Physical Education and Health
The physical education program is based on helping students develop healthy, active lifestyles by experiencing a balance of activities in a positive, responsible, and cooperative environment. These activities include the movement areas of dance, fitness, adventure/cooperative education, and sports/games. It is through these experiences that we address the diverse needs of our students in the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive domains. The health education program offers a foundation of functional health information and skills so that students become health literate. Content areas are multidimensional, encompassing the areas of emotional wellness, intellectual wellness, spiritual wellness, social wellness, physical wellness, and occupational wellness. The dynamic nature of wellness requires that our curriculum focus on critical health skills, such as communication, decision-making, goal-setting, advocacy, self-management, analyzing influences, and accessing information.
Staff
WELLNESS EDUCATION CURRICULUM GRADES 9-12
Grade 9
Physical Education
Fitness
Am I fit and healthy? How do I stay fit and healthy? How do I improve my fitness and health?
Health-related fitness incorporates the areas of cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, nutrition and other health related topics. Students must develop lifelong habits of activity that insure daily moderate and vigorous exercise. Technology (heart rate monitors) is used as a tool to improve fitness.
- Knows how to find their own heart rates and to figure out their target heart rate
- Applies the target heart rate to all activities.
- Uses heart rate monitors as a tool to assess cardiovascular fitness levels and intensity of exercise
- Explains the differences between aerobic and anaerobic exercise
- Explains the benefits of stretching
- Utilizes each type of stretching method
- Demonstrates the use of fitness center safety procedures
- Demonstrates the use of fitness center and its machines with proper techniques for muscular strength and endurance-treadmills, bikes, ellipticals, steps, plyo box, racks/free weights, leg press, lat machine, neck machines, curl machines, universal gym
- Utilizes the F.I.T.T. concept in training
- Applies their knowledge of the basic food groups and the benefits controlling their diets
- Participates in the CT Physical Fitness Assessment and relate their performance to personal fitness
- Identifies what a SMART goal is
- Strategic and specific
- Measureable
- Attainable
- Results-oriented
- Time-bound
- Sets a SMART fitness goal based upon their performance on the CT Physical Fitness Assessment and develop a plan to improve fitness
- Discusses the negatives of abusing drugs
Adventure Education
How does what I say or do effect others in my group? What makes an effective team? What does a good leader do?
Adventure education offers a series of opportunities to promote positive relationships and productive teamwork. As the students experiment, plan, and strategize together, they learn to listen, trust, and communicate. There are three components of adventure education: cooperative games, low challenge elements, and high challenge elements.
- Identifies the critical characteristics of good communication
- Demonstrates effective, respectful communication skills
- Expresses feelings or opinions appropriately
- Agrees or disagrees in constructive way
- Listens respectfully
- Knows the steps of effective problem solving
- Demonstrates respect, trust, and cooperation as a team in problem solving activities
- Accepts responsibility for safety of oneself and others
- Knows and utilizes spotting correctly, including correct body position
- Uses verbal commands to initiate a fall, jump, lean, or other physical task
- Uses verbal commands to finish a fall, jump, lean, or physical task
- Uses of correct performer body position for lean or fall
- Indicates verbally if they detect any emotional or physical conditions that indicate it is not safe for group to proceed
Individual, dual, and team sports
What do I need to do to be an effective player or performer? What makes a successful team?
We intend that students will have sufficient skills to enjoy participation in many activities and select a few they would want to pursue in adulthood. In keeping with this goal, the sport offerings required in grades nine offer opportunities for students to try a new sport and refine others.
Students in grade nine may participate in the following sports:
- Archery
- Fencing
- Golf
- Non-specific invasion sports ( i.e. socci, ultimate football, touchkball)
- Volleyball
Ballroom Dance
What does the style of this dance express? How? What can I do to enjoy this more?
Dance is an essential part of a comprehensive physical education program. Dance provides a balance between functional and expressive purposes of movement. In ninth grade we focus on ballroom/social dance.
- Performs dance steps and variations
- Combines basic dance steps into sequences using transitions
- Performs the dance keeping with the overall style
- Options include:
- Swing
- Cha-Cha
- Foxtrot
- Waltz
- Polka
- Rumba
- Tango
- Salsa/Mambo
- Performs the partner position as appropriate to the specific dance
- Performs dance moving around the floor counterclockwise, if appropriate
- Moves in direction as determined by role (leader, follower) and particular dance
- Demonstrates cooperation in partner work as it pertains to leading, following, and dance etiquette
- Performs the dance keeping with the overall style
- Performs combinations of dance steps and transitions
Health Education
Note: Ninth graders do not have a formal health education program. Students are pulled from their physical education classes for 5-7 days to receive substance use prevention information.
Substance Use Prevention-Marijuana, Tobacco, and Club Drugs
How do I make good decisions? Is this a healthy decision?
- Knows the effects and consequences related to tobacco, marijuana, and club drugs
- Discusses the school rules, as well as state and federal laws, regarding tobacco, marijuana, and club drugs.
- Locates helping resources (school/community/state).
- Demonstrates refusal skills and decision-making strategies
Grade 10
Physical Education
Fitness
Am I fit and healthy? How do I stay fit and healthy? How do I improve my fitness and health?
Health-related fitness incorporates the areas of cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, nutrition and other health related topics. Students must develop lifelong habits of activity that insure daily moderate and vigorous exercise. Technology (heart rate monitors) is used as a tool to improve fitness.
- Participates in the CT Physical Fitness Assessment and understand their own levels of fitness
- Understands and utilizes the process of cool down stretch
- Applies the concept of pacing to the long periods of running
- Continues to use knowledge for proper eating habits
- Continues strategies to refrain from abusing drugs
- Utilizes heart monitors to monitor fitness levels
Adventure Education
How does what I say or do impact others in my group? What makes an effective team? What does a good leader do?
- Identifies the critical characteristics of good communication
- Demonstrates effective, respectful communication skills
- Expresses feelings or opinions appropriately
- Agrees or disagrees in constructive way
- Listens respectfully
- Knows the steps of effective problem solving
- Demonstrates respect, trust, and cooperation as a team in problem solving activities
- Accepts responsibility for safety of oneself and others
- Knows and utilizes spotting correctly, including correct body position
- Uses verbal commands to initiate a fall, jump, lean, or other physical task
- Uses verbal commands to finish a fall, jump, lean, or physical task
- Uses of correct performer body position for lean or fall
- Indicates verbally if they detect any emotional or physical conditions that indicate it is not safe for group to proceed
Individual, dual, and team sports
What do I need to do to be an effective player or performer? What makes a successful team?
We intend that students will have sufficient skills to enjoy participation in many activities and select a few they would want to pursue in adulthood. In keeping with this goal, the sport offerings required in grades ten offer opportunities for students to try a new sport and refine others.
Students in grade ten may participate in the following sports:
- Fencing
- Non-specific sport invasion games
- Tennis
- Ultimate
- Frisbee
Ballroom Dance
What does the style of this dance express? How? What can I do to enjoy this more?
Dance is an essential part of a comprehensive physical education program. Dance provides a balance between functional and expressive purposes of movement. In ninth grade we focus on ballroom/social dance.
- Performs dance steps and variations
- Combines basic dance steps into sequences using transitions
- Performs the dance keeping with the overall style
- Options include:
- Swing
- Cha-Cha
- Foxtrot
- Waltz
- Polka
- Rumba
- Tango
- Salsa/Mambo
- Performs the partner position as appropriate to the specific dance
- Performs dance moving around the floor counterclockwise, if appropriate
- Moves in direction as determined by role (leader, follower) and particular dance
- Demonstrates cooperation in partner work as it pertains to leading, following, and dance etiquette
- Performs the dance keeping with the overall style
- Performs combinations of dance steps and transitions
Health Education
Stress and Stress Management / Suicide Prevention
What can I do to manage my stress? What would I do if a friend or family member were depressed or suicidal?
