District Administrators Corner

by Loren Glasbrenner River Valley School District Administrator The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has a policy, known as “PI 8,” requiring all districts to “assure that the children of Wisconsin will have available an educational program meeting statutory standards.”  In easier terms, it is the Wisconsin state list of rules that govern our public schools.   One of the areas I would like to highlight this week is Physical Education (PE).  By state law, districts must provide a comprehensive physical instruction class for all pupils in grades Kindergarten through grade 12 taught by a licensed physical education teacher (dpi.wi.gov).   PE has a deep history in public education.  In 1893, Thomas Wood stated that “the great thought of physical education is not the education of the physical nature, but the relation of physical training to complete education, and then the effort to make the physical contribute its full share to the life of the individual” (National Education Association).  As such, PE is not about that moment you test the number of sit-ups you can accomplish, but about the integration of your physical wellness with skills that challenge students to develop physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally.  For many students, it is the class that creates balance in their day. Every teacher knows how much we need PE in our day. Recently, an elementary PE teacher from the state of Washington, Mrs. Gray from Silver Beach Elementary School, has become a social media hit by listing these life lessons we learn (beyond the curriculum) from elementary PE. 1. Win or lose … Be a good sport. 2. You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit. 3. Sometimes the other team is better than your team. 4. Sometimes the game is not fair. 5. When you win, act like a winner. 6. When you lose, learn and move on to the next game. 7. You don’t get to change the rules when things don’t go your way. 8. Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want. 9. You can be loyal to your team and respectful to your opponent. 10. If you are upset with the outcome, then change how you play. It is hard to disagree with this logic.  It is simple. It is true.  Many of us, especially during these times when the news and media outlets are reporting such oppositional content, should listen to Mrs. Gray.  When you walk into a gymnasium filled with students, it reminds us of what is really important in our days.