Dear Parents,
Your 5th and 6th grader will be participating in the “Family Life” program this year in the spring. This course is a part of our Museum School program and all 5th and 6th grade students will participate unless parents make a specific request to opt out.
This co-ed course provides a safe environment for your child to receive accurate information about their own growth and changing bodies, and frank age-level appropriate discussions about human relationships and reproduction. Modeling a respectful approach to these tough topics, we will also talk about our health, making responsible choices, and keeping safe.
A couple featured videos that we will watch are:
3-2-1 Contact “What Kids Want to Know About Sex and Growing Up” and Nova’s “Life’s Greatest Miracle”. These videos have both aired on PBS, and you can even watch Life’s Greatest Miracles on-line yourself @ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/program.html
This is an important rite of passage for our students. Understandably, they may be a bit embarrassed about the topic and feel a little trepidation about the class. However, I urge you to talk to your children about this important topic, to answer their questions truthfully, and encourage them to relax and take pride in the fact that they are now “mature enough” to handle the subject and should look forward to the class. The class setting itself also offers a different kind of discussion and interaction for your child to express their questions and concerns, and sometimes to simply laugh. Students who may have taken the course the year before, come to the class with new questions and perspective the next year. They model for the other students and can practice how to discuss these sensitive topics appropriately and responsibly.
It has been my experience that no matter how they may protest and tell you otherwise, students generally enjoy the course and discussions, and want to know about these things.
I am looking for some help from our parents to put together a little goodie bag. The bag usually contains a little booklet about hygiene and our changing bodies, a small deodorant, a couple different size sanitary pads for the girls, and some chocolate. If you are able to contribute any of these things, or make a donation so that we can continue to provide this, or come in one afternoon or morning to help assemble, please let us know. We appreciate your support.
Sincerely,
Gingerlily
Here are some interesting sites to visit:
To watch the full program of Life’s Greatest Miracles click: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/program.html
How Cells Divide: Mitosis vs. Meiosis http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/divide.html
Morphing Embryos http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/odyssey/clips/
Timing is Everything http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/timing-everything.html
