Curriculum Guide - Athletics

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Athletics Department Philosophy and Placement In conjunction with the mission statement of the school, the Windward School Athletic Department seeks to achieve athletic excellence and provide experiences where students will develop a passion for his/her sport. The Interscholastic Athletic and Physical Education programs are designed to promote and affirm the ideas of respect, discipline, wellness, physical fitness, sportsmanship, leadership and teamwork, while engaging the student fully in mind, body and spirit.

Requirements All Middle School students take either PE or dance or participate in a sport. All Middle School students have PE scheduled during Period 7. Students choose PE, Dance, or competitive, interscholastic sports teams each trimester. Students on athletic teams begin practice during Period 7 and continue until 3:30 Monday-Thursday. Participation on a sports team is not guaranteed and some Middle School teams have tryouts and make selections. Upper school students can fulfill the physical education requirement by being on a sports team, taking a Sports Training or Independent PE Classes, or participating in a Windward Dance class or Performance Group.

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Course Descriptions Middle School PE (7-8) The Middle School Physical Education program satisfies Windward’s aim to create well balanced students by emphasizing knowledge of the body and the mind. Structured physical activity within the curriculum in the 7th and 8th grade exposes students to different lifetime activities including class favorites such as ultimate Frisbee and handball. Programs in physical education involve encouragement and participation rather than winning or losing.

Sports Training (9-12) Sports Training is a Physical Education class designed for students that participate in athletics or desire to increase their physical fitness. This class supports students by providing both sports specific skill training and strength and agility training with an emphasis on injury prevention in the Windward Peak Performance Center.

This dynamic training class changes with the seasons of sport to support our scholar-athletes. In the preseason athletes will train in their sport, during their season they will have two mandatory study hall days to provide additional academic support and in the postseason scholarathletes recover and rejuvenate with strength and conditioning training. All course curriculum is designed and implemented in by Windward coaches and Peak Performance center staff.

Middle School Dance Lab (Trimester-long) (7-8) The Middle School Dance Lab is a series of trimester long courses that supports students in building strong bodies, exploring their artistic voice, working collaboratively as members of a creative community, gaining an appreciation for dance as an art form, and discovering the amazing diversity in the world of dance from a cultural perspective. The Dance Lab, which earns its name by creating a safe space for young dancers to experiment with movement, provides opportunities for beginning and intermediate level students to bring their diverse backgrounds and individual movement interests into the studio in an exciting new format.

This course will offer a different genre of dance each trimester - barre conditioning, hip-hop, and ballroom to demonstrate the range and depth in dance and supply students with the ultimate in movement fundamentals.

Students have the option to take one trimester of dance or those who seek to explore the full offerings can enroll in all three classes making dance a full year commitment. Within these various styles, students will acquire increased body awareness, a stronger sense of self in space, improved gross motor skill and coordination, more balanced expressive ability, and most notably, a joy of movement.

PE Course, trimester long (can be repeated each trimester).

Independent PE (9-12) Students may also complete their PE requirement by 1. Applying for Independent PE. Students must meet the required hours by accounting for their alternative activities with an outside trainer or exercising in the Windward Peak Performance Center before or after school or during their free periods.

Windward Athletics staff will be available to assist with creating workouts and training students on safe and proper use of all equipment. In order to receive PE credit for independent PE activities, students must fill out a waiver form for approval.

2. Competing in at least one Windward Sport. Windward athletics offers - 13 CIF varsity sports team and 4 club sports teams as well as junior varsity teams in sports with high levels of interested participants.

Membership on one of these teams fulfills the PE requirement: Fall: Cross Country - Co-Ed Football - B Volleyball - G Tennis - G Winter: Soccer - B/G Basketball - B/G Spring: Volleyball - B Tennis - B

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Baseball - B

Dance 2 (9-12)

Dance 3 (9-12)

Softball - G

Prerequisite: Dance I or permission of instructor.

Prerequisite: Previous dance experience and permission of instructor.

Track & Field - Co-Ed Golf - B/G Swimming - Co-Ed Club Sports: Boys Sand Volleyball - Fall Girls Sand Volleyball - Spring Sailing - Co-Ed, Year Around Equestrian - Co-Ed, Year Around Spirit and Dance - Fall & Winter

Dance 1 (9-12) Dance 1 is an introductory studio course designed for students, both minimally experienced and inexperienced. The class will explore new perspectives and approaches to dancing through a range of structured technique, improvisation/composition, and kinesiology. Emphasis will be placed on discovering movement creativity along with acquiring the physical strength, flexibility, alignmentcoordination, kinesthetic awareness and movement dynamics as well as some dance history. Modern dance, ballet, and contemporary jazz will be the foundation of this class. Students observe live dance performances and complete written critiques. Students have the choice of receiving credit for Physical Education or Performing Arts when taking this class. If a student chooses to take P.E. credit, he/she must choose another arts class and must still attend class when involved in an after school sport.

Dance II is a studio course designed for students who have prior knowledge and experience in the area of dance. The class will continue to explore new perspectives and approaches to dancing through a range of technical aspects, improvisation/composition, and body conditioning. Emphasis will be placed on discovering movement creativity along with acquiring the physical skills of strength, flexibility, alignment-coordination, kinesthetic awareness and movement dynamics, as well as some dance history and theory. Modern dance, ballet, and contemporary jazz will be the foundation of this class. Students continue to observe live dance performances and to complete written critiques. Students have the choice of receiving credit for Physical Education or Performing Arts when taking this class. If a student chooses to take P.E. credit, he/she must choose another arts class and must still attend class when involved in an after school sport.

Dance III provides intermediate level dancers the opportunity to deepen the study of ballet and modern technique, taking on more advanced combinations and movement concepts with an emphasis on release technique, floor work, and spatial awareness. Lessons in dance history and viewing dance footage will be implemented at this level to strengthen the students compositional skills in preparation for the demands of an advanced dance class.

Students continue to observe live dance performances and to complete written critiques. Students have the choice of receiving credit for Physical Education or Performing Arts when taking this class. If a student chooses to take P.E. credit, he/she must choose another arts class and must still attend class when involved in an after school sport.

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Course Descriptions Dance 4 (9-12)

Dance Company (9*-12)

Prerequisite: Previous dance experience and permission of instructor.

Dance Company is a rep performance class for our most advanced and dedicated dancers, selected by audition (A) or by invitation (I).

Through a series of short-term residencies with some of the most accomplished artists in the business today, students maintain a rigorous technical foundation and create and perform commissioned choreographic works. Within this rigorous, artistic environment, this course seeks to prepare students for college level dance programs and a career in the arts. Performance is required. Grades 9-12.

The focus of this class is improving awareness, flexibility, control, technique, and the dancer’s ability to learn combinations all within a faster paced environment. This class is designed to prepare students for college level dance programs.

Each student experiments with various styles of dance and work to further develop performance and compositional skills. The dancers further their knowledge of dance history by studying some of the people who have been instrumental in creating that history. Choreography is a key element to this class. Learning repertory in various styles is required.

Assignments include completion of a research project and critiques of dance performances. If a student chooses to take P.E. credit, he/she must choose another arts class and must still attend class when involved in an after school sport. Students may choose to enroll in this course for a second year.

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*Please note: Company members are required to formally re-audition each year and undergo an individual evaluation to ensure appropriate placement.

Photo by Charles Isgar ’16

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