Just like that, it’s August already! Whether you’ve been enjoying summer getaways or soaking up the sun a little closer to home, we hope you’ve been able to dedicate time towards filling your cup in whatever ways suits you. The summer months can be a welcome opportunity to refocus on habits that nourish and bring us joy so that we can step into the new school year feeling refreshed!
The Paris Summer Olympics have officially concluded and the Paralympic Games are fast approaching, with more opportunities to cheer on Canada’s athletes from August 28-September 8th. As we reflect on the incredible performances of Canada’s athletes and on the Olympic spirit on display throughout both iterations of the Games, our athletes remind us that sport can be about so much more than who ends up on the podium; each one dedicates countless hours of practice and perseverance towards their goal long before an Olympic appearance becomes a possibility. The spirit of competition between nations is tempered by a shared sense of camaraderie and mutual respect that is central to the Olympic Games, and a hallmark of the potential of sport as a tool for transformative connection.
Unfortunately, we also witnessed heightened scrutiny regarding “gender eligibility” that questioned the inclusion of deserving athletes in their chosen sports. These athletes found themselves subjected to false, violent rhetoric fueled by reactionary misinformation targeting already marginalized communities, questioning their basic personhood and putting their safety at risk. As leaders and educators, we cannot ignore the ways that systems of oppression like transphobia and racism manifest in physical activity spaces. Understanding these issues and advocating for inclusive policies at all levels of sport ensures that the spaces we are creating in our schools are safer and more inviting for every student. If you’d like to learn more about how you might foster feelings of belonging for students in Health and Physical Education (H&PE) spaces, consider exploring Ophea’s Stop, Start, Consider! planning support: two unique poster series, Doing Gender-Inclusive Physical Education & Sport and Doing Disability-Centred Physical Education & Sport, offer targeted strategies to support safer, identity-affirming H&PE learning environments.
With the school year now approaching in earnest, Ophea is gearing up for another year of supporting Ontario educators with resources and programming to promote health and well-being for every student. Just like our Olympic and Paralympic athletes, educators understand the importance of taking steps to set themselves up for success in the long run, but no one can do so alone! Ophea is here to help with a (very!) brief checklist of things you can do now or in the coming weeks to prepare for the coming school year.
1. Revisit Ophea’s resources, lesson plans, and other supports!
Have you explored Ophea’s resources lately? Freely accessible with an Ophea.net account, we have a variety of resources that can help support educators with curriculum-aligned lesson plans, assessment tools, and more! Getting familiar with our offerings and identifying which tools can best support your practice now can help streamline the beginning of the school year.
Ophea released a number of supports over the last school year, including Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy in Health and Physical Education, a guide for educators seeking to embed Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy (CRRP) principles into their practice. At the root of CRRP is the belief that every student has a story richly steeped in culture, and their stories are valued and validated within the Health and Physical Education (H&PE) curriculum and beyond. Approaching the H&PE curriculum from a CRRP lens impacts the way educators think about how race, culture, identity, equity, and lived experiences and how it contributes to inclusive program planning and delivery in H&PE. Curriculum-aligned elementary and secondary lesson plans to augment Ophea’s CRRP supports are in development (coming in September 2024!) and will model planning and instruction informed by CRRP and disability-centered movement approaches.
Our H&PE Curriculum Resources for Elementary and Secondary (accessible with an Ophea.net account) contain ready-to-use lesson plans, student templates, and assessment tools for each grade. These resources can help support your practice by providing planning supports, ideas for classroom activities, and teaching strategies with which you can supplement your own approaches.
Explore Ophea’s resources today!
2. Check out Ophea’s updated e-Learning Modules!
Staying on top of your professional development is easy and convenient thanks to Ophea's self-directed e-Learning Modules. Reviewed annually before the start of each school year to ensure alignment with relevant Ministry policies and current best practices, these modules provide up-to-date information on a variety of topics that are important to educators, their students, and school communities at large:
Ophea's four FREE e-Learning modules are intended to support all elementary and secondary school staff including educators, administrators, and support staff in meaningfully engaging with their students and fostering the development of safer learning environments for every student. e-Learning modules are 1-2 hours in length and feature a variety of instructional methods. Certificates of completion are provided once modules are completed successfully. Enrollment for our updated 2024/2025 e-Learning modules opens this week!
Throughout Ophea's e-Learning modules, participants will engage in a variety of learning tasks, as well as Pause and Reflect activities during which they will consider what is being asked and make connections to their own knowledge and experiences.
Alongside our e-Learning modules, Ophea offers other professional learning opportunities such as recorded webinars and workshops. Explore our professional learning offerings, or contact us today to inquire about customizing a workshop for your school community!
3. Get ready to register for Healthy Schools Certification!
Now is the time to prioritize health, collaboration, and connection in your school community! Are you looking for a school-wide program that can help promote and enhance physical and mental health and well-being for your students, school staff, and broader school community? Get ready to register for the Healthy Schools Certification 2024/2025 cohort.
Healthy Schools Certification is based on the 4-Step Healthy Schools Process, inspired by the Canadian Healthy School Standards and Canada’s Comprehensive School Health Framework. Certification is based on a school’s ability to follow and complete the process, and not on the type or number of activities completed. Throughout the Healthy Schools Process, schools will plan and carry out activities that address their school community needs and priorities. Through a point-based system, schools will be able to report on their Healthy Schools Process steps online and apply for Gold, Silver, or Bronze Healthy Schools certification. Healthy Schools Certification is an annual process that reflects the reality of each unique school year.
Registration begins on September 10th, 2024, and remains open until November 29th, 2024. Curious about what information you’ll need to register? Learn more about registering for Healthy Schools!
That’s all for now! As you’re preparing for September, we hope the resources above can help streamline your planning process and get you excited for back-to-school season. Remember to enjoy your summer to the fullest – modeling balance and nourishing yourself supports the students in your classroom as well as yourself!
Be sure to connect with us and share your successes by tagging @OpheaCanada on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
To stay up-to-date on Ophea professional learning offerings, resources, and supports sign up for Ophea’s e-newsletter, eConnection.