Healthy children are better able to learn. Quality teaching in the classroom and in other learning spaces helps create a healthy school. On this page, you can find trusted and credible teaching resources for elementary and secondary teachers.
Schools play an important role in helping students access and learn about food and nutrition in a positive way. Creating a positive eating environment and giving students hands-on opportunities to learn about, see, smell, touch, grow, and cook different foods can help them build a healthy relationship with food.
Nutrition programs and resources are available to elementary and secondary schools in Brantford-Brant, Haldimand, and Norfolk. These programs and resources are intended to help schools create supportive eating environments and build food literacy skills.
Curriculum supports for nutrition
- Bright Bites Curriculum Supports: Grade-specific curriculum supports for grades K–8
- Food Is Science: Tools and lesson plans to help teach grades 3–9 about food systems and incorporate food literacy into Ontario’s Science and Technology Curriculum
- Lesson Plans by Growing Chefs! Ontario: Lesson plans designed to teach grades 1–8 about food exploration, food systems, expanding food comfort zones, and the value of food beyond nutrition
- Teach Food First: Lesson plans and activities for grades K–8 based on food exploration and teaching Canada’s Food Guide
- You’re the Chef (Haldimand and Norfolk): A food literacy program designed to help grades 5–8 students develop food and nutrition knowledge, food skills, and the confidence to plan and prepare meals and snacks
- Registered dietitians from Grand Erie Public Health train and provide resources to teachers and community volunteers so they can run the program at their schools and community settings
- AgScape: Resources to teach about food and food systems for grades 3–12
- Teaching Canada’s Food Guide — Government of Canada
Other nutrition resources for educators
- School Food and Beverage Policy: Includes information about the policy, teacher resource guides, and FAQs
- ODPH School Nutrition Resources: Resources to support a positive nutrition environment and nurture healthy eaters
- Canada’s Food Guide Toolkit for Educators: Activities that build basic food skills and healthy eating patterns while understanding Canada’s Food Guide
- Media Smarts: Lesson plans and activities on food marketing, body image, cyberbullying, and other media literacy topics for K–12
- Food Allergy Canada: Resources for grades K–8 including posters, tips, and more to make your school more allergy-aware
- Hands on Food: Resources for teaching hands-on cooking, growing, and preserving foods for grades 4–7
- Weight‑Neutral Well‑Being in the School Setting
Nutrition resources for youth
- Have nutrition questions? Call 8-1-1 or visit Health Connect Ontario to contact a registered dietitian for free.
Research shows that daily physical activity can improve concentration, learning, and overall physical health. Schools are great places to support healthy habits by giving students daily opportunities to be active and spend less time sitting.
School-based physical activity initiatives can support all students, regardless of age, ability, gender, culture, or socioeconomic background. Both structured and unstructured or free-play activities are important and can happen through classes, sports, intramurals, dance, recess, and active transportation like walking or biking to school.
Curriculum supports for physical activity
- OPHEA: H&PE Curriculum Resources: Curriculum resources for grades 1–8, available to subscribing school boards
- Move Think Learn | PHE Canada: Supports K–9 leaders and teachers to develop physical literacy through inclusive, fun activities. To access resources, register for a free PHE Canada account.
- Passport for Life | PHE Canada: Free online physical literacy assessment program for teachers
- Guide to Ride | PHE Canada: Free resource for grades 4–6 to promote safe cycling
- PlaySport: Activity-based resource to maximize fun, inclusion, participation, and success while building physical literacy
- Evergreen’s Outdoor Classroom Resources: Toolkits, activity books, and curriculum-connected lesson plans to support learning in nature
Other physical activity resources for educators
- Playground Activity Leaders in Schools (PALS): A peer-led playground leadership program that encourages all children to participate in recess games and activities regardless of gender, age, or ability. Dedicated school staff are trained to supervise the program, and junior and intermediate students are trained as playground leaders for younger students. Grand Erie Public Health’s School Health team (Haldimand and Norfolk) offers PALS training for adult facilitators and can support student leader training. For more support or information, contact your assigned School Health nurse or email schools@geph.ca.
- Ontario Active School Travel: Evidence-based resources to promote active school transport, including walking, cycling, and other forms of active and sustainable transportation
- At My Best Challenge: An annual challenge with weekly activities that support student health and well-being, with chances to win prizes
Teachers play an important role in helping students learn about substance use, addictions, and related behaviours. Prevention messages are most effective when students hear them early and continue learning about them throughout their school years.
