Health and Student Issues

Learning Prep School’s Health and Student Issues courses are designed with a language based approach to the curriculum and comply with the MA DOE Curriculum Frameworks. We use both visual and auditory cues and tools, such as the Thinking Maps and other organizational strategies, to ensure that our students receive a comprehensive education. Pragmatic language skills and social skills are infused throughout the curriculum, giving students the opportunity to learn and practice them within the classroom setting.

The central focus of Health and Student Issues is on educating students about how to make healthy and safe choices. Students explore physical, emotional, and behavioral issues crucial to living a happy and low stress life. Mental health habits and coping skills are also addressed in order for students to learn how to face the challenges of adolescence and a growing sense of independence. Students gather and internalize information in order to take proper care of themselves, and to gain knowledge to increase positive social interactions.

The 8th Grade and High School Counseling staff teaches Heath and Student Issues classes. These small, psycho-educational classes give students a forum to gather information, ask questions, and to share and learn from each other’s perspectives. Our approach involves examining one’s own values and beliefs (including family and religious values and beliefs), decision- making (emphasizing the impact and outcomes of their decisions) and tolerance (you have the right to agree or disagree, but need to be respectful). One of the most successful elements of the curriculum is “The Baby Project.” This program provides older students with an interactive opportunity to learn about parenting.

If you have any concerns about your child participating in any portion of the curriculum, please inform your student’s counselor. The curriculum topics, goals and objectives (each Health class moves at it’s own pace and may or may not cover each objective listed), and possible activities and movies are broken down by grade level.