PE

Our Physical Education program aims to educate the whole child - spiritually, physically, and socially. Through joyful movement, skill progression, and cooperative play, students develop lifelong habits of wellness, body stewardship, and core virtues.

Mission & Core Values

• Health & Stewardship: Treating our bodies as gifts from God by cultivating healthy, active movement habits.

• Sportsmanship & Christian Virtue: Demonstrating respect, integrity, fair play, and encouragement toward teammates and opponents.

• Community & Inclusion: Building cooperation and camaraderie through play, ensuring every student feels valued regardless of athletic ability.

Daily Class Structure

Every PE class follows a consistent sequence designed to keep students safe, engaged, and focused.

1. Opening & Dynamic Warm-Up (5–8 minutes)

Classes begin with dynamic movements to raise core body temperature, increase heart rate, and activate major muscle groups.

• Pre-K – 2nd Grade: High-energy locomotor movement paths (high knees, arm circles, galloping, "Red Light, Green Light" drills) that build spatial awareness and coordination.

• 3rd – 8th Grade: Structured dynamic routines including dynamic mobility (walking lunges, leg swings, arm circles) and progressive cardio drills (jumping jacks, butt kicks, light jogging). Middle school specifically focuses on full-body strength and cardiovascular endurance.

2. Main Activity / Skill Focus

Grade-specific skill instruction, lead-up drills, cooperative challenges, sports play, or fitness assessments.

3. Cool-Down & Reflection (3–5 minutes)

Classes wrap up with intentional recovery to return heart rates to normal, promote flexibility, and transition students back to the classroom mindset.

• Static Stretching: Major muscle stretches held for 15–20 seconds to improve flexibility and prevent injury.

• Controlled Breathing & Reflection: Guided breathing and a brief debrief highlighting positive sportsmanship, core takeaways, and a closing sign of peace.

Curriculum Breakdown by Grade Band

Early Childhood & Early Elementary (Pre-K – 2nd Grade)

Primary Focus: Body awareness, fundamental motor skills, and simple spatial play.

• Pre-K & Kindergarten:

  • Movement Concepts: Spatial awareness (self-space vs. general space), directional movement (up/down, forward/backward), and stopping on signal.

  • Locomotor Skills: Walking, running, hopping, jumping, galloping, and sliding.

  • Manipulative Basics: Tossing and catching soft objects (beanbags, scarves), light rolling, and kicking.

  • Social Growth: Taking turns, sharing equipment, and following simple multi-step safety rules.

• 1st Grade – 2nd Grade:

  • Refining Skills: Skipping, leaping, and combining movements (e.g., galloping into a jump).

  • Manipulative Mastery: Underhand tossing for accuracy, overhand throw mechanics, catching with hands, and dribbling with dominant hand/foot.

  • Cooperative Play: Low-organizational games, relays, and partner tasks that reinforce spatial safety and fair play.

Upper Elementary (3rd – 5th Grade)

Primary Focus: Sport-specific skill building, lead-up games, team concepts, and introductory fitness testing.

• 3rd Grade – 4th Grade:

  • Sport Lead-Up Skills: Dribbling while moving, passing types (chest/bounce), underhand volleyball serving, inside-foot soccer passing, and racket/paddle forehand strikes.

  • Tactics & Concepts: Understanding offense vs. defense, basic rules of play, and field positioning in simplified games.

  • Fitness & Health: Introduction to physical fitness components (endurance, flexibility, strength) through fun circuits and warm-ups.

• 5th Grade:

  • Modified Sports: Small-sided games (3v3 or 4v4 soccer/basketball) to maximize touches and involvement.

  • Advanced Mechanics: Overhand serving/throwing for accuracy, tracking moving objects, and catching on the run.

  • Introductory Fitness Testing (5th Grade Focus): Introduction to baseline fitness assessments (PACER test and Presidential Fitness Test events). Emphasis is placed on learning proper form, establishing personal baselines, and practicing positive encouragement for peers.

Middle School (6th – 8th Grade)

Primary Focus: Full sport units, personal fitness benchmarking, tactics, humility, and sportsmanship.

• Fitness Assessment & Personal Growth (5th – 8th Grades):

  • PACER Test (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run): Measured periodically to assess aerobic capacity, cardiovascular endurance, and pacing strategies.

  • Presidential Fitness Test Battery: Core battery events—including curl-ups (core strength), push-ups (upper body strength), sit-and-reach (flexibility), and shuttle run (agility)—used to benchmark physical growth.

  • Goal Setting & Self-Improvement: Focus on personal progress over peer comparison, encouraging students to set realistic wellness goals, track baseline-to-post-test growth, and support one another in achieving personal bests.

• Core Sports & Lead-Up Units:

  • Invasion Games: Basketball, Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, Flag Football, Handball.

  • Net & Wall Games: Volleyball, Pickleball, Badminton.

  • Striking & Fielding: Kickball.

  • Cooperative & Strategy Games: Capture the Flag, Speedball, Team initiative challenges.

• Key Curriculum Pillars:

  • Tactics & Strategy: Off-ball movement, defensive positioning, transitioning play, and setting up scoring plays.

  • Sportsmanship & Officiating: Learning regulation rules, refereeing basics, and practicing self-officiating with honesty and respect.

  • Fitness Concepts: Understanding heart rate zones, muscular endurance vs. strength, dynamic warm-up design, and setting personal fitness goals.

  • Leadership & Stewardship: Student-led team warm-ups, encouraging peers while demonstrating faith-based leadership both in sport and daily life.