This is the 3rd year the school has participated in testing Grade 10 students on their health.
Today, students were tested on things such as Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure, cholesterol levels, as well as self-esteem and mental health. They should receive their health report cards by the end of this week or next.
Educational Champion and Vice-Principal Krista Amos tells Tide News health and education go together. Amos says we know what the research says, we know that kids have to be healthy, alert, sleeping well and eating well in order for education to have results. We have 10% of our kids who can't be learning.
Amos says they will provide interventions to students during school hours after the report cards are issued.
She says she feels very passionate that if they can help look after the student's bodies, health, and mental health, that numeracy and literacy ratings will go up.
Nurse Practitioner Yvonne Bartlett tells Tide News they want to stear the kids away from unhealthy dieting.
Bartlett says we want to talk about weight discrimination and what happens. She mentions one thing they found over the past two years was that as BMI -- or Body Mass Index -- goes up, self-esteem goes down. She says this is something these students will carry their whole life and we must be very careful with how we work with them.
Bartlett says last year, they found that 10 % of the students, aged 15, already have 5 or more risk factors for coronary heart disease.
She adds that everything is completely voluntary.
( Picture - left: Nurse Practitioner at SSHS Yvonne Bartlett, right: Vice Principal at SSHS Krista Amos )
