Dear Port Jervis Learning Community,
Over the past several years, many states, including New York, have passed laws with the intent of increasing personal safety awareness and the roles of schools to include certain topics in the curriculum. You may have heard of this legislation under its more common name, Erin's Law, in honor of Erin Merryn, a brave young woman who has crossed the country advocating for laws that will increase awareness of this crime against children. New York State’s Erin’s Law Curriculum Benchmarks were approved in December 2020, with implementation required during 2021-2022 school year. For more information about the NYS Erin’s Law Curriculum Benchmarks, please visit the NYSED website here.
One of the requirements of this law is that schools provide an age-appropriate curriculum to all students grades K-8. The purpose of the lessons are to provide students with the tools needed for personal safety and to provide a nurturing and caring environment open for disclosure of any incidents. Lessons may include a variety of discussions, activities and videos.
During the 2021-2022 school year, students will be presented with lessons in their classrooms to meet the requirements of Erin’s Law through the combined efforts of our teachers, social workers, psychologists and counselors. The following concepts will be discussed:
- Ways to be safe at school, at home and in the community
- Healthy vs. unhealthy relationships with peers and adults
- Awareness of body ownership and that some parts are private
- Identifying Comfortable, Uncomfortable and Confusing touches
- Personal boundaries
- Healthy and safe personal choices
- The “No, Go, and Tell” rule
- Internet safety
- Identification of Trusted Adults and how to report abuse
- Safe vs. Unsafe secrets
- Awareness that abuse is never a child’s fault
The personal safety and wellbeing of our students is a top priority for our District as well as compliance with this Law.
If you have any questions about Erin’s Law curriculum in our schools, please contact your building administration.