OP here. Yes, I agree the summer option is surprisingly tough. My older kid did both a semester of health and one year of tech in one summer, on top of being in camp half the summer. It’s easy enough, but busywork takes time to finish. But she was glad to have her school year schedule open for more interesting classes. That’s what my older kid wants, but it has gotten more onerous with having to actually attend the online classes. Sigh. I guess there’s not much to be done.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The state adopted the requirement. The health curriculum has an external review as part of the process, which is why it takes so long to update.

The state should waive the requirement for the 25s and maybe even 26s.

I agree with this for the 2025 cohort. The 2026 students were at least allowed to do the first half of health the summer after 8th grade. The 2025 ones were not allowed to take Health A until after 9th.

It makes it complicated for students in programs that already have additional requirements.

Also, isn’t Health B not available on-line next summer?

That’s my understanding. My 10th grader took A online this past summer, and the options for B currently seem to be in-person this summer (2023) or online next summer, after their junior year. Taking during the school year won’t be an option because of IB program scheduling.

The state is the one that screwed things up on this one, as far as I can tell. They imposed the requirement without giving districts adequate time to create and seek approval for the new curriculum. As best I can see, MCPS isn’t to blame this time.

I wrote to the state contact regarding the painful implementation of this req for the class of 2025, and they did not answer. At least MCPS answers my complaints!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The state adopted the requirement. The health curriculum has an external review as part of the process, which is why it takes so long to update.

The state should waive the requirement for the 25s and maybe even 26s.

I agree with this for the 2025 cohort. The 2026 students were at least allowed to do the first half of health the summer after 8th grade. The 2025 ones were not allowed to take Health A until after 9th.

It makes it complicated for students in programs that already have additional requirements.

Also, isn’t Health B not available on-line next summer?

That’s my understanding. My 10th grader took A online this past summer, and the options for B currently seem to be in-person this summer (2023) or online next summer, after their junior year. Taking during the school year won’t be an option because of IB program scheduling.

The state is the one that screwed things up on this one, as far as I can tell. They imposed the requirement without giving districts adequate time to create and seek approval for the new curriculum. As best I can see, MCPS isn’t to blame this time.

I blame the BOE! They must be behind this somehow even if it seems like its the state's fault.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The state adopted the requirement. The health curriculum has an external review as part of the process, which is why it takes so long to update.

The state should waive the requirement for the 25s and maybe even 26s.

I agree with this for the 2025 cohort. The 2026 students were at least allowed to do the first half of health the summer after 8th grade. The 2025 ones were not allowed to take Health A until after 9th.

It makes it complicated for students in programs that already have additional requirements.

Also, isn’t Health B not available on-line next summer?

That’s my understanding. My 10th grader took A online this past summer, and the options for B currently seem to be in-person this summer (2023) or online next summer, after their junior year. Taking during the school year won’t be an option because of IB program scheduling.

The state is the one that screwed things up on this one, as far as I can tell. They imposed the requirement without giving districts adequate time to create and seek approval for the new curriculum. As best I can see, MCPS isn’t to blame this time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The state adopted the requirement. The health curriculum has an external review as part of the process, which is why it takes so long to update.

The state should waive the requirement for the 25s and maybe even 26s.

I agree with this for the 2025 cohort. The 2026 students were at least allowed to do the first half of health the summer after 8th grade. The 2025 ones were not allowed to take Health A until after 9th.

It makes it complicated for students in programs that already have additional requirements.

Also, isn’t Health B not available on-line next summer?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The state adopted the requirement. The health curriculum has an external review as part of the process, which is why it takes so long to update.

The state should waive the requirement for the 25s and maybe even 26s.

I agree with this for the 2025 cohort. The 2026 students were at least allowed to do the first half of health the summer after 8th grade. The 2025 ones were not allowed to take Health A until after 9th.

It makes it complicated for students in programs that already have additional requirements.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The state adopted the requirement. The health curriculum has an external review as part of the process, which is why it takes so long to update.

The state should waive the requirement for the 25s and maybe even 26s.

They just put the requirement into place. I can't see them immediately waiving it.

Anonymous wrote:The state adopted the requirement. The health curriculum has an external review as part of the process, which is why it takes so long to update.

The state should waive the requirement for the 25s and maybe even 26s.

The state adopted the requirement. The health curriculum has an external review as part of the process, which is why it takes so long to update.

Anonymous wrote:Check with your kid’s counselor. I hear the summer option is really tough. A couple of kids I know started and dropped it because it was so intense. Mine decided to reduce electives (dance) rather than do a summer session. It was that or summer. But most kids I know in band do it in the summer.

FWIW, tech credit was also hard to fit in. But it can also be done in the summer.

They are claiming that Health B will be available in school in January and in central summer school next year. I am still so peeved that they dropped this requirement on the class of 2025 when curriculum was not ready.

Check with your kid’s counselor. I hear the summer option is really tough. A couple of kids I know started and dropped it because it was so intense. Mine decided to reduce electives (dance) rather than do a summer session. It was that or summer. But most kids I know in band do it in the summer.

FWIW, tech credit was also hard to fit in. But it can also be done in the summer.

I have a 10th grade kid, and I know he needs to fulfill 1 year of Health. Anyone know if there is anything new in the works for fulfilling this? I thought I read last year that they were creating some options, particularly for our kids who are stuck with this new requirement.

When my daughter dealt with this a few years ago, she was able to get it done in the summer with just 2 in-person meetings and everything else was self-directed. It now seems there is a summer virtual option, but it requires multiple days where you have to log into a classroom at a specific time, which isn't possible if your kid is at camp, for example. I'm hoping there is some way to do this without him, for example, having to give up band for a whole year. I see there is a fall and spring online option, but for that you have to participate in a class once a week from 4:30-6, which doesn't work if your kid is in after-school activities right then.