HIGH FIVE® Quality at Play All program staff at St. Alban's are trained in the HIGH FIVE® Quality at Play program, which has been implemented in Ontario by Parks and Recreation Ontario. For more detailed information about the program, please visit the website at www.highfive.org. Vision Through sustained involvement in Quality Recreation and Sport Activities, all children aged 6 - 12 are experiencing healthy development Mission HIGH FIVE® is a standard committed to assisting children along the path of healthy child development by: Ensuring that recreation and sport practitioners develop a high level of knowledge and expertise in child development; Helping parents to make informed choices and; Providing practitioners with the tools for enhancing and maintaining a high level of program quality.

HIGH FIVE®: Desired Outcomes for Children in Recreation and Sport

1. To enable children to develop as considerate, cooperative and caring individuals who show concern and respect for themselves, others and their communities.
2. To help children, when they are ready, to become competent in the areas that interest them most, by providing high quality leadership, hands-on and self-directed learning and a healthy view of competition.
3. To enable children to be expressive and creative by encouraging them to use their imagination, to explore and to experiment.
4. To provide positive role models as well as opportunities for children to be leaders and role models for others.
5. To provide child-centred individual and group activities that are fun and enjoyable.
6. To help children achieve success in order to build their self-esteem and confidence, taking into account that they must be ready before they are challenged.
7. To provide children with the opportunity to develop relationships with non-parental adults and peers in a safe environment.
8. To help children learn and experience ideas and concepts such as responsibility, decision making, independence, problem solving, team building and self-management.
9. To help children learn how to use leisure time positively and develop a lifelong commitment to physical activity and healthy living.
10. To provide children with hands-on experience with nature so that they may understand and appreciate the natural world.
11. To enrich children’s lives and help them develop new interests and skills by exposing them to a wide variety of diverse and stimulating experiences.
12. To enable children to feel a sense of emotional well-being belonging and security.

HIGH FIVE®: Our Commitment to Children

The following conditions help children along the path of healthy development.

Environments for children must be:

• Secure, safe and stable
• Caring
• Stimulating
• Accessible
• Challenging
• Considerate of personal space needs and special needs
• Equipped with age, size and ability-appropriate equipment, furniture and materials
• Welcoming of diverse races, cultures and abilities

Activities for children must:

• Allow for a combination of self-directed and leader-directed activities
• Provide children with opportunities for input, involvement and choice
• Reflect both assessed and expressed needs
• Provide opportunities for active participation and reflection
• Encourage imaginative play, inquisitiveness and thoughtfulness
• Provide leadership opportunities where possible
  
• Encourage co-operation and friendship
  
• Incorporate varied learning styles and developmental stages
  
• Recognize uniqueness and encourage mastery
  
• Value and incorporate cultural, racial and linguistic diversity

Leaders must:

• Ensure all children and treated with respect, honesty and trust
  
• Recognize and accept children’s individual needs and circumstances
  
• Employ positive behaviour management methods
  
• Help children value and celebrate diversity in the community
  
• Consistently model appropriate behaviour
  
• Continually evaluate the program and their leadership to ensure improvements and reflect changing needs.

Organizations must:

• Encourage and support the ongoing development of staff and volunteers with regard to their knowledge and understanding of healthy child development
  
• Ensure clear and on-going communication with parents and families
  
• Encourage participation and input from children and families
  
• Provide the organizational supports necessary to ensure that children feel safe, welcome, competent, connected, empowered and special