Physical Education

"A Goal Without a Plan is Just a Wish"

At the beginning of the year I have the Middle School write down their goals. I try to emphasis that wishing things don't make them happen. It takes hard work no matter if their goal is physical, academic or personal.

Physical Education provides a wide exposure of activities that will hopefully install a love to stay active all through their lives. The basic skills they require for sports are taught at an age appropriate level. The skills are then used to play games that enforce the skills they have learned in class.

I try to cover the popular sports/skills, while exposing them to lifetime sports, such as badminton, golf, etc. As you can see from the lesson plans, the first quarter is basically designed around fitness and getting them in the best shape they can be physically. I feel if they are physically fit, things seem to fall in place for them both physically and emotionally.

The second and subsequent quarters will concentrate on sports skills, and basic rules of the game. We cover the more traditional sports such as soccer, football, basketball and volleyball. We also cover sports that they may never had had exposure to such as lacrosse, hockey, pickleball, and shuffleboard as examples.

Intermingled in the sports skills/games we cover dance and a very small unit on gymnastics. In dance we cover Folk Dancing, Square Dancing and some of the modern line dances. I will say, by the end of the unit, the students seem to enjoy them.

We also cover activites such as jump rope, scoops, and other activities using manipulatives that we have. We do play many dodging and tagging games as well. Every class loves dodgeball!

k-8 - Field Days has proven to be a very popular day at RRLS. This is the day when all the skills we have learned are used. In the past in the morning we have classroom competition with our events such as an obstacle course, soccer dribble, basketball shoot, standing long jump, 50 yd dash, push up and sit up contests, softball throw, and base run. In the afternoon we combine our students into color families and do relays with them. The event most students look for is the last event of the day, which is the tug of war. I particularly love the color families as it brings a bond between the older students and the younger. We have traditionally had color family chapels and activities so they get to know their team.

Special Events - We have had the opportunity to have many in house field trips. In the past we have had a Bullying Seminar, Hip Hop Dancing, Karate Demonstration, Ball Room Dancing, and Fencing. This provides our students an opportunity to have exposure to some different activities they may want to be involved in.