Health & Wellness

The Physical Education program is designed to provide all of our students with an opportunity to grow physically, socially and emotionally through activities, movement and fitness following the National Physical Education Standards and the MA Comprehensive Health Framework. Students’ fitness levels are monitored through our biannual fitness testing. Activities are adapted to create maximum student participation and movement throughout a physical education class. Community building, leadership, communication, and cooperation are nurtured through class initiatives and Project Adventure activities. The students participate in physical education for the entire school year.

Miles River Middle School Physical Education Program Objectives:                           

• To improve, set goals, and maintain physical fitness.
• To encourage cooperation and communication among peers in a physical activity setting. 
• To expose students to a variety team sports, individual sports, and lifetime activities.    
• To develop students’ confidence levels to the point they feel comfortable engaging in and seeking out new and varied life-long activities.

The Health Education program at Miles River Middle School is a skills-based approach following the National Health Education Standards, the National Sexuality Education Standards, and the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Framework.  The health course focuses on the Whole Child addressing the social, mental, emotional, physical and intellectual needs of developing adolescents.  The program aims to prevent/reduce the following teen risk behaviors identified by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Alcohol and other drug use
• Tobacco and vaping use
• Lack of nutrition
• Lack of physical activity
• Unintentional injury and violence

To reduce these risks students practice skill development using real world settings.  Skills include:

• Decision making
• Analyzing influences
• Interpersonal communication skills
• Goal setting
• Self management
• Advocating for self, family, and community
• Accessing valid information, products, and services

Many topics such as media literacy, character education, gender equality, self-image, drinking/drugging and driving, acceptance, peer pressure, stress management along with many more are integrated at all three grade levels. This program provides our students with the knowledge and skills needed to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle for self and others, helping them become responsible, productive adults who contribute to the local and global community. Students receive one quarter of Health Education each year at MRMS.

On January 16, 2020 MA lawmakers passed The Healthy Youth Act which requires schools who teach sexual health education curriculum -shall provide medically accurate, age-appropriate and comprehensive sexual health education. Sexual health education shall be appropriate for students regardless of gender, race, disability status, sexual orientation or gender identity. The Healthy Youth Act ensures that sexual health education is inclusive of all students. Parents will be notified of the curriculum and given an opportunity to opt out.