working template includes

playbooks/roles/ansible-role/templates/handlers/main.yml.j2

 ---
+{% include 'roles/ansible-role/templates/header.txt' %}
 
 #
-# Tasks for role {{ role_name }}
+# Handlers for role {{ role_name }}
 # 
 # Overview:
 # 
 #
+- name: {{ role_name }} | notify me
+  debug: msg="stub handler"

playbooks/roles/ansible-role/templates/header.j2

-#
-# This file was created by the edX ansible-role ansible role.
-#
\ No newline at end of file

playbooks/roles/ansible-role/templates/header.txt

+#
+# edX Configuration
+#
+# github:     https://github.com/edx/configuration
+# wiki:       https://github.com/edx/configuration/wiki
+# code style: https://github.com/edx/configuration/wiki/Ansible-Coding-Conventions
+# license:    https://github.com/edx/configuration/blob/master/LICENSE.TXT
+#

playbooks/roles/ansible-role/templates/tasks/main.yml.j2

 ---
+{% include 'roles/ansible-role/templates/header.txt' %}
 
 #
 # Tasks for role {{ role_name }}
@@ -15,3 +16,4 @@
 
 - name: {{ role_name }} | stub ansible task
   debug: msg="This is a stub task created by the ansible-role role"
+  notify: {{ role_name }} | notify me
\ No newline at end of file

playbooks/roles/ansible-role/templates/vars/main.yml.j2

 ---
-
+{% include 'roles/ansible-role/templates/header.txt' %}
 #
 # Vars for role {{ role_name }}
 # 
 
+#
+# vars are namespace with the module name.
+#
 {{ role_name }}_role_name: {{ role_name }}
 
 #