Developing healthy students
Understanding the Peel board's new wellness and sexuality curriculum
Meeting the needs of today's students
The Peel board has recently introduced a new wellness and sexuality curriculum designed to help teachers discuss issues of wellness and sexuality with students in grades 4 to 8. Our existing health curriculum is outdated and doesn’t include many of the issues and concerns facing students today (e.g. HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases).
The new curriculum provides students with the most balanced and comprehensive information about sexuality. When teaching sexuality, our goal is to provide students with the information they need to make informed decisions.
Teaching students about wellness and sexuality
In Peel schools, wellness and sexuality education is an important part of the health learning program. In a broad sense, wellness and sexuality education teaches children how to understand themselves psychologically, socially and emotionally. Students also learn how to develop trusting, caring relationships with people and treat others with respect and dignity.
Although sexuality education includes changes that occur during puberty, safer sex options and birth control, it also helps students reflect on their behaviour and attitudes as well as develop the skills of effective decision-making and communication.
Today’s students receive ongoing messages about sexuality in the media including violence, sex-role stereotyping and messages that create unrealistic expectations in youth regarding body image and sexual behaviour. Teaching wellness and sexuality helps students to put these messages in perspective and form their own conclusions.
We have the following goals for our new wellness and sexuality curriculum:
- provide opportunities for students to discuss issues pertaining to sexuality in a caring, open and bias-free environment
- encourage students to talk to a trusted adult to help identify values related to sexuality for themselves
- develop a learning partnership between home and school
- help students to accept sexual development as a very natural process
- help students develop effective communication and decision-making skills
Developing the content
We have developed a wellness and sexuality curriculum which helps teachers to discuss difficult issues with children in a comfortable, non-threatening, bias-free environment. To develop the content, we partnered with Peel Health and received input from a variety of sources including teachers, principals, consultants, and community health nurses. We also held parent focus group sessions and met with representatives from various community agencies.
Like all parts of Peel’s learning program, this curriculum is linked to learning outcomes - statements that describe what students should know, should be able to do, and should value as a result of their learning experience. The wellness and sexuality curriculum is linked to the following learning outcomes for students:
- make wise and safe choices for healthy living
- use self-knowledge as a basis for decision-making
- demonstrate the ability to reflect on their experiences and learn from them
- make informed choices that will contribute to their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being
- demonstrate the ability to respond to change in a positive manner
- communicate effectively
- solve problems and make responsible decisions using critical and creative thinking
- apply the skills needed to work and get along with other people
- use the skills of learning to learn more effectively
What's included in the wellness and sexuality program
Students learn the following aspects of wellness and sexuality each year during grades 4 to 8. Decision-making and communication skills are emphasized in each grade level.
Grade 4
Physical awareness - we help students to understand the body and become aware of the physical differences and similarities in human beings. Students learn about the various parts of their bodies including tissues, organs and the systems (respiratory, circulatory, muscular and digestive) and how they work together to maintain a healthy balance. Taking care of the body - students learn how to take care of their bodies and make healthy choices about physical activity, nutrition, hygiene, rest, self-esteem and substance abuse prevention.
Decision-making - students learn the importance of decision-making skills in their lives.
Grade 5
Changes at puberty - Puberty occurs between the ages of 10 to 16 for girls and 12 to 17 for boys. Students learn about physical and emotional changes to male and female bodies and how to take care of their bodies during this important time.
The human reproductive system - Students learn to identify changes that happen during puberty and learn how these changes relate to reproduction. Students are introduced to the various parts of the female and male reproductive systems, menstruation and fertilization.
Grade 6
Body awareness - In this section, teachers review the changes at puberty and the reproduction system covered in grade 5.
Decision-making - Students will review the decision-making process they learned earlier. At this stage in their lives, students are starting to become more independent and might want to make some grown-up decisions for themselves. We also help them to evaluate the consequences of their decisions and to communicate effectively about their needs.
Media influences - Today’s students receive ongoing messages about sexuality in the media including violence, sex-role stereotyping and messages that create unrealistic expectations in youth regarding body image and sexual behaviour. We try to show children the various strategies that advertisers use to sell their products. Students discuss how they feel about themselves and others after watching advertisements, movies and television programs.
Grade 7
Body awareness - students review material on the reproductive system introduced in grades 5 and 6.
Healthy relationships - As children grow, they start to develop relationships with people outside their families. We teach students that there are a variety of relationships and show them the characteristics of a healthy relationship such as trust, communication and understanding.
Exclusive relationships - Exclusive relationships between young people involve dating or sharing special time together. This section focuses on the difference between love and infatuation in exclusive relationships.
Intimacy in exclusive relationships - When exclusive relationships lead to intimacy, students need to make decisions about sexual involvement. Students discuss the benefits of postponing sexual involvement and some strategies for doing that.
Sexually transmitted diseases - Postponing sexual involvement reduces the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. In relation to sexually transmitted diseases, students also understand how diseases are transmitted, the signs and symptoms, treatment and prevention.
Grade 8
Exclusive relationships - Students build on knowledge gained in grade 7 to identify the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy exclusive relationships. Students learn to define these characteristics based on their own values, beliefs and relationship experiences.
Intimacy in exclusive relationships - Students will learn how relationships become more intimate in nature and decisions they need to make in these situations.
Sexually transmitted diseases - Students will identify the signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases, how they are passed on, treatment and prevention strategies. This section includes an overview of the most common diseases.
Birth control - We teach students about the various methods of birth control and their effectiveness in preventing both unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
How you can be involved
The wellness and sexuality curriculum is a partnership between home and school and we encourage students to take information home and discuss issues of sexuality with you to learn the values promoted in your family. Here are some of the ways that you can be involved in your child’s learning program:
- inform staff of any religious/cultural concerns you have about the teaching of wellness and sexuality.
- look for information about this program (e.g. school newsletter, parent information sessions)
- talk to your child about your family’s values and beliefs about wellness and sexuality
- use resources from your local library, Peel Health, etc.
- if you have questions or need clarification, talk to your child’s teacher
