Health and Physical Education

Students moving into high school complete the transition from modified versions of movement forms to more complex applications across all types of physical activities. This may include fitness activities, dance and rhythmic activities, aquatics, individual performance activities, and games and sports (net/wall, striking/fielding, and goal/target). Students demonstrate the ability to use basic skills, strategies, and tactics in a variety of lifetime physical activities. Students demonstrate more specialized knowledge in identifying and applying key movement concepts and principles. Students will explain the importance of energy balance and the nutritional needs of the body to maintain optimal health and prevent chronic disease. They self-assess their skill performance and develop a personal physical activity program aimed at improving motor skills, movement patterns, and strategies essential to performing a variety of physical activities. They apply their understanding of personal fitness to a lifelong participation in physical activity. Students demonstrate independence in making choices, respecting others, avoiding conflict, resolving conflicts appropriately, and using elements of fair play and ethical behavior in physical activity settings. Students demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to plan for and improve components of fitness and achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of personal fitness.Students also participate in health education to develop health literacy—meaning they acquire an understanding of health concepts and the skills needed to make healthy decisions to improve, sustain, and promote personal, family, and community health. These skills align with core competencies (i.e., self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship building, and responsible decision-making) identified in the CASEL framework for social and emotional learning (https://casel.org/core-competencies/). 

After completing HPE II, students are proficient in fundamental movement skills and skill combinations and are competent in self-selected physical activities that they are likely to pursue throughout life including outdoor pursuits, fitness activities, dance and rhythmic activities, aquatics, selected individual performance activities, and net/wall and target games. They understand and apply concepts and principles of mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movement and apply the concepts and principles of the body’s metabolic response to short-term and long-term physical activity. Students are good leaders and good followers; they respect others and anticipate and avoid unsafe physical activity situations. They develop the ability to understand and they anticipate how physical activity interests and abilities change across a lifetime. Students demonstrate competency in lifelong physical activities and plan, implement, self-assess, and modify a personal fitness plan. Students are prepared to lead a physically active lifestyle.

Students also participate in health education to develop health literacy—meaning they acquire an understanding of health concepts and the skills needed to make healthy decisions to improve, sustain, and promote personal, family, and community health. These skills align with core competencies (i.e., self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship building, and responsible decision-making) identified in the CASEL framework for social and emotional learning (https://casel.org/core-competencies/).

Online Health and Physical Education I (HP9) is designed to allow students to make reasonable choices regarding a broad range of physical activities while they take control of their own health and well-being. Students will exit the course with an understanding of general wellness and how exercise, nutrition, stress, mental health risk behaviors and the environment can impact wellness. Students will gain a better understanding of their own community and its resources as related to improving health and wellness. Emphasis is placed on maintaining a physically active lifestyle.

Students will participate in a variety of self-selected physical activities, as well as develop a program for lifetime fitness. Students will be evaluated in Physical Education components based upon the time spent performing an activity and the percentage of time within the calculated target heart rate zone. Activities should include lifetime activities, such as walking, running, weight training, yoga, Pilates, dance, golf, bowling, swimming, and tennis. Activities can also include team sport activities such as basketball, soccer, or softball. Students will create SMART goals based on fitness tests or challenges and will be re-accessed as needed. Health Topics include: Mental Wellness and Social Emotional Skills, Safety and Injury Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, Violence Prevention, Body Systems, Nutrition, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Community and Environmental Health, Physical Health, and First Aid, AED, and CPR  hands-only training  to meet the Virginia graduation requirement.

This version of the course is delivered entirely online using the Virtual Virginia Beach e-Learning platform. Specialized computer skills and platform familiarity are developed during the prerequisite Online Orientation. Information about Online Learning, the necessary computer equipment and other aspects of this opportunity are found on the VBSchools.com web page, at the Distance Learning link on the Programs drop-down menu.

 Students also participate in health education to develop health literacy—meaning they acquire an understanding of health concepts and the skills needed to make healthy decisions to improve, sustain, and promote personal, family, and community health. These skills align with core competencies (i.e., self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship building, and responsible decision-making) identified in the CASEL framework for social and emotional learning (https://casel.org/core-competencies/).

