HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
All Ontario schools now are required to teach the Province’s revised Heath and Physical Education (HPE) Curriculum. Niagara Catholic schools will deliver the revised curriculum as part of our Family Life Education curriculum offered in Catholic schools. Members of Niagara Catholic staff were among the professional Catholic educators who comprised the curriculum writing team with our partners at the Institute for Catholic Education (ICE).
These classroom resources have been specifically designed for Catholic schools. Before being sent to school boards, these resources will undergo an editorial and theological review, and will be approved by the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario. This is an appropriate and necessary step in the process, and will not delay the implementation of the revised HPE curriculum. Classroom materials and teacher resources for Catholic elementary schools will be available three to four months before they are required for use in the classroom, as the themes within the Catholic Fully Alive program which deal most directly with the topics of human development and sexuality are typically taught in the spring. This ensures ample time for everyone to become familiar with the resource materials, and for Boards to in-service staff. Niagara Catholic will provide a copy of A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Family Life Education in Catholic Schools to staff and all families early in the fall.
Parents will also receive a copy of a grade-applicable brochure, which will explain how the expectations contained within the Human Development and Sexual Health strand of the revised HPE curriculum will be delivered as part of the Family Life Education curriculum. We continue to encourage families that if they have any questions about this revised curriculum, or any curriculum taught in Niagara Catholic schools, to contact their child’s teacher or the Principal of the school.
Please access the following links for information and assistance about the Health and Physical Education Curriculum:
Board contact:
The Institute for Catholic Education Resources:
Elementary resources for teachers
Elementary and secondary resources for parents
OPHEA (Ontario Physical Education Association)
Ontario Ministry of Education:
Elementary Health and Physical Education Curriculum
Secondary Health and Physical Education Curriculum
Other helpful resources:
From the Health Nurse – Elementary – Niagara Region Public Health
Health and Physical Education Canada