Healthy students are better learners and better-educated individuals are healthier. A healthy school is one that consistently strengthens its capacity as a healthy setting for learning, playing, and working.
Students will have many opportunities in every aspect of their school experience to foster their healthy physical, mental, social and intellectual development.
Northern Health supports the Comprehensive School Health Framework, an approach to healthy schools that links health and education professionals, families, and surrounding communities to promote the health of people in the school setting.
View the short video "comprehensive school health in a nutshell" from the BC society DASH (Dedicated Action for School Health).
For more information, contact us by email at healthyschools@northernhealth.ca.
- Allergy aware - Anaphylaxis in schools (online education) - Food Allergy Canada
- Resource guide for allergy aware schools (PDF) - Northern Health
- Safe and healthy schools: Anaphylaxis - Government of BC
- Asthma - Canadian Lung Association
- Asthma in children - Fraser Health
- Asthma in children - HealthLink BC
- Asthma in school - About Kids Health
- Asthma in schools - Asthma Canada
- Asthma information - The Children’s Allergy and Asthma Education Centre (CAAEC)
- Asthma medicines (video) - Allergy and Asthma Education
- I can control asthma - University of Calgary Community Pediatric Asthma Service
BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)
- K-12 schools and COVID-19 - BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)
- Public health communicable disease guidance for K-12 schools (PDF) - BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)
Doctors of BC
Foundry BC
- Information for schools - Foundry BC
Kelty Mental Health
- Parenting during COVID-19: We’re all in this together (video)
- Preparing for a successful return to school (webinar video)
Ministry of Children and Family Development
National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health (NCCIH)
Parent Support BC
World Health Organization (WHO)
- Canadian Best Practices Portal: School health - Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Best and promising practices and program planners for promoting school health.
Northern Health notifications regarding COVID-19:
- COVID-19 infection control guidance and updates supports for schools (PDF, October 14, 2021) - Letter to schools
- COVID-19 immunization letter to parents and guardians (PDF, June 1, 2021)
- Notification of COVID-19 school exposures: Update and clarification (PDF, December 14, 2020) - Memo to Superintendents of public schools and independent schools
- Northern Health supports for schools (PDF, September 14, 2020) - Letter to schools.
- Update to Northern Health school supports due to COVID-19 (PDF, June 1, 2020) - Letter to schools.
- Immunizations for school-age children in the context of COVID-19 (PDF, June 1, 2020) - Letter to parents, guardians and caregivers.
- 2020 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (PDF, February 10, 2020) - Letter to schools.
- 2020 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (PDF, February 10, 2020) - Letter to parents, guardians and caregivers.
Northern Health letters to superintendents of schools, independent school authorities, First Nations schools, parents, guardians, caregivers and/or representatives:
- Northern BC healthy K to 12 schools newsletter: Issue seven (PDF, November 14, 2024)
- Supports provided to schools by Northern Health (PDF, September 15, 2023)
- Northern BC healthy K to 12 schools newsletter: Issue six (PDF, May 15, 2024)
- Northern BC healthy K to 12 schools newsletter: Issue five (PDF, September 18, 2023)
- Northern BC healthy K to 12 schools newsletter: Issue four (PDF, May 16, 2023)
- Northern BC healthy K to 12 schools newsletter: Issue three (PDF, October 19, 2022)
