Unified Arts

1. How does my child get graded in Unified arts?
2. Physical Education? That's the same as gym class right?
3. How should my child prepare for P.E.?
4. What is the Unified Arts student of the week award?

How does my child get graded in Unified arts?

In the past, if you were good at the skill (whether in art, music, or the
athlete), then you got an A.
Today we recognize that not everyone is an athlete, naturally coordinated, or
gifted in the realm of music art, or other subjects. For the complete grading
rubric, please see the Grades page. But
to put it simply, if a student makes an effort to improve their skills
(whether successful or not) they receive a good grade (G) for effort. The
more effort the higher the grade. If a student demonstrates knowledge of the
concept being taught then they earn a good academic grade (G). All we really
ask as teachers is that the students try hard and take what we do seriously.

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Physical Education? That's the same as gym class right?

Not exactly. And this may seem a little picky, but there is a difference
between the terms. When you are in science class you learn science, math
class you learn
math. If it were called gym class we would learn about the gym. And gym
class was always known for playing games. But what was the purpose of those
games? No one really knows. The emphasis was on the rules of the games, not
the concepts, skills, or benefits of the game. The purpose
of physical education is to gain knowledge about our body, how to move it,
become coordinated, and to develop habits of a healthy lifestyle. The term
physical denotes that we are learning about our bodies. We definitely play
games but the games are the means to the end product. Not the product
themselves. The games are used to motivate students to learn, inspire them to
want to continue outside of school, and provide a wide variety of learning
methods. My motto is "Play to Learn not Play to win" Means that even though
I want everyone to try their best to win the game, we do not put the emphasis
on who won. We
try to remind ourselves that the game taught us something that can help us
become better people, teammates, and movers.

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How should my child prepare for P.E.?

Comfortable clothing is key. Skirts and dresses should be avoided to prevent
embarrassment in awkward physical situations. Any comfortable loose shirts
(according to the dress code in the handbook) is fine. Shoes are the biggest
concern. The dress code prohibits the wearing of sandals, flip flops, or
heelies with wheels. Many students do wear sneakers but do not tie them tight
enough. All the slack should be pulled from the laces and tied on the outside
of the shoe. The shoes should also be laced properly to allow tightening as
needed. This should happen EVERY SCHOOL DAY! There are many students in the
school and doing everything possible to keep them safe is our job.

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What is the Unified Arts student of the week award?

This award is given to one student in each grade once a week. They are chosen
by the Unified Arts staff who recognize these students as hard workers and/or
great classmates that usually go above and beyond. Their names are announced
over the intercom and are given a medal that they may proudly wear throughout
the week (unfortunately it must be returned at the end of the week).

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