Students need to feel like part of their school community and that they are cared for in order to learn. Therefore, it’s important to:

• Develop strategies to connect teachers with students and students with students (e.g., create assignments focused on getting to know each other)

• Create opportunities for students to work collaboratively online, through PBL, group assignments, etc.

• Think about regular daily classroom routines and procedures. (How can these be translated into an online environment?)

• Make more of a concerted effort to develop connections when in a distance learning environment; students need to feel like part of their school community and that they are cared for in order to learn.

Is a best practice for delivering high-quality health education that is culturally and linguistically inclusive. The seven key health skills are:

• Analyzing influences

• Accessing valid and reliable information, products, and services

• Interpersonal communication

• Decision-making

• Goal setting

• Self-management

• Advocacy for self and others

• Clear and consistent expectations create a safe and supportive classroom environment where students are more likely to take responsibility for their learning and behavior.

• Be sure to explain class expectations to parents/guardians and students and convey the relevance/importance of what students will be learning

• Explain where students can find materials, how work will be submitted, and what to do if there is a problem (e.g., internet goes down, can’t find assignment)

• Make sure expectations are realistic for students, especially for younger students if they require assistance from an adult to complete assignments

• Consider the home dynamics of your students

• Re-communicating to students and parents is important

• Reach out to those who aren’t engaging and figure out what their individual situation is so you can determine a solution together

• Be patient and understanding; not all students are in the same situation and you don’t know what could be going on in their personal lives

• Be flexible; understand that there are many factors that contribute to successful distance learning and some of those factors may be out of your control

• Remember to be flexible with students and yourself as well

• Think about students and individual needs

• Use a Universal Design for Learning with your students

• Allow students to have a choice with each lesson that will meet them at their own skill level.

• Provide content using a variety of methods to ensure all students can access it.

• Connect with special education specialists or ELL teachers for support.

Health Education has always been paramount. We are reminded, in times like these, of its essentiality.

Health Education:

• builds essential skills and has real and lasting positive effects on student, family and community health now and for generations to come;

• addresses every aspect of what’s going on during COVID and focuses on the interconnectedness of social, emotional and physical health;

• gives students a chance to unpack their feelings and lived experiences including racial inequalities and the trauma of pandemic

• builds home-school connections by engaging families in health topics;

• provides continuous opportunities for students to practice skills that reinforce healthy behaviors and support health-enhancing choices across their lifespan;

• coaches students on advocacy platforms to be agents of change.

Good health is a national goal that when achieved will help the nation and its communities heal and move forward.

Health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to “attain his or her full health potential” and no one is “disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.” Providing Comprehensive Health Education to all students that is in line with the BPS District Wellness Policy would provide students health literacy, providing them with the knowledge and skills to make health enhancing decisions; improve access to health care for self and others; improve quality and length of life for self and others; decrease rates of disease, disability, and death including severity of disease for self and others.

Health literacy is an essential element for achieving health equity. Improving health literacy can reduce health disparities which fosters healthy equity and social justice.