Academics: Health

Health is Wealth! This is how Indian Valley views the health curriculum and its importance to the middle years of education. The curriculum strives to help each student increase his/her self esteem and to develop a sense of responsibility for individual actions. Valley's goal of respect for oneself and for others is also integrated into this curriculum.

Students are scheduled for health education in sixth grade. The curriculum includes concern for personal health as well as for the health of family and friends. Students are encouraged to explore their own health concerns and to determine their own health needs and goals. The lessons deal with issues of the physical being that concern youth such as diet, physical fitness, first aid, routine medical examinations, and communicable diseases.

A mental health unit is a very important focus of the health curriculum. Students are challenged to connect knowledge about themselves and focus on how it is shown in their individual behavior. Topics included in this unit are problem-solving and coping skills, decision making, control of emotions/behavior, personality, respecting others, a value system, making friends, middle school counseling resources, self-esteem, and stress management.

Human sexuality is a topic covered in sixth grade. Topics include puberty, dating, the reproductive system, the birth process, , and sexually-transmitted diseases. A child protection program is also included which deals with issues such as peer pressure, sexual harassment, exploitation, acquaintance assault, and assertiveness. Indian Valley administrators and staff provide an evening parent preview to discuss curriculum and the resources available to them. The department believes it is the right and responsibility of the parents to teach their children how these general principles should be translated into individual actions according to their moral and religious values.

Indian Valley is particularly proud of its unit on AIDS education. Indian Valley is located in a county that ranks third in the state in deaths from AIDS. The curriculum was developed by an AIDS Curriculum Committee which was represented by parents, administration, staff, ministerium members, and medical consultants. This network has provided a curriculum that meets all state mandates and continues to provide outreach to the community through parent in-service training and parent forum presentations of the curriculum.

In all topic areas students collect and compile into a personal health notebook a number of things that deal with health-related issues. These issues have lasting value. Students are constantly being guided toward the realization of the value of good health habits. Many of these issues such as diet and nutrition are integrated with the home economics program. The study of health education is highly personal for the student and provides learning motivation and lifelong application.