Southern Middle School

Health Education Grades 6, 7 & 8

Teacher: Tracey Dieringer
Email: tdieringer@aacps.org

SMS Health, Physical Education, and Dance Mission:

* Maintain a safe and respectful environment for all
*Instill a lifelong joy for movement, health, and wellness
* Build a learning community with meaningful relationships
**Have fun!
Course Overview & Sequence
Students in grades 6th, 7th, and 8th receive Health instruction for one marking period as part of the state mandated
Comprehensive Health Education Program. The student outcomes are developmentally appropriate and include what students
should know and be able to do in the following areas:
⦁ Mental and Emotional Health
* Substance Abuse Prevention
⦁ Family Life and Human Sexuality
⦁ Safety and Violence Prevention
⦁ Healthy Eating and Fitness
⦁ Disease Prevention and Control
The 21st Century Competencies of decision making, goal setting, accessing information and communication skills are imbedded
throughout all of the units of study of each grade level. Emphasis is placed on the ability to access school, home and community
health resources.
Note: The Family Life and Human Sexuality unit, and HIV/AIDS prevention education were developed in accordance with the
standards and procedures established in Maryland State Regulation 13A.14.01.02. Students may be excused from these units of the
program upon a written request from their parent or guardian. Appropriate alternate instruction will be provided.
What the Teacher Will Do to Support the
Student:
● Create engaging and rigorous learning activities that help students build his/her understanding of Health Literacy.
● Chunk assignments into manageable amounts and include time in class to debrief and review work.
● Provide additional support for assignments and assessments, including reteaching so that students meet course standards. For
this marking period this will be on your scheduled Flex Time. 8th Grade- Period 1-Friday Period 2-Tuesday
6th Grade-Period 5-Thursday Period 6-Monday
● Notify parents via email at any point during the marking period if a student is in danger of failing or dropping 2 or more letter
grades.

What the Student Will Do to be

Successful:
● Have a quiet place where learning can occur while in the Google Classroom.
● Attend and participate in the classes Google Meets. ** All meets will be recorded and viewable to only our class
● Review and synthesize classroom notes, activities, and assignments frequently to help prepare for upcoming assessments and
to internalize learning.
● Take advantage of opportunities for additional help. Students should attend these sessions with specific questions so that the
teacher can most effectively help the student.

What Parents Can Do to Support the

Student:
● Ensure that the student has a space to learn in and materials needed for success..
● Encourage the student to seek additional help when it is needed.
● Check Parent Connect regularly to monitor student grades.
● Contact the teacher with any questions about assignments, grade, or other issues in a timely manner.
● Note to Parent/Guardians: You and your student will need to determine a safe space to
participate in movement. This may be in or outside of your students room or home. Ensure the
environment is free of objects that may cause injury and there is adequate space for movement .
 Textbook and Supplies:

Mc Graw Hill: Teen Health **Students will need a computer and notepaper

Course Content and Standards:

