Pilot in Peel Region

New school-based wellness program to inspire and motivate Canadian children to develop lifelong healthy habits

Created by AstraZeneca Canada and CAHPERD, At My Best™ to pilot in Peel Region schools

Mississauga, November 2007 – AstraZeneca Canada and The Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD) are joining forces to address childhood inactivity. Both organizations have worked closely with top Canadian educators to develop and champion At My Best™, a school-based program that focuses on the three key areas of wellness: physical activity, healthy eating and emotional well-being. The program will pilot in Peel Region schools -- a region that has a positive reputation for its leadership in supporting school physical activity and healthy living programs.

Why now?
Obesity rates among children and adults have increased substantially during the past 25 years, according to 2005 results from the Canadian Community Health Survey.¹ Studies show that in 2000, only 30 per cent of girls and 40 per cent of boys were considered active enough to achieve optimal health. By 2002, this number had decreased to a distressing 12 per cent for girls and 24 per cent for boys.² With only 57 per cent of Canadian schools meeting the provincial requirements for the allotted time devoted to physical education³, it is clear that more support is needed to increase physical activity and health programming in and out of schools. As a company that cares about the health of Canadians, AstraZeneca Canada is committed to taking an active leadership role in supporting initiatives that promote healthy active living, particularly amongst children.

"AstraZeneca Canada is proud to be joining forces with CAHPERD to address the rising rates of obesity and physical inactivity among Canadian children," says AstraZeneca Canada President and CEO Mark Jones. "Our goal with At My Best™ is to inspire and motivate children and their families to make healthier choices today and develop lifelong healthy habits." Says CAHPERD President Grant McManes, “While there is growing awareness about the problem of childhood obesity and inactivity, there is increased pressure on schools to play a role in reversing these trends. Many schools across Canada are in need of high quality, user-friendly resources that can support the delivery of quality school health and physical education programs.

At My Best™
At My Best™ is a unique and comprehensive school-based wellness program for children in kindergarten to grade 3. The program is designed to assist teachers with delivering quality health and physical education programs.

Each At My Best™ toolkit contains a variety of teaching support materials and equipment, including, lesson plans, an interactive music CD, a complementary storybook, fun physical education equipment, interactive task cards, posters and take-home assignments. Each classroom module contains interactive lesson plans relating to health, physical education, and daily physical activity, as well as curriculum links to other subject areas (e.g. math, literacy, arts). At My Best™ aims to give children the skills they need to make healthy choices today and foster lifelong healthy habits. The ultimate goal of the program is to help every child thrive.

To create a strong connection between school- and home-based learning, At My Best™ includes an important link to home life. Each classroom lesson includes suggestions on take-home activities that can be done with the whole family, such as practicing a fun physical activity, preparing a special family meal or writing a story in the Class Take Home Book. The take-home activities make school-based education more valuable and relevant for students’ everyday lives.

At My Best™ – Developed by Educators for Educators
Developed by educators for educators,At My Best™ is closely linked to the school health and physical education curriculum. This skilled team of writers, which has expertise in physical education, health, nutrition and children’s wellness, includes Jamie Covey, faculty member of Early Childhood Education and Care, Faculty of Health and Human Services, Malaspina University; Carolyn Evans, elementary physical education teacher with the Peel District School Board; James Mandigo, associate professor at Brock University; Troy Parkhouse, physical education teacher at Prince Philip Public School in Niagara; Christine Preece, health promotion officer with the Lambton Community Health Services Department; Lisa Savelli, author and education consultant; Carol Scaini, educator with the Peel District School Board and instructor for the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at University of Toronto; Myra Stephen, vice principal at St. Andrew’s Junior High School and Jay Wengle, author and kinesiology professor at York University.

"It was extremely exciting to be part of the development of At My Best™ ," says Dr. James Mandigo, Associate Professor, Brock University and member of the At My Best™ writing team. "This resource should serve as a valuable tool to support the delivery of quality health and physical education programs, while at the same time assisting teachers in delivering quality Daily Physical Activity experiences."

At My Best™ Pilot in Peel
The At My Best™ pilot will run from January to June 2008. It will involve approximately 50 pilot schools, approximately 5,000 students (ranging from four to eight years old), and approximately 120 teachers. Peel region offers a diverse range of schools to pilot the program. Schools are in both rural and urban settings. Participating students represent a range of socio-economic backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities. The experiences gained in these schools over the next six months will aid in refining At My Best™ before it is delivered nationally.

"One of our most important goals is to prepare students to live fully today and to meet the challenges of the future," says Marianne Mazzorato, Superintendent of Programs, Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. "We believe that At My Best™ will help students understand the importance of healthy lifestyle choices and we are pleased to be participating in this exciting pilot project."

About CAHPERD

The Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD) is a national, charitable voluntary-sector organization whose primary concern is to influence the healthy development of children and youth by advocating for quality, school-based physical and health education. CAHPERD’s vision is “All Canadian children and youth living physically active and healthy lives” and as such advocates and educates for quality physical and health education programs within supportive school and community environments. For more information, visit www.cahperd.ca.

About AstraZeneca Canada Inc.

AstraZeneca is a leading global pharmaceutical company with an extensive product portfolio spanning six major therapeutic areas: gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, infection, neuroscience, oncology, and respiratory. AstraZeneca's Canadian headquarters and packaging facility are located in Mississauga, Ontario, and its state-of-the-art drug discovery centre is based in Montreal, Quebec. As a company that cares about the health of Canadians, AstraZeneca Canada Inc. is proud to take an active leadership role in supporting health initiatives including At My Best™, Frontline Health and many others. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.astrazeneca.ca.

Press contacts:

About At My Best™
Natasha Koifman, NKPR
416.365.3630, ext. 23
natasha@nkpr.net

Bunmi Adeoye, NKPR
416.365.3630, ext. 26
bunmi@nkpr.net

About CAHPERD
Andrea Grantham, Executive Director
613.523.1348, ext. 224
andrea@cahperd.ca

About AstraZeneca Canada Inc.
Jennifer McCormack
905.615.6837
jennifer.mccormack@astrazeneca.com

References

1. Canadian Community Health Survey, 2005. Statistics Canada.
2. CAHPERD website, 2005. From Time to Move. (Craig et al, 2001), (Craig & Cameron, 2004)
3. CAHPERD website, 2005.