I am healthy. Why? Health class in junior year. This self-paced class taught me the importance of navigating healthy relationships, sexual health care for minors and emotional well-being. 

Health 11 was implemented six years ago to provide juniors with sexual and emotional instruction at a pivotal point in high school as they are transitioning to adulthood. At this age, students are beginning to encounter more sexual experiences, and this class gives them the knowledge to ensure they are acting safely. In 9th grade, the last time students took health class before Health 11, the presence of substances such as alcohol and drugs was not as relevant when it came to navigating various high school social scenes.

Last year, when I took Health, this learning was piloted in a modern classroom approach. Students learned individually through prerecorded modules and later compared their answers and understanding with their peers. 

I have always been a quick learner and eager to move on to the next task as soon as possible, so this learning style worked for me. Often, when I finished my Health tasks early, I was able to work on homework for other classes or study for a test I had next period. This allowed me to lessen the workload I had at night, a privilege highly coveted in the hardest academic year of high school. 

I enjoyed my experience in Health 11 as the information I was learning was far more detailed than the years prior and felt pertinent to my life as both an Upper School student and someone who will be in college soon.

“When I got into a relationship for the first time, I found myself applying the lessons and acronyms I had learned in class,” an anonymous student said. “It was useful to know what my rights were as a minor in California.”