Health Education

Valley Stream 30 is committed to providing our students with learning experience s that develop a deeper understanding of how their personal health as well as safe and healthy environments can influence their Social and emotional development and learning (SEDL). Valley Steam 30’shealth curriculum uses an  integrated approach  which integrates health topics from various programs to make learning more meaningful to students and allows them to make important health connections between the programs.  Students’ ability to learn about health through these various programs increases their ability to problem-solve using real-world applications in a more meaningful way which in turn heightens their health consciousness.  Valley Stream 30 uses the following programs:

These various programs provide our students with lessons and/or activities that align with the New York State Department of Education’s health curriculum:

Standard 1: Personal Health and Fitness

Students will have the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain physical fitness, participate in physical activity, and maintain personal health.

1. Students will understand human growth and development and recognize the relationship between behaviors and healthy development. They will understand ways to promote health and prevent disease and will demonstrate and practice positive health behaviors. Students:

• - know how basic body systems work and interrelate in normal patterns of growth and development

• - possess basic knowledge and skills which support

• - positive health choices and behaviors

• - understand how behaviors such as food selection, exercise, and rest affect growth and development recognize influences which affect health choices and behaviors

• - know about some diseases and disorders and how they are prevented and treated

• - practice and support others in making healthy choices.

Standard 2: A Safe and Healthy Environment.

Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment.

1.     Students will demonstrate personally and socially responsible behaviors. They will care for and respect themselves and others. They will recognize threats to the environment and offer appropriate strategies to minimize them.  Students:

• - understand basic safety rules

• - recognize potentially dangerous situations and know how to avoid or reduce their risk

• - know some personal and social skills which contribute to individual safety

• - recognize characteristics of the environment that contribute to health.

Here are a few of examples of the type of learning experiences your child will encounter:

• - describe the basic structure and functions of human body systems

• - identify the harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs

• - Explain how eating nutritionally balanced meals and snacks promotes health

• - describe the physical, social and emotional indicators of healthy people

• - demonstrate the use of interpersonal communication skills to enhance health

• - identify responsible health behaviors and demonstrate strategies to improve or maintain personal health

• - demonstrate health practices such as washing hands, covering one’s mouth when coughing or sneezing, and brushing and flossing teeth

• - identify common health problems and indicate how they can be prevented, detected and treated_

• - set a personal health goal and track progress toward its achievement.

• - describe personal safety rules to avoid such things as abuse, abduction, poisoning, and accidents

• - discuss how following safety rules help to protect people at home and in the school and community

• - apply safety rules to prevent injury

• - demonstrate ways to avoid and reduce threatening situations

• - identify ways to care for and show respect for self and others

• - demonstrate refusal skills to protect health

• - identify ways to protect and preserve a healthy environment

• - develop a safety plan for healthy living

Source:  NYSED Physical Education Learning Standards (1996)

A 10 Minute Head Start to a Healthy Day