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Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School

Every class is scheduled to go to the health classroom once per week. Each grade receives age-appropriate lessons on the topics mentioned below. I have been teaching Health Education in the Harborfields School District since 1999 and have been teaching elementary health at Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School for twenty years. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. My email address is [email protected]

Susan Crispino

Elementary Health Curriculum

Third grade


Family Life: What makes your family special, Raising your Self Esteem

Personal Health: Protecting your Skeletal system, Hand washing techniques, Healthy Sun Habits, Benefits of Sleep and Exercise

Substance Abuse Prevention: Using Medicine safely, Harmful effects of Tobacco use, How to make decisions that keep you healthy and safe

Disease Prevention: Keeping Germs away, How the Immune System works, To prevent HIV, don’t touch someone else’s blood

Growth and Development: Hygiene Habits to be clean and healthy

Violence Prevention: Bullying, Conflict resolution. Empathy, Communication skills (“It bugs me when…I wish you would please…”)

Personal Safety: safe/unsafe touch, trusted adults, Risk-taking, Dangerous Objects, Safety rules for Water, bicycle, being home alone

Nutrition: Food groups, Nutrients, Choose my plate, reading food labels

Mental/emotional health: Expressing feelings appropriately, Coping Skills, Mindfulness, Managing Stress

Consumer Health: analyzing tobacco and food advertisements, creating advertisements 

Elementary Health Curriculum

Fourth grade


Family Life: Active listening, benefits of being in a family, Developing a Positive Body Image and Self-Esteem

Personal Health: Maintaining a Healthy Digestive System, Dental Care, Preventing Inhalant Abuse, Healthy Sun Habits, personal values and decision making

Substance Abuse Prevention: Effects of Smoking, Vaping, Second hand Smoke, Ways people use drugs, Substance abuse, How Alcohol affects teenagers, Analyzing advertisements

Growth and Development: Intro to changing bodies, hygiene habits to promote a clean and healthy body

Disease Prevention: Germs and preventing diseases, Ways HIV can and cannot spread (blood, breast milk)

Violence Prevention: Social Isolation, Bullying, resolving conflicts,

Personal Safety: Keeping body private, Secret keeping and secret telling, Decisions that impact safety

Nutrition: Importance of Breakfast, healthier snacks, types of fat; saturated, unsaturated

Mental Health: Mindfulness, Handling anger

Elementary Health Curriculum

5th Grade


Personal Health- Respiratory System, Decoding sunscreen labels

Substance Use and Abuse Prevention- Effects of Smoking, Vaping, Alcohol, Prescription Drug Use, Analyzing advertisements

Family Life and Relationships-Healthy/Unhealthy signs in friendships, handling peer pressure

Personal Safety-Risk behaviors, Refusal skills, Assertiveness, appropriate/inappropriate touch, Water Safety

Growth and Development-Puberty video and discussion, hygiene habits

Disease Prevention-Infectious/Non-infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS, Food allergies

Violence Prevention-Friendship bullying, role-playing, Communication Skills (I messages), Resolving Conflicts

Nutrition-Hidden sugars, Comparing food labels

Mental and Emotional Health-Mindfulness, Managing stress, Support Systems

Community and Consumer Health-Analyzing advertisements (Drug unit)