Renbrook Athletics & P.E.

Physical Education

At Renbrook School, our Physical Education department strives to guide students towards finding a lifelong love of fitness, sports, exercise, health, and play. The Physical Education and Athletics programs offer various age-appropriate activities to meet each student’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development. The well-planned and sequential curriculum allows students to build individual skills, understand concepts, and learn about the importance of health and wellness. We emphasize cooperation, respect for self and others, teamwork, and competition.

The Physical Education faculty stresses safety, support for the emerging athlete, and a balance between competition and good sportsmanship. Two gymnasiums and an abundance of athletic fields, ropes course, and outdoor learning spaces are available to all students.

Goals

To help a child...

In the development of fairness, readiness to accept rules, cooperation, self-control, and responsibility for school and personal property.
Develop a sense of achievement through their effort, perseverance, and respect for their potential.
Understand the importance of physical fitness, which leads to optimum health for the growing child.
Develop a sense of self-confidence and understanding of leadership qualities.
Develop self-motivation toward Physical Education and exercise.
Realize the joy and happiness, which can follow from wholesome physical activities to encourage a lifetime of participation.
Acquire general and specific skills and understand a variety of game elements suitable to their age.
Develop a proper perspective regarding competition with both themselves and others.
Participate enthusiastically in Physical Education and Athletics.
Develop a broader understanding of skills and concepts related to those activities in which they participate.

List of 4 items.

Beginning School Physical Education - Preschool, Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten
The Beginning School Physical Education program is a movement education-based curriculum that promotes gross motor development and teaches students about body and spatial awareness.
The program is carefully tailored for each age level. We start the journey by setting a foundation of fun and play in each lesson to encourage joy in physical activity for a lifetime. Conceptual ideas such as patterns, speed, and force are introduced to children at an early age.
Working closely with classroom teachers, the PE faculty help children acquire listening skills, the ability to following directions, and cooperation skills.
Children are encouraged to find success at their own ability levels in a safe, non-competitive environment. We build self-confidence so students are comfortable and willing to explore and discover new movements and activities.
Children play, learn, and socialize on playgrounds, in gymnasiums, on climbing apparatuses, and gymnastics equipment. The two gymnasiums feature first-class equipment, managed by teachers with experience in the education of young children.
In the Beginning School, students are exposed to the gym environment to learn:
- Multi-step directions
- Spatial awareness
- Hand-eye coordination
- Movement skills- such as running, skipping, and hopping
- Cooperative behavior
- Working with others
Grades 1-3 Physical Education
Lower School students are introduced to skill-themed and movement concept units. Children work to problem solve individually, in pairs, and as a group. Social-emotional development is fostered during these years. Children begin to take ownership over their own learning and needs.
The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of each individual child through a guided discovery and movement education approach. Each lesson includes time to work on physical fitness, skill development, and learning concepts and strategies in modified game situations. Students are given opportunities to work on teamwork, collaboration, and cooperation.
In the Physical Education department, we aim to help students adopt a can-do attitude. Students are encouraged to develop a sense of achievement through their effort and perseverance.
Lower School students learn:
- The importance of exercise, health, and wellness
- Fitness and how muscles work
- Locomotor movements
- Hand-eye coordination
- Sport skills
- Cooperative behavior
- Social development
- What makes a good teammate
- Good sportsmanship and fair play
- Self-confidence
- To become a self-driven learner
- The joy of engaging in a lifetime of physical activity
Grades 4-5 Physical Education
Fourth and fifth-grade Physical Education is a continuation in the pursuit of refinement of gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination with a movement towards sport-specific skills.
Students are introduced to units where they learn the basics of the sports they will play in the upper school. Core skills and sport-specific skills continue to be developed in a developmentally appropriate way using modified games. More complex sports concepts and strategies are practiced using drills and lead-up games.
Cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skill development are the pillars for each lesson and unit. Teamwork and sportsmanship are important parts of the curriculum, with opportunities presented in every class.
Fourth and fifth-grade students explore their individual fitness levels. Utilizing the FitnessGram, we measure student’s cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility. This gives students ownership over their own well-being and highlights the importance of health, wellness, and exercise.
In Fourth and fifth grade, we teach students to take responsibility for personal property and educate them about locker room etiquette.
Students are exposed to a variety of different sports and activities, including:
- Field Hockey
- Football
- Soccer
- Baseball/ Softball
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- Gymnastics
- Project Adventure
- Tennis/ Badminton
- Fitness testing
*In addition to the fifth-grade Physical Education class during the school day, students can participate in the Upper School interscholastic program. If they wish to partake in Upper School athletics, students will get the unique option to practice and compete with a team.
Upper School Athletics
The Upper School athletic program allows students to participate, practice, and play on a team or non-competitive activity. Each Upper School activity reaches students of all ability levels, from an introduction to a beginner to advancement for more seasoned players. Our program offers something for every student, whether it be non-competitive fun with friends or a more competitive team sport. Character and skill development are the focus of our program. Teamwork, sportsmanship, resiliency, responsibility, commitment, dedication, and pride in work are the qualities we strive for.
During practices, coaches work with athletes to understand more complex sports concepts and strategies that are transferred into competitive game situations. Allowing a mixture of ages creates bonds, leadership opportunities, mentoring, and role modeling. Through these lessons, we encourage students to be their best selves on and off the field. The pursuit of excellence, being part of a team, and having fun are our goals!
*In addition to the Fifth-Grade Physical Education class during the school day, students are offered the bonus to participate in the Upper School interscholastic program. If they wish to partake in Upper School athletics, students will get the unique option to practice and compete with a team.
Fall sports include:
- Cross Country
- Soccer
- Field Hockey
- Physical Fitness
- Project Adventure Ropes Course
Winter sports include:
- Ski and Snowboarding
- Basketball
- Gymnastics
- Squash
- Physical Fitness
Spring sports include:
- Softball
- Baseball
- Lacrosse
- Tennis
- Physical Fitness
- Project Adventure Ropes Course

Growth & Achievement

Alumni often remember the lessons learned on the sports fields at Renbrook and under the tutelage of their coaches. Coaches focus on group trust, mutual support, and cooperation as well as skills development. The competitive emphasis varies according to the physical, emotional, and social needs of each student. The experience builds a sense of responsibility to oneself and one's team, and team pride.

The goals are to improve students' skills, create a healthy attitude toward competition and instill a lifelong love of physical activity.

The First Game on our New Turf Field