- Supports provided to schools by Northern Health (PDF, August 30, 2022)
- Northern BC healthy K to 12 schools newsletter: Issue two (PDF, May 17, 2022)
- Northern BC healthy K to 12 schools newsletter: Issue one (PDF, January 27, 2022)
- Northern BC healthy K to 12 schools newsletter - issue one: Letter to superintendents of public schools and principals of independent schools (PDF, January 27, 2022)
- COVID-19 immunization letter to superintendents of public schools and principals of independent schools (PDF, June 1, 2021)
- 2020 BC Winter Games in Fort St. John (PDF, January 29, 2020)
- Seeking immunization enrollment information (PDF, January 23, 2020)
- Requirements under BC’s new vaccination status reporting regulation (PDF, November 4, 2019)
- Vaping awareness (PDF, October 11, 2019)
- School Medical Officers under the School Act (PDF, September 16, 2019)
- Supports provided to schools by Northern Health (PDF, August 23, 2019)
- Public health approach to non-medical Cannabis (PDF, May 15, 2019)
- Population and Public Health Dental Services for children (PDF, April 2, 2019)
- Measles campaign (PDF, March 29, 2019)
- Supporting the health benefits of the Ministry of Education’s SOGI 123 Initiative (PDF, March 22, 2018)
Northern Health general notifications to schools:
- Northern Health supports for schools (PDF, 2024/2025 school year)
- Northern Health supports for schools (PDF, 2023/2024 school year)
- Northern Health supports for schools (PDF, 2022/2023 school year)
- Northern Health supports for schools (PDF, 2021/2022 school year)
- Northern Health supports for schools (PDF, 2020/2021 school year)
- Northern Health supports for schools (PDF, 2019/20 school year)
- Opioid overdose information for schools (PDF) - Northern Health
- Ways to prevent and manage communicable diseases in schools (PDF) - Northern Health
- Diabetes at school - Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS)
- Nursing Support Services (NSS) - BC Children's Hospital, Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)
- Safe and healthy schools: Diabetes - Government of BC
- Information sheets and brochures - BC Epilepsy Society
- Nursing Support Services (NSS) - BC Children's Hospital, Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)
- Partners in teaching program - BC Epilepsy Society
- Understanding students with epilepsy - Tips for teachers (PDF) - BC Epilepsy Society
- A quick guide to common childhood diseases (PDF) - BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)
- BC adolescent health survey 2018 (PDF) - McCreary Centre Society
- BC early hearing program - Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)
- Dedicated Action for School Health (DASH BC)
- Do bugs need drugs? - Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)
- HealthLink BC - Government of BC
- Healthy schools - Government of BC
- Healthy schools BC - Dedicated Action for School Health (DASH)
- Joint Consortium for School Health (JCSH)
- Sneezes and diseases: A resource book for caregivers and parents (PDF) - Vancouver Coastal Health
Northern Health programs:
Head lice resources from Northern Health:
- Recommended head lice management: Information for schools, families and individuals (PDF) - Northern Health
- Healthy eating: Action guide (PDF) - Healthy Schools BC
- Healthy eating at school - Northern Health
At school entry (4-6 years of age) students are offered vaccinations against Tetanus/Diptheria/Pertussis/Polio, Measles/Mumps/Rubella/Chickenpox (MMRV) and any other childhood vaccinations that may be overdue. Kindergarten immunizations are offered through Primary Care Homes where information is sent home regarding these dates and times.
Read the Northern Health tips found in the "preparing your child for immunization" document for some DO'S and DONT'S you as a parent may find helpful.
