Physical Education (PE)
We believe in developing confident, skilled movers who find enjoyment participating in physical activity. As a result, our students will adopt a lifelong pursuit of a healthy, active lifestyle.
Overview
The universal language of sport provides a connection to our own culture and the world. Through active participation, students learn to respect others, become leaders and work cooperatively in groups. Their physical involvement will promote physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual balance.
Students learn to develop an intrinsic motivation and mindset to stimulate internal drive producing a strong work ethic. Physical activity provides a platform to teach students life lessons and values that will benefit them in all aspects of their life. Students learn how to think strategically, problem solve, make decisions and overcome adversity. We provide an outlet for students to express themselves, be reinvigorated and be exposed to and experiment with different skills and activities in a fun, non-threatening and encouraging environment. Lower School has PE class every day and Middle School has it every other day.
Lower School PE
Lower School PE
We have lower school PE everyday during the school week. Each class period is 35 minutes in length. Our lessons are derived from multiple sources such as “Dynamic Physical Education for Elementary School Children,” by Robert Pangrazi, PE Central, CrossFit Kids, and decades of professional experience within our physical education department allowing for creative collaboration. We house our lesson plans in a living Google Document that is updated frequently.
Each lesson plan is divided into four instructional parts. Each plan offers enough activities for one week of instruction.
Introductory Activity: Introductory activities change daily and are used to physiologically prepare children for activity when entering the gymnasium or activity area. Activities used in this section demand little instruction and allow time to practice class management skills.
Lesson Focus Activities: The purpose of the lesson focus is to develop hand-eye coordination, body management and fundamental and specialized skills such as shooting a basket and catching an object. The lesson focus usually takes 15-20 minutes of the daily lesson depending on the length of the teaching period. Lesson focus activities are organized into units and vary in length depending on the development of the children. Lesson focus activities change weekly except when continuity of instruction demands longer units. Content in each lesson is organized in a developmentally appropriate sequence, with the first activity being the easiest and the last activity being the most difficult. This progression assures each student will begin with success. It offers a proper and safe sequence of activities for instruction.
Fitness Development Activity: The Fitness Development section utilizes 7 to 8 minutes of a 35-minute lesson. The purpose of this section is to familiarize them with many different types of physical fitness activities. A second major focus for this part of the lesson is to develop positive attitudes toward the physical activity.
Game Activity: This part of the lesson plan takes place at the closing of the lesson, utilizing the last 5-7 minutes of the period. Games can be used as the culminating activity for practicing skills emphasized in the lesson focus. At other times, games can be unrelated to the lesson focus and used to leave children with an enjoyable activity. On some cases, a low key, relaxing activity might be used to help children unwind before returning to the classroom.
Content Expectations for K-2
Participation, Skills, & Concepts
Students are able to move competently using a variety of fundamental and specialized motor skills.
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Apply movement concepts such as body and space awareness, relationships, and qualities of movement to a variety of locomotor and body management skills.
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Move efficiently using a variety of locomotor skills such as walking, running, skipping, and hopping.
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Combine locomotor and non locomotor skill into movement things. For example - supporting body weight, bridges, and receiving and transferring weight.
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Perform body management skills on the floor and on apparatus including benches, balance beams, individual mats, and boxes.
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Use a variety of manipulative skills such as tossing, throwing, catching, and kicking.
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Perform simple gymnastic skills such as animal walks, body rolling, simple balances, and inverted balances.
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Use a variety of locomotor skills in low organized game settings such as running, dodging, evading, and stopping.
Students are able to apply movement concepts and basic mechanics of skill performance when learning and refining motor skills.
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Understand basic mechanics of skill performance while performing specialized skills such as throwing, kicking, striking, and catching.
Students comprehend the basic principles of wellness and are able to apply concepts that enable them to make meaningful decisions that positively impact their health and wellness.
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Know basic muscle groups and bones related to movement.
Behavior
Students demonstrate empathy, understanding, and respect for the numerous differences exhibited by people in an activity setting.
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Participate in a variety of multicultural activities.
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Understand how different individuals make a variety of contributions to the group.
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Explain simple differences and similarities among activities played in different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
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Show empathy for the concerns and limitations of peers.
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Resolve conflicts in an acceptable non-violent manner.
Students exhibit responsible and self directed behaviors that lead to positive social interactions in physical activity.
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Follow rules and procedures in physical activity settings; including, but not limited to: STOP, LOOK and LISTEN on teacher’s whistle or command.
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Participate safely by observing safety procedures for equipment and apparatus.
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Understand and follow the rules for low organized games.
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Cooperate in a group setting and be willing to take turns and help others.
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Show the ability to behave responsibly when differences of opinions occur.
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Play willingly with all students, regardless of race, gender, or disability.
Content Expectations for 3-4
Participation, Skills, & Concepts
Students are able to move competently using a variety of fundamental and specialized motor skills.
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Perform specialized sport skills with mature form such as throwing, catching, dribbling with foot and hand, kicking and striking, batting, punting, and passing.
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Use sport skills in a variety of activities such as volleyball pass, basketball dribble, and batting a softball.
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Apply a wide variety of locomotor and manipulative games skills in low organized game settings.
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Incorporate specialized sport skill in a variety of sport lead up games.
Students are able to apply movement concepts and basic mechanics of skill performance when learning and refining motor skills.
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Find information regarding skill performance improvement including asking friends and coaches, self evaluation, and learning to monitor personal accomplishments.
Behavior
Students demonstrate empathy, understanding, and respect for the numerous differences exhibited by people in an activity setting.
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Demonstrate a willingness to participate with peers regardless of diversity or disability.
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Enjoy and interact with peers in a variety of physical activity settings.
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Resolve conflicts in an acceptable non-violent manner.
Students exhibit responsible and self directed behaviors that lead to positive social interactions in physical activity.
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Reveal the ability to create and modify rules to better meet the needs of the group.
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Understand that cooperative skills must be developed before competitive games can be played.
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Understand how sports and games impact issues of gender and diversity.
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Recognize the benefits (social and physical) derived from participation in group games and activities.
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Show a willingness to follow rules, procedures, and safety guidelines in all physical activity settings.
Lower School PE students receive two grades for PE based on the content expectations.
- Participation, Skills and Concepts
- Behavior
Lower School Grading Scale
1 - Meets Expectations Independently
2 -Meets Expectations with Support from Instructor
3- Requires more one on one time of instruction to meet expectations. Does not apply skills / strategies from lessons in independent work.
Excused Absences from PE
A student may be excused from PE only by a dated note from a parent or guardian stating the reason for the student not taking class that particular day. The note must first be presented to the school nurse. The school nurse will call the parent if more information is required and then forward the note to the PE teacher. Without a note, the student will be expected to fully participate. If needing to be excused for three days or longer, a note from a physician is required.
Middle School PE
Middle School PE
The goal for the 5th – 8th Grade Physical Education Program is to continue the development of sport skills and knowledge, lifetime fitness, and recreational activity.
The 5-8 Physical Education Program is designed as a continuation of learning basic skills and rules of competitive sports, specifically those offered at Trinity Episcopal School (football, cross country, volleyball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, tennis, track and field), along with the addition of 5th and 6th grade Health Education. The program will also encourage lifetime fitness and recreational activities that can be essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle (aerobic fitness, climbing, running, jumping, badminton, hand ball, ultimate frisbee, etc.). This program will meet the needs of every student that participates and they will learn the importance of physical activity for the body, mind and soul.
Our 5th-8th grade students have a choice of participating in a sport, PE, Dance or Yoga. PE, Dance and Yoga meet on M-W-F during the athletic period.
Student Expectations
The 5-8 physical education teaching staff at Trinity Episcopal School maintains the following expectations for student conduct:
- Treat teachers and fellow students with respect.
- Hustle and do your best at all times.
- Stop-Look-Listen when teachers are giving instructions.
- Display positive sportsmanship when competing by modeling the school’s core values at all times.
Dress in required PE attire daily:
- Trinity t-shirt
- Navy blue Trinity athletic shorts
- Appropriate athletic shoes
Unit/Lesson Plans
Interscholastic sport units will be divided up into two week units, throughout the academic year. The students will be exposed to all the different sports more often, than just once a season. Additionally, students will participate in fun fitness / cooperative games involving team challenges that motivate and amplify comradery. On Friday or the last day of that particular school week will be considered a game day. Units will also include physical fitness assessments. Assessments include 1 mile run for time, max set of pull ups, and 1-minute max set of sit ups, jump rope turns, and push-ups.
