Student Portfolios in Progress

My 10^th and 11^th graders are currently working on their student portfolio projects that will be uploaded into their career cruiser. The unit of instruction right now is human growth and development. Juniors are working on presenting information on methods of contraception, while sophomores are working on presentations on STD prevention.

Smoking-Related Health Risks

Fox News just reported today that the surgeon general has added more to the list of smoking related health risks. Interesting health news article. This is a good articles for the students to read with their free time and help improve their non-fiction reading skills. It also goes well with the ATOD unit that the 10th grade is currently working on.  
 
Check it out, here is the link....
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/01/17/surgeon-general-report-adds-to-list-smoking-related-health-risks/

9th grade ATOD Quiz This Cycle

Ms. Ruggiero’s 9^th grade classes don’t forget about your quiz next class on ATOD. Important Vocab terms that will be on the quiz(but not limited to) are the following…..

1) Overdose: Taking too much of a drug which can cause death.

2) Addiction: A condition in which a person can no longer control his/her drug use

3) Withdrawal: Uncomfortable symptoms produced when a drug user stops using the drug.

4) Inhalants: A drug that is inhaled as a vapor

5) Hallucinogens: A drug that distorts perceptions, causing the user to see/hear things not real.

6) Opiates: Group of highly addictive drugs derived from the poppy plant.

7) Stimulants: A drug that temporarily increases a person’s energy and alertness

8) Depressants: A drug that causes relaxation and sleepiness

9) Nicotine: The highly addictive drug that is found in all tobacco products

10) Carcinogens: Any chemical that causes cancer

ZUMBA STEP!!!!

Just released from Zumba home office. ZUMBA STEP is making its way. I'm all ready registered and ready to go. My training is in February. This is going to be a great new activity to incorporate into my Physical Education classes. A fusion of two great fitness workouts; Zumba and step aerobics. This is what the Zumba home office is saying about the program.

"Zumba^® Step

Take lower body workouts and calorie burning to new heights with Zumba^® Step, the newest Zumba^® program. Tone and strengthen glutes and legs with a gravity-defying blend of Zumba routines and step aerobics. Bring your students maximum results without losing the easy-to-follow fitness-party! "

This is something that I know our students are going to love! Check out the video link to see what its all about and learn what Zumba Step is all about.

The Dangers of the Drug "Molly"

Over the past two years whenever we get to our ATOD unit my students always have many questions about the drug called "Molly". All the students ask "what is it? What are the side effects?" It is a very very dangerous drug that many people have died on. CNN just released this past weekend an article called "9 things everyone should know about the drug Molly". Check out the link below to see the article and video that CNN posted.

CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/22/health/9-things-molly-drug/index.html?hpt=he_c2


CNN News Video Clip Blow

Anger Management

Right now my junior class is discussing the emotion anger. Anger often results from frustration. It is important to remember that the emotion of anger can always be dealt with appropriately. It is important to learn to recognize when you feel angry that way you can try to calm down before taking action or making a discussion.

Some ways of dealing with the emotion of anger would be talking to someone. Such as a trusted friend, parent, teacher or school counselor. Another method would be to blow off some steam in a positive way, such as; exercising, going for a walk or a jog. Another great idea would be to try something creative like writing a poem, writing a song or playing an instrument.

However, if you are having difficulty managing your anger in a positive way, feel like your anger is impacting parts of your life and effecting relationships then it would be time to talk with your doctor and school student services team for help. Remember it is always okay to ask for help. There are resources out there to help people deal with their anger in a positive way.

Some great resources for more information please visit.....

http://www.ncpc.org/topics/conflict-resolution/anger-management

http://www.teenagehealthfreak.org/anger

Eating Disorders

Its a New school year!!!!!!

The 10th grade Health classes are diving into thier first topic of the year which is unhealthy eating habits. The focus of the unit is eating disorders. We will be covering a few eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge eating. Some other great online resourses for futher information, please feel free to check out the links listed below.....
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/problems/eat_disorder.html
http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/body_image/body_image.html