A Year In Review 2019-2020

Healthy Living School

YMCA CALGARY WELCOMES HEALTHY LIVING SCHOOL TO ROCKY RIDGE

In September 2019, YMCA Calgary partnered with Campus Calgary and

Cenovus Energy to introduce Healthy Living School at Shane Homes YMCA.

Campus Calgary is an innovative school program that brings classrooms to

vibrant community settings across the city. Teachers, students and community

experts come together for a week-long curriculum-based experience, designed

to meet the needs of each individual learner.

Healthy Living School focuses on the many ways active living contributes to

building a healthy community. Teachers and students are immersed in the

spirit of the YMCA, where all are welcome and belong. Tied in with their core

values of Honesty, Caring, Respect and Responsibility, the experiences

at Healthy Living School develop and build capacity for students to belong,

grow, thrive, and lead.

In celebration our first year, we would like to use this opportunity to tell the

story of Healthy Living School by sharing learnings and inspirational moments

from teachers and students.

Becoming a Champion of Wellness

Learning About Citizenship through Glob-al Partnerships

New Canadians Embrace Recreation at Healthy Living School

Local Author Inspires Performing Arts at Healthy Living School

Exploring Community Change with GEC Architecture

Calling Canada Home—How We Are All Connected

From a Teacher’s Perspective

How We Impact Our Community Through Healthy Living

BECOMING A CHAMPION OF WELLNESS

By embracing their

experience at Healthy Living

School, Grade 9 students

from Apostles of Jesus

discovered ways to become

champions of wellness.

Healthy Living means

something completely

different to each and every

person. It is establishing a

personal balance between

physical, social, emotional,

spiritual and mental needs.

Ms. Craigue wanted her students to explore all aspects of health during their time at Shane Homes YMCA. As part of their experience, volunteers from PALS visited the class to introduce pet therapy.

Students discovered first-hand how spending time with pets can help cope with stress & anxiety.

More importantly, the students learned that setting time aside each day for something you enjoy is just as important for your health as exercising regularly and eating well.

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2019/2020 Participating Schools

Sir Wilfred Laurier School

October 15-18 & 21, 2019

Grade 7

How Are We Connected?

St. Basil School

November 4-8, 2019

Grade 3

How Have We Evolved?

St. Basil School

November 18-22, 2019

Grade 3

How Have We Evolved?

Sir Wilfred Laurier School

December 2-6, 2019

Grade 6

How Are We Connected?

Vincent Massey School

January 13-17, 2020

Grade 7-9

What Does Healthy Living Mean?

Terrace Road School

February 3-7, 2020

Grade 4-6

How Does Our Community Impact Us?

Terrace Road School

February 24-28, 2020

Grade 2

How Does Our Community Impact Us?

Apostles of Jesus School

March 9-13, 2020

Grade 8

How Can We Be Champions of Wellness?

Apostles of Jesus School

Postponed

Grade 8

How Can We Be Champions of Wellness?

Ethel M Johnson School

Postponed

Grade 1

How Is Our Community Built To Meet Our Needs?

“Healthy Living School pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me be more active and confident. I made new connections with people and now I have more friends .”

- Grade 6 Student (Sir Wilfred Laurier)

Healthy Living School gave the Grade 2 students from Terrace Road an

opportunity to enhance their awareness of global citizenship.

YMCA Calgary is part of a international organization and works together with

associations in Ukraine and Bogota to exchange expertise, resources and share

ideas. These partnerships help to inform and enhance YMCA Calgary’s ability

to listen to communities and learn from diverse perspectives.

Catherine Nguyen, the designate who travelled to Columbia in 2019, visited the

students in Ms Sigurdson’s class to share stories from her travels abroad. The

students learned about life in Bogota and were able to see the crafts made by

children to help their families earn a living.

This experience made it possible for students to learn about another culture

and bridge the gap between their own neighbourhood and a community across

the world.

When Ms. Anderson and Mr. Grey

expressed interest in Healthy Living

School, they wanted to give their

students an opportunity to embrace

new experiences. Both teachers lead

a specialized program that supports

new students to Canada with

transitioning to their community

school. The students in their class

came from four different countries

including Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan

and Syria. All students had little or no

school experience before joining

Vincent Massey.