Below are the major standards for grades 6th, 7th & 8th grade Health Education. To read the standards in-depth, please visit
http://mdk12.msde.maryland.gov/instruction/curriculum/health/index.html.
6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Mental and Emotional Health – Mental and Emotional Health – Mental and Emotional Health –
Students will demonstrate the ability Students will demonstrate the ability Students will demonstrate the
to use mental and emotional health to use mental and emotional health ability to use mental and emotional
knowledge, skills, and strategies to knowledge, skills, and strategies to health knowledge, skills, and
enhance one’s self-concept and enhance one’s self-concept and one’s strategies to enhance one’s self-
one’s relationship with others. relationship with others. concept and one’s relationship with
others.
Substance Abuse Prevention - Substance Abuse Prevention -
Students will demonstrate the ability Students will demonstrate the ability Substance Abuse Prevention -
to use drug knowledge, decision- to use drug knowledge, decision- Students will demonstrate the
making skills, and health enhancing making skills, and health enhancing ability to use drug knowledge,
strategies to address, the non-use, strategies to address, the non-use, decision-making skills, and health
use, and abuse of medications, use, and abuse of medications, enhancing strategies to address, the
alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs non-use, use, and abuse of
medications, alcohol, tobacco, and
Safety and Violence Prevention - Safety and Violence Prevention - other drugs
Students will demonstrate the ability Students will demonstrate the ability
to apply prevention and intervention to apply prevention and intervention Safety and Violence Prevention-
knowledge, skills, and processes to knowledge, skills, and processes to Students will demonstrate the
promote safe living in the home, promote safe living in the home, ability to apply prevention and
school, and community. school, and community. intervention knowledge, skills, and
processes to promote safe living in
Family Life and Human Sexuality – Family Life and Human Sexuality – the home, school, and community.
Students will demonstrate the ability Students will demonstrate the ability
to use human development to use human development Family Life and Human Sexuality –
knowledge, social skills, and health knowledge, social skills, and health Students will demonstrate the
enhancing strategies to promote enhancing strategies to promote ability to use human development
positive relationships and healthy positive relationships and healthy knowledge, social skills, and health
growth and development throughout growth and development throughout enhancing strategies to promote
the life cycle. Students will define the life cycle. Students will define positive relationships and healthy
puberty, and reproduction. different types of contraceptives to growth and development
prevent pregnancies. throughout the life cycle.
Disease Prevention and Control -
Students will demonstrate the ability Disease Prevention and Control - Disease Prevention and Control -
to apply prevention and treatment Students will demonstrate the ability Students will demonstrate the
knowledge, skills, and strategies to to apply prevention and treatment ability to apply prevention and
reduce susceptibility and manage knowledge, skills, and strategies to treatment knowledge, skills, and
disease. reduce susceptibility and manage strategies to reduce susceptibility
disease. and manage disease.

National Health Education Standards: In addition to content standards, we will focus on the National Health Education
Standards. These practices were developed to establish, promote and support health-enhancing behaviors for students
Standard 1: Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health
 Standard 2: Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture,media, technology, and other factors on health
behaviors. Standard 3: Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information, products, and services to enhance
health.
Standard 4: Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or
reduce health risks.
Standard 5: Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health.
Standard 6: Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health
Standard 7: Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.
Standard 8: Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.
Course
Grading:
Your grade in this course will be determined based upon your progress towards mastery of the
standards
Specifically, all classwork and assessments will be weighted equally.
All assignments will be based out of 10 points.

Opportunity for Mastery:

Per AACPS regulation, students may redo up to three assessments and/or assignments each quarter. Students are encouraged, but
not required, to participate in teacher-led reteaching. All redo items must be completed within ten days of receiving the original
grade and may only be redone one time. The higher of the two grades will be used for calculating the student’s quarter grade. The
teacher may choose to have the student redo all of an assessment or assignment or may have the student only redo specific items
or parts of the work. Students may not redo homework, the quarterly assessment, or a large project. Assessments or assignments
due in the last week of the quarter are not eligible.

Late Work and Incomplete Assignments:

Students are expected to submit assignments on the date that they are due. Students are expected to complete assignments, in
full, to the best of his/her ability and students should take advantage of tutoring and reteaching opportunities so that the student
can submit his/her best work. Late assignments are penalized 10% for each day it is late up until five school days (not A/B days).
After five school days, the assignment becomes a zero and may not be submitted for a grade.
Teachers shall assign a minimum grade of 50% to assignments or assessments for which the student made a good faith effort, as
determined by the teacher, to meet the basic requirements. If a student does no work on an assignment or assessment, the
teacher shall assign a grade of zero.
When a student is absent, it is the student’s responsibility to get the make-up work. The student will be allotted the same number
of days equal to the number of days absent to make-up work.

Recording of Grades and Communication with Parents:

Per AACPS regulation, all grades, with the exception of lengthy assignments such as projects and extended writing assignments, will
be entered into Parent Connect within one week of assignment submission. Parents can check Parent Connect regularly to monitor
student grades.

Academic Dishonesty:
A student who exhibits academic dishonesty as determined by the teacher and administrator shall receive a zero on the particular
assignment in question. Consequences for violations may vary according to the severity of the violation and shall follow the
progressive interventions and discipline as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. 
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My child and I have read the syllabus and understand the expectations of this class.

Student name (print) ______________________________________________

Student’s signature ________________________________________________

Parent’s name (print) _____________________________________________

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