Educators

• Grade 6: OPHEA influencing choices (Lesson plan)
• Grade 7-12 Kahoot: Substance use protective factors (Requires Kahoot account)
• Grade 7-12: PHE Canada refusal skills (activity)
• Grade 7-12: Refusal skills (Video – accompanies activity above)
• Elementary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Critical and creative thinking
• Secondary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Critical and creative thinking
• Faith and wellness: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Critical and creative thinking

• Elementary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Positive motivation and perseverance
• Elementary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Self-awareness and sense of identity
• Secondary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Positive motivation and perseverance
• Secondary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Self-awareness and sense of identity
• Faith and wellness: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Positive motivation and perseverance
• Faith and wellness: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Self-awareness and sense of identity

• Elementary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Stress management and coping
• Secondary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Stress management and coping
• Faith & wellness: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Stress management and coping
• SMHO virtual field trips

• Empathy video | PHE Canada
• Elementary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Healthy relationship skills
• Secondary: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Healthy relationship skills
• Faith and wellness: SMHO everyday classroom resources: Healthy relationship skills

Grade 5

• Discovering You! Student workbook (English | French) (Curriculum connection: A1.6, D2.3, D3.3)
• Discovering You! Teacher companion guide (English | French)
• OPHEA Factors of Intoxication (Lesson plan)** (Curriculum connection: A1.6, D1.2, D2.3, D3.3)
• OPHEA Factors That Affect My Decisions (Lesson plan)** (Curriculum connection: A1.5, A1.6, D3.3)
• OPHEA Factors that Affect My Healthy Choices (Activity)** (Curriculum connection: A1.2, A1.6, D3.3)
• OPHEA Who Can Help (Lesson plan)** (Curriculum connection: A1.4, A1.6, D2.3, D3.3)
• OPHEA Awareness Campaign (Lesson plan)** (Curriculum connection: A1.1, A1.4, A1.5, A1.6, D2.3, D 3.2, D3.3)
• Interactive activity available from your school public health nurse*

**Requires an OPHEA log-in

Grade 6 to 8

• Substance Misuse Series 2: Alcohol Level 1 (Grades 6-8) - Details - Kahoot! (Requires Kahoot account)
• Substance Misuse Series 2: Alcohol Level 2 (Grades 6-8) - Details - Kahoot! (Requires Kahoot account)
• Interactive activities (Plinko, Spin Wheel)*
• CCSA Understanding Substance Use: Educator’s Guide

Grade 9 to 12

• CCSA Understanding Substance Use: Educator’s Guide
• Interactive activities (Alcohol Marketing Tricks, Plinko, Spin Wheel)*
• Substance Misuse Series 2: Alcohol Level 3 (Grades 9-12) - Details - Kahoot! (Requires Kahoot account)
• The Real Buzz: Teens and Alcohol Infographics English | French
• Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health - Drinking less is better (English | French)

*Resources available through your public health nurse.

• Canadian Centre for Addiction and Substance Use
• Durham Community Health Centre
• Connex Ontario
• My Toolkit Substance Use Education Module
• Ontario Physical & Health Education Association (OPHEA): Teaching tools - Alcohol Education Resources
• Pinewood Addiction Services
• The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: Primary Education Resources for Teachers
• What is substance use? - Kids Help Phone

• Cannabis Plinko, Spin Wheel and Drop Zone: Q&A activities for students in Grade 6-12*
• Cannabis Kahoot! Grades 6-8: Online interactive activity using the Kahoot! platform*
• Cannabis Kahoot! Grades 9-12: Online interactive activity using the Kahoot! platform*
• Understanding Substance Use: Educator's guide (Grades 6 to 12)
• Weed out the Myths: Resource for students in grades 6-12

*Resources available through your public health nurse.

• Canada’s Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines (LRCUG)
• Canadian Centre for Addiction and Substance Use
• Canadian Centre on Substance Use & Addiction (CCSA): Talking pot with youth: A cannabis communication guide for youth allies
• Canadian students for sensible drug policy: Sensible cannabis education: A toolkit for educating youth
• Cannabis use among Durham Region students, grades 9-12
• Cannabis: What parents/guardians and caregivers need to know
• Drug Free Kids Canada: The cannabis talk kit: Know how to talk to your teen
• Government of Ontario: Cannabis
• Health Canada: Cannabis in Canada: Get the facts
• Kids Help Phone: Cannabis: Important things to know
• Ministry of Education: Cannabis information & resources for educators
• My Toolkit Substance Use Education Module
• Ontario Physical & Health Education Association (OPHEA): Teaching tools - Cannabis education resources
• Prescription opioids information sheets for educators, parents and youth (English | French)
• Standards for School-Based Youth Substance Use Prevention
• The Blunt Truth: Useful tips about safer ways to use cannabis (Youth LRCUG)
• The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

• Concussion protocol resources for schools
• Concussion guide for teachers
• Learning About Concussions: Teacher Guide and Lesson
• Return to school strategy
• Rowan’s Law Day toolkit for schools 

There are several interactive activities available from Durham Region Health Department. Please contact your school’s public health nurse if you would like further information on any of the activities below.

Primary grades

• Animal Alphabet
• Apple Tree Activity*
• Kindergarten Readiness Practice Backpacks and Lunchbox*
• Physical Activity Dice and Hopscotch Mat

Grades 7 to 12

• Crack the Code

Other interactive activities

• Amazing Wellness Race* (For grade 4 onwards)
• Fruit and Veggie Feud (All ages)
• Kahoot! (All ages)
• Plinko Game* (All ages)
• Sleep Activity Board* (All ages)
• Spinwheel* (All ages)
• Sugar Sweetened Beverages* (All ages)

*These activities are available in English and French

Durham Region Health Department (DRHD) offers several resources to promote healthy routines for students! The resources below are available for download and use in print-friendly format. 

• Pack Some WOW in Your Lunch (English | French)
• Lunchbox Colouring Sheets (English | French)
• Creating Healthy Routines Tip Sheet (English | French)
• Creating Healthy Routines Booklet (English | French)
• Healthy Habits Cootie Catcher (Version 1 | Version 2)
• Sun Safety Colouring Sheets
• Save the Skin You’re In - Bookmark (English | French)
• Move and Play Every Day!

• Coughing and sneezing hygiene for kids video – Government of Canada
• Be a handwashing hero video – Government of Canada
• Prevent the spread of germs word scramble
• Prevent the spread of germs word search
• School announcements: Handwashing
• Wash away germs colouring sheet

Monthly chickenpox reporting form

• Cover your cough poster (English | French)
• Facts about... Handwashing
• Guidelines for infectious diseases reporting and exclusion (Does not apply to COVID-19 management in schools.)

  As per Ministry guidance, no respiratory outbreaks will be declared at this time. You are not required to report increases in absenteeism due to respiratory symptoms in your classes and schools. Please continue to report potential enteric outbreaks in your classes and schools as necessary.

• Handwashing steps poster (English | French)
• Proper handwashing video
• Stop the spread poster
• Wash your hands poster

• Student Mental Health Action Kit – Practical resources to support student mental health 
• School Mental Health Wayfinder lesson plans for grade K-12

Elementary

• Class conversation starters (School Mental Health Ontario)
• Mental Health Practices for Elementary Classrooms
• Stress Management and Coping Virtual Field Trips - School Mental Health Ontario
• How Are You Feeling activity sheet English | French
• KidsCan
• Mindmasters 2 - A mental health promotion resource that helps children to master emotional regulation through relaxation, positive thinking and mindfulness. Targeted for children ages 4 to 9 years.
  • Mindmasters 2 booklet
  • Booklist
  • Posters

  Access audio files (songs, videos) to support Mindmasters 2

  Adapted with permission of Ottawa Public Health. For educational and non-commercial purposes only.

Secondary

• Mental Health Practices for Secondary Classrooms
• Stress Management and Coping Virtual Field Trips - School Mental Health Ontario
• TeensCan

Helpful links

Please refer to your school board for additional supports.

• Be Safe
• Bounce Back Ontario
• Free stress strategies for educators and parents
• Promoting relationships & eliminating violence network
• Positive mental health toolkit
• School Mental Health Ontario
• Stress strategies for educators & parents

For crisis intervention 

Crisis and suicide prevention

• Drug Free Kids Canada
• Know More: Opioids public awareness program
• School Mental Health Ontario Educators resources

Making decisions and refusal skills

Substance use protective factors and skill building

• American Dental Association activities and lesson plans
• Oral health education resources for teachers and educators

• Canada's Food Guide
• Dental Hygiene Canada - fun stuff
• Healthy lunches and snacks for school
• Oral health
• Oral health activities and resources
• Sugary drinks
• Teaching resources
• The Ontario Curriculum: Elementary (Health and Physical Education)

• Durham.ca/visionzero
• Durham.ca/thinkanddrive
• National Teen Driver Safety Week
• Ontario.ca/cannabis
• Ontario.ca/distracteddriving
• Ontario.ca/toohightodrive
• Ontario Road Safety website

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health School Mental Health Ontario (CAMH SMHO) Vaping: what elementary school educators need to know

Grades 4 to 6

• OPHEA Vaping Education Resources 
• CAMH SMHO Vaping: what elementary school educators need to know 
• Not An Experiment   
• Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) Understanding Substance Use Educator’s Guide 

Grades 7 to 12 

• OPHEA Vaping Education Resources (Grades 7-8) 
• Not An Experiment 
• CCSA Understanding Substance Use Educator’s Guide 
• Lung Health Foundation What the Vape?!?! Module  
  • Please note in Canada, it’s illegal for vaping products to be sold or given to anyone under the age of 18. However in Ontario, it is age 19.  
• Health Canada Consider the Consequences Online Modules 
• Be in the Know Tobacco, Vaping and Cannabis poster, pamphlet and postcard 
• Quash Facilitator course for adults interested in delivering the Quash youth smoking and vaping cessation program.  
• Lung Health Foundation Talking about Vaping/E-cigarettes  
• Lung Health Foundation Talking about Tobacco  
• CAMH SMHO Vaping: what you and your friends need to know 
• CAMH SMHO Vaping: what secondary school educators need to know 
• Vaping/Tobacco Kahoot Game (Requires Kahoot account)* 
• Vaping/Tobacco Interactive Game Kits (Plinko, Spin Wheel, Drop Zone)* 
• Tobacco Enforcement Officer (TEO) and Public Health Nurse (PHN) presentation*

*Reach out to your school public health nurse for more information.

• Smoking/Vaping & the Law 
• Health Canada Vaping 101
• Ontario Student Drug use and Health Survey