• Students research how to increase their overall health and longevity and study the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle.
• After reviewing informational texts and multimedia resources, students write essays that detail changes they would like to make to enable them to live a healthy lifestyle.

• Through video segments, reading materials, web quests, and whole-class discussions, students review the physical, emotional, and social effects of alcohol use and abuse.
• Students review the laws regarding alcohol use and purchase as it pertains to the underage drinker and/or driver and the adult who provides the alcohol to the minor.
• Students discuss case studies related to this topic.
• Students complete a project about the dangers of binge drinking associated with alcohol poisoning.

• Students enhance their knowledge of tobacco and nicotine by studying topics associated with users such as addiction, carbon monoxide, mainstream smoke, sidestream smoke, secondhand smoke, smokeless tobacco, snuff, tar, and withdrawal.
• Students explain how the addictive chemicals in nicotine cause physical and psychological dependency, in turn leading to diseases.
• Students research tobacco cessation programs.
• Students analyze the techniques the media uses to encourage and discourage the use of tobacco and nicotine.
• Students analyze internal factors (i.e. curiosity) and external factors (i.e. peer pressure) that may affect their decisions to use or not use tobacco/nicotine.
• Students identify resources in school and the community that help with problems related to tobacco and nicotine.
• Students learn strategies to help them make informed decisions to promote a healthy lifestyle.

• Students enhance their knowledge of the effects of drug abuse on the body physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially.
• Students gain awareness of the negative effects that drugs play on the growth and development of the body and the risks associated with addiction.
• Students complete partner projects about the dangers of marijuana use. Through role-playing activities, students demonstrate refusal skills associated with preventing drug use.
• Students analyze decision making steps and practice refusal skills. Through reading informational texts, students learn and discuss the dangers associated with misusing prescription pain medication and the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

Once every two years we provide a presentation to  students in Freshman Health and Teen Health Issues on firearm safety. Parents may choose to exempt their students from these presentations.    Using developmentally age-appropriate instructional materials,  our presentation focuses on the following key points:

• Identify  skills and actions that are essential to  ensuring personal safety and developing prosocial behaviors, including safe storage and appropriate use of weapons and responsible actions in the presence of unattended weapons.
• Recognize that if your family has firearms in the house, they should never be shown to a peer or young child. 
• Firearms may be used responsibly and legally by  people participating in organized outdoor sporting clubs such as shooting/gun clubs, fish and game clubs, and hunting.
• Some students in the classroom may have fired, received training in safe firearm use or joined family members in hunting or target shooting.
• Firearm ownership and responsible use is a right that people should not be criticized for exercising; just as people who believe there should be more restrictions placed on firearm ownership should not be criticized for their views.
• Weapons of any type are not allowed in school.  Understanding the importance of everyone’s role in maintaining the safety of the school community,  always report any safety concern to adults in the school building. 

• Students identify behaviors they must engage in to keep everyone safe on the road, including the role of the passenger.
• After participating in the virtual Safe Driving programs, students create posters and/or videos about teen safe driving.

• Students consider why it is important to know how to perform CPR and First Aid procedures. Through video segments, reading materials, web quests, and whole-class discussions, students review the procedures for CPR and First Aid and create a poster detailing the components of each.
• Students receive training on CPR and practice CPR breathing techniques and chest compressions as part of their learning.

• Students research and discuss how stress affects their mental, emotional, and social health.
• Students use health resources to assess their own personal stress levels, seek out stress management skills, and identify the skills and techniques they will choose to employ.

• Students learn about the warning signs and risk factors for suicide and the resources available to help support them and others.
• Teachers explain school protocols for helping students who may be at risk of suicide and help students identify trusted adults to whom they can turn to support themselves and others.
• Students read and watch videos related to self-harm and risk-taking, and they complete a self-risk assessment to determine their health risks and unhealthy behaviors.
• Students demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors to avoid and reduce health risks.

• Students explain the LGBTQ+ acronym, which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning, terms used to describe a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Students participate in a guest speaker program ASHA (Adolescent Sexual Health Awareness) about topics related to LBGTQ+.
• A variety of strategies and approaches will be discussed to enable students to be accepting and treat everyone equally.
• Students demonstrate care, empathy, respect, and responsibility for others without bias, abuse, discrimination, or harassment based on, but not limited to, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, marital status, mental retardation, mental disorder and learning and/or physical disability.

• Students discuss and research the answers to the questions, “What is the importance of social and emotional wellness to my lifestyle?” and “How can I improve my social/emotional wellness?”
• Students describe the interrelationship of mental, emotional, social, and physical health throughout adulthood and use health resources to evaluate their emotional wellness and set goals for improving aspects of their social and emotional well being.

• Students comprehend concepts related to physical, mental, emotional, and social development and the impact on self and others.
• Students demonstrate the ability to access valid sexual health information, products, and services.
• Students demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors to avoid and reduce sexual health risks.
• Guest speakers provide a presentation on a variety of topics. Speakers include a counselor from the Sexual Assault Crisis Center of Eastern, CT, speakers from the CT State Dept. of Education, a speaker from UConn’s Revolution against Rape program, a Safe Relationships guest speaker, and Coventry’s School Safety Officer, and a Coventry Police Officer who discuss internet safety and sex trafficking.
• Students discuss topics related to sexual assault, abuse, and prevention with the experts.

• Through a variety of activities, students define what HIV/AIDS is and identify the stages and progress of the disease. Group discussion, web quests, and lectures help students understand the transmission of HIV and how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, including abstinence.
• Students identify the risks of HIV, common signs and symptoms, treatment options, and dangers associated with STDs.
• Students understand the importance of avoiding risky behaviors that will promote a healthy lifestyle.
• Students complete a web quest for community resources for sexual health awareness programs.
• Students identify school and community resources for valid information and help for persons affected by HIV/AIDS.
• Students identify and understand confidential sources are available for prevention, information, counseling, and assistance.
• Guest speakers from community agencies meet with classes to discuss personal battles with HIV/AIDS. Students engage in virtual visitation to community agencies for flyers and pamphlets regarding STD prevention.
• Students learn through web quests, guest speakers, and video clips, the importance of protection/abstinence in maintaining positive, healthy relationships.

• Students explore steps in the decision-making process. They demonstrate the ability to make health-enhancing decisions using the collaborative decision-making process, predicting the immediate and long-term impact of decisions on the individual, family, and community.
• Students practice the decision-making process using authentic situation models. Students identify personal high school goals that connect to the CHS mission statement and Portrait of the Graduate.
• Students create steps and identify potential barriers and solutions that will serve as a path to achieving their goal. Students individually outline the seven habits in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and apply them to their own goal setting.

• Students research favorite complete meals from restaurants, citing the nutritional content of the meals. After calculating calories, saturated fat, total fat, sodium, sugar, and fiber content, students examine the totals to determine if the results are within the USDA recommended amounts and summarize their findings making recommendations for changing their menu choices to better meet healthful guidelines.
• Students analyze breakfast choices by recording nutritive values (sugar, fiber, and calories) of common breakfast items and ranking the items from healthiest to least healthy.
• Students research a disease that is often caused by diet choices or exercise habits such as Type II diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and some cancers.
• Students identify risk factors, genetic links, symptoms, effects, treatment options, and prevention ideas including specific dietary recommendations.

• Students discuss bullying legislation and connect it to the CHS policy on bullying. Students examine the feelings and effects on all involved - the bully, the victim, and the bystander/witness.
• Students discuss the ramifications of cyberbullying through case study analysis.
• Students define sexual harassment and examine the types of sexual harassment.
• Students identify steps to take if sexually harassed and practice the necessary communication skills to be clear and assertive toward the harasser.
• Students determine the warning signs of dating abuse such as controlling and jealous behavior through reading a variety of reliable informational texts.
• Students identify an action plan of how to safely end an abusive relationship and where and how to seek professional help.
• Students identify trusted adults with whom they can seek support for themselves or others.
• Students discuss the state laws and determine the differences related to sexual assault (especially concerning minors), acquaintance rape, and rape.
• Students determine ways to reduce their risk of becoming involved in these crimes.
• Students assess situations for risk factors and learn how to seek help and/or report such a crime.

• Students practice stress management techniques such as employing laughter, music, exercise, writing/journaling, deep breathing, and guided imagery meditation; they read current health articles that provide further information including the benefits of these techniques.
• Students analyze their time management skills and indicate where and how they could improve their use of time.
• Students define and read about “resilience” and discuss the benefits of being resilient and consider how to respond with resiliency to current or future setbacks.
• Students discuss situational depression and clinical depression.
• Students learn about the warning signs and risk factors for suicide and the resources available to help support them and others.
• Teachers explain school protocols for helping students who may be at risk of suicide and help students identify trusted adults to whom they can turn to support themselves and others.
• Students demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors to avoid and reduce health risks.

• Using a variety of reliable databases and informational texts, students research information about various drugs including ecstasy, Rohypnol, ketamine, GHB, LSD, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and prescription drugs.
• Students develop and share class presentations on these topics.
• Students review drug classifications, effects on the respiratory and central nervous systems, and how accidental overdose can occur.
• Students discuss how overdoses could have been prevented and what actions they could take in similar situations, either as the user or bystander/friend.
• Students examine physiological and psychological drug addictions and which drugs can be addictive after the first use.

Once every two years we provide a presentation to  students in Freshman Health and Teen Health Issues on firearm safety. Parents may choose to exempt their students from these presentations.    Using developmentally age-appropriate instructional materials,  our presentation focuses on the following key points:

• Identify  skills and actions that are essential to  ensuring personal safety and developing prosocial behaviors, including safe storage and appropriate use of weapons and responsible actions in the presence of unattended weapons.
• Recognize that if your family has firearms in the house, they should never be shown to a peer or young child. 
• Firearms may be used responsibly and legally by  people participating in organized outdoor sporting clubs such as shooting/gun clubs, fish and game clubs, and hunting.
• Some students in the classroom may have fired, received training in safe firearm use or joined family members in hunting or target shooting.
• Firearm ownership and responsible use is a right that people should not be criticized for exercising; just as people who believe there should be more restrictions placed on firearm ownership should not be criticized for their views.
• Weapons of any type are not allowed in school.  Understanding the importance of everyone’s role in maintaining the safety of the school community,  always report any safety concern to adults in the school building. 

• Students review reproductive anatomy and the function of both male and female reproductive systems.
• Students define abstinence and explain the benefits of postponing sexual activity.
• Students define sexually transmitted diseases and modes of transmission.
• Students identify the most common symptoms of STDs, which STDs are incurable, which could be fatal, and preventive methods.
• Students research local resources that provide testing and counseling.
• Students define HIV/AIDS and examine the difference between being HIV positive and having AIDS.
• Students identify the risky behaviors that can transmit HIV and body fluids that carry enough viral load to infect another person.
• Students read informational texts written by teens about teen parenting and discuss the impact on teens of becoming teen parents.
• Students research contraceptive methods and classify which are appropriate for young adults.