District presents updated health‑enhancement curriculum; recommends materials and 30‑day public review

District curriculum staff presented a completed review of the health-enhancement curriculum and proposed next steps, including recommended instructional materials and a public-review period.

Jenna Briggs led the presentation and said the review began in May of the previous year. The team prioritized standards after reviewing Shape America’s updated national standards and youth-risk behavior data. Briggs said the new state and national guidance places more emphasis on mental health, social development and a continuum approach to fitness, and that the district reorganized standards into grade bands (K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12) so instruction can meet students where they are on a learning continuum.

The district recommended purchasing GW’s Essential Health Skills for Middle School to support human development and relationships instruction in middle school, and a comparable high‑school package for grades 9–12; staff noted those materials provide slide decks, lesson plans and assessments that would be made public. Briggs said the recommended materials and related student-facing resources would be available in print and digitally for a 30-day public review following the presentation.

Trustees and presenters discussed specific topics: vaping and tobacco education would be moved earlier in the sequence because youth use trends are appearing at younger ages; district staff plan to introduce more adaptive-PE strategies after consulting occupational therapy specialists; and community partners can be brought in for topics where teachers want additional expertise. A middle-school teacher on the team said opt-outs for human-development instruction are rare ("I have 3 health classes of about 25 students each and I had 2 opt outs this year").

Trustees asked about adaptive PE and whether the district has the capacity to serve students with physical and intellectual disabilities; presenters said they have resources and adaptations in the training materials but that a district advocate (Mackenzie Burns, occupational therapist) who had supported adaptive-PE work is no longer on staff, and that granular plans will need further development.

Why it matters: The curriculum changes reflect national standard shifts toward mental-health and social skills and could change how health and physical education are taught across the district. The public-review period and the recommended purchases are next steps before broader adoption or implementation.

Next steps: Staff reported the materials will be available for 30 days for public review after the meeting; purchases are planned (middle-school purchase recommended on 06/08 per the presentation timeline) and further teacher training and PLC work are scheduled to support rollout.

Key quotes - "We saw new inclusions of focusing on mental health and wellness in the new rewrites," Jenna Briggs said, summarizing national shifts. - "Typically, we were looking at [middle school] as the earliest, but it's definitely a need to be in front of that," Briggs said when asked about vaping education timing. - "I have 3 health classes of about 25 students each and I had 2 opt outs this year," a middle-school teacher on the team said about opt-outs.

Proper names and programs mentioned - Shape America (national standards) - GW's Essential Health Skills (recommended purchase) - CATCH (district health curriculum reference) - Erica's Lighthouse (suicide prevention program) - Missoula County Public Schools (district)

Presentation context: This item was listed as information for the board (EL-12 Health Enhancements Curriculum review). No formal board vote was recorded on the curriculum at this meeting; trustees asked clarifying questions and staff confirmed the public-review timeline and purchase recommendations.