Forest Ridge PE is fun! Our periods are long enough that we can build in “play” time. Our middle school students have PE twice a week. In a typical class, I will put out a variety of sports equipment and things like pool noodles and scooters. The students invent games and play with each other. This “play” has been something that many kids have lacked in the last few years. It has been enlightening to rediscover the joy of play in all of our lives.
Many of these students, like us adults, are too connected to laptops, televisions, cell phones and other devices. We have also lacked direct communication. Middle school PE at Forest Ridge aims to combat both of those issues. We play, have fun, exercise and communicate in many of the activities we do. I see and hear the joy in every class that I teach!
We also try to stay outside as much as possible and use the beautiful campus that Forest Ridge provides. Often, our time is spent on the soccer field, tennis courts and many of the hills and nature trails that surround this campus. The fresh, and sometimes chilly air, is also something that many of us have lacked in recent years. I find that the students and I enjoy and appreciate the outdoors like we haven’t in the past. The middle school program at Forest Ridge does a good job promoting the outdoors, whether it’s in PE, on class hikes or at overnight camps that each grade level attends every year.
“What are we doing in PE?” is a question I get every day, often many times by my students. It tells me that they look forward to the fun, fresh air and exercise that PE provides.