This year, the Calgary Board of Education has started a partnership with APPLE Schools (A Project Promoting healthy Living for Everyone). APPLE Schools is an organization that promotes nutrition, physical activity, and mental well-being in schools through the Comprehensive School Health approach. Apple Schools has been working with 98 schools and 30000 students across British Columbia, northern Alberta, Northwest Territories and Manitoba since 2007. Douglas Harkness School and Rundle School have been chosen as the first two Calgary Board of Education schools to join the APPLE Schools organization.

There is a great deal of research that shows that when we improve mental well-being, nutrition, and physical activity levels of students, academic performance improves drastically. We will be receiving funding for the next three years for a teacher to become our Apple School facilitator. This teacher will work with students, staff, families and the community to improve understanding of physical and mental well-being, while at the same time, teaching everyone that these areas of life can be both fun and rewarding.

Some of the possible initiatives and activities the APPLE School facilitator might lead include:

• Taste test days where all students get a chance to try a new healthy food
• Special physical activity classes, clubs, and events
• Parent information/participation nights centred on physical activity, nutrition, and mental well-being
• Recess Physical Activity Bins and Well-Being bins for classrooms

Another very exciting part about this partnership is that the APPLE Schools Foundation is funded in Southern Alberta by the Calgary Flames Foundation which means that the teams and players associated will have a visible presence and close connection to our school moving forward.

We are currently working to hire a teacher to be our APPLE Schools Facilitator. Please watch for further announcements in the coming weeks regarding our school facilitator, and possible kick-off events.

For more information regarding APPLE Schools, please see their website:

• https://appleschools.ca/

The following videos will give you a good idea of the amazing opportunities we have in store for the students, staff and community of Douglas Harkness School:

Introductions to APPLE Schools:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc6w5vAfl9g
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-toUjWVIS8Y

If you have any questions regarding the APPLE Schools initiative, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,    

Mrs. George and Mr. Perrone