New legislation has been added to Comprehensive Health Education, which touches upon such topics as first aid and human trafficking.

The community will have the opportunity to speak about the district’s Comprehensive Health Education curriculum for middle and high school students during the public hearing portion of the school board’s May 10 board meeting.

A presentation was provided to the School Board of Lee County during its April 12 briefing meeting.

Comprehensive Health Education was recognized by Florida lawmakers almost 50 years ago. In 1978, it became a general program with a goal of it serving as a model for other states. Over the years new topics have been added, such as in the 1980s with the concerns of HIV and teen dating violence education, according to Health Curriculum Teacher on Assignment Leisha Roy.

“Some of those additional statutes were earmarked because of certain needs,” she said, such as substance abuse.

In 2019 three rules were added to Comprehensive Health Education.

Those include mental and emotional health for grades sixth through 12th with five hours of annual, developmentally appropriate instruction. Substance use and abuse health education, as well as child trafficking prevention were also added for kindergarten through 12th grade.

Roy said as of this past summer first aid training in public schools became new legislation. The first aid training, is not to certify students, but to demonstrate they can adequately perform chest compressions.

“We had a donation of 16 CPR and first aid kits received in February. At the same time we trained about 100 staff members. We didn’t certify. We just gave training,” she said.

School District of Lee County Elementary Curriculum and Instruction Director Dr. Bethany Quisenberry said the new piece of legislation for elementary students is the K-5 Safer, Smarter Kids, which covers child trafficking prevention.

“We provide script for which pieces of curriculum to pull out,” she said of a provided play list inside of the teacher’s launchpad. “Safer, Smarter Kids really focuses on using your voice. How to stay safe.”

Quisenberry said the curriculum is typically a couple weeks of 30 minute lessons, which are done towards the end of the year by grade level. There also is a district created substance use and abuse curriculum for kindergarten, first and second graders.

The district-wide instruction also includes Generation Rx Substance Use and Abuse curriculum for third, fourth and fifth graders. The lessons are up to 90 minutes and focuses on what is medicine, as well as who to take medicine from.

The district also hopes to reintroduce a supplemental program for elementary students, the Healthy Living Lab, a collaboration with food services. Quisenberry said they are looking to rebuild the program by utilizing some community groups.

Quisenberry said they do not teach any sexuality in elementary school curriculum.

Middle School Curriculum and Instruction Director Lori Houchin said sixth grade students can take health in two different ways, by semester or through peer counseling all year long.

“In addition, schools can choose to offer health in seventh and eighth and those are semester courses as well,” she said.

The instructional focuses on nutrition and physical activity, substance use and abuse, mental health, Family Life, communicable diseases and CRP/AED/ first aid training.

Family Life and communicable diseases are portions from which families can opt their child out.

Houchin said they send out a letter 30 days prior to those topics being taught to provide parents with that opportunity.

“We are working for that to appear in FOCUS,” she said.

The last portion of the presentation focused on high school.

High School Curriculum and Instruction Director Candace Allevato said they are using the same textbook for the high school HOPE course that was adopted in the 2015-2016 school year. There are two courses offered HOPE CORE and HOPE physical education variations.

“Some will alternate between physical education pieces and health standards. There are opportunities for high school students to have courses waived. There are 13 percent of students at high school that take this course,” Allevato said.

The areas of instructional focus include understanding health and wellness; CPR/AED/ first aid training; substance use and abuse; mental health (teen dating violence and abuse); Family Life and communicable diseases.

Again parents have the opportunity to opt out of the Mental Health, Family Life and communicable diseases portion.

A letter will “go home 30 days in advance that details the unit of study. It highlights those features of what is inside that unit,” she said.