Parent info evenings
As sexuality and wellbeing educators, we consistently offer parent information evenings whenever we deliver any program in a school or community.
These evenings provide not only practical information about young people’s development and helpful resources, it also gives your families an opportunity to have some safely held and thoughtfully facilitated conversation about a number of areas.
These sessions also allow us to gain insight into the specific needs, interests and concerns of the greater school community, providing an open a dialogue with parents and carers so they may voice their opinions and any concerns. We then utilise this experiences and knowledge of your children to tailor a program that specifically addresses what is needed for your students.
We also offer parent information evenings for schools independent of program delivery.
These evenings provide not only practical information about young people’s development and helpful resources, it also gives your families an opportunity to have some safely held and thoughtfully facilitated conversation about a number of areas.
These sessions also allow us to gain insight into the specific needs, interests and concerns of the greater school community, providing an open a dialogue with parents and carers so they may voice their opinions and any concerns. We then utilise this experiences and knowledge of your children to tailor a program that specifically addresses what is needed for your students.
We also offer parent information evenings for schools independent of program delivery.
12 Reasons why sexuality education is important in primary and secondary school and at home
- Many children want to know
- Sexuality education provides preparation for puberty and beyond
- Some children enter puberty earlier
- Sexuality education is an essential component of AusVELS (Australian school curriculum standards)
- Parents want sexuality education in schools[1]
- Sexuality education helps young people make healthy choices
- Children are saturated with sexual messages from the media
- Boys need sexuality education too
- Gender stereotypes begin to affect children’s choices and options
- Sexuality education can be protective against sexual abuse
- Sexuality education brings diverse families to the classroom
- Breaking the ice/Setting the stage for more conversation as your child matures into an adult
Talking about sexuality when children are young is a lot easier than when children become adolescents, when they are deep in the territory of whirling emotions, hormones and physical change. Giving children, educators and parents practice and comfort in talking about sexual matters lays the foundation for open discussions between young people and adults about this important aspect of ourselves.
Sourced from Catching On Early: Sexuality Education for Victorian Primary Schools, DEECD,
Victorian Government, Melbourne, 2013
[1] Australian research since 1984 and recent international surveys challenge the convention that parents are reluctant to have sexual health issues taught in schools. […] The apparent exposure of children to adult sexual themes through popular media has increased the concern expressed by families about the sexualisation of children. Providing sexuality education gives communities the opportunity to communicate their values in contrast to more commercially oriented messages. p. 15, Catching On Early: Sexuality Education for Victorian Primary Schools, DEECD, Melbourne, 2013
Why it's important to offer age-appropriate sexuality education to students at all levels of primary and secondary school
The conversation about your body and sexuality is necessary for healthy and positive understanding of not only what your body does but also your awareness of keeping it safe and healthy. The West Australian government provides a really great, free booklet resources for families called Talk Soon Talk Often: A guide for parents talking to their kids about sex.
They have a section titled WHEN DO WE START TALKING? Here are their first few lines:
Soon. Now.
No matter how young your child, they are already learning some important messages that will lay the foundations for their sexual development.
Home schooling — the first lesson
Home is the first place for a child to learn about loving themselves, their body and loving others. Even simple domestic routines such as bathing, rules about nudity and privacy, or responding to an infant’s curiosity about going to the toilet are situations where messages are sent and education about the body begins. As children get older, reactions to developing bodies, questions about sex, or the arrival of boyfriends or girlfriends will continue the ‘home schooling’.Ideally children learn early that they can talk to their parents and trusted carers
and ask questions.
School life — the second lesson
A surprisingly large part of a child’s school life communicates what we want them to know about sexuality. Beyond stories heard in the playground, the way schools manage everyday events has a lot to teach kids too. When girls get their periods do they know what to do and who to talk to? If young children are found playing doctor is there panic, or are children taught that curiosity about bodies is OK but playing doctors at school isn’t?[1]
We offer age-appropriate information and language for students from Foundation to Level 6, based on AusVELS learning topics.
[1] http://healthywa.wa.gov.au/~/media/Files/HealthyWA/Original/Sexual-health/TSTO_V2.ashx
They have a section titled WHEN DO WE START TALKING? Here are their first few lines:
Soon. Now.
No matter how young your child, they are already learning some important messages that will lay the foundations for their sexual development.
Home schooling — the first lesson
Home is the first place for a child to learn about loving themselves, their body and loving others. Even simple domestic routines such as bathing, rules about nudity and privacy, or responding to an infant’s curiosity about going to the toilet are situations where messages are sent and education about the body begins. As children get older, reactions to developing bodies, questions about sex, or the arrival of boyfriends or girlfriends will continue the ‘home schooling’.Ideally children learn early that they can talk to their parents and trusted carers
and ask questions.
School life — the second lesson
A surprisingly large part of a child’s school life communicates what we want them to know about sexuality. Beyond stories heard in the playground, the way schools manage everyday events has a lot to teach kids too. When girls get their periods do they know what to do and who to talk to? If young children are found playing doctor is there panic, or are children taught that curiosity about bodies is OK but playing doctors at school isn’t?[1]
We offer age-appropriate information and language for students from Foundation to Level 6, based on AusVELS learning topics.
[1] http://healthywa.wa.gov.au/~/media/Files/HealthyWA/Original/Sexual-health/TSTO_V2.ashx