Middle School Physical Education

As SHAPE states, the middle school student is ready to experience a wide variety of applications of fundamental movements, including traditional sports, adventure activities, and lifetime or leisure-oriented activities. It is during this period when students are capable of refining, combining and applying a variety of sport-related and lifetime skills. Students may explore after-school opportunities for specialized or/and competitive physical activity programs.

Rapid growth during the pre-adolescent years may affect students’ interests, choices, and activity patterns. Therefore physical education programs offer a variety of activities to meet and expand student interests. Fitness development becomes more systematic. Students develop specific fitness components, set goals and assess personal fitness levels.

Pinellas County Middle School students are required to take the equivalent of one class period per day of physical education for one semester of each year in grades 6th through 8th.

 

Pinellas County requires 6th graders to enroll in M/J Fitness which combines Health and Physical Education standards highlighting the components of fitness, exercise training principles, and more.  8th graders are required to take M/J Wellness which embeds health education content and standards into physical education.  This course covers a large variety of content.  For specific information please take a look at the timeline showing units and standards below.

In addition to the required courses, Pinellas County schools has elective physical education courses for students wishing to take additional physical education during the school year.  Below is a list of the various course offerings for Middle School students.  Courses are decided at each school site based on equipment, facilities, scheduling and teacher expertise.  The courses are:

6th	Fitness*	Educational Gymnastics and Dance
7th	Team Sports*	Outdoor Pursuits and Aquatics
8th	Wellness*	Extreme and Alternative Sports	Individual and Dual Sports

 

 *  Recommended PE Courses from the District Pre-K-12 Physical Education Office by Grade Level