- Analyzes stress in their own lives and practices stress reduction strategies (time management, attitude, perspective, exercise, meditation) to help manage stress
- Recognizes the signs of depression and warning signs of suicide
- Discusses the impact of loss, including death, in real life situations
- Understands the stages of grieving and ways in which people cope with loss
- Accesses school and community resources for dealing with stress, loss, depression, and suicide prevention
- Demonstrates the ability to use strategies to manage a situation that is potentially suicidal by using the safety steps of ACT. ACT is an acronym for a three-step action response to help with mental health issues, such as depression or suicide. ACKNOWLEDGE the signs of depression or suicide in a friend and take them seriously. Let your friend know you CARE about him or her. TELL a responsible adult.
Harassment and Sexual Harassment
What do I do if I am harassed or a friend is harassed?
- Knows behaviors associated with harassment and sexual harassment
- Discusses school rules and laws as they pertain to harassment
- Uses communication strategies for dealing with harassment
- Locates professional resources to help victims of harassment
- Applies proper steps to deal with ongoing harassment
Human Growth and Development-Relationships and Sexuality
What skills do I need to maintain safe and healthy relationships? How can I find valid, current information and resources?
- Discusses the physical, sexual, mental, emotional, and social changes that occur at different life stages, with an emphasis on adolescence.
- Reviews anatomy and physiology of the male and female reproductive systems, labor, and birth.
- Knows the pathogens, symptoms, and methods of transmission of STDs/HIV.
- Accesses wellness resources within the home, school, and community.
- Understands the purpose of the media and discriminates their use of propaganda, exploitation, and subliminal messages.
- Identifies abstinence as the only 100% effective method to prevent pregnancy and STDs.
- Identifies the various methods of contraception and their effectiveness.
- Makes healthy decisions around issues of sexuality, including developing and maintaining positive relationships.
- Examines and discusses the dynamics of interpersonal relationships including dating, long-term relationships, marriage, homosexuality, healthy relationships, abusive relationships.
- Practices interpersonal communication skills, including refusal skills for potentially uncomfortable or dangerous situations.
Substance Abuse Prevention-Alcohol
Is this a healthy decision? How do my decisions impact others and myself?
- Identifies the physiological, behavioral, and societal effects of alcohol consumption
- Knows school rules, as well as state and federal laws, concerning underage drinking and DUI laws, including BAC levels
- Accesses helping resources (school/community/state) for self, friends, and family members
- Analyzes the reasons why individuals drink, including messages from peers, parents, and the media
- Practices making healthy decisions involving alcohol consumption.
- Effectively demonstrates refusal skills and other communication skills in situations, which are potentially harmful or dangerous
- Analyzes the effects of alcohol consumption on personal life, family, and community
Nutrition
What does it mean to be a healthy eater? What can influence my eating habits?
- Discusses the importance of eating breakfast and t effect of skipping meals on overall health.
- Explains the relationship between healthy eating, weight control, and portion size
- Accesses nutritional information using a variety of text resources, including the Internet
- Evaluates the validity of the Internet sources
- Analyzes the consumption of beverages (including soda) on one’s health
- Analyzes the influences that can affect eating habits and food choices
- Advocates for healthy eating choices during the school day
- Recognizes the impact of diet in relation to specific diseases and health conditions (obesity, anorexia, bulimia).
Grade 11
Physical Education
Students in grades 11 and 12 are preparing for the transition to adulthood. Students must develop lifelong habits of activity that insure daily moderate and vigorous exercise. Based upon this philosophy, the only required unit at grades 11 and 12 is an extensive fitness unit where students examine their own health-related fitness. They develop and implement a personal fitness plan. Health-related fitness incorporates the areas of cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, nutrition, and other health related topics. Students elect their other activity units based upon their individual needs and interests that will enable them to have enjoy lifelong wellness.
Fitness
Am I fit and healthy? How do I stay fit and healthy? How do I improve my fitness and health?
- Participates in the CT Physical Fitness Assessment and relates their performance to personal fitness.
