Health & Fitness

The physical education and health program at Gig Harbor High School is concerned with individual development toward a lifetime fitness program, development of sport, aquatic and safety skills, and knowledge of health information and issues. 

Introduction to Sports, Fitness & Aquatics

Grades: 9-10

Credit: 0.5

Graduation requirement: Physical Education

Description: This course merges sport, aquatics, and fitness which will inspire an active lifestyle, healthy living, develop the necessary tools for lifelong fitness habits, and prepare students for future physical education courses. Common fitness concepts will be taught through the use of the weight room, pool, and sport activities. Nine weeks of this course is dedicated to the pool and the other nine weeks are spent learning sport and fitness concepts.

Sports & Fitness

Grades: 9

Credit: 0.5

Graduation requirement: Physical Education

Description: The primary objective of this course is to inspire active, healthy living by enhancing daily physical education through lifelong fitness habits. This class is designed to teach sportsmanship, rules, skills and strategies in individual and team sports in addition to fitness activities. Units chosen by the instructor may include but are not limited to the following:

Strength & Conditioning 1 - Intro to S&C

Grades: 9-10

Credit: 0.5

Graduation requirement: Physical Education

Description: This course will develop the students’ skills to use fitness equipment in a safe and effective manner. Students will learn proper methods of warm-up activities, flexibility, cardio respiratory, muscle strength and endurance. Students will use medicine balls, plyometric boxes, resistance bands, Olympic bar weight training, and the weight room to enhance their strength and muscle tone.

Basic Water Skills PE Leader

Grades: 10-12

Credit: 0.5

Prerequisite: Strong swimming skills and teacher permission 

Graduation requirement: Physical Education

Description: The Basic Water Skills Class is designed to team regular education students with special needs students. Students that sign up for this class would be in the pool assisting special needs students with swim exercises, games, and therapy programs that teachers and other itinerant staff have developed. Sign up is limited and requires teacher permission. 

Students may take this class more than once during their high school experience.

Sports Medicine: Personal Trainer

Located at GHHS campus

Grades: 10-12

Credit: 0.5

Graduation requirement: CTE and PE (dual requirement)

CTE dual college credit:

Athletic Training and Acute Injury Mgmt

Pierce College KINS 258 3 credits

Programming and Marketing for Fitness Prof.

Pierce College KINS 257 3 credits

Description: If you are interested in fitness careers, this will introduce techniques and clinical approaches used for the prevention and care of athletic injuries and illnesses. You will learn skills necessary to manage and prevent injuries common to active lifestyles and to the practice of personal training. Students will learn to develop, monitor, and evaluate a client fitness plan. You will learn terminology, nutrition concepts, and apply strength-training principles designed for optimal performance. Enrich your learning and leadership through participation in HOSA, the student leadership organization of future health professionals. This course may be repeated in preparation for the American Council on Exercise (ACE) Personal Trainer Certification. Must be 18 to take the test.

Team Sports

Grades: 10-12

Credit: 0.5

Graduation requirement: Physical Education

Description: This course offers students who enjoy team and dual sports a chance to compete in a fun environment. The sports offered include the following: Ultimate Frisbee, Flag Football, Pickleball, Basketball and Badminton. Instruction will improve your skills, apply game strategies, peak performance talks and team sportsmanship to help you become your BEST. This class is a full participation class based on your effort to compete in a positive arena with others and the desire to work hard and improve every day. 

Students may take this class more than once during their high school experience.

CWU PEF 123 Aerobic Walking (1 college credit)

Grades: 10-12

Credit: 0.5

Graduation requirement: Physical Education

Description: This course is an upper division physical education class for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The class is designed to impart knowledge and understanding of physical training through walking. The student will also improve in aerobic power and muscular strength with core exercise workouts three times per week. Students will be required to walk (outside) every day of class regardless of the weather. Be prepared! Students will be walking off campus and will be required to wear reflective vests. 

Students may take this class more than once during their high school experience.

Strength & Conditioning 2/3 - Next Level S&C

Grades: 10-12

Credit: 0.5

Graduation requirement: Physical Education

Description: Students refine movement patterns (please see core values), target student goals in S&C for athletics or lifetime personal fitness. This course is recommended for 10th -12th grade students and student-athletes. A 9th grade student could take this course with instructor permission based on prior experience. This course may be taken multiple times. Students should have one semester of S&C prior experience.

