Most of us remember Physical Education as a class where kinesthetic learners excelled and everyone else did not fair as well, those days are gone!

The New Physical Education speaks to all learners. Imagine finding out where your current fitness level is through self-testing (limited guidance). After establishing this baseline, you plan and set reasonable fitness goals, engage in many different activities and then reassess. After this discovery period, put together a paper that outlines all that you’ve accomplished!

Thanks to title nine, this is all done in an environment that allows for the understanding of different body make-ups and the “Mars” “Venus” differences and similarities we celebrate. All SLC’S come together to collaborate on common, obtainable goals. Wow! A person could embrace this as a lifestyle!

                         Mission Statement

Our hope as a department is to help prevent the many health challenges that our children may encounter such as; adult onset diabetes, depression, and heart disease.

Goals:

• The student will develop a fitness plan based on their personal needs.
• The student will determine a “Target Heart Rate Zone”.
• The student will engage in cardio-vascular fitness a minimum of two days a week and more likely five days a week reaching their Target HR Zone (Minimum 20 min) each day.
• The student will engage in a wide variety of activities which could include the following: Bowling, Tennis, Weight Training, Aerobics, Football, Softball, Swimming, Jogging, Walking, Jump Roping, Soccer, Lacrosse, Volleyball, Basketball, Badminton, Floor Hockey, Track and Field. 
• The student will understand lifestyle differences in regards to fitness/wellness/diet and exercise.
• The student will engage in a cooperative, multi cultural, gender fair, disability aware environment as all SLC’S are merged into a true melting pot and celebrate similarities and differences amongst their peers.
• The student will grasp and synthesize the following fitness components: Flexibility, Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Body Composition, and Cardio-Respiratory Endurance.
• The student will understand how to use assessment tools such as: Distance, "Fitness Gram",  Heart Rate (manual and monitor when available),  Pedometer and Time.

PE. Myths:

•         PE is the same as playing on a sports team.  Although playing on a sports team provides a person with life long skills such as; exercise, teamwork, and skill development; sport alone doesn’t encompass what we hope you accomplish when taking this course.  Students identify their “Target Heart Range” and make a deliberate effort to reach their range to obtain optimal cardio-respiratory endurance. Student’s work together on common goals and team challenges while learning the importance of positive peer relationships including differences and similarities of individuals.

•         PE is only for non-Jocks. Many student athletes embrace the variety of activities as a challenge.  Fitness journaling and goal setting, target cardio-respiratory fitness, which is the “Big Picture” often, missed in sport participation only.

* Students need to be active physically in core subjects such as P.E. as well as co-curricular activities in order to compile the 10,000 -13,000 steps/day recommended by the American Heart Association.