The St Mark School Physical Education program provides the student with an equal opportunity to succeed as a student-athlete and to grow as a young person. By following New York State standards and a planned curriculum throughout the year I am able to see these students grow everyday through hands-on instruction. Some of my goals as an educator are to provide each student with the following:

• Encourage a physically active lifestyle.  
• Demonstrate to students how to increase their knowledge of health and wellness, nutrition, and how it will affect their lives everyday and in the future.  
• Gives students the foundation to maintain their physical, social and emotional health.  
• Allow students to maximize the amount of time they are participating in vigorous physical activity.  
• Provide an opportunity for every student to learn and to allow time for them to work together to accomplish one goal.  
• *Emphasize how important teamwork and sportsmanship are to each and every individual  

Here is a list of some of the points of focus and activities that we do in Physical Education class:  

Kindergarten through third grade:

Aerobic activities, balance, flexibility, sportsmanship, anaerobic activities, locomotor movements, motor skills, self space, pacing, agility, hand eye coordination, cardiovascular endurance, manipulative movements, and self space.

Most of the games and activities that we play we are using a combination of many of these skills. We do start playing “real” sports at the kindergarten level to a certain extent. I teach lead up skills that will soon transform to the skills the students will need in the future. I teach the students a multitude of skills and rules of games such as soccer, hockey, baseball, basketball, badminton, volleyball, handball, bowling and football.

Other things that we use that are a lot of fun in the younger classes include hula hoops, rubber critters, yarn balls, multiple types of balls, parachutes, scooters, balloons, and stations which is a student favorite.

Fourth through eighth grade:

In these grades we focus on all of the same aforementioned but we take it to a more sophisticated level. Here are some of the sports and activities we do:

Soccer, baseball/softball, basketball, hockey, badminton, volleyball, handball, flag football, and track and field events.

For each sport that we are focusing on for that day we do a lot of skill building, learn the rules,and practice techniques that are used for that specific sport. We play a wide variety of games and activities that are not just sports-based but challenge the mind, body, and spirit of the students. However, Physical Education is not just playing sports and games, it is a combination of providing games and activities that all students enjoy and making sure that all students in the class have a sense and a feeling of being comfortable while they learn how to use and imply the skills and the mindset to grow exponentially as a young and healthy adolescent.