Introduction (continued)

Organization of the Curriculum

The aim of Personal Planning K to 7 is to enable students to become thoughtful, caring individuals who plan and reflect, make informed choices, and take responsibility for their own personal and career development.

The provincially prescribed learning outcomes for Personal Planning K to 7 are grouped under three broad organizers:

• The Planning Process
• Personal Development
• Career Development

The Planning Process

The prescribed learning outcomes in this organizer are designed to develop students’ abilities to:

• plan and make decisions systematically
• gather and record the information needed to make and carry out their plans
• put plans into effect, monitor and evaluate them, and make refinements as necessary.

Personal Development

The prescribed learning outcomes in this organizer are grouped under six suborganizers are designed to develop students’ abilities as follows:

Healthy Living

• value and adopt balanced, healthy lifestyles

Mental Well-being

• maintain an appropriate sense of personal worth, potential, and individuality, and a sense of their relationships with others

Family Life Education

• understand the role of the family and make responsible decisions in personal relationships

Child Abuse Prevention

• assess, prevent, and resolve abusive situations

Substance Abuse Prevention

• make responsible decisions regarding substance use as they develop healthy lifestyles

Safety and Injury Prevention

• apply principles of safety to all aspects of their lives

Career Development

The prescribed learning outcomes in this organizer are designed to develop students’ awareness of personal attributes, skills, and successes and how these relate to potential careers.

Planning Your Program

When developing initial plans for teaching a Personal Planning K to 7 program at any grade level, school-based educators will need to consider how to:

• involve parents in program activities
• deal with sensitive topics and issues
• avoid infringing upon students’ personal privacy or breaching confidentiality
• establish a respectful yet open climate for student participation
• contribute to a healthy school and community
• draw upon school and community resources that support student well-being
• meet the needs of a diverse student population

Parental Involvement

The family is the primary educator in the development of children’s attitudes, standards, and values. The school plays a supportive role by focussing on the prescribed learning outcomes in the Personal Development component of Personal Planning K to 7. To maintain a partnership between home and school, it is important that parents be kept informed about all aspects of the program.

There are a variety of strategies teachers (along with school and district administrators) can use:

• encourage parents to attend orientation sessions and workshop presentations
• inform parents and students of the prescribed learning outcomes
• encourage parents to participate in lesson activities
• respond to parent requests to discuss classroom activities, learning resources, and so on
• indicate that parents can opt for alternative delivery of Personal Development topics they consider too sensitive for classroom discussion