Course Offerings
WELLNESS
Booklet Page 69
The Wellness curriculum provides students with the opportunity to develop their physical, mental, and social well-being throughout their four years of high school. Learning experiences are designed to help promote positive attitudes and behaviors that may enhance the quality of life and to maximize personal potential. Health activities will provide students with the knowledge to think critically, communicate effectively, make good decisions and act responsibly. Physical activities, both recreational and competitive, will provide students with a base of knowledge needed to help maintain their personal fitness throughout their lifetime. Longmeadow High School promotes physical activity as part of a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle.
Wellness Department Expectations for Student Learning
Students will:
- Learn the basic rules and history of a variety of games/activities
- Practice and develop skills needed to participate in various games/activities
- Develop abilities in team play and game strategy
- Know the importance of Functional Movement Patterns
- Understand the connection between Functional Movement Screening to their overall fitness
- Have a basic understanding of the major muscle groups and know how muscles work
- Know the different components of fitness and understand how to set up a fitness program to keep their body fit
- Develop skills to work in group settings to accomplish tasks.
- Develop skills to deal with stress, including relaxation techniques
- Understand the need for physical, mental, and emotional growth
Successful completion of four years of Wellness credit is an LHS graduation requirement.
901 9th GRADE WELLNESS 1 Credit
Given: Semester
Prerequisite: None
Academic Expectations: Solve problems, recognize and respect cultural similarities and differences.
The 9th grade curriculum students will be introduced to the Functional Movement Screening as well as the foundational movement patterns. Course offerings will include an introduction to volleyball, team handball, track and field, swimming and an introduction to the weight room and fitness principles needed to gain strength, agility, power and speed.
902 10th GRADE WELLNESS 1 Credit
Given: Full Year
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Wellness 901 or Department Chair approval
Academic Expectations: Solve problems, recognize and respect cultural similarities and differences.
The 10th grade curriculum will include FMS testing as well as the importance of the foundational movement patterns. Activities will stress the importance of teamwork and cooperation through many team building activities. Students will also participate in step aerobics, water polo, ultimate Frisbee, TRX and other fitness activities which incorporate a variety of fitness principles. Additionally, topics regarding substance use/abuse, healthy decision making, bullying, conflict resolution and other social/emotional needs of students have been embedded into this course.
903 11th GRADE WELLNESS 1 Credit
Given: Full Year
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Wellness 901 and 902 or Department Chair approval
Academic Expectations: Solve problems, recognize and respect cultural similarities and differences.
The 11th grade curriculum will include FMS testing as well as the importance of the foundational movement patterns. The 11th grade curriculum focuses on a variety of individual activities including tennis, NASP competitive archery, diamond games, basic self-defense, relaxation and stress reduction activities, fitness swimming and a thorough anatomy/weight training unit. Students will design fitness programs based on individual needs utilizing the knowledge acquired during the school year. Additionally, topics regarding substance use/abuse, healthy decision making, bullying, conflict resolution and other social/emotional needs of students have been embedded into this course.
904 12TH GRADE WELLNESS 1 Credit
Given: Full Year
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Wellness 901, 902 and 903 or Department Chair approval
Academic Expectations: Solve problems, recognize and respect cultural similarities and differences
The 12th grade curriculum will include FMS testing as well as the importance of the foundational movement patterns. The 12th grade curriculum is designed to provide students with lifetime activities such as fitness walking, bocce, table tennis, badminton, yoga and TRX. Twelfth grade students will also participate in football and volleyball. Additionally, topics regarding substance use/abuse, healthy decision making, bullying, conflict resolution and other social/emotional needs of students have been embedded into this course.
905 WOMEN’S HEALTH AND FITNESS 1 Credit
Given: Full Year
Open to: Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite: Students must have completed 9th grade health as well as Wellness 901 and 902
Academic Expectations: Solve problems, recognize and respect cultural similarities and differences
This course is designed to meet the needs of LHS females who are interested in focusing on nutrition, physical activity and personal fitness. This is not a “sports-based” course. Students will be introduced to both traditional and non-traditional activities that address basic fitness principles in a non-threatening and supportive environment. Students will complete regular self-assessments of physical, emotional, and social wellness and will create and implement personal plans to address all aspects of wellness. Team building activities that address the aspects of fitness will be a large part of this course with the goal of fostering positive relationships among the class participants.
906 MEN’S LIFETIME FITNESS 1 Credit
Given: Full Year
Open to: Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite: Students must have completed 9th grade Wellness
Academic Expectations: Solve problems, recognize and respect cultural similarities and differences
This course will teach students the basics of exercise and nutrition. It will be focused on helping students to become more physically fit. This class will teach students to manage their diet, keep track of what their food intake is, calculate their personal metabolic rate, and design an exercise program to lose weight and become healthier. This course will use online metabolic calculators, online fitness sites to plot and keep track of their exercise routine, and teaches students how to gain control of their own health.
907 INTRODUCTION TO EXERCISE SCIENCE 5 Credits
Given: Full Year
Open to: Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite: Students must have completed 9th grade health as well as Wellness 901 and 902
Academic Expectations: Solve problems, recognize and respect cultural similarities and differences
This is a course combining the exercise components of a Wellness class with the chemistry, biology and biomechanics of a high-level science class. Topics include muscle physiology, the nervous, cardiovascular and endocrine systems response to varying types of exercise.
Classes will be involved in labs deep rooted in the kinesthetic movements and how the body reacts physiologically. The class will then take a step further and through using the scientific method they will use their knowledge in a practical final that will prescribe, with scientific backing, an exercise regime for people from different walks of life.
This is a class intended for students looking to move on to careers in strength and conditioning, nutrition, kinesiology, sports medicine, physical education, physical therapy, coaching, and athletic training.
898 HEALTH 2 Credits
Given: Semester
Open to: Freshmen
Academic Expectations: Solve problems, recognize and respect cultural similarities and differences
This course is based on the Massachusetts Health Curriculum Frameworks, the National Health Education Standards, and data drawn from the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the Monitoring the Future Study. The overarching goal of this course is to empower ninth grade students with information and skills to make informed decisions about common social issues that many adolescents face. Topics covered include Alcohol and Other Drugs, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Relationships and Sexual Health, and Bullying and Harassment. The information is presented in a realistic, age-appropriate, harm-reduction approach which comes from a respect for and understanding of the fact that all of the students come from different life experiences, behavioral expectations and personal values.
899 WELLNESS FOR YOUNG ADULTS 2 Credits
Given: Semester
Open to: Juniors, Seniors
Academic Expectations: Solve problems, recognize and respect cultural similarities and differences
This course provides students the opportunity to critically analyze a wide variety of current wellness issues in our society. Topics covered will include (but will not be limited to) fitness and nutrition, substance abuse, relationships and sexuality, mental health and consumerism. A portion of the class will also focus on student life in college and wellness issues to consider when adjusting to life after high school. Course topics will be presented and assessed using a variety of methods
908 ADVANCED STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING .5 Credit
Given: Semester
Open to: Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite: Students must have completed Wellness 901 and 902
Academic Expectations: Solve problems, recognize and respect cultural similarities and differences
This course will teach students the basics of anatomy of movement and anatomy of sport. Students will learn how to set up an exercise program and use class time to become more physically fit. Students will learn muscle names, locations and basic muscle function. Students will create their own goals and set up testing to measure the progress of these goals. Students will also earn different training techniques to develop strength, speed, agility, flexibility and power.