Limestone Schools heal themselves

Jeff Green | Sep 16, 2010

Loughborough, Sharbot Lake and Clarendon Central Public Schools, and Sydenham High School have been recognised with HEAL awards for the first time by the Limestone District School Board at their September 8 meeting.

The HEAL Award recognizes schools that are working to create learning environments that promote health and wellness alongside academic excellence.

Healthy Education and Active Learning (HEAL) is a 3-year-old program of the Limestone District School Board that recognises efforts made by local schools in a number of areas, including: healthy eating, physical education, mental health, bullying prevention, prevention of substance abuse, and more.

There are now 28 schools in the board that qualify for the award.

Lara Paterson is a teacher with the Limestone Board who has been seconded to Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington Public Health to oversee the healthy schools initiative.

She said that the HEAL Awards are a “local initiative that was set up to recognise people in the schools for their efforts in promoting a healthy learning environment. The schools also receive a small monetary award to help with new initiatives to do with healthy living,” she said.

Schools cannot rest on their laurels once they receive the HEAL designation. “They must re-apply each year and they are expected to continually improve,” Paterson said.

The HEAL Awards are based on a set of standards that are provincially based. The province has established a new physical education curriculum, and new nutrition rules for all food sold in schools are on the way next year. The HEAL awards help schools work towards compliance with the new standards.

“There is a lot of momentum towards healthy education in the HEAL schools,” said Lara Paterson, “it’s become an attitude within the schools that a healthier place is a happier place.”

Hinchinbrooke and Land O’Lakes Public Schools have both received the award for their second consecutive year.