Asheville School

 

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Blues Core

During the Self-Assessment process with Culture of Respect, we identified a need for more expansive curricula focused on health, well-being, and human relationships for all of our students. After many months of hard work by our faculty, we are pleased to introduce Blues Core, a multi-tiered educational program that begins in August of 2021.

The crux of the mission statement for Blues Core comes straight from our school’s mission statement:

To prepare our students for college and for life;
To educate students so they can make informed choices;
To create time for teenagers to talk about life issues in small groups with adults;
To enhance belonging among our students.

 

Blues Core Overview

Third Form Curriculum

All Third Formers will take Blues Core as a sixth course during the entirety of the school year.

Asheville School 101

  • Name Games
  • The Why Behind Blues Core/Stretch-Comfort-Panic
  • Big Picture Expectations - Be Kind, Be Kind, Be Kind; Living with new people
  • Nuts-n-Bolts:
    • Honor Code
    • Conduct- Level I, II, III
    • Big Ten
    • Technology
    • Health and Safety: Health Center; Signing out; travel in pairs; duty phone
    • Asking for help
    • Questions in a Hat
    • Etiquette and basic manner expectations
  • Distribute “Dear Third Former,” advice letter

Emotional Intelligence Framework

  • Language and definitions-wheel with composite and subscales
  • Case studies

Study Skills

  • Active Reading, Test preparation
  • Time management with planner and study time (free periods and evenings)

Healthy Relationships

  • Our Voice sexual assault pyramid lesson
  • Consent Friiess; Tea Video
  • Defining Healthy Relationships (preview of Safe Dates #1)

Teenage Brain

  • Science behind the development of the teenage brain

Alcohol and Other Drugs (FCD)

  • Alcohol
  • Other Drugs
  • Special attention to Trusted Adult policy for nicotine
  • Saying NO and reasons to say NO

Nutrition/Sleep

Social Media influence in our Lives

  • Cyberbullying/Bullying
  • Sexting

Human Body

  • Anatomy
  • Changes during teenage years
  • Sexually Transmitted Infections
  • Eating Disorders- Huntington
  • Body Shaming and Objectification

College Office Introductions

Stress Management

  • Mindfulness practice
  • Identifying healthy ways to de-stress

Conclusion

  • Meeting our core human needs in healthy ways
  • Values exercise
  • Looking ahead to next year with letter writing exercise

 

Fourth Form Curriculum

All Fourth Formers will meet in small groups to learn about Safe Dates. This program is endorsed by Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. The content is applicable to dating relationships between teens of any gender identity or sexual orientation.
 
This program strives to:

  • Raise students’ awareness of what constitutes healthy, consensual relationships and abusive dating relationships.
  • Raise students’ awareness of dating abuse and its causes and consequences.
  • Equip students with the skills and resources to help themselves or friends in abusive dating relationships.
  • Equip students with the skills to increase their understanding of consent and to develop healthy dating relationships, including positive communication, anger management, and conflict resolution.

 

Fifth Form Curriculum

Fifth Form focus will focus on Emotional Intelligence through the lens of leadership skills, making healthy choices around drugs/alcohol, bystander education, and how to have hard conversations.

We will focus on 6 of the 15 Emotional Intelligence skills:

  • Emotional self-awareness

  • Empathy

  • Social responsibility

  • Stress tolerance

  • Impulse control

  • Reality testing

Sixth Form Curriculum

Topics will include:

  • Science behind Happiness
  • Financial Literacy
  • Human Anatomy
  • Basic Emotional Intelligence work
  • College 101:
    • Hook-up culture / Consent
    • Drugs /Alcohol / Addiction cycle
    • STIs / Annual Health visits
    • Asking for help in college / getting involved/ college lingo
    • Being 18 means….