HEALTH EDUCATION & PHYSICAL EDUCATION
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The Health and Physical Education Curriculum is a K-high school comprehensive program which supports the objectives of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for healthful living (Healthful Living Essential Standards). The Healthful Living Essential Standards is organized by grade level, competency goals and objectives. The strands define the major elements of healthful living that are relevant across grade levels and provide unifying threads of understanding supported by goals and objectives. Objectives that build gradually and sequentially are provided for each grade level, kindergarten through high school, and the same strands and competency goals occur in every grade level.
Health Education
Competency goals reflect the logical and sequential building of health knowledge and skills from kindergarten through high school for each strand within the Healthful Living Essential Standards. The following five North Carolina essential standards are taught in health education: (1) Mental and Emotional Health, (2) Interpersonal Communications and Relationships, (3) Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Drugs, (4) Personal and Consumer Health, and (5) Nutrition and Physical Activity.
Specific objectives for growth and development or puberty education begin at the fifth-grade level and reproductive health and safety education begin at the sixth-grade level, and continues through high school. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and North Carolina Statutes 115C-81.25 - .30 require public schools to provide age-appropriate instruction. A comprehensive health education program is taught to students from kindergarten through ninth grade. As required by law, the health education program includes age-appropriate instruction on bicycle safety, nutrition, dental health, environmental health, family living, consumer health, disease control, growth and development, first aid and emergency care, mental and emotional health, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, and reproductive health and safety education.
You have the right to review your child’s participation in curricula related to: (a) prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, including Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS); (b) avoidance of out-of-wedlock pregnancy; or (c) reproductive health and safety education (RHASE).
Prior to RHASE instruction, your child will receive a parent form. If you want to review the RHASE curriculum, please contact your child’s school or health teacher or visit: /Page/7931
Physical Education
The Physical Education components of the Healthful Living Essential Standards enable all students to gain knowledge and skills about healthful living topics important to their developmental age levels. The four essential standards include motor skill development, application of movement concepts, health-related fitness and personal and social responsibility.
Physical education builds confidence, self-esteem, motor and sports skills to be physically active for life. Although some competencies may seem very similar, they are addressing various psychomotor, affective and cognitive aspects for learning.
Physical education is a sequential, age appropriate educational program that provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to develop a healthy, active lifestyle. Our program provides evidence of its effectiveness through measurable outcomes that have been achieved by students. *Physical education elective courses, athletic participation, or out-of-school physical/athletic activities do not satisfy the high school physical education requirement.
Adapted Physical Education Services
Physical education is a curricular area available to all students. If the student cannot participate in the general physical education program, specially designed individualized instruction in PE (Adapted PE) shall be provided.
North Carolina state law requires physical education for all students. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Adapted Physical Education is required for those students with disabilities who require specially designed instruction in order to receive Physical Education. Physical Education includes:
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Physical and motor fitness
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Fundamental motor skills and patterns
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Skills in individual and group games and sports, and activities (including intramural and lifetime sports)
An adapted physical education instructional program must be designed by the IEP team (Exceptional Children) or the 504 facilitator and the appropriate team. The adapted physical education consultant must be included as part of the IEP team. For more information contact the Exceptional Children Department Chairperson at your child’s school.
Healthy Active Children Policy
In addition to the physical education requirements, the Healthy Active Children Policy requires that all elementary and middle school students be provided a minimum of 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity each day. Complete policy details can be accessed at NC HAC Policy and include:
- Structured/unstructured recess and other physical activity (such as, but not limited to, physical activity time, physical education or intramurals) shall not be taken away from students as a form of punishment. In addition, severe and/or inappropriate exercise may not be used as a form of punishment for students.
- A minimum of 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity shall be provided by schools for all K-8 students daily. This requirement can be achieved through a regular physical education class and/or through activities such as recess, dance, classroom energizers, or other curriculum based physical education activity programs. However, such use of this time should complement and not substitute for the physical education program.
- The physical activity required by this section must involve physical exertion of at least a moderate to vigorous intensity level and for a duration sufficient to provide a significant health benefit to students.
Medical Information
Parents should inform their child’s physical education teacher of medical conditions that may interfere, alter or limit participation in physical education activities so appropriate accommodations can be made.
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