Working in partnership Room One, a key provider of social and health-related services to community members residing in the Methow Valley and Okanogan County, the Methow Valley School District will be “field testing” the comprehensive middle school sex education curriculum titled, “Get Real” in grades 6,7, and 8 during the 2019-20 school year.
Want to learn more?
- We will be hosting a family information night, providing an overview of the comprehensive sex education middle school curriculum for grades 6,7, and 8 on October 8, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Liberty Bell cafeteria.
- We will be hosting a family information night, providing an overview of the comprehensive sex education elementary curriculum for grades 4, 5, and 6 on a date to be determined in November.
FAQ…
Why was the “Get Real” curriculum chosen for field-testing as part of an adoption process?
Rated second highest only to the high school version of the Get Real curriculum using OSPI’s evaluation rubric, the curriculum emphasizes social and emotional learning skills as a key component of healthy relationships and responsible decision-making. Published by ETR Associates, developed by Planned Parenthood, compliant with the Centers for Disease Control, Healthy Youth Act, AIDS Omnibus Act, and National Sexuality Education Standards, the information provided is medically accurate, age-appropriate, inclusive, and is shown to:
- Delay sex among middle school students who received Get Real.
- Empower parents to be the primary sexuality educators of their children and help their kids delay sex.
- Reinforce family communication and improve communication skills for healthy relationships.
In addition to the research, national, state, and local endorsements, and results, what other reasons compel the district to field-test the Get Real curriculum?
Simply put, parent involvement… We believe parents are their children’s primary teacher. Research shows that children want to talk to their parents and other caring adults about relationships, sex and sexuality. We also know that these conversations might be challenging for some. Unlike many sex education curriculums, each lesson within the Get Real curriculum contains a family letter outlining that lesson’s content, as well as family activities that you and your child can do together at home.
What if I don’t wish for my child to participate?
We recognize that for some of our parents and families, sex education is topic to be taught in the home. Parents have the right to opt-out, choosing to not have their child participate in part or full.
After attending the family information night and/or viewing the curriculum, if you choose to opt your child out of any of these lessons, we’ll ask that you return a letter previously sent to you with your signature, your child’s name, and the lessons (in part or full) that you wish for your child to not participate. If your child does not participate in part or full, alternative educational opportunities will be made available.
What if I can’t attend?
If you cannot attend and/or you have further questions about the scheduled implementation of the Get Real curriculum, the resources and materials, instructional approaches, your options as a parent, would like to discuss this unit with teaching staff, or would like to view the Get Real curriculum privately, please contact LBHS Junior High School Health Teacher, Matt Hinckley at mhinckley@methow.org or Room One Health Educator, Keri Moore at keri@roomone.org. Matt and Keri are more than happy to make themselves available to you.
Looking forward, how will the district determine whether or not to formally adopt the Get Real curriculum, and when?
At the conclusion of the field-testing process, the Methow Valley School District, working with Room One will evaluate the results using a pre- and post-implementation survey involving participating students, parents, and staff. The results will be available to the public. In addition, we examine other relevant sources of information before sharing the data collected with the Instructional Materials Committee.
After reviewing the information gathered, the Instructional Materials Committee will make a final recommendation to the Methow Valley School Board of Directors to adopt the Get Real curriculum or extend the process to include consideration for other comprehensive sex education curriculum that is medically accurate, age-appropriate, inclusive, and compliant.