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Physical Education

Physical education (PE) at Presidio Hill School is active and engaging. Learning to work together, and learning how to win and lose gracefully are all part of the challenges of physical education classes.

Through various games and sports, PE gets students moving and gives them a chance to release extra energy from the day. By introducing students to many ways of being active, we encourage them to find something they enjoy so they will continue to be active throughout their lives.

The same values we encourage in our Presidio Hill School athletic teams, we encourage during Lower School and Middle School PE. Teamwork and sportspersonship are emphasized. The goal is to have fun and develop skills in a supportive atmosphere.

 

One major focus of Middle School PE at PHS is sportspersonship; we spend time discussing with the students why an intentional shift to sportspersonship is significant and why it is important to move away from the idea that participation in sports is connected to gender. Middle School PE also prioritizes facets of social emotional learning and personal growth. PE encourages self-empowerment through fitness and movement, and allows students to develop and carry these skills into other areas in life such as their academics and family.  

It is an absolute pleasure to have access to the Presidio for PE because it allows students to see different approaches and ideas of what fitness can be. All Middle School PE students are introduced to the idea of the Earth Gym, the Native American concept of using your surroundings as a gym (rocks, trees, hills). This is important because at PHS, the Presidio is our gym and students are taught to appreciate, use, and protect the land much like the Ohlone tribe, the original inhabitants and keepers of the land on which PHS and the Presidio lay.

Throughout the year, classes participate in endurance walks in and around the Presidio; we add progressions of distance and speed to create additional challenges for ourselves as the year passes. Some of our destinations include Presidio Wall Park, in and around various trails in the Presidio, the Lyon Street Steps, the Wood Line, El Polin Springs, and Mountain Lake Park. The views and scenery are truly amazing! 

The classes also work on muscular strength and conditioning through different Workouts of the Day (WODs); we add more to the progressions as we succeed as a class community. These WODs vary in time and types of exercises involved (pushups/high planks, squats, burpees, mountain climbers, sprints, etc.) to keep the body and mind challenged.  

Throughout the year classes are also introduced to different sports and games where students focus on sportspersonship, teamwork, bringing a positive attitude to class activities, and skill development. Students also practice active communication with teammates and other fundamentals of each sport. Some of the sports practiced include basketball, soccer, volleyball, ultimate keepaway, and tag-related games.