Health Education

List of 3 items.

• Grade 9: Peer Advisory

  All ninth-graders will be registered for Peer Advisory automatically.
  
  Each advisory group meets once per cycle and is led by several juniors, assigned as the group’s Peer Advisors, and the Director of Health Education.

• Grade 10: Health and Wellness

  2 meetings per eight-day cycle/1 credit
  
  Required for sophomores. All sophomores are registered for this course automatically.
  
  

  This required course meets twice per cycle for the entire year and will provide students with opportunities to learn about ways to have a healthy lifestyle and make responsible choices. Topics will include, but are not limited to, emotional health, nutrition and fitness, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, sexual education, and chronic and communicable diseases. The course will focus on developing the students’ information base and practical skills in order to encourage responsible choices in the related topic areas. It includes the introduction and practice of techniques for stress reduction, health maintenance and peak performance.

• Grade 11: Peer Advisory

  3 meetings per eight-day cycle/1 credit
  Open to juniors only; grading is Pass/Fail
  
  Prerequisite: Approval through an application and interview process. Students must submit an application and a teacher recommendation to the Director of Health Education by April 26. The application can also be found on HOL. Students must also sign up for and complete a 10-minute interview with Ms. Pabst between April 26 and May 7. Decisions will be made by May 14.
  
  

  Peer Advisory will be scheduled as a minor course and meet 3 times per cycle; one meeting will be a training session and the other two  meetings will be with a Peer Advisory group. Those taking more than 5 majors and 1 minor will likely not be able to fit Peer Advisory into their schedules.

  
  The Peer Advisory program provides students with the opportunity to mentor a group of ninth grade students. Participation in the program requires a strong commitment to being a responsible role model and to the peer mentoring philosophy of helping others for the good of the community. Some of the goals of the program are to foster relationships among students and to build long-lasting community values. An important aspect of the role of the Peer Advisor is to help support the ninth graders in their transition to the Upper School. 

  
  The Peer Advisory program includes training in mentoring skills, such as communication and listening skills. It will involve ongoing training and supervision of lessons/activities that the Peer Advisors will conduct with their group of ninth grade advisees. During the first third of the year, Peer Advisors will work with the Chair of the Health Department, but they will run all sessions independently during the second and third trimesters.

  
  Additional time commitments for peer advisors: 

  Peer Advisors will meet once in late August, during the week before school starts, to prepare for ninth grade orientation, and they will assist with ninth grade orientation later in the week.

  
  Peer advisors will also be required to attend a training session during the fall pre-season period.