Information on Health & Sexuality Education

There are a variety of courses offered at Shrewsbury High School that include information with reference to sexuality and human growth and development. These programs have been developed by our professional staff and endorsed by the Health Education Advisory Council. The overall goal  is to promote the health and well being of our students and to help them make wise and informed decisions during their teenage years and beyond.

Sexuality education is a component within the Health, Science, Social Studies, and Family and Consumer Science Departments. Topics such as puberty; dating; relationships and communication skills; pregnancy; birth control; abortion; sexual orientation; prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases; and prevention of sexual abuse are included. The specific courses that include these topics are listed below. Parents are welcome to review the materials for these curricula. Please contact the appropriate dept director to arrange a convenient time and location.

During the instruction, students will be able to ask questions, which will be answered factually and in an age-appropriate manner. Each student’s privacy will be respected, and no one will be put on the spot to ask or answer questions or reveal personal information. Material will be presented in a balanced, factual way that makes clear that people may have strong religious and moral beliefs about issues such as birth control and abortion, and that these beliefs must be respected.

Under Massachusetts law MA G.L. C. 71 §32A and School Committee policy, a parent may exempt a child from any portion of the curriculum that primarily involves human sexual education or human sexuality issues. To receive an exemption, simply send a letter requesting an exemption for your child to the principal. No student who is exempted from this portion of the curriculum will be penalized. The school will provide an alternative assignment to students who are exempted.