Healthy Schools

Working together to create healthier school environments

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is working in a new way to support schools in Simcoe County and the District of Muskoka called “Healthy Schools”. The Healthy Schools approach is evidenced-based where administrators, teachers, students, parents and community partners work together to promote health and wellness and prevent injury and illness within the school community .

Sometimes referred to as comprehensive school health (CSH), schools using this approach strive to:

• Foster health and learning
• Engage the whole school community to identify and address issues together
• Use a variety of approaches to create a healthy school environment
• Implement policies and procedures that promote health and wellness and build on successes

For more information on Healthy Schools and comprehensive school health, click on the following links:

• Healthy Schools: A Guide for School Staff - created by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit
• Healthy Schools Fact Sheet – created by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit
• Comprehensive School Health Canadian Consensus Statement – provided by the Canadian Association for School Health, this statement gives thorough overview of comprehensive school health.
• Comprehensive School Health handout – from the Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition this document shows how the different components of a healthy schools approach works.
• School Health Research Network – this site provides current research that supports the effectiveness of healthy schools and much more.
• Healthy Schools Section – information from the Ontario Ministry of Education