Health Education
Health Elective - 8th Grade
All Excelsior Middle School 8th graders will take a semester-long Health Education class. Topics include comprehensive health education that addresses the physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects of health teaches students how to maintain and improve their health; prevent disease; reduce health-related risk behaviors; and develop health knowledge, attitudes, and skills that foster academic achievement, increase attendance rates, and improve behavior at school. Health Education Content Standards for California Public Schools
Sexual Health - 8th Grade
In Byron Union School District, comprehensive sexual health education is implemented in grade 8 as a part of the Health elective. All curricula follow CA Education Code requirements, including new topics required by the CA Healthy Youth Act. Sexual health education aims to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease as well as assist students with developing interpersonal skills, responsible behavior, and goal setting. The curriculum emphasizes decision-making and refusal skills, identifying healthy and unhealthy relationships, and communicating with trusted adults about sexual health.
RIGHTS, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY (3RS) CURRICULUM
Rights, Respect, Responsibility (3Rs) is being piloted by Byron Union School District and complies with CA Healthy Youth Act requirements and National Sexuality Education Standards. The 3Rs lessons were authored by Advocates for Youth, who is funded and supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and who collaborates with the California Department of Education to implement medically accurate sexuality education state-wide. This curriculum was open to public review and presented at a Board of Trustees meeting and well as parent preview night.
GRADE 8
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Classroom-based 3Rs Lesson Plans and Presentations (English | Español)
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Links to Videos and Online Resources within Lesson Plans
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OPT OUT OF INSTRUCTION
Parents or guardians may excuse their child from the sexual health instruction for this school year by providing an electronic, printed, or hand-written note in their preferred language to their child's teacher. The note should simply state that they are excusing their child from the instruction, include their child's name, and be signed by the parent or guardian. There is no need for any explanation or reason to be stated in this note.
Letter to Parents/Guardians Regarding Sexual Health Instruction and Curriculum Review (English | Spanish): School sites will send a letter to parents/guardians that explains their right to review the curriculum prior to instruction and their right to excuse their child from the instruction. The letter includes the following information:
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Comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention instruction is provided by trained classroom teachers or community-based health educators.
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All content complies with California Healthy Youth Act and CA Education Code requirements.
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When the instruction will be implemented at their child's school.
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When parents/guardians can review instructional materials at their child's school.
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That parents/guardians may notify the school in writing if they wish to excuse their child from the instruction.
