Mentally Healthy Schools Newsletter

Towards the end of the year we will be holding a Professional Development event for our school champions. The day will involve informal presentations and idea sharing from our partner schools, new ideas and resources available and most importantly, free breakfast!

We are in the very early stages of planning but did want to book in a date as the end of the year can be a (extra) busy time for school staff. We are looking at running the event on Monday 23 November from 8:30am – 12pm in the Perth metro region.

If you can see any immediate concerns about this date please let me know ASAP, otherwise please mark it down in your diaries!
 

In June, the Southern River College Act-Belong-Commit Team arranged for the Darling Range Wildlife Centre and Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Conservation Centre to visit the school. The idea was to promote the centres and link in the Act-Belong-Commit message by outlining the benefits of volunteering. The interaction between students, the animals and all staff, both from the College and wildlife centres was just outstanding!

Not only were we able to provide around 800 students with the opportunity to get up close and personal with some wildlife and put some smiles on their dials, they were able to make contact with centre staff and discover ways to get involved at a volunteer level and investigate options for further studies.

All in all, our message of promoting mentally healthy activities and the benefits was well and truly delivered. On top of this, Southern River College raised $308 for Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Conservation Centre and Darling Range Wildlife Centre!

- Michael Dastlik, Student Services Youth Worker at Southern River College

The WA Health Promoting Schools Association Inc (WAHPSA) is comprised of organisations and individuals working in and committed to the development of school health promotion.  Many are teachers, some work in dedicated health promotion roles in schools or community settings, whilst others work in policy and research in the health education sectors. What they share is a commitment to the Health Promoting Schools (HPS) ethos.

WAHPSA has recently launched a new website, by becoming a member you will gain access to:

• information on health programs across a range of health areas, including nutrition, physical activity, mental health, injury, health conditions and more;
• school health events and professional development opportunities;
• resources supporting the Health Promoting Schools framework; and
• the latest news on school health.

WAHPSA invites schools and teachers to join as members. Membership is free - apply to join here.

School staff are invited to attend WAHPSA meetings, held six times per year in Perth. Visit here for details and information on our guest speakers.

Please contact WAHPSA for more information or to showcase your school’s health achievements and experiences on the website by emailing info@wahpsa.org.au.

The Critics’ Choice is a national free online smoking prevention resource for schools, teachers and students. Students are encouraged to watch a selection of anti-smoking television commercials and vote for their favourites, including the one most likely to prevent them from taking up smoking or encourage them to stop. All entries go into the draw to win a state prize.
The Critics’ Choice was launched on World No Tobacco Day (31 May 2015) and finish in September. It will be available as an online resource and students will be able to view the advertisements and complete the voting sheet through the website

Information for teachers

• Plan a classroom activity with upper primary and lower secondary students using the Critics' Choice resource.
• Watch the ads and get students to vote online
• Dowload tobacco education resources and have a discussion about the dangers of smoking.
• Teachers should view the advertisements prior to use with students to determine their suitability.

Prizes

• Vote before 30 September 2015 and go into the draw to win a $500 voucher for your school.
• Students can win one of 10 iTunes vouchers valued at $30.

Winners will be announced on smarterthansmoking.org.au and acosh.org in Term 4. We value your support in educating school children about the effects of smoking and benefits of a tobacco-free life. 

Get more information at smarterthansmoking.org.au or contact acosh@acosh.org.
 

Each e-newsletter will include some new ideas and ways you can promote the Act-Belong-Commit principles throughout the whole school. Here are some to get you thinking!

Health Promoting Schools Grant

Healthway, the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation, seeks to promote and support healthy lifestyles in Western Australia.  Grants of up to $2,500 are offered to support WA schools to develop projects that promote the health of their students. Schools are encouraged to undertake activities that promote priority health issues including mental health, nutrition and physical activity.

You would have heard of the Health Promoting Schools Grant, either during your training session, or in the information document in the Funding section of your Handbook. Healthway strongly encourages schools to apply. There are no restrictions on the number of times a school can apply however, it is recommended to acquit one grant before submitting an application for the next. Applications that appear to duplicate activities of a previously-funded health promoting schools grant may not be supported.
 
Some schools in the past have used the grant foractivities including:

• Educational programs on nutrition and healthy food choices
• Lunchboxes and healthy recipe ideas for students
• Kitchen Gardens (growing your own fruit and vegetables)
• Relief staff so school staff can run mentally healthy expo’s
• Supplies for students to create anti-bullying posters and resources
• Launching their Act-Belong-Commit partnership

Applications must be received by Healthway a minimum of two calendar months prior to the commencement of the project.

Schools are strongly encouraged to contact Healthway’s Health Promotion Projects Officers, Joanne Graham-Smith or Andrea Boss, on (08) 9476 7000 to discuss their application prior to submission.

Please visit Healthway’s website for guidelines and an application form. If you need any assistance completing the form or understanding the grant requirements, please contact Phoebe on (08) 9266 1873, or speak to a Healthway staff member.