The Saskatchewan Prevention Institute has recently completed a DVD focused on providing parents with useful information about how to talk to their children about sexual health. Although parents may find these conversations challenging, research has shown that they can be effective sexual health educators when provided with support and accurate information. The DVD, titled “It’s Easier Than You Think: Tips for Talking with Your Kids About Sexual Health”*, includes tips for parents, expert advice, and parent experiences.

To order the DVD or view this video, please visit: http://www.skprevention.ca/sexual-health/parents-as-educators/    

A literature review focused on parents as sexual health educators for their children is also available from the Prevention Institute’s website (see http://skprevention.ca/resource-catalogue/sexual-health/parents-as-sexual-health-educators/). This literature review defines sexual health and sexual health education, discusses potential facilitators and barriers to parental provision of this type of education, and provides suggestions for parents. A list of online sexual resources for parents is also shared.

The Saskatchewan Prevention Institute is available to provide presentations to parents about how to talk to children about sexual health. If you are interested in hosting one of these presentations, please contact the Cara at czukewich@skprevention.ca  or call (306)651-4316.

McKenna Fineblanket attends Bishop Roborecki School in Saskatoon. She is back with a big 3^rd place overall win, having just competed in the National Spelling Bee Championships, representing Saskatchewan in Toronto, Ontario. To get there, she won first place in the Primary Category in the First Nation’s Provincial Spelling Bee competition that was held at the end of March in Saskatoon. More than 150 kids from across the province competed to win a chance to travel to the big T.O. and take part in the annual National Spelling Bee.

Fineblanket started studying her first 400 words last fall, which was how she won in Saskatoon. After the celebrations and fan fare it was right back to focusing on the next 400 words, this time with less than a month to prepare. “This experience has allowed McKenna to obtain pride and confidence in herself, and expand her vocabulary.” says her proud mom, Brittney Olsen. “I’ve always told her that she can do anything she sets her mind to and I believe that with the right guidance, love and support she has the capability to succeed in life.”

Congratulations on all your hard work!

To see the whole article on McKenna Fineblanket, check out http://www.eaglefeathernews.com/education/index.php?detail=2760

PA Conference Committee

We would like to thank the Prince Albert Committee for all their hard work preparing the Many Hands Conference for our Association. The location, meet & greet and caliber of presenters were top notch!

Mount Royal Collegiate in Saskatoon has partnered with SaskTel I Am Stronger and Edible Arrangements to recognize Random Acts of Kindness every Friday with a beautiful Edible Arrangement!

Confederation Park Community School – In the spring of 2016, our school entered its sixth year of school and community gardening.  Our process began and continues to run, in partnership with the school division, the City of Saskatoon with respect to land use.  We have 21 raised garden beds, 8 flat garden beds, a food forest that we grow fruit trees, berry bushes and other edibles, we have a large Outdoor Indigenous Learning Classroom that we grow plants used in our Nêhiyâwiwin Cree Language and Culture Program and we have a small indoor gardening project called Little Green Thumbs.

The philosophies of our school garden program are that we strive for; sustainability, continual growth, and lifelong learning for our students and families. To achieve this we are committed to engaging with all of our stakeholders important to our schools garden program success.

Of the many goals our garden program has from teaching students about where food comes from, how it grows and how to make good use of the food, we also hope to engage our families in learning about food sustainability practices through growing vegetables in a garden. We also balance our teachings so that they are culturally affirming for all.

Success does not occur without many helping partners.  We’d like to thank the following for your contributions and support:

Toyota Evergreen Foundation, Breakfast for Learning – The Mosaic Extremes School Makeover, The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan and Safeway “Grow Together”, Agrium – Vanscoy, Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation, CHEP Good Food Inc. and PotashCorp, Agriculture in the Classroom, Saskatoon Public Schools and the City of Saskatoon.

These partnerships help to make our communities vibrant and active and we are forever grateful.