Lower School
The Lower School physical education program is developed with an emphasis on sportsmanship, the concept of fairness, winning and losing with grace, accepting and giving positive constructive criticism and compliments, and healthy competition. Coordination of gross and fine motor skills are targeted and evaluated through a variety of drills, games, and competitions. Many drills and games take the form of command games to foster quick thinking and response, following directions, and spatial awareness. Competition in the Lower School takes the form of challenge by choice and challenging of one’s self. All students learn the value of healthy lifestyles through regular discussion of healthy eating, the benefits of daily exercise, as well as exploring aerobic capacity in grades three through five. Each PE session includes life fitness components of warm-up, stretching, sustained physical activity, and cool down. Learning to be a good sport and supportive teammate is a daily expectation for all students. Movement patterns in kindergarten through second grade focus mostly on rhythmic movement such as hopping, skipping, jumping, and moving around, under, over, and through. These movements are then extended to a focus of manipulative skills in grades three through five; skills such as kicking a ball in a straight line, or locating a target and being able to throw or kick to hit that target. Learning of such manipulative skills in the Lower School prepares students for the team and sport based PE curriculum of the Middle School.
Middle School
The Middle School physical education program is team and individual sport-based with exposure and appreciation for lifetime activities. Instruction is progressive in skill development and includes basic rules and strategy for a variety of different sports. Differentiation occurs in groupings and skill drills. The sports may include: soccer, basketball, flag football, futsal, lacrosse, volleyball, badminton, ultimate Frisbee, pickleball and baseball/softball. An emphasis is placed on the importance of keeping our students interested, active, and involved in physical activity, as well as developing sports citizenship and character through the challenges of competition along with physically attempting and learning new skills.