By attending Healthy Living School,

Ms. Anderson and Mr. Grey wanted

their students to feel empowered to

make better choices for themselves

and find ways to establish a healthy

balance within their life.

The focus this week was to explore

healthy living from a holistic

approach and give students an oppor-

tunity to try a variety of activities

including rock climbing, swimming,

nutrition, dance and more.

With support from our funding

partner, Cenovus Energy, each

student was provided with a helmet

and pair of skates. This allowed the

class take part in a customized skate

lesson. Many students had to

overcome the challenge of skating for

the first time. It was incredible to see

the pride the students shared when

participating in an activity that is

traditional to Canada. This

experience taught class about the

importance that social connections

play in supporting emotional and

mental wellbeing.

During the week, the students also

engaged with the Performing Arts.

James from Green Fools brought a

variety of juggling props that allowed

the class to experiment with balance,

focus and coordination. One student,

who experienced trauma in his life,

mastered the skill of juggling in less

than 20 minutes. He now uses

juggling in the classroom as a way to

release his emotions and manage his

anxiety.

LEARNING ABOUT CITIZENSHIP THROUGH GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS

STUDENTS NEW TO CANADA EMBRACE RECREATION AT HEALTHY LIVING SCHOOL

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“Something that really did surprise me about Healthy Living School is how well it connected with our question . Healthy Living School turns what may seem like a boring lesson to an amazing activity or experience that you will never ever forget.”

- Grade 6 Student (Sir Wilfred Laurier)

Ms. Wattamaniuk’s class from Sir Wilfred Laurier School represented an

extremely diverse group of learners from variety of cultural backgrounds. She

wanted a learning experience to remind her students that connecting with

others help us understand who we are and where we came from.

At Healthy Living School, the Grade 7 class learned about how we are all

connected using Indigenous perspectives. Sarena Provost, Indigenous Manager

at YMCA Calgary, visited the class and delivered an impactful demonstration.

The students were asked to identify with their ancestry to understand where

their families came from. On a hand tracing, each student wrote their name,

heritage, age and shared something unique about themselves. The hands were

placed around a world

map connecting each

student’s country of

heritage with their

current home.

This was a powerful

reminder that we are

connected because we

call Canada our home.

Students also learned

that we are all Indige-

nous, only to different

parts of the world.

LOCAL AUTHOR INSPIRES PERFORMING ARTS AT HEALTHY LIVING SCHOOL

CALLING CANADA OUR HOME —HOW WE ARE ALL CONNECTED

When Ms Henderson applied for her

Grade 3 class from St. Basil to attend

Healthy Living School, she was

looking for a real-life experience that

would promote fellowship among her

students.

Finding inspiration from local author,

Stephanie Hrehirchuk, the students

brought a children’s book to life in a

theatrical performance. “Anna and

the Earth Angel” is a story of a girl

that moves to a new neighbourhood

where she doesn’t have any friends.

She sets off to explore a local pond

and discovers that there’s far more

magic in nature than she ever

imagined.

With the guidance of Judith Mendelsohn, Arts Director at YMCA Calgary, the class worked together to share the story in a meaningful way. The performance helped students learn to ask questions, share thoughts and discover new ideas. This experience emphasized how people in our community, past and present, influence our stories and allow us to see the world in a different way.

EXPLORING COMMUNITY CHANGE WITH GEC ARCHITECTURE

Shane Homes YMCA is the perfect classroom for students to explore changes in the community.

Grade 3 students from Ms Saccomanno’s class at St. Basil spent their week studying the impact that opening Shane Homes YMCA had on the surrounding area.

In collaboration with GEC Architecture, the students learned about the features of the landscape before Shane Homes YMCA was built. The class also viewed models of the building and explored the different phases of construction. On a facility tour, the class was able to recognize the aesthetic features of the building and identify their connection to nature.

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FROM A TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVE...

My name is Joti Mulji, and I have been teaching with the Calgary Board of Education for the last 10 years. This year our school decided to apply for the Campus Calgary program to allow our students to experience something beyond the classroom doors.