As caring adults, it is important to understand the risks and effects of substance use and provide accurate, trustworthy information so young people can make safer and healthier choices.
Curriculum supports for substance use
- Not an Experiment: Lesson plans, activities, games, announcements, and more on vaping, including a quit plan for students. For grades 5–8 and 9-12.
- Vibed: Youth-oriented vaping education workshop with ready-to-use slides, materials, scripts, and interactive activities. For ages 13–18.
- Media Smarts: Lesson plans, tip sheets, and resources on media topics such as alcohol and tobacco marketing
- Health Canada Experiences: In-class resources, activities, free online games, and learning modules on current health topics for grades 1–5, 7–12, and young adults, including opioids and cannabis
Other substance use resources for educators
- OPHEA Vaping Education Resources: Capacity-building tools and conversation prompts to support informed decision-making
- School Mental Health Ontario: Substance Use and Addiction: Resources on cannabis, prescription opioids, and vaping
- Talking with Teenagers about Drugs: Government of Canada tips and information on cannabis, prescription drugs, and other substances
- Talking with Your Teen About Vaping: Tips and information for conversations about vaping, with additional resources
- An Indigenous Perspective: Cannabis and Vaping: Toolkit developed with elders, youth advisors, and community members
- Talking Pot with Youth: Practical ways to have supportive conversations about cannabis with youth. For grades 9–12.
Substance use resources for youth
- Quash App: Free smoking and vaping cessation app for ages 14–30 that helps build a custom quit plan
Mental health is just as important as physical health, and each affects the other. Supporting and protecting the mental health of children and youth helps them reach important developmental milestones, build healthy relationships, and succeed at school.
Curriculum supports for mental health
- School Mental Health Ontario Wayfinder: Digital guide of lessons and activities for K–12 with core mental health literacy lessons linked to the HPE curriculum
- Grab and Go Tool: Everyday mental health learning activities for students
- Student Mental Health Action Kit: Practical tools to support student mental health and educator well-being in virtual and in-person classrooms
- Anxiety Canada Educator Resources: Information about anxiety with videos and resources for children and youth
Other mental health resources for educators
- School Mental Health Ontario’s Mental Health Literacy and Anxiety Management social media bundles: Youth‑friendly materials for classroom awareness
- MH LIT: Student Mental Health in Action: A series of four lessons to build knowledge about mental health and help‑seeking skills for secondary students
It is important to teach students how to take an active role in keeping themselves and others safe. Learning safety rules and practices helps students build the skills to recognize, assess, and manage risks in their environment.
Curriculum supports for safety and injury prevention
- Road Smarts 4 Kids: Activities, challenges, lesson plans, and presentations on road safety for elementary students
- Brain Waves: Lessons for grades 4–6 on the nervous system and injury prevention, with free downloadable materials
- Handwashing and Germs (Kindergarten and Grade 1): Background and materials to teach how germs spread and proper handwashing
Other resources for educators
- OPHEA: Ontario Physical Education Safety Guidelines (K–12): Minimum standards for risk management, updated annually
- Concussion Guide for Teachers: Signs and symptoms of concussion and return‑to‑school guidance
- Rowan’s Law Day Toolkit for Schools: Resources to recognize Rowan’s Law Day and speak up about concussions
- Anaphylaxis in Schools Online Course: Basics of anaphylaxis, risk reduction, and emergency treatment
- Become a SunSense School: Canadian Cancer Society program with tools such as lesson plans, guides, and staff training
- PREVNet: Teaching Resources to Prevent Identity‑Based Bullying
Schools are important places for building healthy relationships and modelling healthy behaviours. Educators play a key role in supporting the healthy growth and development of children and youth.
Sexual health education gives students the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make informed and healthy choices and reduce negative outcomes.
Curriculum supports for human development and sexual health
The following tools align with the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Health and Physical Education curriculum (2019). For assistance, contact the School Health team (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.):
- Brantford-Brant: schools@geph.ca or 519-753-4937 ext. 6459
- Haldimand-Norfolk: schoolhealth@geph.ca or 519-900-9600 or 905-798-9060 ext. 3283
Presentations
- If you are interested in additional resources or information on available presentations, please reach out to your school public health nurse or contact schools@geph.ca.
