The Overarching Guidelines serve as a starting point because they provide a context for all guidelines that follow. To help readers view these guidelines (whether on the written page or computer screen), each guideline appears as a one-page recommendation with its own rationale and commentary. In practice, any one guideline in isolation is not truly meaningful unless it is considered in the broader context of a school health program. For example, a guideline that promotes the inclusion of healthy food items in the cafeteria may not address that students also require education on how to make healthy food choices—the latter point to be found in another guideline in another chapter. To help readers see connections, each guideline (other than the Overarching Guidelines) contains a section in the left sidebar entitled "Related Guidelines". Here, there is a list of guidelines that the reader should read in order to learn other pertinent information related to that topic. As even this list is limited in scope, readers are encouraged to make use of the Subject Index and of the keyword search functions.

In order to describe health, mental health, and safety issues, use of some technical terms from these fields is sometimes necessary. Wherever a word, phrase, or term is used and not defined, a description is available for readers in the Glossary.

Schools work and interact with parents, guardians of students who are not their parents, and families in general. "Parent", "guardian," and "family" are all words that are used in this document. Sometimes when only one term is used, inference to one or both of the other terms must be made by the reader.

The terms "health" and "mental health" in the title of this document and in the content of each guideline refer to oral, physical, biologic, and psychological health. "Health" does not mean simply freedom from physical disease or pain; it describes a condition of being sound in mind and in spirit, a state of feeling vigorous, the ability to deal with physical and social stresses, and the ability to perform work (including school work), and engage in constructive family and community roles. In this document, the term "health" always connotes this full meaning and so it always includes mental health. Nevertheless, "mental health" is stated explicitly in addition to "health" in some circumstances in order to remind readers of the importance of this component of health.

The term "safety" is used throughout the document and means more than simply the absence of danger. Safety is used to describe a freedom from risk of injury and, not least, a feeling on behalf of each individual that he or she (or one's child) is free from both real and perceived danger.

Often, documents designed as recommendations are misused as standards or measures of basic quality, particularly when no other written standards exist. Some guidelines represent minimum standards for safety and health while others represent the optimum. Each community, with the help of its own health, safety, mental health, and educational experts and community members, can and should decide which guidelines are basic, which do not apply, and which to work toward. This collection of guidelines can help community and school leaders determine the breadth of school health, mental health, and safety issues and set priorities for future actions. The Health, Mental Health and Safety Guidelines should not be used as a tool for punitive measures or legal threats.