New P.E. pilot program launches in January
Starting in the new year, Middle School P.E. classes will transform, with new offerings including Fitness Center training and CPR training. After a trial period, families will be invited to share their thoughts and provide feedback for future periods.
By Joel Bezaire, Interim Head of Middle School
We’re excited about a few new ideas that we’re going to pilot in our seventh and eighth Grade P.E. classes in the new year. We’ve long wondered if we can improve that experience for our students, and we’re going to experiment with some new ideas in those classes from January 6 through February 13, take stock of how these new ideas went, and consider what permanent changes we might want to implement for the 2026-2027 school year.
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We’re excited about a few new ideas that we’re going to pilot in our seventh and eighth Grade P.E. classes in the new year. We’ve long wondered if we can improve that experience for our students, and we’re going to experiment with some new ideas in those classes from January 6 through February 13, take stock of how these new ideas went, and consider what permanent changes we might want to implement for the 2026-2027 school year.
First, some context about some of the issues we’re trying to address with these changes:
- During the winter sports seasons, space is at a premium. Gyms are used for basketball, the pool is used for swimming, and the dance studios are used for cheer. Also, given that it’s winter, outdoor options are sometimes limited by the weather/temperature. Having other reliable spaces to hold P.E. classes is something we’re going to try out.
- During the winter sports seasons, we’re also short on P.E. teachers because of the number of coaches it takes to run all the winter sports. (This can also be a struggle in other seasons, which is why some of what we pilot during this time might become permanent, year-round solutions if they work like we hope they do).
- Given that many of our most sports-loving students are playing a sport during this time, how do we increase motivation and buy-in among students enrolled in our P.E. courses?
With that context in mind, here are a couple of the items we’re going to pilot starting in January.
- First, we are going to offer some more traditional “classes” during this time, which will meet in classrooms, thereby limiting the amount of time a student needs to spend outside during the winter and helping to alleviate our space and staffing concerns. These classes will take on a more “Health/Wellness” bent to them, and rotate with our more traditional P.E. offerings. The class offerings will be as follows:
- Fitness Center training (movement, in the Fitness Center)
- CPR/AED/First Aid (classroom)
- Field Games/Sports (movement, on the back field)
- Health/Wellness/Nutrition/Sleep/etc. (classroom)
- Walking/Yoga (movement, in the dance studio (when available) and neighborhood)
- Second, we are going to start providing rubrics for student engagement in P.E. during this time period. A 5-point scale for items like preparedness for class, participation, and sportsmanship will be provided at the end of each mini-unit to help students reflect on their own growth in these areas, and hopefully increase student motivation and buy-in.
I want to thank Athletic Trainer Jordan Faimon, who will be joining us in seventh and eighth grade P.E. classes during this stretch to instruct our week-long CPR/First-Aid classroom unit. Also, thanks to the folks who helped us brainstorm some of these ideas to bring more robust programming to our P.E. structure: P.E. Teacher Lauren Cox, P.E. Teacher Lilly Miller, Interim Assistant Head of Middle School for Academic Affairs Brittany Iams, Athletic Director Josh Scouten, and Assistant Head of Middle School for Student Affairs Kelicia Cox. And of course, thanks to our P.E. and coaching staff for all they do for our students every day.
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Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
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2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
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University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.