News release

Active School Communities Get Kids Moving

Office of Health Promotion (Jan. 2003 - May 2005)
Education (July 1999 - March 2013)

EDUCATION/HEALTH PROMOTION--Active School Communities Get Kids Moving


A Cape Breton school community is the first of eight pilot sites to launch a plan aimed at getting more young people more active.

Cusack-Cornwallis-Lakevale Elementary School in Sydney and volunteers from the community are participating in the Active School Communities pilot project. The program involves teachers, students, parents, administrators and community leaders working together to encourage young people to be more physically active every day.

The three-year pilot project is part of the Active Kids, Healthy Kids strategy launched by Premier John Hamm in October 2002. It is also a component of the Department of Education's Learning for Life plan, announced in September 2002.

"Schools have a role to play in our young people's health and well-being, but we can't do it alone," said Education Minister Angus MacIsaac. "We share the responsibility with parents, municipal leaders, health authorities, community groups and students themselves. The pilot project is bringing these key players together to help our students become healthier."

"Physical activity leads to healthy life habits," said Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Health Promotion and Sport and Recreation. "By working together, members of this community are showing our youth, first-hand, the importance of developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Whether through structured sports or simply walking to and from school or playing in the schoolyard, these activities demonstrate the importance of physical activity throughout the day."

About 50 staff and volunteers from the school, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, the Cape Breton District Health Authority and the community will help implement Cusack-Cornwallis- Lakevale's plan, which will be launched on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

The plan includes the purchase of new skipping ropes, balls and frisbees for the playground; after-school and Sunday programs for students to play non-competitive sports; and family activities such as curling, skating, snowshoeing and orienteering. It began with a survey of student suggestions for activities.

"Active School Communities offers a tremendous opportunity to help improve the health and fitness of students and families served by our school," said principal Kevin Deveaux. "We're pleased to offer these opportunities to be physically active to our school community and we hope that everyone takes full advantage of them."

Schools across the province are involved in the pilot projects and have spent the fall working with recreation, health and community volunteers to find ways in and outside of the curriculum to help keep students physically active.

By the third year of the plan, each school site will expand to include its family of schools. For example, by the third year of the Sydney school's plan, activities and partnerships will also include the area junior senior high schools.

The Department of Education and the Office of Health Promotion/Sport and Recreation Commission are each investing $10,000 per school site for the pilot projects.

The other schools involved in the pilot projects are: East Antigonish Academy/Education Centre; École Stella-Maris, Meteghan; Evelyn Richardson Memorial Elementary School, Shag Harbour; Hants North Rural High School, Kennetcook; Hebbville Academy, Bridgewater; J.L. Ilsley High School, Halifax; Kingston Elementary and Pine Ridge Middle School, Kingston.