Curriculum: Physical Education at the School for Children

Physical Education Overview
Physical Education in the Lower School, 6/7s and 7/8s
Physical Education in the 8/9s through 13/14s

Physical Education in the 8/9s through 13/14s

The major portion of class time for students in this age group is taken up with organized cooperative and competitive games, and individual and team sports. It is through these activities that students learn and practice physical and social skills. Some classes include warm-up routines that involve aerobic, strength, and stretch components.

For the younger students in this age range, the physical education program includes many games with simple rules. Such games enable children to choose among various roles and to take risks, since the consequences of failure are not as significant as in more highly competitive games. They allow children to experience being on a team, winning and losing, and individually succeeding and failing in a low-pressure situation. These games also prepare students for the structure, skills, and social issues of the organized sports more central to the curriculum of the older students. Many of the early games, or more sophisticated versions of them, remain a popular part of the curriculum through the 13/14s.

The school introduces competitive games and sports relatively late in the children's development and takes special care to make each activity accessible to those of all abilities. Teachers avoid placing children in positions where they feel excessively pressured to perform or in overmatched situations where success is impossible. In addition, teachers modify sports and games when necessary to provide more accessibility to a given student population. A wide range of activities are introduced that appeal to children with differing physical and temperamental characteristics that enrich opportunities for individual choice in the field of physical education.

When the teachers introduce the sports, they design them to meet the varying interests and needs of the diverse student body. In each unit, students have time to learn and practice the component skills involved in the sport and to engage in playing the games. Teachers emphasize including every student in each activity and creating a safe and enjoyable environment for all.

Upper School students may sign up for interscholastic sports that meet after school hours twice a week for practices and games against other schools. The interscholastic sports program comprises soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter for 11/12s and 13/14s only, and softball in the spring. These team sports are offered to everyone in the appropriate age groups who is interested. The program offers an opportunity for those children particularly interested in competitive sports to practice skills and play games in a highly focused environment. Typically, 75-90% of the graduating students choose to participate in at least one of the school teams during their Bank Street years.