Athletics

Lower School Athletics

LOWER SCHOOL ATHLETICS

Highland's Lower School athletics program is centered on physical education. Through formal classes and daily recess, we focus on developing and strengthening the physical, emotional, and social needs of our youngest students.

Participation, understanding, and enjoyment

Highland's Lower School athletics program is designed to encourage students to participate in and enjoy a wide range of team and individual sports. Units focus on the technical skills and understanding of the rules that students need to enjoy and understand a range of team and individual sports including lacrosse, soccer, basketball and indoor hockey. Additionally, we introduce a wide range of life-long fitness activities including running, jump rope, cycling, etc.

For team sports, student are introduced to technical skills through games and activities that offer a better understanding of each sport. Physical education class in the Lower School, which is typically held in the Arundel Gym in Highalnd's Middle School or the Upper School Gym, is offered five times a week with units of instruction lasting three to four weeks.

Goals of Highland's Lower School physical education program

In our Lower School, we have the following goals for our physical education program:

Develop fundamental technical and age-appropriate skills
Advance physical, social and emotional growth
Foster compassion and good sportsmanship
Promote responsibility
Encourage a feeling of enjoyment and self-accomplishment
Nurture an understanding that winning and losing are not the ultimate end in athletic participation
The primary goal of the physical education program is that each child enjoys every activity while participating in a socially comfortable atmosphere. Competition and winning and losing have little emphasis on the parameters of the Lower School curriculum. Fair play and good sportsmanship are encouraged and expected in all activities.

Blue vs. Gold competition starts in third grade

A Highland tradition that dates back at least 40 years, Blue vs. Gold is a year-long athletic competition in which team members collect points in their physical education classes. Each fall, third graders and all new students through eighth grade are assigned to either the Blue or Gold teams. The competition culminates each spring with a fun and spirited field-day competition featuring an obstacle course, an 80 yard dash, distance run, and accuracy throws.