Elementary School Toolkit: Promoting Mental Health & Wellbeing: School Connectedness

The purpose of this resource is to provide educators and parents with strategies to increase students’ sense of connectedness and belonging to their school community. Strategies target multiple levels of influence including students’ and parents’ attitudes and knowledge, classroom and school level social and physical environments as well as school policies.

Curriculum, Teaching and Learning

For the Classroom

Kindness:

• Kindness Jar (School Mental Health Ontario) - français - grades K-8
• Pay It Forward (School Mental Health Ontario) - français - grades K-8
• Positive Post-Its (School Mental Health Ontario) - français - grades K-8
• Caring For You is Caring For Me (PHE Canada) - français - grades K-3

Empathy:

• Walking In Your Shoes (School Mental Health Ontario) - français -grades 3-5
• I Am Human (PHE Canada) | français - grades K-3
• Spread Compassion and Empathy (PHE Canada) - français -grades 4-6
• A Toolkit for Promoting Empathy in Schools

Belonging:

• Mealtime Conversation Cards (PDF) - français - grades K-8
• Symbolizing Belonging (PHE Canada) - français - grades 4-6
• Inclusion Pledge (PHE Canada) - français - grades 4-6
• Tansi. Hello. Bonjour. Hola. Ni hao. (PHE Canada) - français - grades 4-6
• That’s Me! (School Mental Health Ontario) - français - grades 6-8

Network of Support:

• Murray & Bird: The Search for the Missing Hat Storybook & Activities - disponible en français - grades K-3
• How to map out your community of support (Kids Help Phone) - français - grades 4-8

Collaboration

• Cup Stack Challenge (School Mental Health Ontario) - français - grades 4-8

Educator Professional Development

• Mentally healthy schools and learning environments (School Mental Health Ontario) - français

Educator Strategies

• Daily greetings (School Mental Health Ontario) - français
• Ask three, then me (School Mental Health Ontario) - français

School and Classroom Leadership

• Ophea Healthy Schools Certification - français

Student Engagement

• #Food4Thought Program - bientôt en français
• Roots of Empathy Program - français - grades K-8
• Healthy Relationships Plus Program - disponible en français - grades 7-8

Social and Physical Environments

• Take What You Need (PDF) - français
• Together We Create Something Beautiful (PDF) - français
• Nature Mandala (PDF) - français
• Gratitude Graffiti (Ophea) - français
• Cheerful Chains (Ophea) - français

Home, School & Community Partnerships

• School Health Messages for Families - disponible en français
• Family Wellness Night Ideas