After completing HPE I, students are proficient in fundamental movement skills and skill combinations and are competent in self-selected physical activities that they are likely to pursue throughout life including outdoor pursuits, fitness activities, dance and rhythmic activities, aquatics, selected individual performance activities, and net/wall and target games. They understand and apply concepts and principles of mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movement and apply the concepts and principles of the body’s metabolic response to short-term and long-term physical activity. Students are good leaders and good followers; they respect others and anticipate and avoid unsafe physical activity situations. They develop the ability to understand and they anticipate how physical activity interests and abilities change across a lifetime. Students demonstrate competency in lifelong physical activities and plan, implement, self-assess, and modify a personal fitness plan. Students are prepared to lead a physically active lifestyle.

Students also participate in health education to develop health literacy—meaning they acquire an understanding of health concepts and the skills needed to make healthy decisions to improve, sustain, and promote personal, family, and community health. These skills align with core competencies (i.e., self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship building, and responsible decision-making) identified in the CASEL framework for social and emotional learning (https://casel.org/core-competencies/).

Physical Education 6 focuses on the development of basic skills for use in cooperative and competitive small group modified activities/games as well as the improvement of physical fitness levels. Students will be equipped in how to use feedback to initiate and maintain practice to improve skill performance, solve problems, and make responsible decisions. Students will know the connection between energy balance and nutrition guidelines, meal planning, and heart rate. Fitness tests or challenges will be administered each semester to determine where the student falls in the healthy fitness zone. Students will create SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) goals based on fitness tests or challenges and will re-access as needed. Health topics include Mental Wellness and Social Emotional Skills, Safety and Injury Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, Violence Prevention, Body Systems, Nutrition, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Community and Environmental Health, and Physical Health. The Choice Led Health framework includes opportunities for students to display depth of knowledge through student voice and choice.

Physical Education Grade 7 focuses on the development of competence in modified versions of various game/sport, rhythmic, and recreational activities as well as the improvement of students' levels of physical fitness. These include cooperative learning, individual and dual activities, team activities, dance and fitness. The ability to analyze skill performance through observing and understanding critical elements (small, isolated parts of the whole skill or movement) is presented, as is the application of basic scientific principles of anatomical structures, movement principles, energy balance, and personal fitness. Students will learn about the use of goal setting to improve skill performance, solve problems, and make responsible decisions. Students will know the connection between energy balance and nutrition guidelines, meal planning, and heart rate. Fitness tests or challenges will be administered each semester to determine where the student falls in the healthy fitness zone. Students will create SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) goals based on fitness tests or challenges and will re-access as needed. Health topics include Mental Wellness and Social Emotional Skills, Safety and Injury Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, Violence Prevention, Body Systems, Nutrition, Disease Prevention, Community and Environmental Health and Physical Health. The Choice Led Health framework includes opportunities for students to display depth of knowledge through student voice and choice.

Students in grade 8 focus on competence in skillful movement in modified, dynamic game/sport situations, a variety of rhythmic and recreational activities, as well as the improvement of students' levels of physical fitness. They transition from modified versions of movement forms to more complex applications across all types of activities. They apply knowledge of major body structures to explain how body systems interact with and respond to physical activity and how structures help the body create movement. Students will explain the relationship between nutrition, activity, and body composition to deepen understanding of energy balance. They will demonstrate socially responsible behavior as they show respect for others, make reasoned and appropriate choices, and resist negative peer pressure, and exhibit integrity and fair play to achieve individual and group goals in the physical activity setting. Students will learn about the use of goal setting to improve skill performance, solve problems, and make responsible decisions. Students will know the connection between energy balance and nutrition guidelines, meal planning, and heart rate. Fitness tests or challenges will be administered each semester to determine where the student falls in the healthy fitness zone. Students will create SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) goals based on fitness tests or challenges and will re-access as needed. Health topics include Mental Wellness and Social Emotional Skills, Safety and Injury Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, Violence Prevention, Body Systems, Nutrition, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Community and Environmental Health, and Physical Health. The Choice Led Health framework includes opportunities for students to display depth of knowledge through student voice and choice.

