Parent and Family
Information for Resiliency and Life Skills Instruction: Grades K-5
Florida
law requires life skills instruction through resiliency education in grades K-12.
To meet this requirement, students in elementary grades will participate in
Resiliency Days on Sept. 12, 2023 and Jan. 11, 2024. "Resiliency"
means overcoming obstacles, so students will participate in activities that
celebrate citizenship, mentorship, and making responsible choices. Activities
vary at each location, so reach out to the school counselor on your child's
campus to learn more and join the celebration.
Parent & Family Resources for Mandatory Instruction: Grades 6-12
Florida Statute requires public schools to facilitate at least 5 hours of civic and character education and life skills education through resiliency education in grades 6-12. Florida's First Lady Casey DeSantis has created the Resiliency Toolkit to help educators teach mental health and character education in their classrooms, but parents may find some resources helpful as well. Orange County Public Schools provides lessons on the topics that are mandated by Rule 6A-1.094124 in the Florida Administrative Code.
This year, the five hours of required instruction will be delivered in the following ways throughout the year:
- Two Resiliency Days where students will complete 30-minute interactive lessons on Canvas. There will be an adjusted bell schedule on these days, Sept. 12 and Jan. 11. Content is from the Monique Burr Foundation, Mental Health Matters, which is funded by a grant from the Florida Attorney General's Office.
- Red Ribbon Week activities that support healthy, drug-free kids
- Social Studies required instruction that integrates resilience into topics such as Sept. 11th and Veterans Day.
All student materials will be available through the Canvas app in the OCPS Parent Portal.