The stereotypical high school gym class consists of students picking teams for dodgeball, a dreaded moment for many. At St. Paul Academy and Summit School, there is a different take on gym class, “Fitness For Life”, a required course for all freshmen.

In the past, the class lasted for one quarter, but for the 2014-2015 school year, that class lasts a semester-long, and has an updated curriculum which is beneficial because students have more opportunity to get active while learning more about important topics.

Fitness for Life taught by Upper School Physical Education teacher Kaitlyn Frenchick combines aspects of health and fitness into one class. Some highlights of the new curriculum are first aid, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, and Automatic External Defibrillator Certification through the American Red Cross, a greater variety of sports, and in-depth learning about decision making, suicide, and depression, among others.

“I really like the Red Cross certification because it is fun to teach, and it’s good to prepare the students for emergency situations,” Frenchick said.

“I saw the other classes do it and it looked like something that would be really fun to do,” freshman Robin Bartlett said.

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Some days, a class may be more focused on learning about health, while other days may consist of playing games in the gym or working out.

“The nice thing about a semester long class is that we are able to go more in depth, and it allows students to feel more comfortable in their environment prior to discussing harder topics,” Frenchick said.

“I thought the hockey was fun because it’s something I usually don’t get to do,” freshman Web Lehmann said.

This new scheduling also allows for full days of health, and full days of gym time, while in the past, classes were split half and half in order to get through all of the material.
“My favorite part is the mini-tournaments we do because it’s a fun way to get in shape and be competitive, but in a fun way,” freshman Isabel Brandtjen said.

This unique take on gym class gives SPA freshmen important health knowledge and puts it into action through workouts and extending discussion about the hard topics for longer periods of time.
“There will just be more time for students to be physically active and find sports they love,” Frenchick said.