On March 5, 2018, Governor Justice signed House Bill 4402, requiring that all West Virginia students, grades K-12, receive age-appropriate body safety education at least once during the school year. Through the implementation of these lessons, Monongalia County Schools aims to educate and empower students by providing knowledge and skills that may be used for personal protection and self-advocacy.
During the course of the school year, students will be presented at least one lesson by an educator from their school to fulfill the requirements of this bill, more broadly referred to as Erin’s Law. The following concepts will be discussed in an age-appropriate manner across the grade levels:
- Ways to be safe, physical boundaries, and personal privacy
- Healthy vs. Unhealthy Relationships
- Staying Safe Online
- How to say “No” and report information to a trusted adult
It is recognized that the basic responsibility of teaching body safety education belongs in the home with the support of the school and community agencies to strengthen the efforts of the parent(s)/guardian(s). Families are encouraged to review all instructional materials and continue to be involved in the discussion which promotes body safety education.
Parent(s)/guardian (s) with questions about the content of these lessons are asked to please contact their child’s school office.
