Woodstock Elementary School strives to provide a quality Physical Education curriculum to all students in grades K-6. Physical Education plays an important role in the psychomotor, cognitiveand affective learning of every child.  All students regardless of ability or need deserve an education of the body and mind. 
    Physical education is a unique classroom setting.  WES provides a safe, structured environment where students can develop their motor and sport skills, identify movement concepts, and achieve and maintain health-enhancing levels of physical fitness.  Recent research concludes that physical activity helps increase brain productivity.  Exercise provides the brain with added oxygen to enhance greater connections between neurons (Jenson, 1998).  Physical education teaches our students how important daily physical activity is in their lives regardless of athletic ability.   
   
SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
    Throughout the year, students work on many different skill themes and units.  Below you will find the specific units that are covered from September to June for each grade level. Additions and updates to the physical education program can be found on our school website.  All units, assessments, and student learning outcomes are aligned with the Vermont Physical Education Grade Level Expectations.   Students are encouraged to always try their best, bring a positive attitude to class and show good sportsmanship during every lesson. 

Kindergarten: During the Kindergarten year students are learning about how their bodies move in space and how to control basic motor functions.  Space Awareness (Personal and General Space), movement skills, dribbling with hands, throwing and catching, rolling, activity stations, introduction to sportsmanship, recognizing exercise, stretching, jump rope, volleying, parachute activities, and station activities. 

First and Second Grade:  As motor skills begin to mature, students become more aware of how their bodies move.  This is the beginning of building a foundation for more advanced movement activities.  Chasing, fleeing and dodging, fitness activities and some fitness testing (see below), recognizing exercise, stretching and other fitness concepts, dribbling with hands and feet, volleying, striking with paddles, movement concepts, educational dance, snow shoeing (when weather permits), striking with long-handled implements, jumping and landing, throwing and catching, and cooperative learning tasks.

Third and Fourth Grade: Many of the units at this grade level are done in Cooperative Learning Teams.  Each student has a job on their team, and teams change with every unit.   Students work together to learn and practice cooperation and teamwork which helps them complete the task of the day.   Units will include chasing, fleeing and dodging, fitness testing and fitness concepts, basketball skills, volleying, indoor tennis, movement concepts, jumping and landing, throwing and catching, cooperative learning tasks, and hockey. 

Fifth and Sixth Grade:  During fifth and sixth students are able to participate in more small game situations because they have learned the basic introductory skills in the previous grades.  Some of the more in depth projects students work in these grades are, putting together small group jump rope routines, volleyball, ultimate football, fitness testing and learning more in depth fitness concepts, juggling, Indoor floor hockey, badminton, basketball skills, and other team sport games. 


SNEAKERS AND INJURIES
    Parents are encouraged to come visit their child’s physical education class any time.  Each class is 40 minutes in length, two times a week.  The classroom teacher provides your child’s physical education schedule.   Sneakers must be worn in the gym at all times.  Snow boots, dress shoes, Crocs, or any other unsafe footwear are not allowed during physical education classes.  This is for the safety of every child in the class. Students who do wear unsafe footwear will be asked to sit out. Please help your child remember their sneakers on physical education days. 
    Parents are also encouraged to send in notes for those days when a child is ill or injured and cannot participate.  All notes will be honored.  If you have any questions please contact Gretchen Czaja, WES Physical Education Teacher 457-2522

FITNESS TESTING
    The WES Physical Education program helps students learn about their own personal fitness and how it impacts their daily life.  In the fall and spring students participate in the Fitnessgram Fitness Testing.  Fitnessgram is a comprehensive set of fitness tests. Students then take their scores and compare them to criterion-referenced standards that are associated with good health according to their specific age.  Fitness testing is not done to bring a negative component to physical activity, but used as more of a personal “check-up” on primary fitness areas.  By checking on these fitness areas students can set goals that will help them maintain and improve their overall fitness.  Below you will find the specific areas that are tested.  Fitness testing at WES is not done with the Kindergarteners, but started in the spring of the student’s first grade year. 

Flexibility: (Sit and Reach Test)-Measures overall flexibility.  Flexibility is important to overall joint movement and muscle health.
Grade 1: Spring
Grade 2-6: Fall and spring

Aerobic Capacity (PACER test)-The PACER is a multi-stage aerobic capacity test that was adapted to the 20-meter shuttle run.  It starts out easy and progressively gets harder and helps students learn the skill of pacing. This test is not administered until the 4th grade, but is practiced in all lower grades as way for our students to learn pacing.  Students in grades 5 and 6 do the 1mile run test in the fall which is used as a tryout for our 5th and 6th grade fitness team, then the PACER in the spring.

Grade 1-3 Fall and spring practice only
Grade 4-Fall and spring test administered
Grade 5 & 6 Fall-1 mile test at Vail Field, Spring-PACER test

Upper Body Strength- (Push-up test)-The push-up measures upper body strength, which is important for overall body muscle health. Students practice push-ups in their physical education class throughout the year and are encouraged to also practice at home. The actual test is administered following a cadence.  Students are told when to go up and down.

Grade 1-Spring
Grade 2-4 Fall and spring
Grade 5 & 6-Fall-Modified pull-ups to tryout for Fitness Team Spring-Push-up Test

Abdominal Strength (curl-up test)-The curl-ups are administered on a mat that has a 2-inch wide panel running across it.  Students bend their knees, and place their fingertips at the top of the tape and curl their body up so that their fingertips now touch the bottom of the tape.   Students also do this to a cadence, which helps test, and strengthen the abdominals, which are important for posture.  In the fall, students in grades 5 & 6 complete the 60-second sit-up test to tryout for the fitness team. 
Grade 1-Spring
Grades 2-4 Fall and Spring
Grades 5 & 6 Fall-60 second timed sit-up test Spring-Curl-up test



OTHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OPPORTUNITIES AT WES

1. Fall and Spring Walking Club (outside on playground during AM recess)
2. Winter Jump Rope Club (Grades 1-3, and Grades 4-6)
3. Girls on the Run (Spring-girls grade 3-5)
4. Fitness Team (Boys and girls grade 5&6)
5. Dodge Ball Tournaments (Student Council)
6. Fall Friday Enrichment-Running Club
7.  Jump Rope for Heart-American Heart Association Winter Fundraiser


YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAMS
Families interested in participating in youth sport programs please contact the Woodstock Recreation Center for more information. 

Woodstock Recreation Center
54 River Street
Woodstock, VT
802-457-1502
www.myrecdept.com/vt/woodstock/default2.asp