The World Health Organization defines health as "not merely the absence of disease, but a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being." Health is the process of discovering, using, and protecting all the resources within our bodies, minds, spirits, families, communities, and environment. Therefore, health education has the ability to make an impact on the lives of our students every single day. The health education teachers at Burger strive to make students aware of the decisions and consequences associated with the choices they make. We provide students with current content knowledge that keeps them up to date in the ever-changing world of health. Students are encouraged to think about their own values, their plans for the future, and consequences associated with poor-health choices. Additionally, we provide students with refusal skills that they can use in pressuring situations (drugs, relationships, etc.) and allow them opportunities to practice these refusal skills in classroom situations. Research has shown that students who are comfortable using refusal skills are more likely to apply them in real-life situations. As a result, students learn and practice refusal skills in every grade level.

The health education program at Burger Jr. High School consists of forty weeks (meeting every other day) in grade 7. Additionally, we have an exciting credit bearing Health elective titled; Health: The Teen Brain.

The program is aligned with the National Health Education Standards and the New York State Health Education Standards. The updated standards focus on skill development as well as content knowledge. Thus, students learn about various drugs and ways to say no and express themselves appropriately. Additionally, the curriculum promotes the ELA and math standards. Students often read and analyze articles, investigate statistics and health trends, and complete assignments that improve their writing and higher level thinking skills. The following personal and social skills are gained throughout each year of health: Decision making, Communication Skills, Stress Management, Goal Setting, Accessing Information, Analyzing Internal and External Influences, Self Assessments, Refusal Skills, Assertiveness and Stress Management.