School Mental Health

Find resources, information, and activities to help elementary schools promote student mental health in the classroom and at home. When activities are done both in the school and at home, learning is reinforced as students see the messages as they live, learn and play.

In the Classroom

• School Mental Health Series: Physical Activity (PDF) | français
  Lessons, activities, announcements, and book recommendations for the classroom and beyond
• Murray & Bird: Murray’s Outdoor Adventure | disponible en français
  Storybook and activities encouraging outdoor exploration and play
• Play in Peel
  Educator resources to promote physical literacy for students

School-wide

• International Walk to School Month (iWalk) | français
  Resources and activities to promote active school travel
• Recess Project
  Program to enhance the social and physical space of recess to shape how students interact with each other
• Nature Mandala | français
  An art project in nature that can be done as a school collaboration or as part of outdoor education time

Connecting with Home

• Newsletter Insert: Find Joy in Movement | disponible en français
  Downloadable image to add to your school newsletter, social media posts or other online communications

In the Classroom

• School Mental Health Series: Bullying and Cyberbullying (PDF) | français
  Lessons, activities, announcements, and book recommendations for the classroom and beyond
• Healthy Relationship Skills (School Mental Health Ontario) | français
  Menu of classroom activities addressing a variety of healthy relationship components
• Walking in Your Shoes (School Mental Health Ontario) | français
  Classroom activity for grades 1-8 that promotes empathy and compassion for others

School-wide

• Does your school make the grade? (PREVNet Canada) | français
  Checklist to support reflection on bullying education and prevention
• Gratitude Graffiti (Ophea) | français
  Student leadership activity that provides students an opportunity to practice gratitude

Connecting with Home

• Newsletter Insert: Managing Conflict | disponible en français
  Downloadable image to add to your school newsletter, social media posts or other online communications
• What is Elementary School Bullying? (PREVNet Canada) | français
  Webpage with tips and information on bullying for parents and caregivers
• Parent’s Guide to Cyberbullying (MediaSmarts) | français
  Resource for parents and caregivers of grade 7-8 students

In the Classroom

• School Mental Health Series: Digital Literacy and Online Safety (PDF) | français
  Lessons, activities, announcements, and book recommendations for the classroom and beyond
• A Digital Media Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools (MediaSmarts) | français
  Comprehensive lesson plans for grades K-12 (Canadian)

• Digital Citizenship Curriculum (Common Sense Media)
  Full lesson plans for grades K-12 available (American content)
• Break the Fake (MediaSmarts) | français
  Lesson plan for grades 6-9 students with strategies for students to verify information online

School-wide

• Media Literacy Week (MediaSmarts) | français
  List of activities to raise media awareness at school

Connecting with Home

• Newsletter Insert: Digital Literacy and Online Safety | disponible en français
  Downloadable image to add to your school newsletter, social media posts or other online communications
• Helping Your Child Manage Digital Technology (School Mental Health Ontario) | français
  Factsheet with common concerns and suggestions for parents/guardians
• Family Agreement for New Tech Devices (MediaSmarts) | français
  Fillable document with guidelines for family tech use
  

In the Classroom

• School Mental Health Series: Coping, Resiliency and Stress (PDF) | français
  Lessons, activities, announcements, and book recommendations for the classroom and beyond
• Not An Experiment section for educators | français
  Curriculum connected resources and activities for use in the classroom

School-wide

• Stress Management and Coping Virtual Field Trips | français
  Series of six lessons per division that supports development of stress management and coping skills
• Video: Being with all of Your Experiences
  Analogy for coping and resiliency
• Understanding and Addressing Stigma Around Substance Use - Tips for Educators by Youth | français
  Tips for Educators to consider in their approach to teaching Substance Use from Ophea

Connecting with Home

• Newsletter Insert: Coping, Resiliency and Stress | disponible en français
  Downloadable image to add to your school newsletter, social media posts or other online communications.
• Not An Experiment | français
  Information for Parents/Guardians about talking to their kids about vaping
• Tandem
  Contact infomation for immediate child and youth mental health support

In the Classroom

• School Mental Health Series: Positive Body Image (PDF) | français
  Lessons, activities, announcements, and book recommendations for the classroom and beyond
• Weight neutral book recommendations
  Books that talk about food and bodies in a neutral way for your class

School-wide

• Weight-Neutral Schools with Dr. Shelly Russel-Mayhew (Teacher Fan Club Podcast) 
  A podcast episode about a weight-neutral approach in schools and how to shift towards more inclusive health messages
• Mental Health and Weight Bias in Schools (Ontario Dietitians in Public Health) | français
  Information on weight bias and ideas for reframing messages at school

