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Please select your child's grade level below to see what lessons are taught during our Growth and Development + Violence Prevention Unit, as well as what standards they are aligned with. The majority of our Growth and Development lessons come from Rights, Respect, Responsibility (3Rs) by and our violence prevention lessons that meet Erin's Law come from . Lessons marked with double asterisks are opt out lessons. Once you open the PDF, please scroll down to see all lessons and slideshows. Questions can be directed to Jenny Withycombe (jwithycombe@pps.net), Assistant Director of H-A/PE.

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State law requires that comprehensive sexuality education be taught in each grade K-12. In PPS, most schools will teach these units during the spring.

Schools send parent notification letters home at least 2 weeks prior to when the CSE/Growth and Development unit begins. Letters must be returned to the students' school.

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K-12 CSE Notification and Opt-Out Letters, by Grade - SY23-24

Below are pdf versions of the parent/guardian notification and opt-out letters.

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• English - | | | | | | | | | |

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• Chinese |ÖÐÎÄ - | | | | | |   | | | |

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• Japanese | ÈÕ±¾Óï - | | | | |

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• Pashto | ???? - | | | | |

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• Russian | §²§å§ã§ã§Ü§Ú§Û - | | | | | | | | | |

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• Somali | Soomaali - | | | | | | | | | |

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• Spanish | Español - | | | | | | | | | |

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• Vietnamese | Ti?ng Vi?t - | | | | | | | | | |

Sexual Health Lesson Content for High School ISC Classrooms

Lesson 0 : Introduction to the Sexual Health Unit. We talk about who students have in their lives that they can talk to when they have questions about their bodies or health. There’s an introduction to the anonymous questions box (a place where students can submit questions if they don't want to ask them in front of the class and don't want anyone to know who asked the question). We create group agreements for the class (basically we have rules written down like "don't share other people's stories", "respect your classmates' questions and comments", etc).

Lesson 1: External and Internal Sexual and Reproductive Anatomy. For this lesson we focus on what each part of the anatomy is on the inside and outside of males and females (where does urine come from and go out? How do we keep ourselves clean? Where does a baby grow and come from? Where does a period come from and how does it work?) We have students fill in the blanks on drawn pictures of a penis and a vulva.  To remain trauma-informed, students do not have to participate in filling out these worksheets if it makes them uncomfortable.

Lesson 2: Gender Identity, Expression, and Sexuality. What does it mean to be heterosexual? What does it mean to be gay?  Why do some people dress differently? How do we respect other people and how they express themselves? These are all questions we will cover in this lesson. Understanding that everyone has different family values and how to respect each other's values even if we don't agree with them is a central focus of this lesson.

Lesson 3: The Types of Relationships We Have in Our Lives. During this lesson, we talk about the different people who are in our lives and what type of communication and touch is appropriate (for example, who are your neighbors? Is it ok to give them a hug? Who is it ok to have a romantic relationship with?). We talk about physical boundaries (like asking before you hug someone you know, not touching people without asking) and how to ask for other people to respect your boundaries.  We use the following tool for students to identify the people in their lives and talk about who is safe to go to for questions or support (from the Centre For Sexuality in Calgary, Canada).

 Lesson 4: Healthy, Unhealthy, and Abusive Relationships. In this class we review a scenario about two people who have a crush on each other and how their friendship develops. We ask students to work in groups to identify whether the communication between the two people is healthy or unhealthy. We model different ways to communicate in a clear way, if someone does or does not want to do something. We talk about what to do if you think you are in an unhealthy (and in some cases, abusive) relationship or friendship and how to communicate that you don't like something.

Lesson 5: We talk about types of relationships that exist in our lives. Topics covered include platonic friendships, crushes, strangers, romantic feelings, and what types of communication are ok for each of these groups. For example, we don't go on a date with a stranger or someone we don't know or who we met online. We always tell someone where we are when we go on a date.

We use a tool called "Head, Heart, Body" and talk about how if we think we like someone, but if we feel sick or unwell or really nervous, maybe we need to stop and think about whether that relationship is safe or good for us. We ask ourselves questions like, “Is it ok for me to date?”, “Do I trust this person?”, or “Does this person respect my boundaries?”.

