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Written by guest blogger, Michelle Rawcliffe (a middle school teacher in Woodstock CT) “This is the time for the mental health staff (counselors, social workers and psychologists), health services staff (school-based health centers and school nurses), Health Educators, Physical Educators, Staff Wellness Leads (HR), Nutrition Services, Custodians & Facilities Managers to assess and work collaboratively on the physical and emotional safety of the school environment.” Read ▸ about Sustaining Healthy Schools beyond COVID

As I hear stories of districts’ dire need to balance a budget that is hurting and has been hurting for years and years, I hear that some might cut the one content area that not only could have prevented the widespread infection rates of COVID-19, but could have helped so many young people and adults cope, advocate, & access to keep themselves and loved ones safe. Health Education.I’d like to educate the public on what K-12 health education is. I guarantee a majority of Americans still assume Read ▸ about The Case for NOT Cutting K-12 Health Education… Especially During a Pandemic!

The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and many others demonstrate that we still have work to do to dismantle the structural racism in the United States.As a systems-thinker, I believe that the systems can be changed, just as they were built. The team at Cairn Guidance works to create healthy schools & communities, including work around equity through the lens of all school and community policies, programs and practices. All students and community Read ▸ about Black Lives Matter

Written by Cairn Guidance, a Dove Self-Esteem Project Partner Great things happen in the educational learning environment. Had this statement been written in the early days of March, instead of May, the previous sentence would have read, “Great things happen in the Read ▸ about 31 Days of Self-Esteem & Body Confidence Prompts for Young People

By Jess Lawrence, Director of Cairn GuidanceWe have no idea when re-opening will happen, however, let us consider these points…For almost thirty years, the school health/whole child community has advocated for schools to focus on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs over Bloom’s Taxonomy. This means that we take our students’ needs (basic survival & safety needs, as well as health needs) over academic achievement and test scores. I think most educators agree, even most education leaders. However, Read ▸ about Re-opening Schools & Opportunities for the Whole Child

For those of you looking to access information, documents and the recordings from this week’s Skills-Based Health Education Webinar Series, please see links below. Stay tuned for upcoming webinar series by joining our newsletter here or following us on Twitter @cairnguidance!All of the recordings are here.Monday: Foundations of Health Education MaterialsTuesday: HECAT and Unit Planning MaterialsWednesday: Assessment in Health Education MaterialsThursday: No Cost Resources and Materials for Read ▸ about Skills Based Health Ed- Webinar Series Documents, Recordings and more!

Written by Cairn Guidance, a Dove Self-Esteem Project PartnerIn recent weeks, our students were playing on playgrounds or recreation fields, participating in organized sports, visiting with friends and relatives, hanging out at a favorite spot, going to the movies, hugging those who are special to them, and going to their school buildings, to name a few.  In the blink of an eye, their worlds changed dramatically.  Unexpectedly, we are faced with a pandemic.In a time of crisis, schools Read ▸ about Adjusting to a New Normal

Guest blog by Kevin Lorson, Wright State University & OAHPERD Advocacy ChairThe following blog post was initially developed to support OAHPERD’s advocacy efforts to become the 50th state with state health education standards. OAHPERD shared this post with Ohio’s state lawmakers so they can better understand the role of health education in the Coronavirus pandemic. Ohio’s teachers also found it useful as they developed online lessons and supports for their students.  It is hard to Read ▸ about Health Education Standards – Focus on Student Health & Well-Being in Times of Crisis