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NAME:
Mrs. Grace Giammaruti
SCHOOL:
St. Christopher
CLASS:
All classes for physical education.
SCHOOL PHONE:
215-673-5787
In response to recommendations from the President's Council on Physical
fitness, St. Christopher School initiated an active gym program almost thirty
years ago. From modest beginnings, the program has grown to encompass the
entire student body.
I was asked to launch this program at the request of Sister Rose Morris,
who was principal at that time. Working in the convent basement and equipped
with two balls and six bean bags, I introduced physical education to the
three lower grades. Eventually the program expanded to include all grades
from kindergarten through eighth. Through various fundraisers and school
support, we have also improved the scope of the program by using a
substantial variety of gymnasium equipment.
Presently the gym period for each grade consists of fifty minutes of
directed activity per week. The primary grades concentrate on coordination,
ball-handling, rope-jumping, scooter-board activities, rudimentary
gymnastics, and other developmental skills. A general progression of these
activities, with the introduction of increasingly more difficult skills,
rounds out the development of the children from the fourth through eighth
grade levels.
In addition to being the sole instructor with responsibility for
direction and coordination of the St. Christopher physical education program
at all levels, I also serve as a member of the Archdiocesan Committee for
Physical Education in Elementary Schools. I have been directly involved in
the establishment of the guidelines for physical education used throughout
the diocese.
The gym activities of St. Christopher School also extend into the
extracurricular area through the activities of the cheerleading squads, as
well as the various sports teams. We look forward to all of our teams having
a successful, spirit-filled year! We also look forward to seeing many of our
families in October and at our Gym show in May.
I hope that the students in our physical education program will see the
pursuit of physical fitness in a positive light and will continue to practice
it throughout their lives.
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