physical education -- does it "count"?

[Briar Rose 7457]

in my daughters' middle school, the kids have the option of taking gym pass/fail or getting a mark that counts in their overall average.

my girls do well in gym class, so they opt for the grade.

do your kids have the option? and if so, what do they do?

 

[flaps]

I don't have kids. But when I was in school, we never had the option. It had to count for a grade.

The co-validictorian of my graduating class missed having all "A's" all four years due to a "B" in a P.E. class.

 

[snoopy]

I remember when I was a kid being in a snit about having to dress for gym class. I got smart with the teacher, so I was sent to the principal's office. I asked him why I had to take gym, and he told me it was so that I could be physically prepared for war. It totally freaked me out and from that point on I dressed for gym, even though I hated those stupid games they made you play like dodge ball or crab soccer. Just not my thing. And the ugly polyester gym uniforms, don't even start me.

My kids are in elementary school, so gym class is not an option. Not sure if it is in the higher grades or not. It should be, imo.

 

[CamColt]

I went to Catholic school and in highschool we only had to take gym once a week, for the first 2 years. That was the best thing about becoming a junior.

 

[stinkerbelle]

ugh - I don't understand WHY they have to 'grade' it - gym should be pass/fail.

you show up everyday, put in some effort - pass
you don't show up, never participate - fail.

I shouldn't get a lower grade just because I find it impossible to do a cartwheel!

If we didn't pass PE in my High School - you didn't graduate.

 

[bballmom56]

There is no option in our HS - you will receive a grade. It used to be that only major academic courses counted toward GPA and class rank (science, history, math, foreign language, english). But I'm reading the catalog now and it doesn't specify that any more, so I'll have to look into that.

 

[piratesmate]

In our middle school there is no option & there wasn't when DS was still in school 8 yrs ago. However, grades are totally dependent on showing up in class with the proper "uniform".

I thought this was "an easy A" & much better than basing it on physical prowess like it was when I went to school.

However, the school system is so nuts....in HS they must take swimming every year. DS developed an allergic reaction to something they were using on the gym towels (had to use theirs) & was told he couldn't swim. This went on an entire marking period - despite a doctor's note saying that the rash was not contagious & to allow DS to use his own towel. He received a zero for each class he didn't swim - they wouldn't even let him "dress" for class. He failed the marking period & we couldn't get them to change the grade. Is it any wonder my son hated school?!?!?

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

when I was in school -- the same school my kids attend now -- we got a grade for gym, but it didn't count in our average. if you showed up and dressed properly you passed, but ...

I have a nightmare about one teacher who threatened to fail me if I didn't walk on the balance beam. I did walk on the balance beam, and I passed, but I was very uncomfortable. I didn't get a very high mark in gym. I would have loved to have been able to take the class pass/fail.

 

[CourtasanSatine]

pass/fail would have been great but I had to take it for a grade for 2 long years(I hated pe especially during allergy season when I was out at least once a week with allergy attacks).But I got docked for each attack day

 

[nuke]

In highschool we had gym everyday for four years. The good thing was that Sophmore and Junior year you had drivers ed depending on when your birtday fell and that took up a whole semester. Then Senior year you did fun things like bowling, golf and cross country skiing.

We got grades but it didn't count in our averages. However if you failed then you didn't graduate.

 

[Evil Princess]

During high school they started giving us number grades OUT OF NOWHERE that counted for our averages. We had tests, for goodness sakes!

I HATED gym. I hated running outside for the 600, my allergies would go nuts. I hated going to school all dressed and having gym second period and having to change. I hated being forced to take out my earrings every other day and ALWAYS losing them.

Gym didn't make me physically fit, and the only thing I learned was CPR (which I think is the best part of gym).

I think it should be pass/fail.

 

[NMAmy]

I've seen this from both angles--I was required to take gym (with a grade) up to my junior year. I have absolutely NO athletic ability and I'm awful at team sports, but I dressed every day, gave it my best, and aced the tests. I hated every minute of it.

DD, on the other hand, is a natural athlete and LOVES gym. Oddly enough, after elementary school, gym is an elective. So, to take gym she has to give up another elective (they only get 2). Since she takes choir and a foreign language, she's had to forget gym class. She still plays on school sport teams (basketball and volleyball).

The thing I find odd is this: with so many overweight children--why is gym no longer required in so many schools? I realize that it's a budget thing, but I worry about these kids that get NO exercise. I was not athletic but I still ran around and played as a kid. Most of these kids don't even walk to school. The school parking lot is a big traffic jam before and after school even when the weather is nice.

My rant--sorry about that. To answer your question--gym SHOULD be pass/fail!

 

[Pin Wizard]

In DS's school in FL it counted for a grade. I'm not sure if it does here or not. Down there he also had PE 2 days a week. Here it's only one day. And I can see a difference in his appearance!

I had knee problems in high school and was able to get out of track. YEAAAAAAA! HATED track!

 

[Amy]

Now you've got me wondering - in our schools, gym is required all 4 years of high school - you don't take gym, you don't graduate. But I have no idea if it's graded or pass/fail. I'll have to ask.

 

[marlasmom]

Ouch the painful memories. I got in trouble all the time for "clowning" but I wasn't. I was not and am not agile enough to do those damn exercises. Futhermore my neatnik friend Donna NEVER washed her ugly gymsuit once during a semester. She simply folded it neatly as is Donna's wont and wore it. On the other hand I faithfully took my suit home and washed and ironed it and got in trouble for having a wrinkled suit. I just simply could not get it back and forth without wrinkling it. You had to pass a swimming test in order to graduate and the teacher finally gave me a passing grade I did not deserve. Donna managed to have her period for every single swimming class so she never had to get into the water.

Pass or fail. I should have gotten an A for effort.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

in NY gym is mandatory for all students. in elementary school the gym teacher would indicate whether the student's effort was satisfactory.
it's only on the secondary level that the grade "counts".

 

[missypie]

DS in middle school got number grades in gym. The grades came from actual tests - mostly relevant stuff like health and drug prevention stuff, but a few silly things like the rules of badminton.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

in our schools, the health/drug prevention stuff is taught in health class, where grades always count in the student's average.