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Transitions: Wellness

Empowerment
Program
Mental Health Promotion and Prevention at Almadina
Language Charter Academy
Outline
Background about Transitions: WEP
Two simple questions!
1) How does WEP incorporate research-based
practices to support Almadina in reaching its
Charter goals?
2) How has WEP programming helped
Almadina students succeed?

Quick WEP Facts
We are 1 of 37 Mental Health Capacity Building (MHCB)
projects around Alberta
WEP is the ONLY project immersed into a specific
religious and multicultural community.
We started at Almadina in September 2008
Over the past five and a half years, weve run
HUNDREDS of classroom sessions, over 20 school-wide
events, 15 targeted boys and girls groups, a summer
camp, and worked with close to 50 individual students
who needed additional 1:1 support.
Weve attended every open house, parent teacher-
interview series and have run evening parent sessions
every year.
What We Do
Mental health promotion; Wee teach others about having positive
mental health and wellness. For example we emphasize the
importance of self-esteem, thinking positively, taking care of ourselves
physically, developing healthy friendships and positive characters traits,
such as leadership and empathy.
Mental health prevention; WEP educates staff, students and families
directly through the use of newsletters and presentations with a focus
on the development of resiliency and effective coping
skills/strategies. Such presentations usually include; managing and
expressing emotions appropriately, conflict resolution, time
management and stress management.
Intervention; WEP staff also work directly with students who may have
social, emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges. We work with
administration, staff, students and their families in order to address the
identified concerns. We support the student and provide effective
strategies to parents and teachers to enable the student in becoming
successful participant in school, their home and larger community.
1. How does WEP incorporate
research-based practices to
support Almadina in reaching
its Charter goals?
Research-Based WEP
Practices
Preventative mental health model
Alberta Social Policy Framework
Social Return on Investment: $1 into mental health
prevention yields $16 saved down the road!
Preventative brain-based model
Capacity Building: Connecting Almadina with 30+
community agencies and resources
Enhance parent and teacher knowledge base
2. How has WEP programming
helped Almadina student
succeed?
WEP and Almadina
Success
Success coming into Almadina at Kindergarten and
success transitioning out in grade 9
Students dont learn as well if they dont have positive
mental health
Importance of raising balanced citizensstudents perform
academically better if they are immersed in extra-
curricular activities
Parent involvementthe importance of supporting
children through their school career and becoming
informed about all matters that pertain to a childs life.

WEP at Almadina Programs
Bullying prevention
Superflex a social thinking
curriculum
Boys anger management
groups
Girls relational aggression
and shyness groups
Boys mentorship (grade 9
mentoring grade 3 boys)
The Amazing Brain
Nutrition via Byblos Bakery
Pita Program
Preparing for transition into
middle school
World Wide Day of Play
contest
Mental Health Awareness
month (May)

Gender education (grades 5-9,
culturally sensitized from the
Alberta Education curriculum)
Beyond the Hurt, Red Cross
(peer to peer bullying
prevention program)
Stress management
Self-esteem and identity
Hygiene awareness
Mental Health Matters (an
Alberta Education program)
The 7 Habits of Healthy Kids
Zones of Regulation
Pink Shirt Day (February)
Grade 9 leadership program
Bus Problems Prevention
Program


Gender Education at Almadina
There was a need to be responsive to the concerns of
parents with regards to the Alberta Education Health
Curriculum for division 2 and 3.
Parents were concerned that the material wasnt always
agreeable with their beliefs and values.
WEP worked with Almadina and the Calgary Sexual
Health Center to create a culturally sensitive version that
wouldnt be in conflict with families values. This is
potentially the first of its kind in North America.
75% of grade 5-9 students with consent received the 6-
lesson program from April to June 2013 with great
feedback. This years lessons have been enhanced with
more mental health material and will run from January to
March 2014.
Kids Online: Parent Series
In conjunction with Educational Technologist Gail Reid,
were hosting 3-4 parent sessions this year around online
safety
Digital Citizenship is critical for students to engage in, yet
parents need to be more informed than their children!
October 8
th
was the introduction session, we had 30
parents attend. December 3
rd
is the second presentation.
On January 21
st
, well be hosting Parents Online, which
will be hands on practice with social media and various
smartphone apps.
Mental Health Matters
A curriculum that has been developed by Alberta
Education, for Kindergarten to grade 12 students.
We used the grade 6-9 curriculum last school year as a
means to supplement gender education.
Almadina was highlighted in the video series at the
following link:
http://education.alberta.ca/admin/supportingstudent/safes
chools/mhm/understand.aspx ; School Practices video
The posters are a safe and healthy way to start the
conversation about promoting mental health.

For More Information
Please contact Sameera Qureshi, Project Coordinator, at
SameeraQureshi@renfreweducation.org or
calgarywep@gmail.com
Jaime Goodison (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and Nicolle
Plumb (full-time) are located at the Ogden Campus
Jaime Goodison (Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays) and
Shelina Hassanali (Tuesdays through Thursdays) are
located at the Mountain View Campus

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