Elementary Health Education

Charles County Public Schools offers a PK – 5th grade Comprehensive Skills-Based Health Education program that aligns with the Maryland State Department of Education’s Framework. The program aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to acquire, process, comprehend, and apply fundamental health information. This empowers students to make informed decisions, take charge of their well-being, and adopt a healthy lifestyle. Each school year, elementary students partake in a monthly health education lesson led by their classroom teacher. The instructional emphasis is on fostering health literacy, which involves obtaining, interpreting, and understanding basic health information and services. Content is tailored to promote age-appropriate skills for a healthy lifestyle, including effective communication, critical thinking, and responsible decision-making. Through developmentally appropriate content progression, the program ensures the delivery of medically accurate, scientific, research-based instruction. This equips students with a comprehensive understanding of health education concepts, promoting overall well-being.

Students will be able to:

• Learn about where to find basic health information.
• Use basic health information to make good decisions.
• Understand the importance of healthy habits.
• Recognize how certain choices can affect well-being.
• Understand the importance of asking trusted adults for help when needed.

Charles County Public Schools delivers age-appropriate comprehensive health education for elementary, school students, covering the following topics:

• Mental and Emotional Health
• Substance Abuse Prevention
• Family Life and Human Sexuality
• Safety and Violence Prevention
• Healthy Eating
• Disease Prevention & Control

Additional Topics: 

• Project D.A.R.E (5^th Grade)  

Instructed by the Charles County Sheriff’s Office 

Charles County Public Schools recognizes that parents/legal guardians play a vital role as the primary health educators for their children. We are dedicated to collaborating with and supporting you in this essential role. We strongly encourage parents/legal guardians to engage in conversations with their students about the listed topics, as well as addressing important subjects like bullying, individuality, and respect.

Our Family Life and Human Sexuality instruction is designed to be inclusive and accessible to all students, regardless of ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. Students will receive age-appropriate content focusing on healthy relationships, consent, and respecting personal boundaries. As part of the fifth-grade health education curriculum at Charles County Public Schools, students will explore the physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty. They will be provided with content addressing the transformations that take place in the human body during this period of development. This instruction aligns with the standards outlined in Maryland State Regulation 13A.14.18.01.

Parents/legal guardians of PK-12 students have the opportunity to view instructional materials used in the teaching of Family Life and Human Sexuality objectives. They also maintain the right to opt their student(s) out of this instruction without penalty.  In such cases, students who are opted out will engage in alternative learning activities in health education, with the potential inclusion of menstruation instruction when appropriate and at the discretion of the parent/legal guardian. Unless the Charles County Public Schools Family Life & Human Sexuality Opt-out Form is signed and returned, all students will receive instruction. The opt-out form will be distributed by the school or teacher providing instruction prior to the scheduled instruction taking place. 

Charles County Public Schools delivers age-appropriate Family Life & Human Sexuality instruction for elementary, middle, and high school students, covering the following topics: