Health Education: Year 9 and 10

JUNIOR SEXUALITY EDUCATION 

Year 9 and 10 Health classes will begin their sexuality education in the second half of this term. 

Due to the disruption to the learning programme due to the lockdown and the difficulties of catching up with only 1 period a week, the junior classes are at different stages of the year’s timeline, depending on how the lockdown affected their teaching and learning programme.  Therefore, the dates following are a guide to when each year level is most likely to begin their sexuality programme.

Most Year 9 classes will begin the sexuality unit of work in either week 7 or 8. The first sexuality topic is ‘puberty’ which, for most students, will be revision of the work done in their intermediate schools. Later topics in the unit are relationships, contraception, STI‟s and reproduction. 

Most Year 10 classes will begin their sexuality unit in weeks 6 or 7.  Topics in the Year 10 Sexuality unit include decision making, healthy relationships, rights and responsibilities, consent, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, safer sex.

The Ministry of Education has provided schools with the ‘Sexuality Guidelines for Board of Trustees and Principals’. They have also provided a pamphlet for parents/whanau.  If you would like to read the pamphlet the following link will connect you (http://parents.education.govt.nz/assets/Parents/Documents/Primary-school/Sexuality-Parent-Guide.PDF ). 

If you have any questions regarding the sexuality unit, please make an appointment with the Health teacher concerned during Parent/Teachers evening Thursday 13th August, week 4, or you can phone or e-mail the Health teacher or the HOD Health, Karalee Green.