The P.E. department believes that each student should be exposed to a healthful
lifestyle that includes consistent exercise, proper diet, and healthy habits.
A consistent exercise program is emphasized throughout the curriculum by providing
daily exercises as part of the lesson. In each class, students are exposed to
the flexibility, cardiovascular, agility, and strength components of exercise.
The importance of flexibility is discussed in class. Flexibility is important
in preventing injury and increasing an individual's performance. The students
do a series of stretches before and after activities. Each student assesses
his or her flexibility on a monthly basis by performing the sit-and-reach
test.
Cardiovascular awareness and improvement are measured through the student's
heart rate. Students find their resting heart rates by taking their pulse
every morning before getting out of bed for five consecutive days. They find
an average pulse for five days and then do a computation to find their target
heart rate for exercise. The purpose of finding the students' resting and
maximum heart rates is to give them the knowledge of how hard they need to
exercise to have an effect on their fitness levels.
The importance of agility and quickness is discussed in class, and ways
to improve agility and quickness are presented throughout each year. Class
activities include running with change of direction regularly. A shuttle test
is then administered to see improvements in this area.
The importance of strength is also discussed in class, as are healthy ways
to improve and build strength. Each class includes strength activities that
help to improve the students' overall strength.
P.E. classes also emphasize proper diet, body weight, and health issues. Students
participate in regular discussions on the relationship between body weight and
body fat, and how this relationship affects health.
Skill Development
Skill development is a regular focus of the physical education curriculum.
In kindergarten through fourth grade, skill development is pursued through individual
work, large-group activities, and non-competitive games. In fifth through eighth
grade, students continue to focus on skill development with activities in partnerships
and in games with small groups that allow everyone to participate. Skill development
is measured through continued observation. It is important to the department
to allow every student to develop at his or her own pace, and to encourage each
individual to achieve his or her potential. The department stresses non-competitive
behavior throughout skill development. Encouragement and support among the students
is a priority throughout the curriculum.
Locomotor movements
Running, leaping, skipping, sliding, galloping, walking, and jumping are featured
throughout the curriculum, with an emphasis in grades K-4. Improving one's ability
in these locomotor movements continues throughout each student's career at SFDS.
Non-locomotor movements
Bending and stretching, pushing and pulling, raising and lowering, twisting
and turning, shaking, bouncing, circling, and balancing are also used throughout
the curriculum. Improving one's ability in these non-locomotor movements continues
throughout each student's career at SFDS.
Manipulative skills
These are developed through handling of an object and form the basis of game
skills; in particular, they are the foundation of ball skills that take the
student into adulthood. It is the goal of the department to have every child
feel confident with his or her individual skills including throwing and catching,
batting and kicking, rebounding and redirecting.
Specialized skills
These are the skills that grow from the foundation of manipulative skills. It
is the specialized skill that takes an individual into a game and allows him
or her to become successful through participation. An example is participating
in a game of throwing and catching to accomplish the "object of the game,"
a game we call Clean Up the Yard. It is during specialization of skill that
the student is taught the actual technique of a skill, integration of that skill
into games, and the refining of such skills through practice and participation.
Refinement is continued in the athletic program where students practice the
specific skills of each sport.
Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is an integral part of the P.E. curriculum. With the ability
to work with each other, students can have an excellent experience in class.
Sportsmanship has been an important focus in the department since its founding.
The term the department uses in progress reports is "sportspersonship,"
and everyone is encouraged to become the best sports person they can imagine.
The discussions that surround this topic are respect, cooperation (teamwork),
appreciation for others, and fair play.
Respect is highlighted throughout the curriculum during games and activities,
with a focus on how to respect each other's space and ownership during class.
Cooperation is another fundamental skill that is used daily in class. The
students cooperate regularly through sharing equipment and participating in
games. Cooperation is a visible signature of our department and is the foundation
of teamwork and sportspersonship.
Appreciation for others means developing an understanding of others' strengths
and weaknesses. It is important to remind the students to not be competitive
with their strengths, and to continually encourage each other to put forth
the effort to improve weaknesses.
Fair play is another integral aspect of sportspersonship. The department
teaches the students how to follow rules and understand the importance of
fair play.
