Strength, Confidence, and Joy in Motion
“
Our K–8 Physical Education program is intentionally designed as a developmental arc. It begins with joyful movement and foundational skills, and steadily builds toward strength, strategy, and leadership.” - MICHELE WILLIAMS, HEAD OF SCHOOL
A K–8 PE PROGRAM THAT GROWS WITH STUDENTS
W
alk onto the Burke’s campus any morning, and you’ll find students running, skipping, tossing, and collaborating their way through a vibrant physical education program—one intentionally designed to grow with them from kindergarten to eighth grade. What looks like simple joyful movement on the surface is actually a carefully sequenced curriculum that builds skills, leadership, and confidence over nearly a decade.
22
STARTING STRONG IN LOWER SCHOOL Lower School PE teachers David Hay and Jonathan Portero-Brown know that the journey begins with the fundamentals. In kindergarten, students attend PE twice a week, learning the basics of movement, coordination, and classroom leadership. By first grade, PE becomes a daily experience—“a chance to build consistent habits and confidence,” Mr. Hay explains. Each class begins with a warmup, but even this moment is an opportunity to build student agency. Kindergarteners take turns demonstrating simple exercises. As they grow, students graduate to leading full warm-up routines, standing at the front of the class, and guiding their peers through motions they’ve practiced.
From there, students rotate through skill-based activities such as practicing running form and skipping patterns. They move on to working through agility movements, obstacle courses, throwing and tossing, kicking techniques, and foundational footwork. “We teach skills through fun,” Mr. Hay says. “And everything we do builds toward something else.” Fridays bring “Game Day,” where students apply the week’s skills in playful, developmentally appropriate challenges. One week might end with throwing games; another, with obstacle-course races or team challenges. Lower School students also enjoy “Field Day” sessions, where laps, hurdles, standing long jump, and javelin-style throws turn fitness into a personal challenge. Students earn popsicle sticks each session, tracking their progress per session