OWL - Our Whole Lives

Details

Category: Learn

Our Whole Lives is a comprehensive, reality based health and sexuality curriculum for all ages across the lifespan. The program focuses on four underlying values:

1. Children should be loved and cared for. They should be respected and valued as unique individuals.

2. Sexuality is a natural and healthy part of living. Children learn about sexuality beginning at birth and throughout the rest of their lives.

3. Children learn about sexuality from how people touch them, talk to them, and expect them to behave as males and females. The messages that children receive affect their future attitudes, values, and behaviors.

4. Information about sexuality, human development, and sexual health should be presented to children in positive, accurate, and developmentally appropriate ways.

We at Horizon stress that the parents are the first source of information for children regarding issues of health and sexuality, and we foster a strong partnership through open dialog between children and parents.A parent orientation is required for all OWL classes prior to the first day of class.

All OWL instructors are required to attend a 72-hour training course and are subject to background and reference checks.

OWL for Kindergarten and First Grade:
In the K-1 OWL class, we learn about telling if a touch is good or bad, knowing how and where we feel safe, saying no when something doesn’t feel just right, and naming all of the body parts in appropriate ways. This class is an eight-week course offered the first semester of each year at 9AM in Room 8. The class is limited to ten participants on a first come first served basis.

OWL for Fourth and Fifth Grades:
In the 4-5 class, we are just beginning to experience the changes that come with puberty. We will discuss those changes, answer questions, and work on setting appropriate boundaries for ourselves. This class is an eight-week course offered the second semester of each year at 9AM in Room 8. The class is limited to ten participants on a first come first served basis.

OWL for Eighth Grade:
Eighth Graders learn to clarify personal values as they explore spiritual, emotional, physical, and social aspects of sexuality. The class is approached with frankness about sex and sexuality while maintaining a level of respect and appropriateness.This class is a year-long course offered every year at 10:30AM in Room 7. Class size is not limited, but enrollment closes after the third class meeting.

Due to the sensitive nature of this course, visiting 8th graders are invited to join our Middle School Youth Group.

OWL for Adults:
Our Whole Lives for Adults is for people over age 18 who are of any sexual orientation and are either partnered or not partnered. It examines modern aspects of adult human sexuality, relationships, and current events associated with our individual and cultural expressions and expectations of gender and sexual identity. No previous experience in the OWL program is required to participate in these sessions.