Physical Education

Physical Education is not just a class a child attends a couple of times a week to play games. It involves the whole child: we learn movement skills beneficial for daily life, study how regular exercise and healthy diet are an important lifestyle choice, and discover how to work as a team and how sportsmanship affects those around us.

Rivendell's PE curriculum is aligned with the Colorado Academic Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. Areas covered in Rivendell Physical Education include Psychomotor skills (movement competence and understanding), Cognitive understanding skills (of games, rules, personal health and wellness), and Psychosocial skills (teamwork, sportsmanship, safety).  We use numerous activities to teach, but physical activity is always our aim.  Lessons may be occasionally supplemented with a "chalk talk", but even more "academic" PE subjects are taught in a movement-oriented, active and engaging way.

Here is an outline of the physical education program's developmental areas, and some of the sorts of activities we use to teach them.

Rivendell PE Curriculum Outline

DEVELOPMENT AREAS PSYCHOMOTOR Personal and general space Locomotor skills Sending (throwing, kicking, striking) Receiving (catching, trapping) Balance and proprioception Jumping and landing COGNITIVE Game rules Game strategy Fitness concepts Nutrition Anatomy & physiology PSYCHOSOCIAL Sportsmanship Teamwork Communication Healthy lifestyle choices Safety

ACTIVITIES TRADITIONAL GAMES Soccer Football Rugby Basketball Baseball Volleyball Badminton Hockey Ultimate (disc) Track and field events Kickball Tag games INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES Jump rope Yoga Tumbling Juggling Balance beam Fun Run COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES Jump rope Platform transfer Parachute Fitness and nutrition illustrations Anatomy and physiology illustrations Invent-a-game