California state law (AB329), the new California Healthy Youth Act, requires that comprehensive, grade appropriate sexual education and HIV prevention education be provided to students at least once in middle school and once in high school.

At the middle school, in grades 6­8, the topics of healthy lifestyles and relationships are taught in science classes towards the end of spring semester. Instruction must encourage students to communicate with parents, guardians, or other trusted adults about healthy lifestyles and relationships. Instruction must also be medically accurate, age-appropriate and inclusive of all students. The following topics will be discussed in each grade:

Grade 6:
• Information about healthy relationships and avoiding unhealthy behaviors and situations
• Puberty (physical and psychosocial changes)/ hygiene and body image

Grade 7:
• Review from 6 th grade: puberty
• Information about sexual orientation and gender identity, including the harm of negative gender stereotypes.
• Information about avoiding unhealthy behaviors and situations and how to respond to protect themselves.
• Information about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including transmission, FDA approved methods to prevent HIV and STIs, and treatment.
• Information about abstinence being the only certain way to prevent unintended pregnancy, HIV and other STIs, and information about the value of delaying sexual activity
• Information about pregnancy, including FDA-approved prevention methods, pregnancy outcomes, prenatal care, and the newborn safe surrender law

Grade 8:
• 7th grade topics will be reviewed (see 7th grade).
• Discussion on the social views of HIV and AIDS and the aids epidemic

If you have any questions regarding these important but sensitive topics, please feel free to call your child’s teacher, or Assistant Principal.  If you do not wish your child to participate in any portion of this curriculum, please notify your child’s teacher in writing by April 28, 2017. If you choose that your child not participate, another curriculum will be provided to him/her.