Physical Education
Who’s Who in the PE Department
Michelle Myers, Physical Education Director
For 25 years, Michelle has taught “Movement Education” to SCDS children in pre-kindergarten through 5th grade and a variety of sports to Middle and High school students. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento in Physical Education (Elementary PE Specialist)/Athletic Training with a subsumption in Biology. Michelle’s specialty in teaching daily “developmentally appropriate PE ” has led her to train other teachers by consulting at various CAIS schools and leading seminars for local teachers in the Sacramento region. In addition to Michelle’s teaching career, she has coached women’s and men’s volleyball teams at the high school, Junior Olympic and collegiate levels. While no longer coaching, Michelle continues to evaluate officials for the Big Sky Conference Division 1 women’s volleyball program. When Michelle is not busy teaching, you can find her on the American River trails running with the local SacFit team or playing polo in So Cal or Argentina.
Bill Stainbrook, Physical Education Faculty
Bill received his B.S. degree in Physical Education from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He joined the Country Day staff in 1980 and has taught and coached here ever since. Since his high school days, Bill has been an avid runner, earning a regional reputation at distances from the mile through ultra-marathons. He helped direct such well known events as the Pepsi 20, the Tahoe 72, and the Western States 100. Along the way, Bill set a world record for 24 hours, put together a 31-year daily running streak, ran the Boston Marathon, and finished 4th in the Pacific Association 50K championships. More recently, Bill has worked with Gray Whale Trading Co. designing, testing and racing kit paddleboards. This led to developing and instructing the Stand Up Paddleboard course for the CSUS Aquatics Center. Most Sundays, Bill can be found training on his eye-catching wood paddleboard at Lake Natoma.
Jason Kreps, Physical Education Faculty
Jason teaches PE to our Middle School students and coaches the Middle School soccer team and the High School girls’ varsity volleyball team. Jason uses his Eagle Scout skills in the school’s Middle School Outdoor Adventure elective and the summer backpacking and whitewater rafting adventures he organizes. During the winter months, Jason is the coach for the school’s ski and snowboard team. Jason received his degree from California State University, Sacramento, where he played varsity volleyball and earned an All American title. He has been working at SCDS since 2004. A long-time outdoorsman, Jason spends his free time camping, kayaking, and snowboarding.
Department Philosophy & Goals
Physical Education is an integral part of the educational institution whereby every child has the opportunity for maximum development in the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains. Maximum development is achieved through reflective variations of teaching strategies and environmental settings. Activities are designed to challenge each individual’s abilities and provide a positive and secure atmosphere of learning.
All levels participate in an interdisciplinary program between classroom and physical education (i.e. physical education includes economics, math, science, foreign language, arts, history, etc., in daily teaching).
The overall goal of general education and of physical education is to help individuals achieve optimum growth and development. This implies acceptance by the public, school personnel, faculty, students, and parents that Movement Education and Physical Education are full partners in your child’s total education program.
In addition to our scheduled curriculum, we will be including special events throughout the year. These include Mile Club, Aquatics Day, and Sportsmanship Month. It is our belief that supplementing our curriculum with special events helps raise our Physical Education program above all others.
Lower School Program
Vision
The quality and productivity of each individual’s life is enhanced through participation in a comprehensive, sequentially-planned, physical education program that promotes through movement the physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being of every individual in the pursuit of lifelong health.
It is a fact that healthy children learn better. Therefore, good health is basic to education, and physical education is basic to good health.
Goals
1. Movement Skills and Movement Knowledge
2. Self-Image, Self-Esteem, and Self-Realization
Disciplines
Motor Learning, Biomechanics, Exercise Physiology, Human Growth and Development, Humanities, Sociology
Guidelines
Pre-Kindergarten – Children move in their environment. Solo learners. They explore locomotor and non-locomotor movement.
Grade 1 – Children move through space and time. Direction and speed.
Grade 2 – Children choose partners and move in space together. They explore movement patterns with a partner. Relations to other people, shapes, group, and group shape.
Grade 3 – Students create patterns that demonstrate continuity and change in movement. React and respond to movements of others. They combine and sequence movement skills.
Grade 4 – Students manipulate objects in and through space. Correct technique. Lead up games to sports.
Grade 5 – Students work cooperatively in sport activities and learn to give feedback.
Benchmarks – Kindergarten
Benchmarks – First and Second Grade
Benchmarks – Third and Fourth Grade
Physical Best Assessment
An individual assessment of student’s cardiac endurance, flexibility, upper body strength, shoulder strength, abdominal strength, and vertical strength.
Middle School Program
Vision
Each student will:
- Demonstrate competency in many movement forms and proficiency in a few movement forms.
- Apply movement concepts and principles to the learning and development of motor skills.
- Exhibit a physically active lifestyle.
- Achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.
- Demonstrate responsible personal and social behavior in physical activity settings.
- Demonstrate understanding and respect for differences among people in physical activity settings.
- Understand that physical activity provides opportunities for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction.
Goals and Disciplines
- Movement Skills and Movement Knowledge
- Motor Learning
- Biomechanics
- Exercise Physiology and Health-related Physical Fitness
- Self-Image and Personal Development Human Growth and Development
- Psychology
- Aesthetics
- Social Development
- Sociology
- Historical Perspectives
Guidelines
6th – Working Cooperatively to Achieve a Common Goal
7th – Meeting Challenges and Making Decisions
8th – Working as a Team to Solve Problems
High School Program
Vision
Each student will:
- Demonstrate competency in many movement forms and proficiency in a few movement forms.
- Apply movement concepts and principles to the learning and development of motor skills.
- Exhibit a physically active lifestyle.
- Achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.
- Demonstrate responsible personal and social behavior in physical activity settings.
- Demonstrate understanding and respect for differences among people in physical activity settings.
- Understand that physical activity provides opportunities for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction.
Goals and Disciplines
- Movement Skills and Movement Knowledge
- Motor Learning
- Biomechanics
- Exercise Physiology and Health-related Physical Fitness
- Self-Image and Personal Development Human Growth and Development
- Psychology
- Aesthetics
- Social Development
- Sociology
- Historical Perspectives
Guidelines
9th – Developing a Personalized Fitness Program for a Healthy Lifestyle
10th – Analyzing Skills for Effective Movement
11th & 12th – Selecting Activities for the Pursuit of Individual Excellence
Independent PE Program
Requirements
- Athlete must hold a 2.0 GPA or higher
- Athlete must complete the Student Application Form and be accepted into the program
Goal
To provide students in athletics outside of Country Day an opportunity to fulfill their SCDS PE requirements and allow for study hall time during their regularly scheduled PE time.
Philosophy
This program is designed for those students who are competing in an out-of-school athletic program that:
- requires a minimum of 60 hours/trimester or 80 hours/semester
- is supervised by a professional trainer/coach/teacher
- is ranked at a local, state or national level, unless class is a college course
Student Application Form
Coach’s HS Grade Report
Coach’s MS Grade Report
