Guilford County Schools 2024-2025 Student Handbook: North Carolina Standard Health for all Public School Students

Reproductive Health and Safety Education Page 40

SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM: REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND SAFETY EDUCATION

HEALTH EDUCATION

Guilford County Schools offers a comprehensive health education program that aims to provide students with accurate information and encourages them to be responsible for their own health. Our program complies with all requirements of North Carolina state law. Program Scope: The program covers all major aspects of healthful living for students from kindergarten through high school. Instruction on gender identity, sexual activity, or sexuality is not included in the curriculum for kindergarten through fourth grade. Version 1.0 41 Instruction Focus: The program includes instruction on the benefits of sexual abstinence until marriage, risks of premarital sexual activity, prevention of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, awareness of sexual assault, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and risk reduction. Parental Involvement: Parents can review all program objectives and instructional materials before they are used by students. Parents also have the right to withdraw their student from participating in the program by writing to the principal. Standards for Instruction: Instructors are expected to follow the program objectives and only use the instructional materials that have been made available to parents for review. Information conveyed during instruction will be objective and based upon scientific research that is peer-reviewed and accepted by professionals and credentialed experts in the field of sexual health education. For more details, see Board Policy 3540 Comprehensive Health Education Program Health and Physical Education is required as part of the curriculum adopted by the State Board of Education.  Health Education includes topics such as mental and emotional health, personal and consumer health, interpersonal communications and relationships, nutrition and physical activity, and alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.  Physical Education includes categories such as motor skill development, movement concepts, health related fitness, and personal/social responsibility. 

The nature of Health Education often includes discussion of sensitive topics.  In these situations, teachers are trained in appropriate content, as well as proper teaching methods.  In particular, parents/guardians are advised that (1) puberty is taught in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade curricula and (2) sexual abstinence until marriage, risks of premarital sexual activity, the prevention of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, sexual assault and abuse, sex trafficking prevention and awareness, methods of contraception, and reproductive health and safety are taught in the seventh through high school curriculum.  Parents/guardians will be notified of specific times when the curriculum/instructional materials which will be used may be reviewed at the child’s school.