Physical & Health Education

 

The Physical and Health Education programs are designed to ensure that every student, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, and disabling condition has an equal opportunity to experience health education in a positive manner. The program is designed to ensure equality, making use of classroom resources that are culturally diverse and non-discriminatory; evidenced-based programs are used specifically in the areas of violence prevention, including bullying prevention; sexual health; and substance use prevention. Social emotional learning standards are embedded in lessons to promote student success and understanding of elements and behaviors that demonstrate a healthy lifestyle. A variety of instructional methods are used to create opportunities for students to express their understanding in written, oral, and artistic forms. 

 

Grade 9 (required) Health Education I

The Health Education I course is designed to give students a basic understanding of wellness concepts especially decision making, goal setting, effective interpersonal communication and ways to lower risk for unhealthy choices.The focus of the program is for students to practice health-enhancing behaviors and to understand concepts related to health promotion and risk prevention. Students are encouraged to ask questions, explore their own values and passions, and to learn to advocate for themselves and their communities. Topics include: The 10 Dimensions of Wellness, Goal Setting, Nicotine Prevention, Sexual Education, Healthy Relationships, Violence Prevention, and Suicide Prevention.

 

Grade 10 (required) Health Education II

The Health Education II course is designed to teach the National Health Education standards including advocacy, accessing information, promoting healthy relationships, effective communication, and disease prevention. This is a skills-based health education course that encourages students to use their communication and advocacy skills to promote the health of themselves and their community. Areas of study include: Goal Setting for a Successful Future, Discovering Your Purpose, Mental Health and Wellness, Addiction Studies, Effective Communication in a Business Setting, Communication in Relationships (including consent), and Disease and Injury Prevention.

 

Grade 12 (Elective) Lifelong Health and Wellness

Lifelong Health and Wellness is an elective course offered for seniors that focuses on the importance of healthy habits to maintain lifelong physical, mental, and emotional health. In this course, students will be learning practical skills in nutrition and healthy meal planning and preparation, managing a budget for a healthy lifestyle, accessing health services, navigating health insurance benefits both through an employer and through state programs, navigating and understanding fitness (including how to access and use a fitness center), understanding mental health and accessing mental health resources, how to create realistic health goals at every stage of one’s life, and how to make time for physical, mental, and emotional health in a busy working schedule. Students will take trips to local grocery stores to learn about budgeting and meal planning for healthy meals, trips to local fitness centers to learn how to get the most out of a gym membership, and trips to local hospitals to learn about various services offered.  Speakers from around the community will visit the class to discuss important health topics such as mental health, stress management, disease and illness prevention, and how to make the most of your employer’s benefits. This course will combine health skills with physical fitness by practicing health-enhancing behaviors and getting active in and out of the classroom by testing out programs like Couch to 5k, beginners yoga, hiking, and incorporating gameplay while discovering how each student can enjoy adding more physical activity in their life. Students who want to learn lifelong skills to keep themselves healthy and happy; while also having fun, will find this course is suited just for them. 

 

Physical Education

The Physical Education course is designed to improve students' physical competence, improve and promote the importance of lifelong fitness, improve social skills by working with their classmates, and improve students' understanding and knowledge of a variety of team, partner and individual games/activities. Students experience and participate in a wide variety of games such as Badminton, Volleyball, Basketball, Ultimate Frisbee, Soccer, Gatorball, backyard games, etc. Through gameplay and physical activity students will be able to exhibit personal and social behavior that respects self and others in a physical activity setting while demonstrating competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities.