The HealthSmart program is designed for children in grades K-12 and responds to the challenges facing our children today. Our goal in utilizing this curriculum in grades K-5 is to lay the foundation early on for making healthy choices in early childhood, adolescence and throughout our students’ adult lives. We want to foster healthy attitudes and behavior, and even more importantly, prepare children to learn and succeed in school by creating healthy minds, confidence and support for one another. In addition to teaching concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention, HealthSmart lessons and learning activities provide opportunities to apply skills. Students are taught about feelings, self-respect, and how to access healthful resources beginning in kindergarten.

HealthSmart was designed by a team of health educators and is being funded by the Suffolk County Department of Health from New York State as a result of the tobacco industry lawsuit settlements. School districts around the Island have been afforded the opportunity to utilize this program K-12. In addition, the Suffolk County Police Department is working to enhance this program by partnering with the elementary schools in a program called PoliceSmart which will replace the DARE program.

The overall HealthSmart curriculum and PoliceSmart program covers, but is not limited to:

1. A focus on the 6 areas of health behavior identified by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as having the greatest effect on adolescent morbidity (sickness and injury) and mortality.

• behaviors that result in unintentional and intentional injury
• tobacco use
• alcohol and other drug use
• dietary patterns that contribute to disease
• insufficient physical activity
• sexual behaviors that result in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, other sexually transmitted disease (STD) and unintended pregnancy

2. Addresses in a sequential, step-by-step program each of the National Health Education Standards for health literacy and fosters the ability to obtain, interpret and apply basic health information and skills.

3. Learning activities which are designed to help students:

• develop and demonstrate health-enhancing skills
• make healthful decision making and apply goal setting strategies
• develop a value for healthful behaviors and shapes peer norms
• be confident in their choices and self directed in their actions
• advocate for and support the healthy choices of their peers

4. A curriculum focus on the following four units of study:

• Personal and Family Health
• Safety and Injury Prevention
• Nutrition and Physical Activity
• Tobacco & Alcohol Prevention

5. Materials which accompany the curriculum:

• Scope and Sequence Charts (Grades K-5)
• Teacher Guides
• Flip Charts
• Posters
• Blackline Masters
• Family Component – HealthSmart recognizes that parents and family are essential in the health education of children. Families are encouraged to get involved throughout the program. The family component is designed to increase communication and create opportunities for discussion of critical health issues. Activities such as Table Talk, Got a Minute and Family Letters are various ways family members can actively participate in their child’s health instruction.

6. HealthSmart provides various methods for assessing student’s growth within the program.

• Student portfolios
• Assessing My Own Learning
• Health Essays
• Health Actions Pamphlets
• A Plan for Teaching Health to Others
• Health Advocacy Letters

View the K-5 Scope and Sequence Charts

Return to the Sachem Curriculum Tools Page

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