Step 3: Develop and Carry Out the Action Plan

Goals

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� Develop an Action Plan to chart the future directions and activities of the Healthy School Committee based on the health issue(s) identified

� Carry out your Healthy schools Action Plan activities in the school

PART A � Develop the Action Plan

� An Action Plan builds awareness, keeps activities on track and measures success

� Brainstorm and choose activities for your priority area � start small and plan easy to accomplish activities so you will experience success and be motivated to continue 1 27, 28, 29, 30, 40

� To help children develop long lasting knowledge, healthy attitudes and behaviours, your plan should address all four components of a Healthy School: Quality Instruction and Programs, Healthy Physical Environment, Supportive Social Environment and Community Partnerships 139A

� Develop goals for the chosen activities 1 41

� Align activities with existing school board priorities and school improvement plans

� Answer these questions and transfer the information to the action plan 1 39B

� Determine what success will look like by developing indicators � ask yourself, how will we know if we have met our goals?

� Speak with others in your school community before you begin to carry out the activities to ensure there will be adequate support to see them through

PART B � Carry out the Action Plan

Share and promote Action Plan activities with the school community. For example, you may choose to:

�    Post your Healthy School Challenge pledge or mission statement where everyone in the school can see it

�    Send a letter to parents and community partners to keep them informed of the Healthy School action plan and provide regular updates

�    Host a Healthy School kick-off assembly for parents and community partners to share what your school will be doing to support health

� Invite students to be actively involved in planning and carrying out Healthy School activities � the more you engage others, the greater support and motivation you will receive

� Ensure school staff, students, parents and community partners are equipped to implement the activities effectively

� Review progress by discussing problems with certain activities, revision of timelines, communication issues or new resources

� Prepare a participant evaluation to conduct right after each activity 143

� Plan to complete the Activity Evaluation after each activity 145 (in section 2, step 4)

� Checklist for Step 3:

q Developed an overall goal for health issues and selected appropriate activities

q Developed an Action Plan addressing all four components of a Healthy School

q Communicated and promoted the Action Plan with school community members

q Carried out Healthy Schools Action Plan and activities

q Reviewed Action Plan progress and revised as needed

q Determined if the committee is ready to move to step 4

1 Complete Resource List Step 3

2 Print Step 3

Continue to Step 4

For more information, please contact

York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653

Committee | Strengths & Needs | Action Plan | Evaluation | Toolkit Resources

Healthy Schools | Elementary | Secondary | A-Z Index

1 Step 3 Resource List

Sample Activities & Resources:

27 Physical Activity

28 Nutrition

29 Bullying Prevention

30 Handwashing

31 Substance Abuse Prevention

32 Injury Prevention

33 Rabies

34 Dental Health

35 Sun Safety

36 Environmental Health

37 West Nile Virus

38 Safe Drinking Water & Beach Water Quality

39A Activity Selection template

39B Calendar & Action Plan template

40 Assessing your activities

41 Setting SMART goals tip sheet

42 Participant Activity Evaluation for participants

Tip: In developing your ACTION PLAN, keep these questions in mind:

� What do you hope to achieve?

� What activity would best address the issue being examined?

� For whom is the activity intended?

� What resources are needed to carry out the activity? (e.g. money, staff, venue)

� When will activity be carried out? What is the time-frame?

� Who is responsible for planning and implementing the activity? (e.g. money, staff, venue)

� Have we used SMART goals in the planning process?

� Are we addressing all 4 components of a Healthy School?

Tip: Keep in mind that your ACTION PLAN may not always go according to plan. Don't be discouraged; larn from the problems that may arise and be prepared to adjust the plan accordingly.