Sex Ed Night Recap

On Thursday 10/20, I hosted a virtual Sex Ed Information Night for parents/guardians of SGS students. Sex Ed Night has three main goals every year: Give folks a chance to get to know me a bit, provide a basic overview of topics covered each year, and support parents/guardians. You can watch the zoom video recording here with passcode: f1YZ5.1!

Who is this person who will be teaching Sex Ed (puberty, healthy relationships, sex, anatomy, consent, etc.) to your student this year? Hi! I’m Hannah and I’ve been teaching Sex Ed each year to all the grades at SGS for 13+ years as part of our Adventure & Wellness curriculum. I also coach after school sports and manage our snow programs (stay tuned for more information about that in the next few weeks). I grew up in Seattle but now live in Bremerton. I have always wanted to be a teacher and I love ice cream year round.

For information about the topics covered each year here is the slideshow here from last week's presentation. You’ll also find links to books and websites that I think are excellent resources. 5th, 6th, & 8th grades will be beginning their Sex Ed unit in January when we return from winter break. 7th grade will begin next week. Students can expect to still play warm up games each day and do a work out each week. 

I want you to know that I am here as a resource for you, adults at home. If you have questions or want to give me a heads up about how things are going it can help me adjust my teaching. Throughout the unit students will be assigned to have conversations with their adults at home. These are student directed conversations (with prompts that I provide) that allow them to practice initiating conversations and setting up the conditions that work for them. Prompts that I provide may include things like “Who were your friends when you were my age?” “How do the relationships on TV and in movies compare to what it's like being in a real romantic relationship?” “Have you ever been nervous or uncomfortable about going to the doctor? What recommendations do you have for working through the nervousness to get medical help when needed?” These questions are designed to give adults at home a chance to share a bit about themselves and their experience and share familial values. It’s ok to say I don’t know, let me get back to you on that.

Lastly, your student wants to hear from you and cares about what you think. Even if they roll their eyes. Even if they say they don’t want to talk about it. Your middle schooler wants you. This doesn’t mean to bulldoze. We still get to be thoughtful and follow their lead while you figure out how to get in and stay close with them. But know that you are wanted, even when they have a hard time showing it. 

You got this!