HKIS MS Grade 8 Physical Education & Health Class Update

HKIS MS Grade 8 Physical Education & Health Class Update

Dear 8th Grade Parents

During Quarter 3 our Grade 8 students have been engaged in a series of fitness lessons focusing mainly on cardio-respiratory endurance. Many students demonstrated a marked improvement in their Beep Test results. This is good preparation for the High School focus on fitness. Some students are now aware that they need to put in some additional effort to improve their cardio-respiratory endurance in order to see an improvement.

In addition to our focus on fitness, students have been engaged in Project Adventure where they have challenged themselves to explore the outer edge of their ‘stretch-zones’ and seek out their hidden potential. We have also completed our Touch-Rugby Sports Unit. Many students have experienced a significant improvement in performance in Standard 1: ‘sending & receiving’ on the move and in Standard 2: the ability to ‘use & create space’ for scoring opportunities.

Following the spring parent-teacher conferences students will have the opportunity to select an elective activity from ‘Kayaking, ‘Dance’, ‘Volleyball’ or ‘Flag-Football’. Assessment in these electives is focused on interpersonal skills (standard 5) rather than performance skills.  Students are encouraged to take a risk and try an activity that they may have little prior experience in, assured that their performance in a new/unfamiliar skill will not reflect negatively on their grade.

All students’ performance and work habit assessments have been updated and are available on the PowerSchool system. Please have your child guide you through the system and use this as an opportunity to hear about their areas of growth and the areas they need to pay more attention to.

In any area where a student has been assessed at a level of proficiency that is below ‘Meets Expectation’ their teacher will have provided feedback and strategies for improvement via a comment attached to the associated assessment on PowerSchool. This feedback, along with the assessment rubrics (all available on mDN) can provide useful information to both parents and students with regard to the criteria for assessment and areas to work on.

All students have the opportunity to ‘redo’ an assessment (time permitting) in any component of a standard where their overall level of proficiency is below ‘Meets Expectation’. In order to take this opportunity:

• Students must reflect on the comment/strategies offered on PowerSchool.
• Students must take the time to work on improving their performance.
• Students must arrange a time (outside of class and within two weeks of receiving their assessed level of proficiency) to demonstrate their conceptual understanding and improved performance.

As summer approaches and temperatures begin to rise our program continues with more indoor activities.  Students will participate in the Water Adventure component and experience the final Health Unit – Healthy Sexuality.  I will send out an email to parents two weeks before the commencement of this series of lessons, detailing the content and providing a reminder of the opportunity for you as a family to engage in dialogue about healthy sexuality issues.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via email.

Kind regards,

Kate Pennel

Middle School Physical Education Department