of current classroom physical activity practices in the United States, and highlights ways to improve classroom physical activity through national guidance and practical strategies and resources.

  4. Physical Education and Physical Activity

    Schools are in a unique position to help students attain the nationally recommended 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. 1 Regular physical activity in childhood and adolescence is important for promoting lifelong health and well-being and preventing various health conditions. 1-3

  5. NOVA Online

    Cancer Warrior In "What's the Right Dose?" students determine the toxicity of salt to an intracellular liver process using a dose response curve to learn more about chemotherapy. Grades 6-8, 9-12....

  6. School Programs

    Educator School Programs Kids Heart Challenge & American Heart Challenge Schools across the country are developing happy and healthy students prepared to physically and emotionally conquer the world. Register for a challenge! About the Challenge

  7. 7 Health Science Lesson Plans Perfect for Middle School

    Below, you'll find more information about each of these health science lesson plans and how they can help you teach your middle school students. 1. Health Career Exploration. HealthCenter21 Module: Health Career Exploration. When teaching middle schoolers health science, the perfect place to start is a lesson on health career exploration.

  8. WHO reviews effect of physical activity on enhancing academic

    17 February 2021 News release Reading time: 3 min (862 words) Regular physical activity, increasing physical education and active classrooms not only protect schoolchildren's health but also improve their academic achievement.

  9. - KidsHealth in the Classroom

    Sesame Street How the Body Works Special Needs KidsHealth in the Classroom offers educators free health-related lesson plans for PreK through 12th grade. Each Teacher's Guide includes discussion questions, classroom activities and extensions, printable handouts, and quizzes and answer keys — all aligned to National Health Education Standards.

  10. Health promoting schools

    A health promoting school: Fosters health and learning with all the measures at its disposal. Engages health and education officials, teachers, teachers' unions, students, parents, health providers and community leaders in efforts to make the school a healthy place.

  11. Physical activity

    Popular ways to be active include walking, cycling, wheeling, sports, active recreation and play, and can be done at any level of skill and for enjoyment by everybody. Regular physical activity is proven to help prevent and manage noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and several cancers.

  12. Healthy Activities

    Healthy Activities Schools are an avenue for participation in a number of activities outside of the traditional classroom environment. As much as possible, these activities should continue to be provided to students to support engagement, health, mental wellbeing, and development. Provide recess

  13. Activities for wellbeing in schools

    1. Wellbeing and feelings: starter activity Encourage learners to think about wellbeing and what makes them happy, comfortable and healthy.

  14. School health activities support the achievement of 5 SDGs

    Research has demonstrated that school health activities promote equitable access to, and participation in, quality education through activities such as deworming (providing medicine to fight intestinal worms, which can cause anemia, stunting, lethargy, impaired cognitive development, poor short-term memory, and increased absenteeism), micronutri...

  15. Healthy Activities to Do at Home

    Movement & Play Practice yoga techniques and poses to build strength and flexibility and help relax. Get "family fit" using activity points to encourage movement. Create a backyard (or basement) fitness circuit course. Use common household objects for some fitness fun and games.

  16. Health And Physical Education

    Manage Classes & Assignments Sync with Google Classroom Create Lessons Customized Dashboard Get More Features Free Find health and physical education supplementary teaching resources for all ages. Discover videos, games, and activities aligned to state and national standards.

  17. 22 Empowering Mental Health Activities for Teens

    1. Create a positive vibe Set your classroom up for student success by creating a supportive, safe environment in your classroom. Place a high value on relationships. Offer choices. Celebrate mistakes. Model compassion.

  18. Health Promoting Schools: An Update

    Health Promoting School Framework to Tackle Triple Health Burden. A recent paper on school health has raised the question of what constitutes school health with wide debate depending on geographic location, morbidity and mortality pattern of children and adolescents in the area, existing infrastructure and resources, and culture [].Equipping schools with the capacity to tackle the 'Triple ...

  19. School nurses help students achieve health and well-being

    School nurses have the child health expertise needed to help address those concerns. Placing nurses in educational settings with students is an important investment. The health and well-being of students improve, which positively affects learning readiness. Parents and guardians are able to focus better on their work, knowing that the children ...

  20. High School Health Curriculum

    Overview of Glencoe Health. Glencoe Health provides high-school students with age-appropriate content that aligns with the National Health Education Standards to help them become health-literate individuals. This research-based program focuses on the development and application of critical knowledge and skills during a crucial period in students' lives.

  21. Parents for Healthy Schools

    Engaged parents help guide their children successfully through school, advocate for their children, and can help shape a healthy school environment. 1 CDC developed a set of resources, called Parents for Healthy Schools, to assist schools, school groups, and school wellness committees with encouraging parent involvement in school health.

  22. Implementing health-promoting activities in diverse primary school

    For widespread dissemination of school-based health-promoting activities, it might, therefore, be better to first focus on schools in which there is already some motivation to work on the subject. The school's drive is an important foundation for successful implementation and focussing attention on fewer schools provides more room to ...

  23. 20+ Preschool Activities that Promote Good Health

    Comments Preschool Health Activities Promoting good health in the preschool classroom is important for setting the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits. As an early educator, and parent, you have the opportunity to create an environment that supports healthy choices and teaches children about the importance of taking care of their bodies.

  24. School Mental Health Activities

    Toolkit School Mental Health Activities As a way to support educators and student mental health, we have developed new activities which are age-appropriate for students in kindergarten through college. Activities can be implemented in- classroom or virtually.

  25. 20 Activities for Mental Health Awareness in High School Classrooms

    Spread the love1. Mindfulness Meditation: Begin each day with a 5-minute mindfulness meditation session to alleviate stress and promote mental well-being. 2. Gratitude Journaling: Encourage students to keep gratitude journals throughout the week, listing five things they are thankful for. 3. Anonymous Sharing Box: Set up a box where students can anonymously share their feelings, concerns, or ...

  26. Schools

    Curricula Teachers can help children develop health literacy skills early in life. The following list of curricula are divided by grade levels: pre-K and early childhood, elementary school, middle school, and high school and university. Pre-Kindergarten & Early Childhood

  27. How Does Your School Address Students' Mental Health Needs?

    Camryn Baron, left, founded the Yellow Tulip Team at Sacopee Valley High School in Hiram, Maine, where she is a junior, with the help of Elizabeth Sanborn, her faculty adviser.

  28. Tips To Keep Kids' Physical & Emotional Health in Check as They ...

    "During the school year there are a lot of things that kids need to balance," says Parikh, who is the executive medical director at GoodRx. "Their academics, extracurricular activities, and social ...

  29. South Lake Tahoe, CA Health & Activities Weather Forecasts

    Weather conditions can be closely tied with health-related pains and outdoor activities. See a list of your local health and activity forecasts and recommendations.