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Dr. Lawrence St Leger

What really works in promoting health in schools?

From recent commissions which sought answers to this question. Dr. St Leger shares how schools can use this evidence to add value to their initiatives.

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Coordinated Approaches PDF Print E-mail

Example #1 

"A key element of our healthy school approach this year was to ensure that all of our special initiatives could always be related to our over-arching Growth Plan Goal "to enhance independent problem solving".  In the case of our Healthy Schools project "the problem" was to improve fitness levels and the strategies that we taught our students encouraged them to assess their own levels of fitness, take responsibility for improvement and recognize and celebrate growth.  In a time when there are so many potential directions and needs in education, our advice to schools is to identify a central tenet or goal and link all new initiatives to that goal."

Canyon Lister Elementary, School District 08 Kootenay Lake
School Question: Will having students participate in a fitness pre-test/post-test in conjuction with a school wide walk/run program improve their willingness to participate in fitness type activities as well as their individudal fitness level?

For more information about this inquiry visit Elementary & K-12 Case Study Reports

Example #2

"As a staff we met and completed the assessment tool.  After analyzing the data we found that a number of elements had similar results.  Therefore, we decided that we would develop a question that would emcompass as many of those elements as possible.  We also decided to include a number of other categoreis that fit locally into our inquiry.  The categories were: Physical Education, School Connectedness, Active Living and Community Partnerships.  We started working on improving student understanding of the benefits and importance of Physical Education and Active Living. 

To develop the element of School Connectedness, we decided that the inclusion of the student leadership group as organizers of our monthly events was an important step.  We believed this would bring the school community together in a joint staff-student undertaking.

The final element we addressed was that of Community Partnerships, which we addressed in a variety of ways.  First we included the community neighbouring our school as our event moves along the same 5 km route each month.  We have been fortunate in that the community has embraced this event...with the local RCMP joining us for support for safety on the road."

George Bonner Middle School, School District 79 Cowichan Valley
School Question: Will the enjoyment and quality of experience, as indicated by participation levels, during monthly "School Move for Health Days" improve as a result of peer health leadership teaching programs?

For more information about this inquiry visit the Middle School Case Study Reports