Recognize the Present
Success Stories

Our Lady of Grace faces adversity for the sake of being a ‘Health Promoting School’

“It is a small school with tremendous spirit,” says  Jeannie Armstrong, school principal 

Our Lady of Grace is a small school located in Westmeath, Ontario that is truly pushing the boundaries in the face of limited resources both in health and physical education for the Kindergarten to Grade 7 students.  Despite these challenges, the school has successful raised money and gathered the support of the staff, students, parents and the community at large that have enabled them to become an Active Healthy School:

• Healthy snack program offered twice daily thanks to donations from the Catholic Women’s League and Father Fitzpatrick.
• Basketball equipment to support QDPE thanks to fundraising from the school council and swimming program.
• Annual Hockey Game with Pembroke Lumber Kings where students raise money for social justice activities (ACCESO) and learn valuable hockey and sportsmanship skills
• A range of Physical Education and recreation programs (swimming, basketball and volleyball) thanks to transportation support from the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board.
• Volleyball, soccer, hockey and other sports equipment thanks to funding through the Renfrew County and District Health Unit for the past three years.

“The students have embraced the healthy culture created at Our Lady of Grace.  It’s now part of their daily routine and they are beginning to champion aspects of the health programming, such as older students acting as leaders to the younger students during activities and inviting community members to join their school for events,” says Brian Brohart, Health Promoter for the Renfrew County and District Health Unit.

Since 2004, the school has encouraged students to make healthy food choices and discouraged the consumption of hot dogs, pop, chips and other unhealthy food choices at school.  These foods are no longer used as part of our hot lunch program. Healthy snacks are provided twice daily. Junior students decide on hot lunch choices as part of the health curriculum and primary students discuss healthy choices during each snack time.

On top of promoting health in their school, the principal and teachers are champions in ensuring that every student has plenty of scheduled physical education and physical activity.  This includes:

• Average of 225 minutes per week for physical education and physical activity (30 minutes daily and 75 minutes on Friday)
• Participation in events such as CAHPERD’s Spectagular, WinterActive and the World Record Walk
• Skating programs every Friday from November to March
• Swimming programs every Friday from April to June
• Walking Wednesdays where students, staff, and community members meet at 11:30 a.m. each Wednesday morning to walk for 30 minutes.  Staff and students wear pedometers and chart their steps to personal fitness.
• Steps to Fitness-challenge for staff to wear pedometers and chart the number of steps taken in a day.

There achievements have not gone unnoticed. For the second year in a row, Our Lady of Grace has received designation from the Renfrew County and District Health Unit as a Healthy Active School.  They have also received a Diamond Award from CAHPERD for Quality Daily Physical Education in both 2007 and 2008.

Our Lady of Grace has shown that even in the face of adversity you can offer students the programs that they have a right to.  Communities can pull together to help, students will take the lead if shown the way and parents are part of the solution.  We applaud Our Lady of Grace for sharing their success story with us.

Students participate in the CAHPERD Spectagular Challenge led by
 Renfrew County and District Health Unit Health Promotor, Brian Brohart.

Students team up with local hockey heros from the Pembroke Lumber Kings Junior A Hockey Team to promote team sportsmanship and improve hockey skills. The annual hockey game with the Lumber Kings raises money for social justice activities at the school.