Is it normal for DCPS middle schools to have very little PE?

[Anonymous]

My child is in 6th grade at Hardy and has only had PE for one term this year. Hardy parents, is this normal or just a one-off? I was thinking about pulling my kid out of her afterschool sport, but I'm worried they won't get enough exercise without PE at school.

[Anonymous]

Yes

[Anonymous]

At Wells it's part of the regular block schedule, year-round, so they get about 70 minutes 2-3 times a week. It is combined with Health class so not every session is physical activity, but I wouldn't characterize it as "very little."

They also get recess after they finish lunch, if they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 6th grade at Hardy and has only had PE for one term this year. Hardy parents, is this normal or just a one-off? I was thinking about pulling my kid out of her afterschool sport, but I'm worried they won't get enough exercise without PE at school.

DC follows the Healthy Schools Act. In grades 6-8, students should have 135 minutes of physical education instruction each week with 50% of the time dedicated to moderate to rigorous activity.

[Anonymous]

Wow is this true? Any other Hardy parents on here who can share their experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At Wells it's part of the regular block schedule, year-round, so they get about 70 minutes 2-3 times a week. It is combined with Health class so not every session is physical activity, but I wouldn't characterize it as "very little."

They also get recess after they finish lunch, if they want.

Are art and music also part of the regular rotation?

[Anonymous]

At Capitol Hill Montessori, they get ~55 min and ~80 min Health per week. The main problem is actually collective class punishment: when few kids misbehave, they penalize the entire classroom by denying them the PE session.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow is this true? Any other Hardy parents on here who can share their experience?

This is true. My 6th grader had PE during Term 2 and that’s it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 6th grade at Hardy and has only had PE for one term this year. Hardy parents, is this normal or just a one-off? I was thinking about pulling my kid out of her afterschool sport, but I'm worried they won't get enough exercise without PE at school.

DC follows the Healthy Schools Act. In grades 6-8, students should have 135 minutes of physical education instruction each week with 50% of the time dedicated to moderate to rigorous activity.

Yes. DC regulations call for a bunch of PE. BUT, DCPS budgets -- at least for Hardy and some other schools -- don't provide enough money for sufficient staff to have more PE.

Moreover, the DC guidelines for how much time of each subject kids should have amount to more time than hours in the school day.

Their is neither enough money nor enough time to do it all, especially if you want to have a foreign language and/or other electives. Choices have to be made.

It wouldn't be so bad if everyone could participate in middle school athletics. But DCPS's one-size-fits-all approach means if your middle school is bigger than 300 or so, then the teams cannot accommodate many students.

Meanwhile, DCPS probably spends as much or nearly as much on elementary athletics as middle school athletics, as though 8 year olds and 14 year olds are physically similar. Go figure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Wells it's part of the regular block schedule, year-round, so they get about 70 minutes 2-3 times a week. It is combined with Health class so not every session is physical activity, but I wouldn't characterize it as "very little."

They also get recess after they finish lunch, if they want.

Are art and music also part of the regular rotation?

If they take art or music they do. In 6th grade, students cycle through the X-block (elective) classes and then in 7th and 8th grade they choose 1 to take for the full year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 6th grade at Hardy and has only had PE for one term this year. Hardy parents, is this normal or just a one-off? I was thinking about pulling my kid out of her afterschool sport, but I'm worried they won't get enough exercise without PE at school.

That isn't what happens at Eliot-Hine. Students take PE for the entire year. It switches between PE and Health, but it is a full year course that meets on a block schedule like all the other classes A or B day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At Capitol Hill Montessori, they get ~55 min and ~80 min Health per week. The main problem is actually collective class punishment: when few kids misbehave, they penalize the entire classroom by denying them the PE session.

Not shocking since Capitol Hill Montessori is such a poorly run school. Admin has no control over the students. This is probably a weak attempt at behavior management.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Wells it's part of the regular block schedule, year-round, so they get about 70 minutes 2-3 times a week. It is combined with Health class so not every session is physical activity, but I wouldn't characterize it as "very little."

They also get recess after they finish lunch, if they want.

Are art and music also part of the regular rotation?

Art, music, Spanish, and dance are the elective options this year, which also meet on the same cadence throughout the year. There are also non-academic club options.

[Anonymous]

Yup. PE half the year, 2-3x/week. But Hardy offers awesome after school intramurals. Can’t remember that as a kid. However I agree it’s not enough. But I also think the PE teachers haven’t been that great, with one amazing exception in elementary school. I’m worried they’re turning my kids off sports and activity. And Hardy desperately needs a well-designed outdoor space to encourage movement. Their outside space is dead and depressing. My kids are happy, though.