This month, at the District 200 school board’s three pool project meetings, OPRF Supt. Steven Isoye spoke about the benefit of a physical education program that supports wellness models for lifelong fitness. For freshmen and sophomores at OPRF, an entire semester is devoted to self-defense, swim, and life-saving techniques. Recently, I observed two P.E. classes at OPRF’s East Pool and was impressed by what I saw and heard.
In modern physical education, we are working to improve our own performance, and we must interact with others in order to do so. In swimming, navigating water is a unique learning experience, requiring specific physical effort. I watched as students entered the pool area, jumped into the water, took a few laps across the pool or floated near the wall with comfort and joy. During class, students were listening, working, learning, talking and moving.
What is the capacity of our pools? Each pool is 25 yards. The East Pool has six lanes, and the West Pool has five. The pools are used almost continuously throughout the school year. Freshmen and sophomores take an eight-week swim class, coupled with a 10-week self-defense unit, and one week of CPR/AED.
According to Clay Reagan, head of the Physical Education Department, about 1,700 students per year take a required swim course. There are less than four weeks per school year that the pools are not used. Every day, the pools are used for no less than six of eight periods. Factoring in dress-down/dress-up time, about 35 minutes is spent, daily, in the water. Each of these classes has anywhere from 25-40 students. Adventure Ed is a popular junior/senior elective that uses the pool. Adventure Ed hosts six classes per semester, with a six-week unit in the water, enrollment of 25-40 per class. Adapted P.E. occasionally uses the pool(s) during the school day.
I observed a teacher energetically lead a class of 28, then 38 students. A water safety test clears selected students for deep-water swimming. A number of students at OPRF do not pass this test and require shallow pool instruction, often taught by a classmate. Students are given a warm-up (a set of laps the width of the pool) and proceed through the instructional element of the class. Deep-water swimmers fall into a wide range of swim ability. The teacher gave feedback on technique (kicking, lateral breathing, stroke work, etc.). She explained to the students that their aerobic fitness will increase and the work will become more comfortable as conditioning is emphasized in the unit.
The teacher explained to me that the benefits of co-teaching are many, including communication, learning and deepened empathy. As students gathered kickboards and fins and climbed out of the pool, I felt grateful that we have this program at our high school. It is one of the vessels in which a great diversity of students work and learn and play together.
Karen Steward-Nolan is a member of the D200VoteYes citizen committee.