Students in grade 8 focus on competence in skillful movement in modified, dynamic game/sport situations, a variety of rhythmic and recreational activities, as well as the improvement of students' levels of physical fitness. They transition from modified versions of movement forms to more complex applications across all types of activities. They apply knowledge of major body structures to explain how body systems interact with and respond to physical activity and how structures help the body create movement. Students will explain the relationship between nutrition, activity, and body composition to deepen understanding of energy balance. They will demonstrate socially responsible behavior as they show respect for others, make reasoned and appropriate choices, and resist negative peer pressure, and exhibit integrity and fair play to achieve individual and group goals in the physical activity setting. Students will learn about the use of goal setting to improve skill performance, solve problems, and make responsible decisions. Students will know the connection between energy balance and nutrition guidelines, meal planning, and heart rate. Fitness tests or challenges will be administered each semester to determine where the student falls in the healthy fitness zone. Students will create SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) goals based on fitness tests or challenges and will re-access as needed. Health topics include Mental Wellness and Social Emotional Skills, Safety and Injury Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, Violence Prevention, Body Systems, Nutrition, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Community and Environmental Health, and Physical Health. The Choice Led Health framework includes opportunities for students to display depth of knowledge through student voice and choice.

Elective physical education courses provide students with the opportunity to participate in physical activities for specific purposes. Students in elective physical education demonstrate the knowledge and understanding necessary to analyze movement performance in an activity of choice using scientific principles and implement effective practice procedures for skillful performance in specialized movement forms. Students apply advanced movement-specific information so that they develop the ability to learn, self-assess, and improve movement skills independently. Students may self-select an activity from a menu of options throughout the course. Examples of activity choices include aerobics, archery, dance, individual sports, lifelong activities, outdoor pursuits, yoga, Pilates, self-defense, team management, and weight training/conditioning. Students will participate in a pre/post fitness test or challenge and the student will create SMART goals for their own personalized fitness plan. Individual student assessment and information will be available to parents/guardians via the web-based program, WELNET, using a student secured login and password.

Elective physical education courses provide students with the opportunity to participate in physical activities for specific purposes. Students in elective physical education demonstrate the knowledge and understanding necessary to analyze movement performance in an activity of choice using scientific principles and implement effective practice procedures for skillful performance in specialized movement forms. Students apply advanced movement-specific information so that they develop the ability to learn, self-assess, and improve movement skills independently. Students may self-select an activity from a menu of options throughout the course. Examples of activity choices include aerobics, archery, dance, individual sports, lifelong activities, outdoor pursuits, yoga, Pilates, self-defense, team management, and weight training/conditioning. Students will participate in a pre/post fitness test or challenge and the student will create SMART goals for their own personalized fitness plan. Individual student assessment and information will be available to parents/guardians via the web-based program, WELNET, using a student secured login and password.

This course will focus on basic anatomy (bones, muscles, ligaments, blood, and nerve supply) and recognition, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries to the upper and lower body. Students will acquire an understanding of basic medical concepts and healing processes. Treatment principles and techniques for acute and chronic injuries will also be covered. Laboratory sessions include taping and wrapping techniques. Enrollment is based on recognized interest in sports medicine or other allied health fields and requires the instructor's approval.

This course differs from traditional physical education courses by providing a variety of recreational activities that appeal to a wider representation of our student population, including those students with and without disabilities. Unified Physical Education provides inclusive leadership opportunities, community partnerships, physical activity, and a focus on the social, emotional, and mental health of all participants. This course provides all students with a less competitive atmosphere and the opportunity to work in a cooperative learning environment where the motivation is primarily aligned to developing relationships and maintaining a heathy lifestyle. In addition to participating in an inclusive environment, students are able to learn about recreational planning for a variety of populations, which pairs this course with the sequential elective in recreational activities. Career paths in therapeutic recreation, careers working with special populations, and an awareness of the key components of accessible environments are additional outcomes for students in this course. Students will engage in functional fitness and fitness planning, nutrition, aerobics, individual sports, outdoor pursuits, team competition and other recreational activities.