I sincerely hope this note finds you all safe, well and that you have found some time to relax and recreate. This year was a great time of upheaval for you, our school communities, families and students. As educators we have had to make adjustments to meet the challenges created by COVID-19.
It became more important than ever this year to ensure students continued to be active and apply health-related skills to maintain their physical, mental, and social-emotional wellbeing. While there is no way we could have replaced what happens in our gymnasiums and classrooms, as a community of practice we worked hard to help students and families stay healthy by providing tools and resources needed to cope with the impacts of a pandemic.
Our top priority quickly became supporting teachers and students with continued, quality Physical and Health Education in a new and challenging environment. As a result, PHE Canada made a quick pivot and responded to our members’ needs. Out of necessity comes innovation and COVID-19 has provided the opportunity for innovation to blossom.
A special thanks goes out to our staff, colleagues and community partners for taking lead in developing a number of resources and supports:
- PHE At Home Learning Centre supported continuous learning
- Cross-Canada Check-In’s to provide a platform for our national Community to come together virtually
- PHE Spotlight Series, a series of virtual professional development workshops to support and advance quality physical and health education,
- The #WeSupportPHE campaign which ensured that quality physical and health education remains a priority for the education sector and;
- The PHE Return to School Guidelines to support the delivery of quality physical and health education in a safe and healthy way.
Although the Pandemic may have been a time for some to thrive, it has undoubtedly been an incredibly traumatic experience for many. PHE Canada continues to be here to support you and all students as the transition back to school takes place.
I truly hope that you have been able to enjoy the summer as well as find some time to recharge as we begin a new school year.
All the best,
Lori