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Talking the Talk, Walking the Walk Nov 26, 2008
The winners of Ophea’s 2008 awards are spreading their messages about the importance of healthy active living for children and youth in some big ways. Find out how they’re sharing their knowledge and experience locally, nationally or internationally. They might just inspire you to get up and get active yourself.
| Play, Live, Be…Tobacco-free in Ontario! Nov 3, 2008
The second annual Youth Action Week is being held on November 23-29, 2008. Youth across Ontario are being encouraged to take action and break the connection between tobacco industry products and sport and recreation by banning tobacco consumption, advertising, promotion and marketing from all sporting events and venues, and eliminating exposure to second-hand smoke.
| Differentiation in Health and Physical Education Oct 1, 2008
Nowhere is diversity more apparent than in a Health and Physical Education class. Students enter our classes with vastly different and varied skill sets, levels of confidence and interests. Building the key elements of differentiation into our planning increases our ability to engage all of our students in learning.
| This School Year put Safety First Sep 1, 2008
Safe practices are essential when preparing to lead, teach and coach physical activity and sports, in and around the school. In order to minimize the element of risk, Ophea supports school boards and schools with the Ontario Physical Education Safety Guidelines. These documents have just undergone an entire review and are available on a new website.
| Active Safe Routes to School Aug 1, 2008
Active & Safe Routes to School (www.saferoutestoschool.ca) is a comprehensive community-based initiative that taps into the increasingly urgent demand for safe, walkable neighbourhoods. Active & Safe Routes to School promotes the use of active and efficient transportation for the daily trip to school, and addressing health and traffic safety issues while taking action on air pollution and climate change.
| Water, Water, Everywhere Jul 1, 2008
We drink it, wash ourselves with it, cook with it, spray it on our lawns and gardens, fish in it, and swim in it. In winter, we skate on it. Water is an important part of our lives. It is hard to imagine our world without water!
| The Ontario Curriculum: Health and Physical Education, Grades 1-12 Curriculum Review Jun 1, 2008
The focus of the Health and Physical Education (H&PE) curriculum is to help students develop a commitment and a positive attitude to lifelong healthy active living and the capacity to live satisfying, productive lives. Health and physical education teachers have the opportunity to help students develop critical living skills that will make a long-lasting impact.
| Student/Youth Leadership - from "leading the way", to "taking the lead" May 1, 2008
When asked, people most often define a good leader as someone who is honest, inspiring, competent and caring. Good leaders have integrity, vision and are hardworking. They share their vision with others, promote a common purpose and enable others to act. Ultimately, a good leader encourages and provides opportunities for others to lead.
| Fostering Hope Through Physical Education: How Ophea Resources are Helping to Change Lives in Sri Lanka and El Salvador Apr 1, 2008
Anyone who’s seen the look on a child’s face when they’ve just scored a goal, finished a track meet or mastered a dance routine knows: to a kid, physical activity isn’t about burning calories—it’s about having fun.
| The Purpose of Fitness Assessment in a Quality Health and Physical Education Program – Six Key Messages developed by OASPHE Jan 1, 2008
Over the past number of years, there has been considerable debate and discussion regarding the purpose and use of “fitness testing” and “fitness standards” in Ontario schools as a means of assessing the physical fitness expectations in the curriculum. Recently, this debate has been extended to include the use of fitness tests to assess the impact of the daily physical activity mandate.
| The Supportive Classroom Why school-based suicide prevention programs? Jun 1, 2007
Among youth, suicide rates tripled between the 1950s and 1980s, and have levelled off since. We can identify clusters of factors that put youth in a higher risk zone, but although they may be good for statistical generalizations, unfortunately, they often don’t tell us that the boy in Grade 11 biology who sits in the back of the classroom is contemplating suicide. You’ll often hear a parent who lost a son or daughter to suicide say these factors were not present in their child’s case. We spend so much time looking at risk factors that we often neglect protective factors.
| Organizing Effective Elementary and High School Intramural Programs Aug 22, 2008
When I began to think of intramural programs for elementary and high schools I thought of something else I once wrote, “I loved going to school and coming home. I loved recess and lunch. It was the in-between part that got to me” (Byl, 2002). I was always one of the first ones at school so I could be the first one up at baseball. Before and after recess and lunch, I and other classmates would continually think about the neat activities we did during those breaks. I loved the activities and times with classmates. These memories played a significant role in how I got involved with developing great intramural activities for kids.
| How Sabrina’s Law applies to Outdoor Education and Field Trips Feb 1, 2006
Sabrina’s Law, An Act to Protect Anaphylactic Pupils, came into effect on January 1, 2006 with the purpose of protecting students at risk of anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction to any stimulus. Reactions are characterized by sudden onset, and involve one or more body systems with multiple symptoms. Allergens are the stimulus, or substances, that cause allergic reactions.
| Integrating Daily Physical Activity into Instructional Time Jan 1, 2006
All elementary students, including students with special needs, must have a minimum of twenty minutes of sustained moderate to vigorous physical activity each school day during instructional time. The goal of daily physical activity is to enable all elementary students to improve or maintain their physical fitness and their overall health and wellness, and to enhance their learning opportunities. Daily physical activity may include walking, active games, dance, aquatics, sports, and fitness and recreational activities (where facilities permit). (Ministry of Education P/PM 138 – Daily Physical Activity in Elementary Schools). |
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