Physical Education
Hello and welcome to another year of fun-filled physical education and wellness!
Our physical education team is led by Mr. Pratt, who coach-teaches with more than 25 staff who work together to deliver the curriculum. As you may know, in 2022 an update was made to the physical education and health curricula. In short, the two distinct curricula have now been combined into one, now called physical education and wellness. It is important you make note of this change as your child(ren) will receive one combined mark for both wellness and physical education class.
We are excited about this combined curriculum as it honours a more wholistic view of health and wellness, highlighting the interplay between various dimensions of our health. The curriculum continues to promote the importance of physical health while also showcasing the significant importance of other dimensions of health including social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, financial, intellectual, and occupational health. This means that in addition to learning all about active living and movement skills during physical education class, we will also be learning about safety, healthy relationships, healthy eating, growth and development, financial literacy, and character development.
To make our program as rich and engaging as possible, each month we will focus our learning and assessment on two outcomes from the topics listed above. We also supplement our physical education and wellness program with additional programming at our school to help students enjoy and experience an active lifestyle. This includes pre-determined grade level physical education field trips that see our Grade 1 and 3 students do swimming lessons, our Grade 2s do inline skating lessons, our Grade 4s do a ski/snowboard lesson, and our Grade 5s formerly doing mountain biking (this program has ended, so we are currently seeking alternative opportunities for them). In addition, we also offer our annual Active Living Week/Month in May, which allows students the opportunity to participate in various active pursuits including hiking, swimming, skating, and more! This year, we also hope to continue our Walk and Roll to School Program to encourage students and families to use active transportation to get to and from school. Stay tuned for details!
We feel that the diversity our program provides allows students to learn about important content in various environments through various types of activities. It is our belief that learning and/or reinforcing these important life skills should help students lead happy, successful, and happy lives.
To be successful in physical education, students should come prepared to class in active, weather-appropriate clothing (including appropriate footwear) and be ready to participate to the best of their ability with a positive attitude. We know not everyone is the best at everything they do, but we can all improve with practice and maximize our learning if we try our best, and we usually have fun in the process! There is growing research indicating a strong link between physical activity, academic performance, and overall wellbeing. We want our students to experience the full benefits that an active and healthy lifestyle can offer.
When possible, we welcome parental involvement in class and would be happy to have you come share your expertise with our students or simply volunteer to join in on the fun!