Dear Eighth Grade Parents/Guardians:
Your child is taking Health Education this year. Health Education is a subject mandated by New York State Education Law and includes units on a variety of topics including self-management, decision making, stress management, mental wellness, nutrition, substance use, relationships, communication, and sexual health. We are happy to talk with you to review the objectives and standards that guide instruction. You are invited to reach out to your child’s teacher with any questions you may have regarding any topics of study in Health Education, specifically the relationships, communication, and sexual health unit which is the reason for this letter.
This unit is approximately three weeks in length and occurs towards the end of your student’s time in Health class. We acknowledge that parents/guardians are the primary educators of health topics for their child/children and we are committed to partnering with you to provide supplementary, medically accurate information to support you in this role. We encourage students to participate in this unit of study, as learning developmentally appropriate information with peers in a safe environment helps to create a culture of respect and understanding about these important topics.
Topics covered during this unit of student are:
- Healthy relationships (peer, family)
- Personal Safety (boundaries, bullying, sexual harassment/abuse/assault)
- Adolescent Development & Puberty (review from 5th grade puberty lesson and 7th Grade Science)
- Self-Identity (personality, needs vs. wants, gender roles, gender identity, biological sex)
- Reproductive Anatomy & Physiology (review from 7th Grade Science)
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases (including HIV/AIDS)
- Pregnancy & Reproduction (review from 7th Grade Science)
Parents/guardians have the option to withdraw their child from this unit of study. An alternate unit of work will be provided for any student who is withdrawn. If you wish to exercise this option, please email Joe Scalise, the Director of Health Education, at jscalise@bhbl.org to request withdrawal by November 5, 2021. Please be advised that HIV/AIDS education is mandated by the State of New York to all students, and as such, does not carry the same option to withdraw.
We would encourage for conversations about relationships and sexual health to continue at home, especially while we discuss these important topics at school. If you are in need of support in having and/or continuing these conversations, we are able to provide some guidance.