Health Education
Contact Information
Phone: 301-766-2929
In Washington County Public Schools, Comprehensive Health Education includes instruction in the following seven content areas:
Standard #1: Mental and Emotional Health Unit
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- Brook Lane
- Coalition to Support Grieving Children
- Kids Health: Emotions and Behaviors
- Mental Health America
- National Institute of Mental Health
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- Self-injury Outreach and Support (SiOS)
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center
- Walking in Our Shoes
- Washington County Mental Health Authority
- Youth Suicide Prevention Program
- Washington County Department of Social Services
Standard #2: Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs unit
- Alternative Drug and Alcohol Counseling
- Brooke's House
- Drugabuse.gov
- Great American Smokeout
- Maryland Underage Drinking Laws (Alcohol Policy Information System)
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving
- National Cancer Institute Tobacco Awareness Program
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Stop Underage Drinking
- Tobacco Advertisements - Media Literacy/Analyzing Influences
- Too Smart to Start (SAMSHA.gov)
- Drug Free World.org
- Washington County Narcotics Task Force
standard #3: personal and consumer health unit
- Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information
- Health Insurance Information
- Onguard Online
- Wise Buys for Teens from Maryland Attorney General
- United States Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Washington County One Stop Job Center
Standard #4: Family life and human sexuality unit
- Adolescent Reproductive Health: Home (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Community Free Clinic
- Communicable Diseases - DHMH
- REACH of Washington County
- Teens Health - Sexual Health
- text4baby.org
- Washington County Family Center
- Teen Pregnancy Prevention
- Teen Resources
- Parent Resources
- Local Public Resources
- Community Free Clinic
- Washington County Health Department
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tri-State Community Health Center (Hancock)
- Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Standard #5: safety and injury unit
- American Heart Association
- American Red Cross
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Child Trafficking
- Connect Safely: Smart Socializing Starts Here
- Cyberbullying411
- Food and Drug Administration
- Netsmartz Workshop
- Onguard Online
- Stop Bullying.gov
- Wired Safety
Standard #6: Nutrition and fitness unit
- ChooseMyPlate.gov
- FDA.gov - Food Safety and Nutrition Information for Kids and Teens
- USDA Eat Smart. Play Hard. Healthy Lifestyle.
- Nutrition.gov
- Fitness.gov
- USDA.gov
- Fight BAC! Keep Foods Safe from Bacteria
- Food Safety - Your Gateway to Federal Food Safety Information
- Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think and Be Active (National Institutes of Health)
- HEAL of Washington County
standard #7: disease prevention and control unit
- American Cancer Society
- American Heart Association
- Breast Cancer Awareness - Cumberland Valley
- Meritus Health - Healthy Washington County
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
- PublicHealth.org Cancer in America
- Washington County Diabetes Prevention
In addition to these topics, the health education program includes components from school health services, food services, counseling and school psychology services and healthful school environments.
Since health education is multi-dimensional, it has application in many disciplines. Therefore, responsibility for delivery also is shared and/or reinforced in science, social studies, language arts, guidance, family life, physical education and family and consumer science.
At the elementary level, health education is taught primarily by physical education teachers. In middle schools, health education generally is taught as a rotation in Unified/Related Arts or in physical education. In high schools there is a one credit graduation requirement in the course Health Education/Life Skills.
Family Life is taught in grades 5-10. The topics include physical and emotional maturation, reproduction, physical and sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS instruction and information on pregnancy prevention with emphasis on abstinence. Students may be excused from this unit of the program upon written request from a student’s parent or guardian.