Ensure that each student is a passionate learner empowered with the academic and social skills to responsibly choose and excel in life pursuits.

7450 South Wolf Road
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Phone: 708-784-2013

8100 School Street
LaGrange, Illinois 60525
Phone: 708-246-4700

7450 South Wolf Road
Burr Ridge, Illinois 60527
Phone: 708-246-3210

Healthy Family Living

Mrs. Deb Cummens, Instructor

Course Content:

Students will have health for one trimester each year in grades six through eight.. The Healthy Family Living Focus Statements and Outcomes contain the goals for students; however, to get a general idea of what is studied in Healthy Family Living, it’s a great idea to look at your child’s health textbook. These are the major units of study in health education:

Personal Health/Wellness
Mental/Emotional/Intellectual and Social Health
Physical Development, Structure and Function of the Human Body
Substance Abuse Prevention
Prevention and Treatment of Illness and Disease
Nutrition
Consumer Education and Community Health
Safety and First Aid

At each grade level previous knowledge is reviewed, and new information is added. The focus and outcomes may change, but will still incorporate the main subject areas.

Major assignments in the sixth grade may include an initial that tells about self-concept, a drawing and oral presentation of a specific body system, a food labeling activity, a disease poster project involving research in the IMC and on the internet, and a food pyramid poster.

A few of the major assignments that the students may complete in seventh grade are a self-esteem silhouette, a research paper about disease, a medicine label activity, and a drug safety pledge and prevention poster.

Major assignments in eighth grade may include a self-concept collage, a self evaluation of eating habits, a stress inventory, a responsible choices role-playing project, a group video of refusal skills, and CPR certification on adult, child and infant mannequins.

I am available (with prior notice) for students to receive help before and after school, or during recreation time. Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time, if you have questions or concerns about the curriculum, assignments or grades. You can email me or call and leave a message on my voicemail (708-246-7339). I will return your call or email as soon as possible.

Materials Needed for Class:

Textbook (Health and Wellness)
Pen or Pencil
Notebook Paper or Spiral Notebook
2 Pocket Folder (or separate pocket in Pendaflex)

Grading Procedures:

Students are graded on a total point system. Projects, tests and quizzes are worth more points than homework assignments.

You may always check grades on STI, or email me if you have a concern regarding a grade. On STI, if an assignment is blank, it does not mean a grade is missing, it may not have been recorded yet. It is missing if there is a zero in the blank.

Classes will consist of various types of learning possibilities (including lecture with notes, group work, individual projects, oral presentations, problem-solving exercises, vocabulary worksheets, role-playing, video projects, etc.)

If there is homework, it will be posted on STI, as well as being written on the chalkboard in my room. Students will not always receive daily homework assignments in health. There will be an average of one to two homework assignments per week. However, if a student did not complete an assignment in class, he/she will usually be allowed to take it home to complete it. One letter grade will be deducted for each day that an assignment/project is late.

Students are given the opportunity to earn extra credit in several different ways during the trimester, including bringing articles for the HEALTH NEWS BULLETIN BOARD, various review worksheets, bell-ringer activities and extra credit questions on tests.

If a student misses class, it is his/her responsibility to see me to get make-up work. If it is because of Band or something similar, the student must see me before the end of that same day in case there is necessary homework or a test scheduled for the next day. If students are absent from school, they should see me the day that they return to check on what was missed while absent. If necessary, I will allow extra time to complete the make-up work, if the student discusses this with me prior to when it is due.

Classroom Expectations:

Students are expected to be on time, be prepared for class with necessary assignments and materials, and be respectful to others and their property. If any of these expectations are not met, I use the “ three-strike” method before assigning consequences. When these expectations are not met, I have a clipboard on my desk that is used record names and dates. The first two notations are simply warnings. However, the third time a student is late to class, unprepared, or missing an assignment, he/she will receive a detention. Also, if a student is talking or inappropriate in class, he/she will receive two warnings, and then will be sent out of the room to the office with a Behavior Referral/Detention form. If a student is disrespectful, verbally or physically threatening to others, or uses obscenities to another student or adult, he/she will be sent immediately to the office with a Conduct Referral.

In addition, if a student is missing an assignment or project, I will ask the student to write a note explaining what he/she is missing and include the date and his/her signature. I will keep these notes in a folder, so that if there is any misunderstanding about what is missing at a later date, it can be looked up and explained. I will ask this student to come in at recreation or after school to complete the work after three late or missing assignments. Failure to come will receive a detention for non-compliance to teacher request.

This Month:

In 6th grade, students are learning steps for making good choices and solving problems responsibly. They will be working on an initial project that tells about their self-image, and then will learn how self-image influences health. They will be learning about personal health care and how it ties in to mental/emotional and social health. The second week of April students will take their first unit test (on chapters 1, 2, and 5) and will then begin talking about body systems and human growth and development.

In 7th grade, students are reviewing steps for becoming more assertive, and using these techniques to say no to negative peer pressure. They are working in the computer lab using Inspiration software to solve problems/make decisions responsibly. They will also be completing a project about families and social health entitled Family Coat of Arms. The second week of April students will take their first unit test (on chapters 1, 2, and 6) and will then begin the chapter on tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

In 8th grade, students are practicing refusal skills, and responsible decision making steps, and will be completing a collage about self-concept which ties in to wellness. Students wil be talking about choices that can affect their health and their future endeavors. Students will be completing a project entitled Music with a Message, that ties in music to all three parts of health. The second week of April, students will take their first unit test (on chapters 1, 2, and 6) and then will begin the chapter on nutrition, diets, body image, and recognizing eating disorders.

A Note About Me

This is my 30th year in the Pleasantdale school district. I have a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education, and a Master of Science in Health Education. I have taught both physical education and health (sometimes both in the same year) at all age levels including collegiate. For the last several years, I have been teaching health only at the middle school. I have written in several professional journals, written a chapter in a college health text on teaching methods, and also in the past have written the teachers edition of Current Health Magazine (Weekly Reader Publications). I really enjoy teaching health education because of the relevance of the subject matter to adolescents. I also, have been co-coordinator of Peer Leadership for over twenty years. I currently teach CPR and AED classes to teenagers, and adults (both non-professional and health professionals.) I am married and currently have two living children and one grandson.

(updated 3/11/10)