Other resources
- Always Changing & Growing Up (OPHEA): Free resources to support teaching adolescent growth and development, personal hygiene, and healthy active living for grades 5/6 and 7/8
- Teaching Sexual Health: Detailed educator information and materials on consent, contraception, STBBIs, and more
- SHORE Centre: Online and in‑person sexual health education workshops aligned to the Ontario curriculum for grades 4–12
- SexualHealthOntario: Information about healthy relationships, sexual health, STIs, birth control, and more, with live chat support
- SexAndU: Accurate, credible, and up‑to‑date sexual and reproductive health information
Anaphylaxis
- Food Allergy Canada: This page contains resources, information and links for schools to assist you in making your school a safe and inclusive place for students with food allergies.
- EpiPen Videos: Includes videos on how to use an EpiPen, when to use it, and severe allergy triggers.
- Anaphylaxis in Schools – What educators need to know: A 30-minute free course developed for school boards, principals, teachers and staff. Contains information on how to develop strategies to reduce the risk of anaphylaxis and how to respond in an emergency, in compliance with Sabrina’s Law.
Diabetes
- Diabetes@School | Video Series: The Diabetes@School video series makes it easy to learn about how to support students with type 1 diabetes in school. Short animated videos covers a key concept in daily or emergency management.
Asthma
- Teacher Implementation tips for Asthma (PDF)
- Tips for managing asthma attacks (PDF)
- OPHEA Asthma e-learning-module: This e-Learning module is designed to support school staff in understanding and applying Ryan’s Law in their school to support the safety and well-being of students with asthma. Teachers must login into OPHEA for access.
Epilepsy
With funding from the Ministry of Education, Epilepsy Ontario has developed a training tool for teachers to assist them in supporting students with epilepsy in the classroom.
Childcare settings are essential in providing children with supportive eating environments and play an important role in supporting children’s growth and development, health and well-being.
Menu review service
Childcare centres located in Brantford, the County of Brant and Haldimand and Norfolk Counties can have their menus reviewed by a Registered Dietitian at Grand Erie Public Health to ensure they are meeting the food and drink requirements of the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014. Menus can be submitted at any time during the year.
How to get a menu reviewed
Fill out the Child Care Menu Submission Form and submit your menu(s) for review. Once your form is submitted, we will review and confirm details and timeline for review.
Resources to complement the Practical Guide:
- Modifying Recipes to Meet the Practical Guide – Practical tips to reduce sodium and sugar and increase whole grain content in recipes.
- Increasing the Use of Plant-based Proteins in Child Care Settings – Practical tips on how to choose, prepare and add more plant-based proteins to menus.
- Common Food Allergen Substitutions for Child Care Settings – Discover substitutions for common food allergens to accommodate children with allergies.
- Sample Menus – This resource provides a four-week menu cycle that incorporates different foods to align with Canada’s Food Guide including a variety of colours, shapes, and textures.
- 2025 Nutrition in Child Care Settings eLearning Course – This free, interactive two-hour online course draws directly on the provincial Child Care Menu Planning Practical Guide and other child care resources developed by Ontario Dietitians in Public Health (ODPH) to offer you practical, and helpful evidence-informed strategies to support your everyday practice when working alongside children and their families.
If you have any questions about menu planning or want support determining if your menu meets requirements, contact a public health dietitian:
- Haldimand-Norfolk: 519-900-9600 or 905-798-9060 ext. 8113
- Brantford-Brant: 519-753-4937 ext. 6472
- Email healthycommunities@geph.ca
Resources to support positive mealtime experiences
- Strategies for Mealtime Success – importance of pressure‑free, supportive mealtimes that help children develop a positive relationship with food and trust their hunger and fullness cues.
- Nurturing Children Through Responsive Feeding – how responsive, pressure‑free feeding supports children’s autonomy, helps them recognize hunger and fullness cues, and builds a positive, trusting relationship with food during meals and snacks.
Additional information
Nutrition for healthy term infants (6-24 months)
Learn more about Health Canada’s recommendations on feeding infants and young children from 6-24 months.
Information about common food allergies
Online nutrition course for childcare providers
Nourishing Beginnings is a free online early childhood nutrition program for childcare providers to build confidence in early childhood nutrition.
Little food explorers workshop for child care providers
A free online workshop for childcare providers to help toddlers and preschoolers develop positive feelings about food and eating.