Good afternoon, educators, healthcare professionals, colleagues, students and guests.
I am honoured to acknowledge your schools’ continued participation in Bermuda’s comprehensive Healthy Schools Programme. This is a vital programme for the future of our island’s health and we very proud of it.
Together, the Ministries of Education and Health realize that the Healthy Schools programme is a vital link between education and health. In addition, our Ministries and our community health partners have a common goal, which is to ensure that our school students are healthy, positioned for success and able to deliver continued prosperity to Bermuda.
Our strategy for a Well Bermuda targets every age group across the life course. A large portion of a child’s growth takes place while he or she is a student, so schools are the perfect place to teach important lessons about the relationship between academics and nutrition, health and wellness. When students are healthy, they are better able to achieve their potential.
Schools, I want to congratulate you all on your outstanding achievements! You are well on the way to helping your students establish lifelong healthy habits that will allow them to become viable and healthy members of our society.
The Healthy Schools Programme recognizes that the culture and philosophy of each school is unique and that each school interacts with its community in different ways, while promoting health. As a result, parents can expect that health will be a part of a school’s culture, regardless of which school their child attends.
Healthy Schools uses the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's 10-Component Model, which places the student at the centre of many social influences that affect a child's development and adoption of lifelong habits. These components enable Healthy Schools to standardize what health looks like in schools through school health policies and Bermuda laws.
Today, we celebrate and recognize the schools that have consistently promoted health to their students, staff and communities – all while delivering academics! Through the ten components of health, the assessment process standardizes health in schools.
Last year, we recognized schools through the Gold Star Awards for the first Five Components, which are Health Education; Physical Education & Physical Activity; Nutrition Environment and Services; Health Services; and Counselling, Psychological, and Social Services. This year, schools submitted demonstrations for the second Five Components, namely, Social and Emotional Climate; Physical Environment; Employee Wellness; Family Engagement; and Community Involvement.
This year, a total of 26 of 31 public and private, primary, middle and senior schools were received and reviewed. Those schools will be recognized here today as we celebrate all school health promotion activities. Each school received a Gold Star Award of Achievement and has been designated as a health promoting school.
In addition, 47 individuals were nominated as Health Champions by their schools. One outstanding Department of Health school-based staff member has been nominated by a programme manager. Also, two individuals working for community health partners and five community health organizations have been recognized.
And now, the Minister of Education, The Hon. Diallo Rabain, and I will present to you the recipients who earned Health Champion Awards, Outstanding Health Services Awards, Special Recognition Awards, and Healthy Schools Gold Star Awards.