Healthy active living involves a combination of physical activity and appropriate lifestyle choices. Students should begin early on to acquire basic knowledge about a wide variety of health-related topics and to develop relevant skills. They need to understand how their actions and decisions affect their health, fitness, and personal well-being, and how to apply their learning to make positive, healthy decisions in all areas of life and personal development. The school environment can profoundly influence students’ attitudes, preferences, and behaviours.

Through the health and physical education curriculum, students will develop:

• an understanding of the importance of physical fitness, health, and well-being and the factors that contribute to them;
• a personal commitment to daily vigorous physical activity and positive health behaviours;
• the basic movement skills they require to participate in physical activities throughout their lives.

The achievement of the objectives of the health and physical education program will not only enhance each student’s life but will also result in a healthier population. Students’ knowledge of the importance of daily vigorous physical activity will also help them understand how such activity combats health risks such as obesity and heart disease.

A comprehensive approach to health and physical education emphasizes the shared responsibility of parents, peers, schools, health-care systems, government, the media, and a variety of other institutions and agencies. Meaningful health and physical education also requires safe, health-promoting environments, support services from the community, and a school curriculum that makes health a priority in the school.

This document replaces the sections of The Common Curriculum: Policies and Outcomes, Grades 1-9, 1995 that relate to health and physical education. All health and physical education programs for Grades 1 to 8 will be based on the expectations outlined in this document.