- Sets a SMART fitness goal based upon their performance on the CT Physical Fitness o Strategic and specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Results-oriented
- Time-bound
- Uses the SMART goal to develop a plan to improve fitness using machines/equipment in fitness center
- Uses the SMART goal to develop a plan to improve fitness using activities outside of school, as well as during physical education class
- Incorporates flexibility into the physical fitness plan, demonstrating different styles of flexibility exercises
- Utilizes specificity in the personal fitness plan
- Uses knowledge of how body used proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to help control weight
- Demonstrates proper, safe use of fitness machines
- Utilizes the F.I.T.T. concept in training
- Uses heart rate monitors as tool to assess cardiovascular fitness levels and intensity of exercise
- Explains how muscle enhancers are used
- Discusses the negatives of abusing drugs
Activity Electives
What activities can I participate in the help me to live a healthy and balanced life?
We intend that students will have sufficient skills to enjoy participation in many activities and select a few they would want to pursue in adulthood. In keeping with this goal, the electives offered in grades 11 and 12 may include:
- Yoga
- Archery
- Badminton
- Fencing
- Golf
- Pickleball
- Non-specific sport invasion games
- Self-defense
- Strength/weight training
- Tennis
- Volleyball
Health Education
Note: Eleventh graders do not have a formal health education program. Students are pulled from their physical education classes for 5-7 days to receive substance use prevention information.
Substance Use Prevention- Club Drugs, Progression to Harder Drugs
How do I make good decisions? Is this a healthy decision?
- Knows the effects and consequences related to drugs, including club drugs and “hard drugs”- crack, cocaine, and heroin.
- Discusses school rules, as well as state and federal laws, concerning ATOD and their consequences. Resource - Police Department
- Applies refusal skills and decision-making strategies to situation involving club drugs and other drugs.
- Accesses updated valid and reliable information from a variety of resources.
Grade 12
Physical Education
Students in grades 11 and 12 are preparing for the transition to adulthood. Students must develop lifelong habits of activity that insure daily moderate and vigorous exercise. Based upon this philosophy, the only required unit at grades 11 and 12 is an extensive fitness unit where students examine their own health-related fitness. They develop and implement a personal fitness plan. Health-related fitness incorporates the areas of cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, nutrition, and other health related topics. Students elect their other activity units based upon their individual needs and interests that will enable them to have enjoy lifelong wellness.
Fitness
Am I fit and healthy? How do I stay fit and healthy? How do I improve my fitness and health?
- Participates in the CT Physical Fitness Assessment and relates their performance to personal fitness.
- Sets a SMART fitness goal based upon their performance on the CT Physical Fitness o Strategic and specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Results-oriented
- Time-bound
- Uses the SMART goal to develop a plan to improve fitness using machines/equipment in fitness center
- Uses the SMART goal to develop a plan to improve fitness using activities outside of school, as well as during physical education class
- Incorporates flexibility into the physical fitness plan, demonstrating different styles of flexibility exercises
- Utilizes specificity in the personal fitness plan
- Uses knowledge of how body used proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to help control weight
- Demonstrates proper, safe use of fitness machines
- Utilizes the F.I.T.T. concept in training
- Uses heart rate monitors as tool to assess cardiovascular fitness levels and intensity of exercise
- Explains how muscle enhancers are used
- Discusses the negatives of abusing drugs
Activity Electives
What activities can I participate in the help me to live a healthy and balanced life?
We intend that students will have sufficient skills to enjoy participation in many activities and select a few they would want to pursue in adulthood. In keeping with this goal, the electives offered in grades 11 and 12 may include:
- Yoga
- Archery
- Badminton
- Fencing
- Golf
- Pickleball
- Non-specific sport invasion games
- Self-defense
- Strength/weight training
- Tennis
- Volleyball
Health Education
Note: Twelfth graders do not have a formal health education program. Students are pulled from their physical education classes for 5-7 days to receive substance use prevention information.
Substance Use Prevention - Lifestyle Decisions
How do I make good decisions? Is this a healthy decision?
- Analyzes experiences and applies refusal skills and decision-making strategies to resist the pressure to use/abuse alcohol and other drugs.
- Identifies and examines strategies used to manage emotions and cope with stress, with a focus on transition to college/work.
- Locates helping resources (school/community/state). Resource-Guidance Department
- Develops personal goals that promote a healthy lifestyle regarding ATOD use.