The Battle Ground school district stated today's P.E. classes are more than running laps and playing sports. It’s evolved over the years toward a more fitness and wellness focus.
At Battle Ground Public Schools, P.E. classes are changing gears educationally. For starters, it’s no longer referred to as P.E., but instead as health and fitness class, a moniker that’s more fitting given the broader nature of what the classes cover, according to the district.
"There’s been a clear shift in the way physical education is taught," said Kim Carter, a health and fitness teacher at Tukes Valley Middle School in a recent blog post on the district website. "The biggest change has been the transition from the skills-based, sports-focused physical education of the past to emphasizing that fitness and wellness are lifetime pursuits that contribute to overall health."
At the forefront are nutrition, social interaction and behavioral skills, non-sports activities that require movement, and lifelong hobbies that contribute to a healthy, active lifestyle.
According to the district, a key component of today's health and fitness classes is the use of FitnessGram, a tool that provides each individual student with information about their appropriate fitness level. FitnessGram guides students in setting goals to reach a “fitness zone” for their age and gender. Within FitnessGram five categories are highlighted: aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition.
“It's not about being the fastest or strongest, but about being the healthiest individual you can be and having the tools for lifelong health and fitness,” said Corina Shipp, the district’s FitnessGram coordinator and a health and wellness instructor at Prairie High School, as reported by the district.
Students begin participating in the FitnessGram program in fifth grade and use it through their senior year of high school. Their scores follow them as they advance through time. At the beginning of each semester students are tested to establish a baseline, and then at the end of the semester they can track progress.
“When students begin to learn how to assess their own physical fitness and demonstrate knowledge of how to improve their health, they are able to make independent decisions that will impact their future,” Carter said in the district’s blog post.