Teaching in the classroom all these years, I have seen a greater need to address mental health. More kids appear to be struggling with anxiety, depression and building relationships. I have found myself asking: “What has changed?”

Once our school came up with a guiding question, “How are we Connected?”, I immediately was interested in the Healthy Living School at the YMCA. I wanted to focus on how we were connected mentally, physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. I also wanted to teach the kids that our physical and mental wellbeing are intertwined.

The coordinators at Healthy Living School were very flexible, and took time to understand what I wanted to achieve in this one week program. They worked with us to create a program where students could be exposed to yoga, rock climbing, swimming, theatre sessions and art classes, focusing on expressing emotions. After each activity, the students kept a reflective journal that allowed them to revisit their experiences after the program was over.

During the experience at Healthy Living School, I observed friendships develop between students that would normally never interact in school. They started to have a sense of belonging as they learned more about themselves and each other.

In fact, 27 out of 31 of my students signed up for a membership. Over the winter break I was curious to see what the students were up to and learned that more than half of them spent their time at Saddletowne YMCA.

Through the Healthy Living School my students were able build a connection to the YMCA. This is a great outcome as it is a place where they can connect with their community, make positive relationships, have a sense of belonging, and focus on improving their physical and mental health.

HOW WE IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH HEALTHY LIVING

Terrace Road is a

community-based school

where most of the students

play together and walk to

school each day. The

families display resiliency in

their ability to overcome

adversity and create a

better life for their children.

Ms. Grenier attended

Healthy Living School with

her class of Grade 4-6

students in the Paced

Learning Program.

The students explored

citizenship through YMCA’s

core values of responsibility,

honesty, caring , respect and

responsibility. This helped

students understand how

their actions impact their

relationships with others.

The students participated in

a variety of activities, like

team building and climbing,

and encouraged each other

to step out of their comfort

zone. Through this

experience, classmates

learned that having a

positive outlook and

supporting others can go a

long way in building a

lasting friendships.

Healthy Living School

gave the students a chance

to think critically about their

own role as a citizen. They

learned that everyone plays

an important part in

creating communities where

others can belong, grow,

thrive and lead.

“It was a great chance to expand our knowledge on wellness. I think the best way to learn is to have hands on experience”

- Grade 8 Student from Apostles of Jesus School

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ABOUT YMCA CALGARY

Ever since its inception in 1902, YMCA Calgary has been a hard working charitable organization that responds to the needs of Calgarians. YMCA Calgary has evolved into a vibrant charity where thousands of Calgarians are involved each year through health and wellness programs, leadership, and community outreach programs, child care, and day and overnight camps.

Guided by four core values of honesty, caring, respect and responsibility, YMCA Calgary strives to offer quality programs and services that give children, youth and adults the opportunity to belong, grow, thrive and lead.

YMCA Calgary has eight health and wellness facilities, seven child development centres with licensed child care, two outdoor camp sites and over 60 community program sites serving all quadrants of the city. These spaces and programs allow YMCA Calgary to deliver programs, services and opportunities to help the Calgary community connect with others, build life-long skills, and keep active and healthy.

THE HEALTHY LIVING SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

How can we help our young people belong, grow, thrive and lead in the

community while choosing to live healthy & active lives?

Healthy Living School, at YMCA Calgary, focuses on the many ways that

making healthy choices contribute to a vibrant community. Through a holistic

approach to well-being, teachers and students will learn that living a healthy

life goes beyond good nutrition and regular exercise. It’s about being a positive

role model and building strong social connections in the community.

Healthy Living School gives students and teachers an opportunity to

discover more about themselves by embracing new experiences. Activities like

visual arts, dance, drama, climbing, sports, fitness, skating, & swimming help

enhance experiential learning.

Every Healthy Living School experience is uniquely designed to explore a year-

long inquiry about health & wellness.

Ideas include:

• What does living a healthy & active life mean to you?

• How are we all connected to our community?

• How do we inspire others to live healthy & active lives?

• What role does our community play in supporting healthy

• choices?

• How can we become champions of health & wellness?

• How do choices we make today inspire a healthy future?