Ask Us: Vaping and Making Connections to the Elementary H&PE Curriculum

Join us and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) for an hour-long Q&A session on vaping and its connections to the Health and Physical Education (H&PE) curriculum for grades 1-8.  

The session will focus on answering your questions about vaping, adopting a harm reduction approach, and strategies to address this topic using the H&PE curriculum including:

  • Increasing understanding about vaping products and the effects of vaping on short and long term health.
  • Increasing understanding of the importance of adopting a harm reduction approach when addressing vaping, including focusing on helping students understand the factors that affect decisions about vaping, and develop the skills to make and support healthy, informed choices about vaping.
  • Increasing understanding of the linkages between mental health problems and problematic substance use associated with vaping.
  • Learning about resources and supports available to support discussions and knowledge sharing.

Presenters

Andrea Haefele is a Health & Physical Education teacher in the York Region District School Board. She is currently seconded as a curriculum consultant at Ophea and a member of the Ontario Association for the Support of Physical and Health Educators (OASPHE). Andrea has been part of many regional and provincial initiatives that support the Health & Physical Education curriculum, Healthy Schools, and also Daily Physical Activity. She is a strong advocate for quality H&PE programming for all students of all abilities. Andrea uses “she, her, hers” pronouns, and asks others to use these pronouns in reference to her.

Joanne Walsh is an Instructor in the Faculty of Education at Brock University and a curriculum consultant for Ophea. As a consultant, she has supported the development of resources and professional learning opportunities for teachers across the province including Inquiry Based Learning, Concussion Education, Safety Standards Education and most recently, Cannabis Education and Sexual Violence Prevention Education resources. She has presented H&PE workshops on a variety of topics at local, provincial, and national conferences. Joanne is an active member of the executive of the Ontario Association for the Support of Health and Physical Educators (OASPHE). Joanne is passionate about H&PE and supporting teachers in their work with children and youth to help all of their students acquire the comprehension, commitment, and capacity to lead healthy, active lives across their lifespan. Joanne uses “she”, her, hers” pronouns and asks others to use these pronouns in reference to her.

Sarah Calvin is a CAMH bilingual knowledge broker with a Master of Social Work and Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. She has a background in special education and in non-profits supporting children and youth. She is passionate about building resilient communities where the full diversity of members can thrive. Outside the office, you'll find her connecting with her own community, learning about language, or experimenting in the kitchen. Sarah uses “she, her, hers” pronouns, and asks others to use these pronouns in reference to her.

Note: The original webinar date was March 9, 2021.

recap blog post is available for this webinar.