Here is head, heart, body:

 

 

 Lesson 6: Types of sexual contact. We talk about public and private spaces and what is appropriate to do in public versus what should be done in private (for example, we talk about masturbation and that it needs to be done in a private place, not in public or around other people). We also discuss what vaginal, oral, digital (with hands), and anal sex are, and ways that people need to stay safe if they are doing any of these (including communication, consent, and hygiene). Testing options and protection methods are discussed in a later lesson.

Lesson 7: Pregnancy. What is pregnancy and how does it happen? How does the body make a baby? What are options for someone if they are pregnant? (we talk about raising a child, giving a child up for adoption, safe surrender, and abortion). We also talk about what a pregnancy test is and how it works. We do an activity where the students practice supporting a friend who just found out they are pregnant and helping them think about their options and local resources for support and testing.

Lesson 8: Sexual Decision Making. We talk about safety and rights of a person to not have sex. We talk about abstinence, alternative to sexual acts (but that still bring intimacy), and respecting people's decision to not have sexual contact. We learn how to say no to something we don't want to do (we do a role play where they students practice saying no to an invitation to a friends house to "hang out" and drink alcohol).  We also talk about people you can go to if you feel unsafe or someone isn't respecting your boundaries.

Lesson 9: Different Options for Birth Control and Protection. This lesson covers contraception methods. We talk about condoms, dental dams, abstinence, birth control pills, and IUDs among some other options. We have fake versions that we show to students so they know what they are if they see them. We finish the lesson by going to the school based health center so students can meet the doctor and know where to go if they want to see a doctor on campus. 

Lesson 10: Avoiding and managing STD's. This lesson discusses talking to a partner about getting tested for STIs and preventing the spread of disease. Students learn about how an STI works, where to go to get tested, and how to know if they should get tested.  It also talks about communicating with someone about condoms and dental dams (the best ways to prevent STDs after abstinence) and how to negotiate condom use. 

Lesson 11: Condom demonstration Lesson. Students can choose (if they wish) to try putting a condom on a wooden demonstrator.  We talk about what an expiration date is, and how to throw away a condom correctly (not to throw it in the toilet). We also talk about why it's important to use protection (against STIs and to prevent pregnancy).  Finally, we have a feedback session at the end where students can tell us what they liked and didn't like, and what they wish we can talk about for next time.

The Health & A/PE team, in collaboration with Multnomah County, has put together a three-minute video where educators, parents, and students from the community share their perspectives on the importance of sexuality education at school.

*Note: This video was supported by Grant Number TP1AH000243-01 from the HHS Office of Population Affairs. Contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Health and Human »Ê¼Ò»ªÈË or the Office of Population Affairs.

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To watch the videos in other languages, please use the links below.

In March 2021, the PPS Board of Education unanimously passed Comprehensive Health Education Policy 6.40.013-P. This new policy formalizes the requirement that “students in grades K through 12 be taught Comprehensive Health Education that is medically-accurate, age and developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically sustaining, and implemented in safe and supportive learning environments where all students feel valued.”

The is a document that strives to complement this new policy. It is intended to provide district staff, school administrators, and educators, both new and experienced, with an overview of health education requirements across the state along with the Health Education team’s recommendations for teaching health education within PPS.

Children and youth are very curious about the world around them, and will commonly ask adults “hard-to-answer” questions. This handout was developed to help adults be there for their young person, in whatever way they need, by being an “askable adult”.

PPS Parents/Caregivers: Everyone is struggling in some way. You aren’t alone. We care about your wellness. There are people and community organizations that can support you and your family.

If you are worried about your child or yourself, connect with any of the supports listed in the postcard below, and/or share your concerns with your medical provider.

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• - Comprehensive Sexuality Education
• - Rights, Respect, Responsibility
• - "Healthy Schools Start Here"
  • Resources and classroom materials on Health Skills Models, including progression of skills across grade bands and integration of skills into other content areas. 
• Cairn Guidance - "The Path to Healthier Communities"  
  • Resources, projects and articles on health education and learning.  

• : Introduction and Guidelines to Facilitate the Development and Implementation of Life Skills Programmes (World Health Organization, 1997). 
• See "Community Resources"