In the spring semester during first period, freshmen switch from advisory, an elective, to health, a required credit for graduation. In health class, students study about sexual health and physical health..
“Learning about personal health is one of the most important things students learn in high school,’’ Tene Kelly, an assistant principal, said. “Your health impacts you for the rest of your life. New York State, and many other states, make health education mandatory for students. My opinion of why it’s important is because we need people to be healthy as a society. When people are not healthy mentally or physically, it causes a lot of stress on individuals, their families, the medical system, and our society. When people are not healthy, they can’t work or take care of their families well. It means that diseases spread and people die too young. We all need to know how to take care of our physical and mental health.”
Zoe Reyes, a freshman at Bronx River, says health class has been OK so far.. “I feel like a lot of the lessons in the textbook are pretty interactive and sometimes awkward but still end up making us laugh in class so nothing to complain about so far,” she said. “I do feel like I’ve learned a lot of the stuff mentioned already though.”

Even so, she appreciates the value in learning about issues from both a female and male’s point of view.

Justin Scott, a freshman at Bronx River, has mixed feelings about the class.  Health class is alright’,” he said. “It is a little boring though. They should make the activities more fun and entertaining.”

Because health is a required class, students need to take it seriously.

”To pass the class, students must demonstrate that they have met the New York State learning standards for Health through their health workbooks and projects,”’ Ms. Kelly said. ” Bronx River uses “Reducing the Risk Curriculum and Health Smart’’ curriculum that are aligned to the learning standards.

Want to know more?  Here is a link to the NYS learning standards. https://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/health-education.