Starting next year, Libertyville High School will be offering two new classes to the Physical Welfare department. Open to all juniors and seniors will be an Outdoor Adventure Education class as well as a Yoga Pilates Fitness class.
These semester-long classes will have a lot of new activities to offer and will meet the Physical Welfare standards for students. According to the department, literacy will be incorporated across the curriculum through journals, blogs, and reflections.
The Physical Welfare department supervisor, Ms. Patti Mascia, who took part in this decision, said that “our goal in our department is to be able to offer different PE classes that students find enjoyable and at the same time, covering off the state requirements in PE. We would love to continue to offer more choices for PE classes that would give students the opportunity to try new things and find something from our discipline that they would make part of their everyday life now and forever.”
The bulk of the semester in each course will be designated to the classes’ new and unique curricula, but there will still be weekly cardio days in which students will be required to dress appropriately for. Ms. Mascia stated that student athletes will not be able to exempt from the classes during their season.
For the Outdoor Adventure Education class, students will be partaking in hands-on activities, such as rock climbing, camping, snowshoeing, backpacking, kayaking, rappelling, and team-building initiatives. This course allows participants to gain knowledge and insight into a variety of challenging outdoor activities, and they will learn important cooperative behaviors as well as how to think critically. Along with that, the activities will enable the students to gain self-confidence while solving problems and developing effective communication and lifelong skills.
“Outdoor Adventure Education pushes students to grow intellectually, physically and take on healthful challenges that encourage them to venture outside their comfort zones,” expressed Ms. Mascia.
There will be a requirement to write down your experiences in a journal, and an assessment will be taken on the material towards the end of the semester.
The Yoga Pilates Fitness class will offer an in-depth study of the fundamental principles and techniques of both the yoga and pilates disciplines. Ms. Mascia expressed that the class will address the health and skill-related fitness components such as muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, healthy body composition, balance, and coordination.
Intermediate and advanced yoga practice and fitness concepts will be covered throughout the semester. Previous experience with mind-body practice will benefit some students but is not necessary in order to take the class. Opportunities for advanced application of knowledge and skills will be presented later in the semester. Students will discover healthy ways to express and balance their emotions, reduce stress and impulsivity, and be present in the moment. Self-assessments and reflections will be administered on meeting one’s individual needs and goals. There will be one research project during the semester, and the teacher of the class will be Ms. Eryn Brown.
“I think these new classes are a great idea. It gives people a chance to try things they wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to do outside of school,” senior Hannah Harger expressed.
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