POSITIVE PUBERTY BODY CHANGES IN THE UPPER MIDDLE AND SENIOR SYNDICATE 2014

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1 POSITIVE PUBERTY BODY CHANGES IN THE UPPER MIDDLE AND SENIOR SYNDICATE 2014 Dear Parents, Since there were not enough parents able to attend the positive puberty session on Thursday evening, we have decided instead to send out the information on the content we will be covering as many parents have indicated since the yesterday that they are keen to find out more about what the programme entails. We recognise that children will be at all different stages with their understanding of body changes. It is totally fine if your child currently knows nothing, so do not feel as though you have to quickly rush in and tell them everything, although that is totally your prerogative should you wish to do so. What we plan to do is give all children the same message about body changes. From prior knowledge it is about changing preconceptions some children have, many incorrect or based on hearsay from older siblings or friends who have put them wrong! All children will be in class together and will be informed about the changes that will be happening to both males and females. There will be one session where the children are separated into gender groups, where more in-depth information will be shared appropriate to the gender. Commonly asked questions. Why do we teach children about puberty at this age? Some children are beginning to develop and go through puberty earlier these days. There have been girls at this school who have had their period as young as nine. Many children start to grow under arm hair and breasts start to develop. We want to educate children so that they are aware of the changes they will be going through and can be understanding of the changes other children are going through. Will you be teaching our children about sex? We will not be teaching children about sex. We will be covering body changes and explaining parts of the body and their functions. This is stated clearly in the first lesson plan where we set a safe and supportive learning environment. We will be telling children that if any questions from the question box allude to sex then that will be something that they will need to ask their parents/caregivers. If your child does ask you any questions related to sex then it is up to you whether you answer them now or think it is best to wait until they are older. What is the purpose? Sexuality education: Key concepts In order to know about and understand the physical, mental and emotional, social, and spiritual growth and development that will occur and the new needs that will arise during puberty, students will: develop knowledge of the changes that come with puberty; demonstrate strategies to manage these changes;

2 describe strategies for managing changes in relationships. In order to examine the factors influencing their choices during puberty, students will: identify ways in which their peers and the media shape young people's opinions, decisions, and choices; recognise ways in which their family and culture influence their own attitudes and values. In order to develop a positive attitude towards the changes they experience during puberty, students will: recognise and describe their own feelings about puberty; recognise and describe rights and responsibilities that relate to the experience of puberty (both their own and those of others); How parents can help: Have regular discussions with your child about what is discussed in class and what they have learnt. Some children will happily chat about what has been talked about while others will pretend it never happened! Visit one of the websites below for more information so you can talk about changes in a pragmatic factual way Buy one or two of the many books that are on offer now for children on puberty. Even if your child is not ready for reading them yet, having them on their bookcase means that they can pick them up and read them when they are ready. The What s happening to my body book for boys. Everything a girl / boy needs to know Kaz Cook - Girl stuff Secret girls / boys business What s happening to me? Puberty girl Teen talk Hair, there and everywhere The care and keeping of you - book for younger girls Boys body book Please feel free to contact your child s teacher or Kirsten Lang if you still have any questions.

3 The puberty unit will be broken into approximately 11 lesson modules. Lesson 1 Body Changes Set guidelines that ensure a safe and supportive learning environment Learn the correct terminology for the different body parts of male and female Discuss what they already know regarding body changes during puberty and find new info Lesson 2 Body Changes Learn about the internal and external parts of the male/female reproductive organs Understand why bodies have to go through these changes. Lesson 3 What about teasing? Suggested learning outcomes Students will: describe how the actions of other people can influence young people's sense of self-worth during puberty. identify instances of discrimination that affect young people during puberty and describe ways to support their own rights and those of other. There are many different opinions about good ways for women and men (or girls and boys) to treat each other. Sometimes people who tease are behaving in the way they believe is right for their gender. People need to be sure that when they enjoy themselves with other people, they do not say or do things that hurt others; for example, something said "as a joke" may not be interpreted as a joke. Discuss the responsibility of people who tease. (It does help for teased people to become assertive, but the people who tease also need to take responsibility for their actions.) Discuss the following questions. Do people really ask to be put down? Is it OK to abuse somebody else? What do we mean by abuse? Occasional verbal harassment? Physical violence? Ask the students to place themselves on an imaginary continuum that shows to what extent they are one who teases or one who is teased. (They may be willing to place themselves physically on such a continuum, depending on their trust in the group.) Ask them to think of this continuum first as it applies to them at school and then as it applies at home.

