Our goal of our PE classes include creative and fun movement, pro-social development, and physical fitness habits for life. To meet these goals, PE courses in Middle and Upper School are structured in an environment where students can experience the fun of movement and the challenge of learning new skills. We teach students to focus on enjoying the experience, learning new games, and learning how to play together. Through games we work to teach basic movement skills (such as running, throwing, catching, and lifting) that will help a student play games with more confidence and be active for the rest of their lives. Fitness is included in every part of the curriculum, from 6th grade -12th grade. We want each student to understand the basic concepts of fitness and be able to apply them in their own lives.
We structure environments where students can experience the fun of movement and play and the challenge of learning new skills or developing skills they already have. Whether they are playing sport-like games, such as basketball, or a made-up game like Castleball, we teach students to focus first on enjoying the experience, learning new games, and learning how to play so everyone has fun.
We work to teach students - through experience, individual and group feedback and occasional reflection - how to play in groups. We play in a way that is inclusive and that recognizes contributions from each student. Boundaries and expectations are in place for safety, and students learn how to make a positive contribution to the group experience.
We want each student to understand the basic concepts of fitness and be able to apply them in their own lives. Fitness is included in every part of the curriculum, from 6th grade through graduation. Nearly every class will include some kind of cardiovascular warm-up and/or some muscular strength or endurance training. Many of the games we play also involve a lot of vigorous movements that will enhance overall fitness.
