Media Advisory - Ophea recognizes over 100 Ontario schools as "Certified Healthy Schools"

The Ontario Education Minister will no longer be in attendance at this event

TORONTO, June 14, 2016 /CNW/ - On Wednesday, June 15, 2016, Ophea, a charitable organization that champions healthy, active living in schools and communities, will celebrate the results of the inaugural year of Healthy Schools Certification. Ophea's Healthy Schools Certification (funded in part by the Ministry of Education) is an initiative that recognizes school communities for coming together to plan and take action to address health topics such as physical activity, mental health, and healthy eating, while promoting well-being amongst staff, students, and the community. More than 100 schools across the province received certification this year.

A celebration assembly will be held at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School to highlight their success in achieving gold certification. The assembly will commence with remarks by Ophea Executive Director, Chris Markham on the Healthy Schools initiative followed by a presentation of the Healthy Schools Gold Certification banner to the school principal Olimpia Crosby. The event will include a demonstration by the skipping club and a group physical activity in which the entire school will participate. Following the assembly, school health ambassadors Fun Boy and Fit Girl will lead media to a kindergarten class for healthy snacks.

Ophea and school spokespeople, along with a few students, will be available to talk to media during the event about their participation in the Healthy Schools initiative, and to share successes of the activities they implemented.

Event Details:

What:	Over 100 Ontario schools have received Ophea's Healthy Schools Certification
Who:	Chris Markham, Executive Director and CEO, Ophea   Olimpia Crosby, Principal, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School  Colleen Reel, teacher and Healthy Schools team leader, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School   Students from Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
When:	Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Time:	10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Where:	Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School    3176 St Clair Avenue East  Scarborough, ON  Note: the event will take place in the school gym

SOURCE Ophea

Media contacts: Ginger Shewell, Phone: [phone], Mobile: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Sarah Fournier, Phone: [phone], Mobile: [phone], Email: [email protected]