Health Education: Helping Students Build Healthy Habits for Life

Health class in 5th grade is about much more than learning facts. Students develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to make healthy choices, care for themselves and others, and build habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Our goal is to help students become informed, responsible decision-makers who understand how physical, mental, emotional, and social health all work together.

What Will My Child Learn?

❤️ Healthy Foundations

Students learn how healthy habits influence their overall well-being. They practice setting personal goals, making responsible choices, developing positive self-confidence, and taking ownership of their health and daily decisions.

Students will learn to:

• Build healthy daily habits

• Set personal health goals

• Develop positive self-esteem

• Make responsible decisions

• Understand how today's choices affect tomorrow

🧠 Mental & Emotional Health

Students develop skills for recognizing and managing emotions, coping with stress, building resilience, and maintaining healthy relationships. They also learn when and how to seek help from trusted adults.

Students will learn to:

• Recognize and manage emotions

• Practice healthy ways to handle stress

• Show empathy and kindness

• Build healthy friendships

• Ask trusted adults for help when needed

🥗 Nutrition & Physical Activity

Students explore how nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and other healthy habits work together to support lifelong wellness. They also learn how media and advertising can influence food and health choices.

Students will learn to:

• Make healthy food choices

• Understand the importance of regular physical activity

• Recognize how nutrition affects the body

• Develop lifelong healthy habits

• Make informed decisions about health information

🛡️ Safety & Disease Prevention

Students learn practical strategies for staying safe at school, at home, online, and in the community. They also learn how diseases spread, how to prevent illness, and how to respond appropriately during emergencies.

Students will learn to:

• Practice personal safety

• Prevent illness through healthy habits

• Stay safe while using technology

• Respond appropriately during emergencies

• Respect and support individuals with health conditions

🚭 Substance Abuse Prevention

Students develop the knowledge and confidence to make healthy choices regarding alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, vaping, prescription medications, and other harmful substances. Emphasis is placed on decision-making, peer pressure, and choosing healthy alternatives.

Students will learn to:

• Understand the dangers of harmful substances

• Resist peer pressure

• Make healthy choices

• Know where to seek help

• Understand how decisions impact future health

🌱 Growing & Changing (Human Development)

As students approach adolescence, they learn about the physical, emotional, and social changes that occur during puberty. Instruction emphasizes that everyone develops at their own pace and encourages students to ask questions and seek guidance from trusted adults.

Students will learn to:

• Understand the changes that occur during puberty

• Recognize that everyone develops differently

• Practice healthy self-care

• Identify trusted adults for guidance and support

• Develop personal safety skills and healthy boundaries

Utah law requires parent notification and consent for portions of the Human Development curriculum. Additional information will be provided before this unit is taught.

Our Goal

Health education helps students develop lifelong habits that support success both inside and outside the classroom. Throughout the year, students learn to care for their bodies, strengthen their minds, build healthy relationships, make responsible decisions, and contribute positively to their families, school, and community.

Together, these skills help students become healthier, more confident, and better prepared for the opportunities and challenges they will face as they grow.