Health and Physical Education

Program Description

Health:

The mission of the Health Curriculum is to emphasize the importance of responsible decision making to students’ overall wellness. It is the shared responsibility of families, schools, communities and the students themselves to promote health and wellness. Emphasis is placed on the wellness approach to good health and stresses the need for balance in one’s life. The goal of the curriculum is to focus on practicing the decision making process and developing the ability to examine options and evaluate consequences. The Health curriculum strives to instill in each student positive self-esteem, self-confidence and self-discipline as they optimize their own lives. Content is sensitive to critical health issues of our students and the information is delivered in a cooperative and affirming approach to health and well-being.

Physical Education:

Physical Education at Bristol-Plymouth Technical School is that aspect of the educational process which utilizes physical activity to contribute to an individual's fitness, psychomotor, cognitive, and affective areas of development. It is concerned with the teaching of skills, acquisition of knowledge, and development of attitudes through movement. Its uniqueness lies in the contribution made to the physiological and psychomotor development of an individual.
 
The physical education program at Bristol-Plymouth Technical School is a well-planned and coordinated activity program. Its purpose is two-fold. First, to provide each student with multiple opportunities to assess fitness levels, to engage in activities that will strengthen already developed skills, and to help develop new skills. Secondly, the physical education program helps to develop lifetime skills which will enable the student to lead a full and productive life, both in and out of school.
 
Because adolescence is an age of rapid physical, social, and emotional growth, challenging activities that provide an opportunity for the development of interpersonal relationships are stressed. Both team and individual sports are emphasized in order to meet this goal. Individual units are carefully planned to provide the student with a variety of opportunities from which the individual can best meet his or her specific needs and interests.
 
Success in high school as well as in life requires a broad based educational foundation. The physical education program at Bristol-Plymouth Technical School endeavors to provide the basis by which students will be able to meet their individual goals by becoming physically, socially, and emotionally healthy and adjusted through their physically active lifestyle.

Instructed Areas

Grade 9

Health I
Freshman Health addresses identified health issues pertaining to adolescents. Emphasis is placed on achieving wellness through responsible decision making. Students learn to recognize at risk behavior and preventative strategies for promoting physical and emotional well being. Topics covered include health and wellness, nutrition, violence prevention, drugs, disease prevention, growth and development, reproduction and sexuality. Students discover that the decisions they make today will affect their health and wellness in the future. This course is aligned with the Massachusetts Health Curriculum Framework. Strands covered include Physical Health, Personal Safety, Safety and Prevention, Mental and Social Health.
 
Physical Education
Physical Education and Health Education combine to create a wellness course that is an integral part of the educational curriculum. The comprehensive goals and objectives of the programs address the physical, social, emotional and mental health of the students. In Physical Education classes, the emphasis is on equitable participation in interactive group and individual activities that will enhance the student’s fitness level, skill ability, and knowledge.

Grade 10

Physical Education
The Physical Education Program is designed to enhance the overall well-being of each student. Students are provided with a series of team, individual, fitness and lifetime activities that are designed to augment their social, emotional and physical development.

Health II
Sophomore Health builds upon those health issues identified in Health I, placing an emphasis on in-depth understand of topics relevant to adolescents. Emphasis is also placed on achieving wellness through responsible decision-making. Students learn to recognize at-risk behaviors and develop preventative strategies for the promotion of both physical and emotional well-being. Topics covered during the course include: health and wellness, CPR, First Aid, mental health, growth and development, and reproduction and sexuality. Students discover that the decisions they make today will affect their health and wellness in the future. This course is aligned with the Massachusetts Health Curriculum Frameworks. Strands covered include Physical health, Personal Safety, Safety and Prevention, and Mental and Social Health.

Grade 11

Health and Physical Education
The Physical Education Program is designed to enhance the overall well-being of each student. Students are provided with a series of team, individual, fitness and lifetime activities designed to augment their social, emotional, and physical development.

Grade 12

Health and Physical Education
The Physical Education Program is designed to enhance the overall well-being of each student. Students are provided with a series of team, individual, fitness, and lifetime activities designed to augment their social, emotional, and physical development.
 
Health Education classes focus on providing current information on various topics to encourage students to make safe, responsible decisions concerning their health. Both aspects of this wellness curriculum combine to aid in the development of the student as a happier, healthier, and better person.