Practically Speaking

Kyle,

THANK YOU for bring this to the attention of the community.  I believe kids are much more aware of sexual messages presented in the media.  By fourth grade most children need to know what is off limits before some may innocently mimic what is seen, read about, or overheard.  Most tragic is the perpetration of improper behaviors on other younger kids. We as parents, community, and school must do all we can to help impart to this upcoming generation that there are clear personal boundaries.

So far in my review, I have found two DVDs which I would keep.  These offered good information, confident and comfortable delivery style, and were age appropriate.

While advice has generally been to answer questions children raise, some of the materials go way beyond that in providing biological detail kids do not want, are not interested in, and generally obfuscates the issue.  For example, if your child pointed to an apple and asked "what's this?", would you launch into detail about the nutritional content, various ways to prepare, organic vs home grown vs farmers market, agricultural / horticultural practices, number of years until a tree bears fruit, sanitary practices, anatomy of the digestive system, problems such as reflux, diarrhea, and other tangently related issues?  Almost as if to avoid answering the question the child posed?  Or would you let them know it was a good question, answer it simply, ask if they have more questions, and encourage them to let you know when they do?

I found a few of the videos to do this very thing, showing students the difference between circumcised and uncircumcised, sample breast for palpation for cancerous lumps, and generally presenting an overwhelming array of information many of them may not have been curious about... while coming up short regarding empowering kids to say "no" to sexual "games", intrusive questions, "just-between-us" secrets, and also short on emphasis that sexual conduct is for the two-fold purposes of adding to the permanent bond of marriage, and procreation.  

I encourage parents to preview materials and provide meaningful detail to the district to help guide in the selection of materials.  Materials I have seen range from the mundane, repetitive, mind-numbing variety to the helpful nuggets of information, to live footage of vaginal human birth (shown as being miraculously and unrealistically pain free).

I encourage parents to be alert to the fact that even when they exempt their children from HGD lessons, some lessons are considered mandatory and the children will therefore still attend them.  The district is working to plainly identify these mandatory lessons for transparency.  Lessons are to be scheduled, parents notified in advance, and according to policy, lessons are open for parents to attend.  Please be involved as often the materials may raise more questions for our kids than they answer.

Wow CHERI M, thanks for the great assessment! You really did your homework, as usual.

Here's one elf that's still grateful he received his 6th grade HG&D from Ms. Marlene during recess out back of the school between the utility sheds just off the playground.

All the stuff you described above would have frightened this little elf into skipping the lab altogether!

Sure glad I don't have any kids in school just now. All this ought to be helpful to parents, not mind boggling. It's just sad that at the same time that schools are losing touch with fiscal reality, they are also losing touch with issues so sensitive to parents hearts.