Taking care of your "selfie" at River Heights Elementary School

 

Caption: Classroom doors are displayed with wellness-themed selfies students shared as part of school-wide challenge
 

Recently, River Heights Elementary School’s Health Team created a challenge to promote the mental and physical wellbeing of its fellow students, and in doing so, made great connections to Grand Erie’s Be Well campaign.

Comprised of students in grades 4, 5, and 6, the Health Team put together a video announcement that went to all classrooms introducing the challenge. Called “Taking Care of our Selfies,” the challenge asked students to snap a selfie that shows how they eat well, move their bodies, or just generally de-stress. Students brought in their wellness-themed selfies, and then each class used those images to create door displays that demonstrated self-case in action.

“The Health Team used success criteria to judge each classroom’s door display as part of a friendly, school-wide competition, and one of our Kindergarten classes won the challenge,” said Principal Kathy Ricker. “The Health Team, along with staff and students, have been working really hard this year to promote wellness at River Heights.”

The school already observes Mental Health Mondays and Wellness Wednesdays, which provide helpful conversation starters, links to support and resources, and suggestions of ways students can add elements of self-care to their daily lives at home and in the classroom.

As for the Taking Care of Our Selfies challenge, the winning classroom received skipping ropes and a healthy treat – smoothies – as their wellness prize. The reward was paid for thanks to funds raised during the school’s Smoothie Bar event earlier this year.

What’s next?

River Heights' Health Team will next issue a physical activity challenge for the month of June, with the goal of generating 150 suggestions for ways to keep our bodies active. Sounds like a great idea leading up to Canada’s 150th birthday.