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It is important to encourage students to develop healthy habits now, so they can become healthy and successful adults.

Eating well, being active, maintaining positive mental health and living tobacco free can help keep kids healthy and prevent serious health conditions later in life.

Schools play an important role in shaping the attitudes and beliefs of BC's children and youth; they often spend more time in the school than anywhere else.

There are a variety of ways that schools can incorporate healthy eating, physical activities and positive mental health promotion into the school day that are fun for both kids and teachers. For example, a school might encourage students to get active through music and movement classes, school walks or runs and a variety of activities such as yoga, gymnastics or tennis.

Research consistently shows that health and education are interdependent. Healthy students are better learners and better educated individuals are healthier. (Source: B.C. Provincial Health Officer Annual Report 2006)

A "Whole School" Approach to Health

Healthy schools promote and support healthy choices in a variety of ways, through education, policies, community partnerships and the school environment.

Here are some features of a healthy school:FAST FACT: Kids who read on a daily basis are better able to access, understand and use health information to make healthy choices.

• Offers a safe and caring environment that promotes the positive physical, mental, social and emotional health of students and staff.
• Has clear policies in place that encourage positive, healthy behaviours.
• Fosters supportive relationships between students, their families, school staff and the broader community, and encourages them to work together to make the entire school community a healthy place.
• Connects health and learning, providing students with opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills they need to adopt lifelong healthy habits.