Westport Schools Outline Health Lessons For Fifth-Graders

WESTPORT, CT — Westport fifth-graders will take part in three human growth and development lessons between May 2 and June 17, and the school system is inviting parents to attend information sessions ahead of them.

School officials said the health education curriculum was approved by the board of education and includes the following topics:

• Safety and accident prevention
• Human growth and development
• Mental and emotional health
• Disease prevention
• Community and consumer health
• Substance abuse prevention
• Sexual assault and abuse prevention

During each lesson, students will watch a video and have a follow-up discussion. They will be separated by sex and will learn about "the scope of physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty and how to best care for themselves during this time," school officials said.

Fifth-graders will also participate in a "Safe and Healthy Boundaries" co-ed lesson, designed to help students recognize sexual harassment and know what to do if they see or experience it.

State law requires each school district to implement a sexual assault and abuse prevention and awareness program, school officials said.

Parents can submit a written request to the principal if they want to exempt their child from any of the instruction, though the schools said it is their "strong recommendation" that all students attend the programming.

Parents who want more information can attend one of two info sessions, where health educators will discuss the curriculum, share information and respond to questions.

Both will take place at the Coleytown Elementary School Library, and they'll be at these dates and times:

• Tuesday, April 12 at 10 a.m.
• Wednesday, April 13 at 7 p.m.