WELLNESS CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

2009-2010

What changes?

Wellness is an integrated curriculum combining aspects of both traditional health classes with physical education, initiative games, fitness skills and other mind-body connection skills. The goals of the Wellness program developed by members of the Parker community are: to develop and nurture resilience; to foster and promote healthy decision-making and positive forms of risk-taking; and to enhance personal and social responsibility among all Parker community members.  The Wellness program provides an integrated and experiential curriculum for all Parker students that engages, challenges, and supports students across all divisions. (grades 7 – 12)

The Division I and II Wellness curriculum for the 2009-2010 school year at the Parker School will consist of three separate health units exploring emotional health, nutrition and First Aid/CPR.  This curriculum will include a minimum of one health class weekly as well physical activity and movement classes throughout the rest of the week.  While the curriculum is similar for all students each year, the level of autonomy, initiative, and complexity of student work increases as a student advances from Division I to Division II and then onto Division III. 

This program is centered on implementing curriculum that helps students to develop specific skills as defined by National Health Education Standards: accessing information, self-management, internal and external influences, interpersonal communication, decision-making and goal setting, and advocacy (Joint Committee on National Health Education Standards, 1995).  These constitute the Wellness Criteria for Excellence, which can be found on the Parker website under the Wellness link.

Throughout the year, selected physical activity and movement classes are conducted with the goals of increasing fitness levels, introducing the concept of ‘friendly competition’ and encouraging kids to play and play well together. These activities range from group problem solving initiatives to team handball, capture the flag, cross-country skiing, sledding, and ping-pong.  More traditional competitive games such as soccer, basketball, softball, ultimate Frisbee, floor hockey and touch football are also offered.  We encourage healthy-risk taking by helping students find points of entry in all games or sports that we play, and by offering individual challenges through track and field activities, rock-climbing, yoga, tai chi, power walking, low rope elements and climbing wall activities.  A major component of our program focuses on the development and maintenance of healthy fitness levels for the individual student.  We utilize the Fitnessgram and are working to have students track their own progress towards healthy zones in flexibility, muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness. 

Students are assessed using the Wellness Criteria for Excellence in addition to criteria for satisfactory completion of Wellness.  Assessments are generally based on in-class work, including group participation, demonstration of learning in class activities, individual exhibitions of health behaviors and a unit project.  Students in Division I and II receive narrative progress reports, mid-year and year-end assessments completed by their Wellness teacher as they do in other areas of learning at the school.

Wellness Staff:

Deborah Chamberlain, Division II and III Wellness                       dchamberlain@parker.org

Alan Laubenstein, Division I and II and III Wellness                      alaubenstein@parker.org

Laura Warner, Division I and III Wellness                                    lauraw@parker.org

Division I and II curriculum:

 Unit One:  Emotional Health

(September-December)

Skill areas addressed:  Self-Management and Interpersonal Communication

Objectives:  Students will participate in a unit-long “Behavior Change Project” working to identify behaviors that support their health, and identifying one behavior that they want to change to improve their emotional health.  (examples include:  exercising 1 hr/day, spending less time playing video games or watching television, eating more fruits/vegetables, meditating, etc…)  They will practice strategy development, reflect on the change process, and connect this back to overall emotional health.  We will also examine stress and it’s connection to exercise.  Students will have the opportunity to practice stress-reduction techniques (guided meditation, drawing, listening to music, exercise) in class.  The unit includes a focus on signs of suicide, with a nationally recognized curriculum (SOS) that encourages students to ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell).

Reference texts:  SPARK, by John Ratey, Quests and Quandaries, by Carol Hotchkiss, Fighting Invisible Tigers, The Courage to be Yourself (Educators for Social Responsibilities) 

Assessment for Division I and II: A three-part behavior change project, as described above, that focuses on choosing a behavior to change in order to improve emotional health.   Much of the work will be done in-class, with some opportunities for students to practice observing their behaviors, developing strategies for change, and helping their classmate modify strategies. 

Unit Twp: Nutrition

(December – April)

Skill areas addressed:  Accessing Information, Decision Making and Goal Setting

Objectives: Students will learn how to read nutritional labels, think about their own nutritional intake, and make decisions that support their health.  In Division II, students will explore contemporary topics such as ‘eating local,’ and discuss issues of ‘factory farming,’ and sustainable agriculture. 

Reference texts:

Eat, Drink and Be Healthy by Walter Willett, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, a variety of cookbooks, nutritional guidelines from the USDA (MyPyramid)  Videos:  Clips from Frontline: Diet Wars  and Supersize Me & Diet for a New America

Assessment for Division I:  Using a recipe template, each student will make food to share with the class. They will be encouraged to use recipes from a list of sources, and will need to list nutritional content, ingredients, as well as answer a series of questions about the dish.

Assessment for Division II:  Students will complete a three-day food log, and then track how their diet compares to Walter Willett’s healthy food pyramid, and then reflect upon their nutritional choices.

Unit Three:  Disease and Injury Prevention

FIRST AID and CPR

(April-June)

Skill areas addressed:  Health Advocacy

Students will gain the knowledge and skills to administer first aid and carry out emergency procedures.  They will avoid, recognize and report verbal, physical and emotional abuse situations, and will assess the factors that contribute to intentional and unintentional injury including motor vehicle accidents, fire safety, and weapons safety.

Reference texts: 

Content:

Why First Aid?, The Emergency Medical System, Basic Life Support, Choking, Rescue Breathing, Bleeding and Wound Care, Shock, Burns, Bone/Joint/Muscle Injuries, Sudden Illness, Poisoning, Heat and Cold Emergencies, Rescuing and Moving Victims, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

Assessment for both Divisions:  Written and Practical Exam

Division III Curriculum

Seniors—10 weeks of RAD (Rape, Aggression, Defense) training beginning in October

Juniors—choice of CPR recertification and a variety of physical activities beginning in October

 

From January through June, a variety of physical activity choices will be offered on Wednesdays.

 

PARKER SCHOOL CRITERIA FOR EXCELLENCE IN WELLNESS

 

SELF-MANAGEMENT

  • You identify responsible health behaviors.
  • You identify your personal health needs.
  • You compare your behaviors that are safe to those that are risky or harmful.
  • You demonstrate strategies to improve or maintain your personal health.
  • You develop injury prevention and management strategies for your personal health.
  • You demonstrate ways to avoid and reduce threatening situations.
  • You apply skills to manage stress.

 

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

  • You demonstrate effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills to enhance health.
  • You demonstrate healthy ways to express needs, wants and feelings.
  • You demonstrate ways to communicate care, consideration, and respect of self and others.
  • You demonstrate communication skills to build and maintain healthy relationships.
  • You demonstrate refusal, negotiation, and collaboration skills to manage conflict in healthy ways.

 

ACCESSING INFORMATION

  • You evaluate the validity of health information, products and services.
  • You demonstrate the ability to utilize resources from home, school, and community that provide valid health information.
  • You analyze how media influences the selection of health information and products.
  • You demonstrate the ability to access school and community health services for self and others.

 

DECISION-MAKING and GOAL SETTING

  • You demonstrate the ability to utilize various strategies when making decisions related to health needs.
  • You analyze how health-related decisions are influenced by individuals, family and community values.
  • You predict how decisions regarding health behaviors have consequences for self and others.
  • You implement strategies and skills needed to attain personal health goals.
  • You evaluate progress toward achieving personal health goals.

 

HEALTH ADVOCACY

  • You evaluate the effectiveness of communication methods for accurately expressing health information and ideas.
  • You express information and opinions about health issues.
  • You utilize strategies to overcome barriers when communicating information, ideas, feelings, and opinions about health issues.
  • You demonstrate the ability to influence and support others in making positive health choices.
  • You demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively when advocating for healthy communities.
  • You demonstrate the ability to adapt health messages and communication techniques to your audience.

 

INTERNAL and EXTERNAL INFLUENCES

  • You describe the influence of cultural beliefs on health behaviors and the use of health services.
  • You analyze how messages from media and other sources influence health behaviors.
  • You analyze the influence of technology on personal and family health.
  • You analyze how information from your peers and your community influences health.

 

PHYSICAL FITNESS and MOVEMENT

  • You participate regularly in physical activity and movement.
  • You achieve and maintain a personal health-enhancing level of physical fitness.
  • You exhibit responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings.
  • You demonstrate competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities to maintain your personal health.