THANK YOU!

Photo Credit: Fast Company

It's already the end of the semester, and on behalf of all the SFU students, I would like to thank Ms. Tabelliini, Dr. Corbett, Jenny Scott, and Heather Roemer as well as all the teachers, staff, and students at Central Community Elementary School for an enriching and fun four months!

How Living Near Green Spaces Improves Health

Via Children and Nature Network.  Photo Credit: Federico Stevanin

A 2008 study from the UK found that people who lived near parks and greenery had better mental and physical health outcomes than those in areas with little or no access to green spaces.  Those with access to green spaces had lower rates of heart disease.  Living near green spaces increases the likelihood that one will exercise and take time to unwind.  Those on low incomes tend to be in poorer health than those of higher incomes.  However, the study shows that green spaces buffer health differences between income groups.  People of lower income who lived near green spaces reported health outcomes similar to those of people with higher incomes.  Previous studies suggest that just 5 minutes of exercise in green spaces helps to improve mental health and mood.  Even more motivation to go walking in all the trails Port Coquitlam has to offer!

How Hard Was 8th Grade Geography in 1931?

Via the Washington Post

The Washington Post just published an 8th grade final exam handed out in West Virginia in 1931.  It's interesting to see how testing has changed since the 1930s. There are no multiple choice questions, many essay questions, and the exam itself is quite difficult.  The test is very specific to the region of West Virginia as well - many questions are about textiles, farming, and coal production.  This helps to encourage the growth of the local economy.  The exam covers geography, history, English, penmanship, arithmetic, agriculture, hygeine and physiology.  View the orginal test here.

Why We Need Universal Child Care

Photo credit: Santa Ana College

There is a child care crisis in Canada.  Canadian families with young children pay up to 20% of their household incomes on childcare - in some cases more than $1200 per month.  We are facing a shortage of spaces and an increase in costs for child care.  In many European countries, universal (and often free) child care is provided by the government.  In Québec, the government pays part of cost of child care, leaving Québécois families to pay only $7 per day per child.  We need something like this to help families juggle day to day finances while keeping children safe and cared for.  Affordable child care allows parents to work outside the home and keep food on the table.  Visit the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada to learn more and find out what you can do.  Share you child care story here.

How to Get Your Kids to Do Their Homework

 Via GOOD.  Photo credit: Leah-Anne Thomps

A new study says that to get kids to do their homework, we have to show them how homework is an investment in their future.  Students in the study who were told that higher education equals higher earnings were 8 times more likely to do their assignments than those who were not.  Showing kids that what they're doing now is linked to their future helps make homework feel practical and necessary.

Where is the Greenest School? Bali, Indonesia

Via CNN

The Green School in Bali, Indonesia is a radical international school.  Made from bamboo and cooled using the wind, the school is a model of sustainability. The school harnesses the power of the sun and the nearby river to supply electricity. In the school farm, students learn how to grow rice and vegetables.  Food from the farm is used to prepare the daily, local lunch.  Students from 17 countries, including children from Bali, attend the school.  Courses are taught using a "learning by doing" method.  The focus of the curriculum is on working together and teaching eco-friendly practices.  This may be an extreme learning environment, but perhaps we can apply some of these ideas here in BC.

What Will the Classroom of the Future Look Like?

Via Slate Magazine

Slate Magazine recently asked readers to redesign the grade 5 classroom.  The results are impressive!  The new classroom is a large, open space with plenty of windows and access to the outdoors.  Film projectors, art spaces, and a learning garden complete the classroom.  Check out the article here.

What does Eating Together Have to Do with Health?

Via GOOD

Laurie David is concerned about the death of family dinner.  With the rise of microwaveable and fast foods, family dinners made from fresh, local ingredients are now scarce.  It comes as no surprise that obesity is a growing epidemic in nations where cooking skills and fresh foods are not valued.  Eating together lets families share stories and histories and teaches kids how to make conversation.  Let's make a return to the family dinner.

Read an interview with Laurie David about family dinners here.

Why Obesity is a Complex Problem (and How to Solve it)

Via TED

Jamie Oliver wishes to end obesity through a number of changes to the food industry, school lunch programs, and family dinner.  At Central, some SFU volunteers are teaching classes about nutrition and the importance of fruits and vegetables.  Ms. Reese has tasting classes to get kids to try new (and healthy) foods.  Even with these programs in place, more needs to be done to make sure our kids (and adults) stay healthy into the future.  Watch the inspiring video above.

How Can We Get Kids Excited About Food?

Chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkley, California founded the Edible Schoolyard.  The Edible Schoolyard teaches course subjects by letting students muck around in the garden.  The garden teaches students about sustainability, gardening, and food preparation.  It is also a way of getting kids excited about food and making healthy food choices.  Alice partnered with her local middle school to create the garden.  The garden has grown to over an acre in size and produces hundred of pounds of fruits and vegetables every year.  Food prepared from the garden is given to local charity.

How to Help Communties Through Service Learning

Via TED

Emily Pilloton, founder of Project H Design, moved to rural Bertie County, North Carolina to help create a service based learning course for the local high school. Service learning provides students with the opportunity to apply course knowledge to real life though hands-on experience. Pilloton's course teaches principles of design and puts these skills to use through community projects. For one project, students created a "Learning Landscape" that combines physical activity and math. The class researches the needs of the community before building and constructs projects with users in mind. We have written about service learning before here.

Who's Washing Their Hands?

Via GOOD

It's cold and flu season, so here's a reminder to wash your hands with plain soap and water to prevent spreading viruses and bacteria to others.  Using antibacterial soap increases antibiotic resistance and pollutes waterways, so choose plain soap.

To view a hand washing demonstration, follow after the jump...

Meet the Class!

Photos courtesy of Jenny Scott

Last Friday, the Health Sciences 349: Community Health Services class met at Central Community School.  Some students joined in the Halloween parade earlier in the day and showed up dressed in their costumes!

The Simon Fraser University (SFU) students are working with Central Community School staff, teachers, and students to help create a healthy school community.  The SFU students take a broad definition of health, helping students improve their literacy, numeracy, eating choices, physical activity, social relationships, and other health behaviors.

Click here to read a news article to learn more about SFU students and their work with Central Community School.

View more pictures after the jump...

How to Deal with Bullying

Everyone has been bullied at one time or another.  It is cruel and must be stopped.  In bullying, there is a clear power difference between the bully and the victim. Bullying can be calling someone names, starting a rumor, excluding someone from a group, physically harming someone, or taunting someone online. Follow after the jump to read what you can do to reduce bullying at your school:

• Kids, when you see bullying happen, tell an adult.
• If someone bullies you, look them in the eye and say "Stop.  I don't like it.  Leave me alone" then tell an adult.
• Ask your school if they have a bullying policy (Central does).
• Parents, if you suspect your child is being bullied, tell the school administration.  Listen to your child and suggest ways to avoid confrontation.
• Record bullying events when they happen.  Include date, time and place.
• Work with teachers, students, parents and administrators to solve the problem.

(Adapted from "A Bullying Primer for Central Community School", 2010)

"Waiting For Superman": A Movie About the Importance of Great Teachers

TakePart: Participant Media - Waiting For 'Superman' - Infographic from Jr.canest on Vimeo.

"Waiting for Superman" debuted in Vancouver at the VIFF.  The filmmakers show the magical effect of great teachers on students.  Great teachers help students achieve their dreams and strengthen communities.  This video clip shows the possibilities if we support each child's educational goals.

Will There Be a Bike Share Program in Port Coquitlam, Too?

Via City of Vancouver

Recently, Vancouver residents saw a demonstration of a bike share program from Montreal called Bixi.  Bike stations located all across Montreal provide the public with affordable rental bikes for short trips usually between 5 and 30 minutes in length.  Bike share programs help calm traffic and boost physical activity.  Vancouver city officials are planning to create a similar program here in the Lower Mainland.  Problems with other systems that must be solved include theft, damage, and cycling safety in the city.  Cycling is a great way to stay fit, keep active, and improve health.  Let's hope Port Coquitlam jumps on the bandwagon, too!  We already have bike lanes!

17 Ideas for Healthy Eating

 Via OpenIDEO

IDEO, an Internet design company, worked with chef Jamie Oliver and all their users to answer the question: "How can we raise kids' awareness of the benefits of fresh food so they can make better choices?"  192 suggestions were made.  The top 17 ideas were made into a free downloadable PDF document available here.  The ideas run from creating healthy recipe cards to conducting a veggie circus.  One of the suggestions is "Tasting Classes", which happen regularly in Ms. Reese's Grade 3 Class here at Central!

Lunch is a Health Issue

Via TED

Although we do not have a lunch program in schools in Canada, we have much to learn from this video.  Ann Cooper talks about how we should think of food as a health issue.  She argues that we should spend more money and direct more attention to the health of our children in schools.

How to Make Exercise Fun

The Fun Theory is a Swedish group who believe that something as "simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better."  If the stairs were this fun, no one would take the escalator.