Students may take this class more than once during their high school experience. The class is available during the school day and during a zero hour before the regular school day begins.

Strength & Conditioning for Women

Grades: 9-12

Credit: 0.5

Graduation requirement: Physical Education

Description: This course may be a combination of S&C 1 and S&C 2 / 3. Students are recommended to take S&C 1 prior or may be the instructor’s decision to enroll students as 9th graders.

This fitness class is designed for all 10th-12th grade females of ALL abilities. This is a comprehensive fitness course designed to empower and strengthen women both physically and mentally; to improve their overall wellness, strength, flexibility, and endurance. This class will include but is not limited to the use of free weights, weight machines, medicine balls, cycle/spin bikes, elliptical machines, and other fitness related equipment. Students will also participate in cardio-respiratory activities, yoga, Pilates and interval training sessions. 

Weight Training (Zero Hour)

Grades: 9-12

Credit: 0.5

Graduation requirement: Physical Education

Description: Students refine movement patterns (please see core values), target student goals in S&C for athletics or personal fitness. This course is recommended for 10th -12th grade students and student-athletes. Students should have prior knowledge of form and lifting to enter this course. Students will be expected to understand weight room specific language and work to create their own workouts tailored to personal fitness and/or athletic goals by the end of the course. A 9th grade student could take this course with instructor written permission based on prior experience. This course may be taken multiple times. Students should have one semester of S&C prior experience.

Students may take this class more than once during their high school experience. This class meets during the zero hour period.

CWU PEF 150: Beginning Yoga (Yoga & Life Fitness) (1 college credit)

Grades: 10-12

Credit: 0.5

Graduation requirement: Physical Education

Description: This course is designed to improve flexibility, strength and balance. Participation in stretching and then holding a variety of yoga postures. Will include demonstrations, benefits, contraindications, precautions of each posture. Activities may include various styles of yoga, power yoga, Pilates, toning exercises and other fitness activities. Occasional mini lectures/assignments on fitness will be given. 

Students may take this class more than once during their high school experience. Interested students should check out this course video.

CWU PEF 122 Dance Fusion (1 college credit)

Grades: 10-12

Credit: 0.5

Graduation requirement: Physical Education

Description: This class will fire up your metabolism and target your cardio, strength, and muscular endurance.Course combines elements of traditional high- and low-impact dance aerobics with zumba, cardio kickboxing, step aerobics, power yoga, and sport movements into basic combinations. Strength activities involving hand weights, body weight resistance, medicine balls, etc.will also be included.  Formats will vary from cardio followed by toning to interval styles such as HITT and tabata.  

Students may take this class more than once during their high school experience. 

CWU PEF 128 Glute/Abdominal Conditioning (1 college credit)

Grades: 10-12

Credit: 0.5 high school/ 1 college

Graduation requirement: Physical Education

Description: This class is for the student who benefits from a structured class atmosphere with background music who can be confident that they are performing abdominal conditioning, gluteal toning, and core muscle strengthening in a safe manner.

Advanced Basketball and Volleyball

Grades: 9-12

Credit: 0.5

Graduation requirement: Physical Education

Description: This basketball and volleyball course is designed to improve skills and knowledge related to each sport and to provide an awareness of both as a lifetime sport offering fun and fitness.

Students will learn and work to improve offensive and defensive concepts, concepts of working in a team, and individual skills specific to each sport. 

Students may take this class more than once during their high school experience. 

Health  

Grades: 9-12

Credit: 0.5

Graduation requirement: CTE and Health (dual requirement)

Description: An understanding of good health and fitness concepts and practices is essential for all of us. In Health, you will review nutritional standards and develop nutritional goals. You will seek to understand mental health issues, including stress management, anger control, conflict resolution, decision-making, and coping skills. Students will understand and analyze personal responsibilities related to their human sexuality as it affects them and others. You will understand the transmission and control of diseases and evaluate the effectiveness of personal health practices. Students will also consider the implications of drug use. This course covers safety and knowledge of emergency first aid, including CPR.