4 Ask the students to remember, as individuals, what they tease others about or what they get teased about. Then ask them to think about why they tease and how they react when they are teased. Has the type of teasing changed as they have got older? Is any of it related to their growing up and changing? The students could identify the support structures available in their school (if teasing is occurring there) Lesson 4 Body Changes Learn about the menstruation cycle Learn about wet dreams and spontaneous erections. This lesson usually runs over two sessions with the second session(the only one in the unit) having the gender groups split. This is so the teachers can give the genders more information for example the girls session will be on how pads and tampons work and the different types and how to take care of yourself when you have your period. Girls to work with two teachers and discuss the menstrual cycle and answer any questions that girls may have about periods. Boys to work with two teachers to discuss any male specific issues such as wet dreams, spontaneous erections. Mainly question and answer time, though in the girls group there will be demonstrations/explanations of how to use sanitary pads and tampons and a crossword/quiz Lesson 5 Hygiene Understand their bodies changing hygiene needs Identify practices that will ensure they have good hygiene What are the basic ways that people need to keep clean and hygienic? (focus on skin care, hair care, deodorant, showering, clean clothes etc) Why are the above things so important during puberty? Increased level of oils in the skin, new kind of sweat that carries odour with it. Lesson 6 Daily routines This session would be about the students coming up with ideas to manage pubertal changes as part of their daily routines. It may be done in the form of question stations with children presenting a station as a group. Questions 1. What can you do to minimise body odour (BO)? 2. What can you do to care for your skin when you get pimples?

5 3. Why do you need to be just as careful about washing the genital area as other parts of the body? 4. How do you fit the need for extra personal care into your daily and family routines? 5. What are your nutritional needs during puberty? 6. How much sleep do people need during puberty? 7. Why is it important to maintain regular exercise during puberty? 8. How often should you change your underwear and socks? 9. Is there a good time to start shaving? If so, when is it? 10. What are the cleaning routines for uncircumcised penises? 11. How often should you wash your hair? 12. How do girls decide what to use when they have their period? 13. When you are menstruating, how do you clean, or dispose of, used towels, pads, or tampons? 14. What do you do if you get an erection in a public place? Lesson 7 Diet and Exercise Learn about how diet and exercise affect them Understand the bodies needs for different food types e.g proteins, carbohydrate etc Understand the dangers of not eating a range of foods in moderation Dangers of eating too much food that isn t good for you explain about moderation rather than a ban of these foods. Discuss the benefits of different types of food and what they provide the body with. Dangers of fad diets and how they aren t a sustainable eating choice Talk about the importance of energy in and energy out and how people have different metabolisms Students to research into how many kilojoules/calories people their age should be taking in and what their recommended exercise level is. Lesson 8 Body Image Discuss the different body shapes that people have Understand how eating well can help you maintain a desirable body shape Discuss preconceptions and stereotypes that people have based on the size of a person. Lesson 9 Body Image media influence Understand the purpose of advertising Look at how influential advertising and marketing is to a product

6 Understand that advertising and media is not a realistic reflection of life, people and their issues. Lesson 10 Bullying and Peer pressure Understand the importance of standing up for beliefs or values that you won t compromise Understand the importance of letting people make their own decision and respecting those decisions See that there are different roles involved in many cases of bullying Lesson 11 Social Networking Understand the pros and cons of social networking Learn how to be safe, responsible users of social networking sites Create their own rules to be followed when using social networking