Health and education are interdependent: healthy students are better learners, and better-educated individuals are healthier. Research has shown that comprehensive school health is an effective way to enhance that linkage, improving both health and educational outcomes and encouraging healthy behaviours that last a lifetime. Clearview’s Health and Wellness Day was an interactive and fun event that was all about Clearview employees while creating a culture of wellness.
The Health and Wellness Day had over 350 Clearview employees from custodians, bus drivers, secretaries, EA’s, teachers, central office and principals attending over 67 sessions. Clearview worked collaboratively with local Stettler and Community Health providers and offered over 67 different sessions related to health and wellness.
Goals of the 2020 Health and Wellness Day:
Provide activities to employees that will increase awareness on various health topics.
Motivate and provide activities that will help to build the required skills to maintain a healthy lifestyle
Encourage all levels of leadership to engage in creating a supportive environment for employees to learn and implement their new skills
Put forward suggested recommendations on new and innovative health topics and ideas
Build strong partnerships with various stakeholders who help facilitate employees’ health
The PD and Health and Wellness Committees (21 teachers, EA’s, secretaries, and central office staff) worked collaboratively to have sessions to fulfill the Comprehensive School Health Guideline with sessions in the following categories: Health Information, Active Living, Healthy Eating, Positive Mental Health, Social Environment, Physical Environment, Partnerships, Policy, Legal and Financial, and General Interest. The most popular sessions were active living sessions (Yoga, Booty), mini-massage, low carb and high-fat eating, sleep well, mini-herb gardens, planning retirement, ASEBP and how to get the most out of your benefits, archery, First Nations drumming, pickleball, and nutritional meals.
The 2020 Health and Wellness Day keynote speaker was Patrycia Rzechowka who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2012 after losing sight in her left eye. Since then, Patrycia has figured out her life’s purpose: eliminating the disease. Today she is one of Edmonton’s most active spokespersons for the MS Society. Patrycia stays active to combat her MS by participating in walks, bike tours and fundraisers, earning her a National Philanthropy Day Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Even with all this success, Patrycia has sacrificed a lot. Through her unattainable dream to work in law enforcement and the fact that living with a chronic illness has stigma attached to it, how is it possible to live a “normal life”? This documentary linked below will show how Patrycia navigates her difficult yet amazing life, living for others, and giving back. Find out moer about this award winning documentary MS'ed With The Wrong Girl.