April 22, 2024 

Dear Colleagues,

In April, educators and partners come together to recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month & Sexual Assault Awareness Month. For local educators and schools, this is an opportunity to link arms with the many partners who share a vision of violence-free schools and communities in the collective and integrated effort to prevent violence and abuse.

Educators can use this month to deepen fundamental prevention skills related to Erin’s Law and the Healthy Teen Relationships Act. For example, in elementary school, educators can turn moments from recess, community circle, and group projects into learning and practice opportunities related to prevention – and to meet Health Education standards, such as Discuss communication skills to build healthy relationships and manage conflict (4.HRVP.6). In middle school, guiding students to Identify strategies to maintain a safe relationship, end an unsafe, inequitable, or unhealthy relationship, manage conflict, and navigate rejection (7.HRVP.3), and in high school, prompting students to consider their unique roles in preventing violence and promoting nonviolence in relationships and communities can all contribute to violence prevention efforts. Alongside parents and caregivers, educators contribute to students’ foundational understanding of what healthy relationships feel like, where to get help and support from trusted adults and the community, and that everyone deserves to be safe and treated with respect. K-12 lessons that explore these topics are identified as “Healthy Relationships & Violence Prevention” in the  Sex Ed Open Learning Project’s User Guide.

This month’s newsletter has many resources to support instruction on topics like these during child abuse prevention month and sexual assault action month. Sexuality education is a necessary component of preventing violence and abuse.

Header photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash, Newberg, OR

Section photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

The Oregon Department of Education is accepting applications for the 2024 Health Education Instructional Materials Evaluation Committee. Individuals on this committee will be responsible for evaluating and recommending health education instructional materials for adoption by the Oregon State Board of Education. 

Please consider applying and/or sharing this application with teachers, curriculum specialists, or other experienced professionals with expertise in health education for grades K-12. Those selected to participate will receive professional development and an honorarium for their work.

The application is open through May 22, 2024.

For more information, please contact the Instructional Materials Coordinator at ode.instructionalmaterials@ode.oregon.gov.

The rates of suicide attempts and related deaths among Oregon's youth often increase each spring. This Call to Action provides resources and action items to equip school administrators and staff, along with caregivers and other trusted adults with skills to support students who may be at risk for suicidal behaviors and refer those students to qualified mental health providers. If you would like additional resources or support, please reach out to your School Safety and Prevention Specialist at your regional ESD and visit ODE’s website.   

My Future-My Choice is looking for Oregon teachers interested in participating in a paid 8th grade curriculum study. Participating teachers will submit electronic lesson feedback and participate in an interview with an evaluator. If you know of any teachers who may be interested in participating in this study, please reach out to leah.m.haas@odhs.oregon.gov.