Connecting with Home

• Newsletter Insert: Body Image | disponible en français
  Downloadable image to add to your school newsletter, social media posts or other online communications

In the Classroom

• School Mental Health Series: Positive Relationship with Food (PDF) | français
  Lessons, activities, announcements, and book recommendations for the classroom and beyond
• Mindfulness and Mindful Eating in the Classroom (TeachNutrition) | français
  Grades 4-6: Mindful Eating Digital Lesson Plans | français
  Grades 7-9: Mindful Eating Digital Lesson Plans | français

• No Ordinary Apple by Sara Marlowe (YouTube)
  Read Aloud story demonstrates mindful eating through the use of the five senses 
• The people I like to eat with (Teach Food First Toolkit)
  Activity that encourages students to reflect on aspects of meal and snack times that can make them enjoyable

School-wide

• Food4Thought
  School-based program that aims to build relationships and connectedness through cooking, eating, and chatting
• Nurturing Healthy Eaters (Ontario Dietitians in Public Health) | français
  Resource to support students in developing positive eating behaviours
• Creating a Supportive Food Environment in Schools | français
  Tips for the school community 

Connecting with Home

• Newsletter Insert: Food and Mental Health | disponible en français
  Downloadable image to add to your school newsletter, social media posts or other online communications.

In the Classroom

• School Mental Health Series: Empathy, Mindfulness and Caring (PDF) | français
  Lessons, activities, announcements, and book recommendations for the classroom and beyond
• Pay It Forward (School Mental Health Ontario) | français
  Classroom activity where students share positive messages with each other 
• Roots of Empathy Program | français
  An international, evidence and empathy-based classroom program designed for children ages 5 to 13

School-wide

• Take What You Need | français
  School-wide activity that engages students to put their empathy skills into practice
• Kindness Jar (School Mental Health Ontario) | français
  School or classroom activity where kind acts are acknowledged in a visual way
• All About Empathy (for kids!) or Brené Brown on Empathy
  Videos to start the conversation about empathy

Connecting with Home

• Newsletter Insert: Empathy | disponible en français
  Downloadable image to add to your school newsletter, social media posts or other online communications
• How to Use Stories to Help Kids Develop Empathy (Harvard Graduate School of Education)
  Tips for parents and families to help facilitate the development of empathy in children through reading and stories
• Read for Empathy Collection 2023 (Empathy Lab)
  Curated book list for students aged 3-11 promoting the development of empathy

In the Classroom

• School Mental Health Series: Mental Health (PDF) | français
  Lessons, activities, announcements, and book recommendations for the classroom and beyond
• Videos and Mental Health Activities for Kids (Kids Help Phone) | français
  Collection of videos and online activities to support student mental health
• Mental Health and Wellbeing for Students (TVDSB)
  Mental health and wellbeing practices for students
• Wellness Wednesdays (LDCSB)
  Mental health and wellbeing practices for students

School-wide

• Leading Mentally Healthy Schools Reflection Tool (School Mental Health Ontario) | français
  Tool for continuous learning and improvement in mental health and wellbeing at school
• Social-Emotional Learning in Action (School Mental Health Ontario) | français
  Tool for school leaders to support discussion and planning of social-emotional learning

Connecting with Home

• Newsletter Insert: Mental Health| disponible en français
  Downloadable image to add to your school newsletter, social media posts or other online communications
• Read Aloud Videos (School Mental Health Ontario) | français
  Read Aloud books to support discussions of mental health
• Health Games & Videos For Kids (About Health Kids) | français
  Collection of videos and games to support mental health and coping skills

In the Classroom

• School Mental Health Series: Understanding Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (PDF) | français
  Lessons, activities, announcements, and book recommendations for the classroom and beyond
• That’s Me (School Mental Health Ontario) | français
  Classroom activity to improve sense of belonging
• Diversity Booklist
  Booklist of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults and educators

School-wide

• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Guide (PHE Canada) | français
  A guide to building cultural safety in the classroom
• Supporting Gender Inclusivity (PDF) 
  Ideas and resources for supporting gender inclusivity through a comprehensive school health approach

Connecting with Home

• Newsletter Insert: Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging | disponible en français
  Downloadable image to add to your school newsletter, social media posts or other online communications
• Supporting Our Children in Understanding Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (TVDSB/LDSCB)
  Recorded webinar providing strategies for having conversations about diversity, inclusion and belonging
• Bullying and LGBTQ Youth (PREVNet) | français
  Parent and caregiver resource with strategies to help LGBTQ youth deal with bullying