did anyone go? does anyone know anything about new HS requirements for kids starting with the class of 2013? saw something recently. also, something about NO gym waivers no matter what.

Gym is now part of their GPA starting w/ the class of 2013.

great. i wouldn't have graduated.

I went. It was a wide-ranging discussion of curriculum -- reading programs, K-12 articulation, mentoring of new teachers, teacher training, evaluation, new graduation requirements in science and civics, no gym waivers, etc.

what's the story on "No gym waivers?" thanks in advance, paul! and can you figure out if this intended policy is state wide or made at the district level? in 05-06 (the year of 6 academic periods) gym waivers were given out like candy to jrs. and srs. because they had to...but i really don't get "no gym waivers." they make it hard enough to get one, and i'm really worried about band and choir. we'll see...

The no-waiver policy has been pushed to its current point by the new head of the PE department (this is his 2nd year at West). You are correct that for years waivers were handed out for many reasons (participation in a non-school club or travel sport, music, or to create a study hall for kids taking a heavy course load), but the school now wants every kid taking PE every day. I've only heard of one waiver being granted this year- to a student who broke down crying in the PE head's office.

My understanding of waivers is that students in school-sponsored sports actually get an athletic study hall during their season, which is not a waiver. A waiver is getting out of PE altogether for reasons such as needing a course for college admission or graduation. If a student needs a course for college admission, they have to get a letter from that college explaining why that course is needed.....but I could be wrong.

thanks agnes and amy...sounds like the tail(pe head) is wagging the dog. this is stupid. but at least it's stupid on the local level.

Well, actually, state law requires that all students are enrolled in PE K-12 with the following exceptions:
1. Medical reasons a student cannot participate.
2. Religious reasons a student cannot participate.
3. Juniors/Seniors are allowed to not take PE if they are in a school-sponsored sport and only during the season of that sport.
4. A student needs a course for graduation. (I think the college admission thing is a relatively new exception that might not actually be in the law but schools allow it anyway.)

So, it's statewide, not local.

Excuse the thread interruption, but I thought parents may want to have this information from West's announcements:

BOOKSTORE - The lost and found is again spilling out on the floor in the bookstore. Please stop by and see if any of these items belong to you. The P.E. teachers have also brought over clothing and shoes from Biester. Everything will be gone by the time that you get back from spring break so make an effort to check it soon.

I'm a pretty big fan of PE requirements, but IMO including PE in GPAs is boneheaded.

thanks amy and gemom2. i have issues with no. 4, amy. say a kid wants to be in choir or band for all 4 years. you have your core classes for college prep: math, sci., lang., eng. social studies. that's 5. add choir: 6. add gym: 7. so, what happens when they need consumer ed, other state required classes. can they be waived out of gym jr./sr. year? (as per law.) i just googled "district 87 gym waiver" and ran across a state-mandated yearly report and that was interesting! district file for expemtions from gym, substitute hours, $ they can use for administration, all kinds of things, every year. just wonder how one department head seems to be the tail wagging the dog. does anyone out there have a kid with a waiver at west? not looking for details, just that it did happen.

I can't figure out what I'm missing. I graduated high school in 1990. I took all the core classes, plus band and PE. My HS had 7 periods. I remember testing out of consumer economics, but what other classes would make you need to get out of PE?

I remember in the late 80's when the state mandated 'cardio days' in PE, so all we did was run laps for the full period...boring...

quote:

Originally posted by DTM:
I can't figure out what I'm missing. I graduated high school in 1990. I took all the core classes, plus band and PE. My HS had 7 periods.

Was band a credit class for you?

My eldest is a senior, so I don't really care much about this type of thing anymore. But I think one distinction concerns kids who take band/orchestra/choir - which are credit classes. You cannot participate in band/orch/choir if you are not enrolled in the class. Those kids do not get a gym waiver, and so their participation in music limits their ability to take additional electives or schedule study halls.

Whereas sports are not credit classes. So the athlete has greater flexibility to take electives or schedule study halls - AND may be eligible for a PE waiver.

Like I said, I don't realy care, and am just enjoying everything I am doing with the schools "for the last time." Just trying to point out one type of situation where one sizeable group of kids and their families might have reason to believe they are being treated differently than another sizeable group, and may not care for that distinction.

4 years of gym??? I think I took 3 semesters, 4 including health - tops. And despite attending high school at the most band oriented school ever, I wasn't in the band.

I can understand a gym waiver for athletes though - if the goal is to mandate some physical exercise in teenages, athletes are generally getting more physical exercise than a PE class requires. Band doesn't - well, maybe marching band should if you carry a heavy instrument and march in a lot of long parades.

I do believe it was a credit class. Also, I don't remember ever having study hall...just seemed like a waste of time to me...

The gym waiver for athletes is only available during the season. The student still enrolls in PE, but gets to go to study hall instead of PE while the sport is in season.

The PE mandate really makes things tight when a kid is involved in music and wants to pursue a foreign language. That's your 7 courses right there -- math, English, social studies, science, band/orchestra/choir, language, PE. Forget about trying some electives or a study hall.

One idea that Dr. Zimmerman mentioned at the curriculum night is offering a "Period 0" before the normal start of school for courses like PE. Apparently there is research showing that teenagers do better in their academic subjects when they start the day with PE, so it might even be beneficial.

The public school where I grew up had an optional class period - they called it "E" period (for "early" I presume). I seem to recall most kids I knew taking advantage of it.

Dr. Zimmerman mentioned that the early period is fairly widespread at northshore schools.

A couple of thoughts:
-While I can understand the physiological benefits of starting the day with a little exercise, I can imagine many teens not being thrilled about starting their day off with gym class, and then having to shower before classes or stink all day.
-Funny that they would be discussing adding an optional 8th period just a couple of years after they prohibited any student from taking more than 6 periods.