Health & Wellness
Mission Statement
Our mission at Braintree High School is to expose our students to activities that promote lifetime physical fitness while working on cooperative and team building skills. At the same time, we still encourage students to have fun while striving to be successful. Through traditional sport and lifetime activities, students are able to acquire new skills and knowledge promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Physical Education & Health Curriculum
The Health and Wellness department aligns its curriculum with the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum Framework. The goal of the department is to encourage students to develop active lifestyles for overall health benefits. This will enable students to develop to their fullest potential through the acquisition of daily living skills and the behaviors necessary to make good decisions in life.
Through a diversified Physical Education program, students are encouraged to develop skills and positive attitudes toward lifelong participation in exercise.
Requirements & Offerings
Physical Education is a graduation requirement for all four years. The Health Education program offers freshmen health and electives for 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students.
All students will take part in physical education two periods in each seven-day cycle for the entire year unless excused by a physician.
Physical Education
Grade 9
Freshmen will automatically be scheduled for physical education. These activities encourage students to develop skills and positive attitudes toward lifelong participation in exercise. The ninth grade Physical Education program has students explore:
Fitness
Orienteering
Recreational and cooperative activities
Team and individual sports
In addition, during the ninth grade, a Fitness Center orientation program is included. This center is also available after school for student use.
Grade 10
Sophomore students are presented with a variety of team, individual and lifetime activities. Students will continue to build on the concepts and knowledge learned in the previous year. Daily participation will also include:
Abdominal work
Cardio fitness
Flexibility exercises
Upper body strengthening
An important objective of the Grade 10 program is to give students the background for entering the selection program in the junior and senior years.
Grades 11 & 12
Junior and Senior students have an opportunity to select many of their activities. Offerings include:
Contact Us
Director of Health & Wellness and Physical Education
781-848-4000 x7800
Administrative Assistant
781-848-4000 x7017
Quick Links
Adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
Archery
Badminton
Fitness walking
Golf
Lifetime fitness planning
Ping pong
Recreational games such as:
Bocce
Crochet
Horseshoes
Shuffle-board
Team sports
Tennis
Weight training
Yoga
Semester Courses
Health Education, Grade 9
This course will meet two days each cycle for one semester. This skill based course offers numerous opportunities for building personal, social and life skills. The curriculum is designed to aid the student in transitioning to the rigors and pressures of high school. Through the skills students will learn how to set goals, analyze influences, make decisions, access valid and reliable information and communicate. Content that will be infused into the skills will be the dimensions of wellness, stress, stress management, substance use, relationships, bullying and cyber-bullying.
Parents/guardians who do not wish to have their student enrolled in Health Education must notify the Headmaster’s office in writing during the programming cycle.
Contemporary Health Issues, Grades 10, 11, & 12
This course is designed to broaden the student’s understanding of wellness issues and its relevance to their personal lives. Discussions and guided activities will be used to discuss:
Alcohol and other drug misuse
Balancing stress
Body image and eating disorders
Bullying and cyber-bullying
Depression and suicide
Evaluation of health information
Healthy food choices
Nutrition & Fitness, Grades 11, 12
Nutrition and Fitness emphasizes the critical role eating a nutritious diet play in overall health. It also stresses the importance of including physical activity in daily routines. Students will participate in fitness activities and will learn to control their state of wellness through the decisions they make.
Units of study include:
Careers
Eating disorders
Food preparation activities
Global hunger consumer issues
Sources and functions of nutrients
Weight management
Human Development & Parenting, Grades 10, 11, 12
This course focuses on the issues of:
Abstinence
Adolescence
Birth
Child development
Family
Human sexuality
Interpersonal relationships
Positive decision making
Pregnancy
Sexually transmitted infections
Included in the course are many contemporary issues that concern the adolescent. Students are provided with forthright information concerning their physical health and well-being. The course aims to improve decision making, advocate for positive health practices, and help students make responsible choices regarding their health and well being.
Full Year Courses
The Early Childhood Education (Preschool) Laboratory Program at Braintree High School provides an opportunity for 11th and 12th grade students to experience the exciting and rewarding challenge of working with and studying about children. Students learn and practice theory and methods of teaching while working in our on-site preschool.
Upon successful completion of the Preschool Laboratory 1 and Preschool Laboratory 2 courses, a 12th grade student will be eligible for Preschool Certification from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.
Early Childhood Education - Preschool Laboratory 1, Grades 11 & 12
Preschool Laboratory 1 is a year-long course open to high school juniors and seniors with interest and fondness for children. It is designed to offer a hands-on opportunity to study child development while working with children in our on-site preschool program.
In addition to studying child development students:
Learn about curriculum development
Plan and teach lessons
Develop learning materials
Assist in the preparation of the classroom
Develop a repertoire of strategies for managing young children
Students interested in pursuing careers in education or health are particularly encouraged to enroll in this course.
Early Childhood Education - Preschool Laboratory 2, Grade 12
Preschool Laboratory 2 is a yearlong course open to high school seniors who have successfully completed Preschool Laboratory 1.
The course has been designed to provide a more in-depth exploration into the fields of Early Childhood Education and other child-related services. There is an increased emphasis on teamwork, time management, and effective communication. Through their class and preschool activities students will develop an increased understanding of:
Child development
Developmentally appropriate preschool activities
Educational practices
Educational psychology
Students who maintain a C or better average in Preschool Lab 2 are qualified to apply for certification as a preschool teacher through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.
Tips About Nutrition & Physical Exercise
Did you know that the original bottle of Coke had 97 calories? Now a bottle has 242 calories. That means there would be 20 teaspoons of sugar in the 20-ounce bottle of Coke.
Do you reach for a snack when you're bored, nervous, happy, angry, or tense? If you do, you may be eating when you're not hungry. Find other ways to handle your feelings. Go for a walk, listen to music, or call a friend.
The recommendation is to get sixty minutes of moderate exercise each day. Moderate exercise can be:
Aerobics
Bike riding
A brisk walk
Playing basketball
Running