We assess the following Habits of Learning according to the following frequency scale for Engagement, Organization and Self-Management. Student progress grades are updated in Veracross every 3 weeks.
Middle School Grading Rubric
- (C) Consistently Demonstrates
- (O) Often Demonstrates
- (I) Inconsistently Demonstrates
- (S) Seldom Demonstrates:
(C) Consistently Demonstrates
- Consistently demonstrates highly active participation, self-motivated.
- Consistently demonstrates and models positive behavior and attitude towards teachers and peers.
- Consistently demonstrates active engagement in skill work, games and fitness development during class.
- Consistently demonstrates the ability to evaluate and assess strategies and rules associated with the game/activity.
- Consistently dresses in required PE attire
(O) Often Demonstrates
- Often demonstrates active participation in class activity, needs little to no encouragement to stay on task.
- Often demonstrates appropriate positive behavior and attitude towards teachers and peers.
- Often demonstrates and understands the need for active skill acquisition and fitness development.
- Often demonstrates an understanding of the rules and can apply them to the game/activity.
- Often dresses in required PE attire (does not dress 1-2x in progress period)
(I) Inconsistently Demonstrates
- Inconsistently demonstrates engagement in activity for only a short period of time and/or needs frequent encouragement to engage in activity.
- Inconsistently demonstrates appropriate behavior or attitude on an inconsistent basis.
- Inconsistently demonstrates limited willingness to engage in skill and fitness development.
- Inconsistently demonstrates limited understanding of the rules of the game/activity.
- Inconsistently dresses in required PE attire (does not dress 3-4x in progress period)
(S) Seldom Demonstrates:
- Seldom demonstrates little or no participation despite encouragement.
- Seldom demonstrates poor behavior and attitude; disrupts class consistently.
- Seldom demonstrates no willingness to improve skills or fitness levels.
- Seldom demonstrates little or no knowledge of the rules of the game/activity.
- Seldom dresses in required PE attire (does not dress 5 or more times during progress period)
Middle School Electives: Dance & Yoga
5th & 6th Grade Dance
Throughout the course, students will learn, explore and perform a range of dance styles from among the following: Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary, Modern, World Dance and Hip/Hop. These genres will be taught within a framework of skills and composition building as well as in historical and cultural context. Students will learn, reflect on and discuss dance’s connection to their lives and other cultures. They will participate in a daily dance warm-up and study the nutritional elements and their effects on short and long-term physical performance. A range of dance practices that promote fitness, stress management, emotional wellness, and prevention and treatment of dance injuries will be introduced. The course will provide baseline dance content, knowledge and skills that allow the student to follow additional advanced dance coursework.
Students will have projects / performances to work towards. Performances include a family / friends event and at pep rallies.
7th & 8th Grade Yoga
Yoga and mindfulness available for students in the 7th and 8th grade. Yoga is a mind, body and spirit practice that would be an enhancement to the mindfulness and citizenship teachings from Chapel and the RULER program. Providing students with the opportunity to experience yoga and mindfulness, as part of their life at school, has Trinity on a progressive and innovative path amongst other Texas Independent Schools.
Benefits of Yoga and Mindfulness Benefits for Kids and Teens
The goal is for students to continue to practice what they are learning in their classrooms through the RULER program and acquire tools to help them build a positive outlook and to positively cope with common stressors as they continue to grow into young adults. Students will build: core strength, mental clarity, positive body image, awareness of mind and breath, healthy movement and self expression in a safe no-judgement space.
Connecting to the Breath: Mindful awareness of the power of their breath to help them feel at ease when emotions are high either in class or during social interactions.
Strengthen and Energize the Body: Build core strength, encourage movement and positive self expression so that students can let energy out in a healthy way.
Balance and Concentration: Help increase concentration and focus by engaging in challenging balance poses and breathing exercises.
Self - Awareness: Increase their connection to their body and movement to help them feel strong and confident.
Meditation and Relaxation: Experience mindful moments of total relaxation and introduction to the concept of meditation to ease anxiety and boost their moods.