12 Ways to Make Healthy Lunch Choices Easier

Via The New York Times

This week in The New York Times, university professors re-designed the school lunch line.  The goal of the project was to improve students' healthy decision-making. The professors made nutritious options more attractive than unhealthy options.  Many of the same rules can be applied at home to help kids learn to make healthy decisions.  Click here for the full article and infographic.

Why Service Learning is Needed

 Dr. Jim Kielsmeier via GOOD

In this interview, GOOD speaks to Dr. Jim Kielsmeier, founder and CEO of the National Youth Leadership Council.  He talks about how service learning connects what students are learning in school with community projects.  Studies show that students learn better with hands-on experience.  Service learning also decreases drop-out rates by engaging students. Click here for the interview.

Should Advertisements Be Allowed in Schools?

Via David Brewster of the Star Tribune

In Minneapolis - St. Paul, Minnesota, school officials are deciding to cover 10% of school spaces (walls, ceilings, floors, and lockers) with advertising.  The one-year trial will bring nearly $200 000 to the school district.  School officials defend their decision, saying that as long as the ads do not affect learning, they will keep them.  The school will be able to turn down ads deemed not suitable for kids.

How does advertising in schools affect students' self-image and health?  Should school officials take more into their decision-making than advertising's effects on learning?  The funds from the advertising amount to just over $25.00 per student.  Is this enough?  Is the bottom-line too important to schools?  Does turning to advertising show that schools need more money from governments?

Where is the Port Coquitlam Farmer's Market?

Via Port Coquitlam Farmer's Market

The Port Coquitlam Farmer's Market is a great place to purchase fresh, local produce, food items, and crafts.  It is also a great place to experience the culture of Port Coquitlam through arts events.

The market is located at 2252 Leigh Square in Port Coquitlam, BC, V3C 3B8.  The market runs every Thursday from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. from May 20 to September 16.

Find a map here

During the winter, local produce can be found at the Port Moody Farmer's Market located at the Port Moody Recreation Centre.  The winter market runs starting from November 2010 every other Sunday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Find a map here

How to Build Exercise into Your Day: Cycling

Building cycling paths in a community is a sure way to motivate people to embrace daily exercise.  Cycling, walking, rollerblading, and running improve heart and lung health and aid in weight loss when combined with a healthy diet.

In 2007, the City of Port Coquitlam adopted a "Master Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan".  Since then, cycling paths, bike-accessible crossing signals, signed cycling routes, and multi-use paths have been built to encourage residents to use alternate forms of transportation.

Cycling safely to and from school, work, and the grocery store helps to improve fitness.  Building physical activity into your day increases the chances that you will stick with your plan.

Click here to plan your daily route using non-motorized transit.

Should We Use Fear to Fight Obesity?

Break The Habit - Spec TVC from The Precinct on Vimeo

This controversial Public Service Announcement (PSA) uses fear to shake people into healthy eating. Perhaps this PSA could have explained why people eat junk food in the first place or explained the benefits of eating a balanced diet. What do you think? Does it make you want to eat a salad? What could make this PSA better? Or do you like it the way it is?

How Should We Teach the Leaders of Tomorrow?

Sir Ken Robinson is a world-famous education and creativity expert.  Here, he talks about teaching "one answer" versus "many answer" thinking. He argues that to teach the leaders of tomorrow, we must develop critical thinking and creativity within the public school system. Tomorrow's leaders will have to be well-equipped to help address future health and environmental concerns. See the very inspiring animated clip above.

Gourmet School Lunches in France

Via CBS News

Due to budget cuts and issues with food preparation, many schools in British Columbia find it difficult to provide lunches to students.  Centennial Secondary School in Coquitlam runs a centralized food program and delivers meals to students in the district.

In France, students in public schools are offered a gourmet school lunch program costing between $2.50 and $6.00 (USD) per meal.  Families in need pay what they can and the rest is paid for by the government.  The program, run out of centralized kitchens, employs some very successful chefs as seen in the clip above.

Welcome to The Central Elementary Healthy Community Blog

Welcome! The purpose of this blog is to connect parents, educators, staff and community members to resources and relevant current events focusing on "building a healthy community school".  Central Elementary already offers many programs for the community but is constantly evolving to meet new needs and adapt to new challenges.  I hope you enjoy this site and the dialogue it creates. I also hope it inspires you to imagine creative ways to integrate the wide definition of public health into the school community.

This blog was created in the fall semester of 2010 by parties involved with the Health Sciences 349: Community Health Services class that links Port Coquitlam's Central Elementary Community School with Simon Fraser University students.