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16 Wild and Crazy Gals!
Front (l-r):
Donna Kern,Lisa Proud, Shemiza Hamir, Junia Crichlow,
Sandy MacTavish, Cathy Granger, Kimberly Beaton,
Jocelyn Marcelo and Barbara Fowler.
Back (l-r): Kelly Stevens, Saleha Abdur
Rehman, Brenda Soper, Jocelyn Cann and Anne McNichol.
Absent: Linda Andrews and Kathy Vogel.
By Janet Eagleson
Wanted:Thick-skinned,
master negotiator who can multi-task, network,
lead and follow. Must be a flexible thinker,
with the power to persuade. Creativity, innovation
and humour are mandatory.
What a dynamo! Sales person? Marketing Manager?
Think again. School Health Nurse. Yes, you read
that right.
Gone are the days of our youth, when school health
nurses dispensed Band-Aids, gave in-class lectures
and spent time nit-picking the dreaded head louse.
Today, school health nurses spend their time building
partnerships between schools, communities and
families with a singular thought in mind —
good health and good learning go hand in hand.
Research shows that healthy learners feel better
about themselves and they get along better with
their peers, teachers and parents. They are more
likely to attend school regularly and enjoy academic
success. As a result, they are more likely to
complete secondary school and beyond.
The Region of Peel’s more than 200,000 school-age
children will grow up to be healthier adults,
thanks to Peel Health’s successful Comprehensive
School Health program, developed in collaboration
with the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board and the Peel District School Board.
Teachers provide in-classroom health education
and the Boards of Education provide system-wide
policies and services that support and promote
health. Peel Health assesses the health needs
of school-age children and provides expertise
in health promotion, disease prevention, curriculum
enhancement and staff development. Parents and
community groups also get involved.
The Child and Youth team, which includes the
nurses, a health promotion officer, a supervisor
and the clerical staff, pool their ideas and collaborate
with staff from across Peel Health to try to find
the perfect match for the challenge at hand.
For one school, winter safety was the priority.
Peel Health’s solution? A Fashion Show Assembly,
with kids modeling winter coats, hats, mitts and
boots to the hoots and hollers of their peers.
Another school was concerned about bullying.
The Child and Youth team, in partnership with
local schools, community groups, parents and politicians,
co-ordinated a conference focused on solutions
that fit the needs of that community’s children.
Bacteria and hand-washing? Try a Germs Assembly!
Self-esteem? How about a girl’s group, where
the bonds, connections and self-confidence that
develop can make all the difference for a child
sitting on the outside, looking in. Smoking? Nutrition?
Physical Activity? The challenges — and solutions
— are endless.
Peel Health’s dynamic Child and Youth team
is still growing and hopes to reach more students
every year. And their hard work not only improves
the health of children but also helps create a
healthier generation of adults.
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