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Physical Education

The Manville School’s physical education curriculum is based on a combination of the state of Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum Framework and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education’s National Standards for Physical Education.

Goals:

  • Provide students with opportunities for physical, social, and emotional growth amongst peers in a safe, supportive learning environment.
  • Teach students the major concepts of movement, space, and locomotor skills through a variety of skill building activities and games.
  • Introduce students to the concepts of teamwork and fair play in a variety of individual and team sports.
  • Teach students to understand and respect differences among people in a physically active setting.
  • Instill the importance of daily physical activity in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
  • Instill in students the knowledge, skills and desire for a lifetime of physical activity.
  • Help students interact, communicate, and appropriately handle the stresses and frustrations that sometimes come with learning new skills.

Physical Education Class Outline and Expectations:

  • Students are expected to attend two classes of physical education weekly unless they are excused by a doctor’s note or are out of class for discipline purposes.
  • Students are not required to change but are encouraged to do so and keep good hygiene practices.
  • Students must wear appropriate footwear. Sneakers are preferred, but all that is required are close toed non-marking soled footwear.
  • Classes are each 40 minutes with most students attending the entire class time.  Due to specific behavioral plans, some students attend class for a set amount of time.  The goal is to increase this time as students demonstrate safe and expected behavior, eventually returning to full physical education class periods.
  • Each class begins with a warm-up and fitness component consisting of light cardiovascular work followed by general muscle stretches and core strengthening. 
  • Following the warm-up and fitness component, class proceeds with the day’s planned physical education activities which usually follow this format:
    • Skill introduction or review
    • Skill practice
    • Game or activity with a focus on the skills of the day
  • The conclusion of class involves a full body cool down with students applying deep pressure to large muscle groups to help calm themselves.  It also involves breathing techniques to help relax their bodies.  

Concepts:

  • Team Work
  • Fair Play
  • Moving to Open Space
  • Communication
  • Offense in Team Sports
  • Defense in Team Sports
  • Body Awareness:
    • Names and locates body parts
    • Body shape
    • Possible actions of body parts
    • Relationships of body parts when moving
  • Space Awareness:
    • Self space
    • General space
    • Direction
    • Pathway
    • Level
    • Range
  • Chasing, Fleeing, Dodging
  • Cooperative Learning
  • Fitness
  • Jumping and Landing
  • Locomotor and Non-locomotor Skills