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Writing team

Developed by Educators for Educators

At My Best® was developed by a team of writers with expertise in physical education, health, nutrition and children’s wellness, and is closely linked to the school health and physical education curriculum

Jamie Covey

  • Early Childhood Education and Care, Faculty of Health and Human Services at Malaspina University
  • Extensive background in movement education for pre-school and school-aged children
  • Graduate studies in the Faculty of Human and Social Development, University of Victoria
  • Undergraduate degree in Physical Education and Sport Studies, University of Alberta
  • Diploma in Early Childhood Education

Carolyn Evans

  • Elementary physical education teacher with Peel District School Board
  • Long-standing member of the school board’s Health and Physical Education Steering Committee
  • Key member of the Health and Physical Education Conference Committee and the Daily Physical Activity (DPA) Committee
  • Contributor to variety of writing and review teams, including the Ontario Ministry of Education
  • A founding member of the School Community Action Plan Committee – a committee in partnership with Peel Health to provide in-service and resources to help teachers improve their physical and health education programs

James Mandigo, PhD

  • Associate Professor, Brock University Department of Physical Education and Kinesiology
  • Co-director for the Centre for Healthy development through Sport and Physical Activity at Brock University
  • Active member of the Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada) Board of Directors
  • Worked extensively with local teachers and school boards within Canada and throughout the Caribbean and El Salvador
  • Received the PHE Canada Young Professional Award in 2006

Troy Parkhouse

  • Teacher with Prince Philip Public School in St. Catharines, Ontario
  • Physical education specialist with more than 10 years experience working with kindergarten to grade eight students for the District School Board of Niagara
  • Graduated from Brock University with degrees in Physical Education, Education and a Masters of Education
  • Member of the Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (Ophea) Curriculum Advisory Council
  • Instructor at Brock University
  • Presented workshops for close to 10 years, written articles and authored books in Physical Education and Mathematics

Christine Preece

  • Health Promotion Officer, County of Lambton Community Health Services Department
  • Worked as an athletic instructor in a post-secondary educational institution
  • Extensive experience in leading health-promoting school projects, facilitating workshops, developing policies and evaluating projects
  • Currently leads Healthy Happenings which focuses on increasing children’s knowledge and behaviour relating to physical activity and healthy eating
  • Lead for the Lambton County Student Wellness Committee
  • Involved in writing many school health-based resources such a Health in Perspective, Lungs are for Life, TAKE Action and the OHSC Healthy Schools Toolkit
  • Completed her Masters of Health Studies from Athabasca University

Lisa Savelli

  • Family counselor, children’s book author and emotional health consultant
  • Over 15 years experience working with children and their families in one-to-one and group counseling settings
  • In 1999 published her first children’s book Have Courage My Love – A Brave Encounter with a Bully which is now used in elementary schools across Canada to discuss peer relations, confidence and self-esteem
  • Facilitates workshops based on the book and the issue of bullying in elementary schools
  • Graduate of clinical psychology from Ottawa University

Carol Scaini

  • Teacher with Treeline Public School in the Peel District School Board for over 12 years
  • Leader in the area of health and physical education
  • Instructor for the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto
  • Completed her Masters of Education focusing on Health Promoting Schools and empowering students in the area of leadership and physical education
  • Developed resources for Ontario Ministry of Education, Heart and Stroke Foundation, health and physical education publishers and companies and school boards
  • Focus is on incorporating the theory of multiple intelligence, cross-curricular learning, teaching games for understanding and student leadership
  • Honoured with the Ontario Teachers Award in 2001 and the Prime Minister Award for Teaching Excellence
  • Honoured with the PHE Canada Young Professional Award in 2007
  • Received Award of Distinction from the Peel District School Board in 2006

Myra Stephen

  • Vice principal, St. Andrew’s Junior High School
  • Active in health and physical education for over 15 years as health educator, teacher, school board consultant and provincial curriculum consultant
  • Awarded the Ontario Physical and Health Education Association Bing Caswell Award for her distinguished contribution to the field of health and physical education
  • Obtained a physical education degree from McMaster University, Bachelor of Education from York University and a Masters of Education from OISE/UT

Jay Wengle

  • Professor in the department of kinesiology at York University
  • Manages a mentorship program called the Golden Keys to Health as part of a research study for overweight teens at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
  • Overcame his childhood obstacle of being overweight with knowledge and motivation from a school physical education program
  • Author of book, Get a Healthy Weight For Your Child
  • Medical training at Adelaide University in Australia