FAQ about P.E.

Q    My child isn’t feeling well or has sustained an injury.  What about their participation in PE class? Will this affect their grade?

         •  Many activities can be modified allowing a student to participate in a

             limited capacity.  Please communicate with your child’s P.E. teacher 

             to see if limited participation is possible.  For excused or limited

             participation in P.E. class, please send in a note stating the nature of

             the illness/injury.

         •  If your child will be ill or has an injury, and needs to be excused

             from P.E. class for more than three (3) days, please send in a

             doctor’s note stating the extent of the illness/injury and the time       

              period the student needs to be excused.

         •  When a student is excused from P.E., there are alternate activities

             available (P.E. related word searches and reading materials).

         •  No, a student’s grade is not adversely affected when excused from

             P.E.

Q    My child loves to where other shoes/boots/footwear to school not appropriate for P.E., particularly during inclement weather. How can they wear them when they need sneakers for P.E.?  Does this mean they can’t wear that footwear on P.E. days?

       •  Have your child bring sneakers in his/her backpack.

         •  Prior to coming to P.E. class, the student may change footwear.

Q       My child participates actively in recreational sports. He/she has even been on a travel team. How could they have gotten a B or C in class? (3^rd, 4^th, 5^th grade) or a “W” (K, 1^st or 2^nd grade)?

       •  Recreational/athletic programs are essentially designed for children 

             who would like to specialize in one or more sports and refine their

             skills in order to compete with others of similar interests and

             abilities.

         •  Physical education programs are designed for every child.  P.E.

            curriculum covers content in games and sport, dance and gymnastics. 

            While a student may be particularly skillful in certain content areas,

            other areas may require additional development and practice. 

            Students are assessed on their knowledge and correct execution of

            skills performed in class following instruction and practice.

         •  The intent of our P.E. program is to provide children of all abilities

             and interests with a foundation of movement experiences and

             understandings that will lead to lifelong active and healthy

             lifestyles.

Q  My child doesn’t like to participate in certain activities. Can he/she sit and watch?

     •  Students/children need to develop competency in basic movement

             skills that can be used in any activity.  Mastery of basic movement

             skills encourages the development and refinement of more complex

             skills leading to safe and enjoyable participation in physical activity.

         •  When basic movement skills are developed at an early age and

             expanded during childhood and early adolescence, children will gain

             access to a wide variety of physical activities.

         •  Early specialization in specific sports and a limited range of

             opportunities to master basic skills in physical education limit later

             participation options.

Q        I remember the President’s Council on Physical Fitness Test when I went to school. What fitness test is used? 

         •  Fitnessgram is administered to 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade students.

         •  While the President’s Council on Physical Fitness test emphasized

             sport-related skills with the interpretation of scores based on  

             national norms, health-related fitness assessments such as

             Fitnessgram are used as an on-going process of helping children

             understand, enjoy, improve and maintain their physical fitness and

             well-being.  Scores for a health-related fitness assessment are

             based on carefully researched and developed health standards for

             children rather than national averages.

         •  Fitnessgram is a health-related fitness test that encourages

             children to strive for adequate and healthy levels of physical

             fitness.  Health related physical fitness includes the following

             components:  body composition, cardiovascular endurance, muscular

             endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility. 

         •  Children participate in activities that are designed to help them

             understand the concepts of health-related fitness and to value the

             contributions they make to a healthy lifestyle.

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