Immunization resources:
- Have a positive experience: Tips for school-age children and teens - HealthLink BC
- Immunizations - HealthLink BC
- Immunization schedule for children - HealthLink BC
BC Ministry of Health consent forms:
- Consent for grade 6 immunizations (PDF, fillable form)
- Consent for grade 9 immunizations (PDF, fillable form)
- Cleaning and disinfecting for schools (PDF) - Northern Health
- Proper handwashing (PDF) - Northern Health
- Injury prevention - Northern Health
- Injury prevention: Action guide (PDF) - Healthy Schools BC
- Health tips for kindergarten (PDF) - Northern Health
We are here for you 24-7
Crisis prevention, intervention and information centre for Northern BC
- BC Suicide Line: 1-800-784-2433
- Northern BC Crisis Line: 1-888-562-1214
- Youth Crisis Line: 1-888-564-8336 or text to 250-564-8336
Curriculum, guides, toolkits, and resources:
- Apps and tools - Foundry BC
- Assessment toolkit for bullying, harassment, and peer relations at school - Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA)
- Child and youth mental health and substance use resource guide for families - Northern Health
- Community services near you (interactive map) - Foundry BC
- Erase = expect respect and a safe education - Government of BC
- HEADSTRONG school-based activities toolkit (PDF) - Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC)
- Helping schools: iMinds - University of Victoria
- Kelty mental health resource centre - BC Children's Hospital
- Make hope happen: Youth mental wellness toolkits for change - Youth Mental Health Canada (YMHC)
- Mental health and substance use - Northern Health
- Positive mental health toolkit (2nd edition) - Joint Consortium for School Health (JCSH)
- The mental health and high school curriculum guide - Teen Mental Health
- WE schools network - An initiative of WE Charity
- What is anxiety? - Anxiety Canada
- What is social and emotional learning (SEL)? - Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
- A Healthier You schools issue: 2015
- A Healthier You schools issue: 2018
- COVID-19 school information
- Guiding document for healthy schools: A comprehensive school health approach (PDF) - Northern Health
- Health and Wellness in the North, summer 2019
- Healthier Northern Communities E-brief
- Position statements addressing risk factors
- Active schools - Northern Health
- Active school travel - Northern Health
- Physical activity - Northern Health
- Child safety: Streets and motor vehicles - HealthLink BC
- Elementary road safety - Parachute
- Pedestrian safety - Parachute
- Road safety - Northern Health
- Road safety for educators - Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC)
- Road safety for your kids - Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC)
- Safety reminders for back to school - Canada Safety Council
- School zone safety - British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA)
- Parents and teachers: Be proactive. Be prepared. - Teaching Sexual Health, Alberta Health Services
- All about choices: Sexual and reproductive health services in BC - Options for Sexual Health
- Everyone has a sexual orientation and gender identity - SOGI 1 2 3 (Sexual Orientations and Gender Identities)
- School based sexual health education (PDF) - Northern Health
- Sex and u: Your trusted resources for sexual and reproductive health - Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)
- Sex ed for the real world: Inclusive, comprehensive, supportive, sexuality and relationships info for teens and emerging adults - Scarleteen
- Sex ed programs: Looking for the experts? - Options for Sexual Health
- Sex Information and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN)
- Northern Health Assessment Network (NHAN)
- Nursing Support Services (NSS) - BC Children's Hospital, Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)
- Resources for families and support teams of children and youth with neurodevelopmental diagnoses (e.g., autism, FASD) during COVID-19 (PDF) - Northern Health
- Cannabis education resources - Government of Canada. This site provides resources to help you better understand the new Canadian cannabis legal system.
- Get cannabis clarity - Government of BC
- Helping schools - Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR)
- Kelty mental health resource centre - BC Children's Hospital. This site has a broad range of mental health and substance use information for children, youth and families.
- LET'S TALK OPIOIDS, including fentanyl: A parent's guide to understanding opioid use by youth (PDF) - Drug Free Kids Canada
- Mental health and substance use - Northern Health
- Mental health and substance use information you can trust - HeretoHelp, BC Partners for Mental Health and Substance Use Information. This site provides detailed information on substances, guides and pamphlets on safer consumption, youth consumption, ways to talk to youth, and families.
- Weed Out the Risk (WOTR): An anti-crash course on cannabis and driving - in partnership with MADD Canada, YMCA Canada and The John Howard Society
- Youth and emerging adults - Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. This site houses many reports and information on substance use trends, practices from a prevention, and harms reduction approach.
- About vaping - Government of Canada
- Quit smoking - HealthLink BC
- QuitNow - BC Lung Association, Government of BC
- Smoking and tobacco reduction - Northern Health
- Vaping - BC Lung Association
- Vaping - Government of BC
The Vaccine Status Reporting Regulation requires parents and guardians to report the vaccination status of their school-aged children, and health authorities to seek missing records and offer catch-up.
More information can be found on the Vaccine Status Reporting Regulation.
- Youth engagement toolkit 2018 - Joint Consortium for School Health (JCSH)