Students in grades 6-8 participate in a sports based physical education program.

Attire: Students are required to change their clothing for each class. Students should bring a tee shirt and shorts or sweat pants. Sweat shirts are also needed for some of the outdoor classes in the cooler weather. Students need to wear supportive, athletic footwear for safe participation. Hair that could obstruct vision must be secured. Students are issued a school gym locker and a school lock. Students are required to close the locks after each class. Students who do not keep lockers locked will lose the privilege of using them.

Schedule: Grade 6-8 students have physical education twice a cycle for 45 minutes.

Medical Excuses: Students who have been ill or who have minor injuries and need to be excused from a physical education class for one day should bring a note from a parent. Students needing to be excused for a extended period of time because of a injury or illness need to bring a note from the doctor.

Units: Students in grades 6-8 use previously learned skills and strategies to participate in small sided games in a variety of sports. Differentiation is used to allow more experienced students to play independently while intermediate level players can receive teacher instruction and guidance during game play. When all the students are prepared, a one day or multi-day tournament, can be played. Students are put into teams and participate in fun tournaments utilizing game strategies and demonstrating rule knowledge by self refereeing of the games. Students with higher skill levels are encouraged to act as leaders and mentors to others. In multi- day tournaments students who help less experienced teammates find the whole team becomes stronger.

Fitness Test

Touch football

Floor/Field hockey - (Mid to late October)We provided mouthguards which are required. Students with braces need to check with the Orthodontist for specific recommendations.

Basketball

Volleyball

Gymnastics

Challenge activities

Wall climbing

Dance

Aerobic games: Treasure Island, Capture the Flag, Matball, Crossfire, Medic

Grading: Students receive a daily grade from 1-10 points each PE class. The Daily Grade Rubric is posted on my Middle School Information page. These daily grades are visible on Power School. Students who receive higher or lower than a 9 will usually have a comment attached.

Points earned:

3 for appropriate behavior

3 for appropriate effort, completed all required tasks

3 for prepared properly for participation, change of shirt, change of shorts, proper footwear

1 point for demonstrating exemplary behavior such as; helping a fellow student, helping to take care of or clean up the equipment, encouraging a student who needs help.

Students who sit out because of unsafe footwear such as sandals will earn a 0.

Students are graded at the end of each unit and the grade is a combination of personal skill development and performance. Most of the rubrics are posted on my Middle School Information page. Students receive a physical education grade and citizenship grade on each trimester report card. The physical education grade is a letter grade which is the average of the Daily Grade (25%) unit grades (3 units 25% each). The Habits of Learning grade is a combination of effort, attitude, social behavior and conduct and the Related Arts Habits of Learning Rubric is posted on my Middle School Information page.

Intramural Sports: Florence Sawyer School provides afterschool intramural programs of touch football, basketball and volleyball for students in grades 6-8 at no cost. Students must have a signed permission slip before participation.

Interscholastic Sports: Florence Sawyer School provides interscholastic sports for students in grades 6-8. Any student planning to participate in interscholastic sports must have a signed permission slip and must have had a medical exam within the past year and must have turned a medical report to the school nurse before the tryouts or before the first track practice. Sports available are cross country running , boys' basketball, girls' basketball, softball, baseball and track and field.