SCMS Health and Physical Education

Virginia requires all students to receive health and physical education instruction at all instructional levels in grades K-10.

Course content for health and physical education, including family life education and driver education, is identified in Virginia Board of Education regulations and in the Virginia health and physical educations requirements for high school graduation for both the 21- and 23-credit diploma. Students with disabilities have access to adapted physical education programs.

The health and physical education program is designed to teach students the skills, knowledge, and attitudes essential to live a healthy lifestyle and select healthy and safe behaviors.

The Fairfax County Public Schools comprehensive health and physical education program envisions the following:

• A well-articulated K-10 comprehensive physical education and health program that prepares all students to actively and effectively achieve and promote lifelong wellness.
• A continuous sequence of learning, firmly rooted in both public health and educational research and effective practice.
• An instructional sequence that provides all students multiple opportunities to use the acquired knowledge and skills in meaningful, authentic, and realistic ways.
• A school community that recognizes and fosters the intrinsic value of wellness.

Wellness involves the attainment and maintenance of moderate to high levels of physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and social fitness.

New Elective Offering

Foundations of Yoga for Wellness (This is an elective course for 8^th graders and does not take the place of HPE 8.)

This course will not be in lieu of the Health and Physical Education VDOE requirement for grade 8, rather an additional opportunity for students to engage in a course that supports their mental, social, emotional, and physical health and wellness. Students will be able to register for the course this winter when the course catalogs for the 2022-2023 school year are released. 

Our Department Chair for Health and Physical Education is Christina Peter.