As most ISB high school students are already aware of, the graduation requirement for the PE credit has been dropped from 2 to 1.5 credits for the Class of 2017 onwards, but there is more to it than just this substantial change.

Although many students are not required to take a PE class once they have met the new requirement, the PE department mentioned that as part of a new graduation requirement, students will need to fulfill an additional Physical Activity Requirement (PAR), to maintain consistent physical activity by performing some type of exercise done on ISB campus. Taking a PE class is one the best ways to fulfill this requirement.

The exact details of how the additional exercise requirement will be implemented has not yet been finalized, but will definitely allow participation in JV or Varsity sports as a way to fulfill the requirement that will be implemented.

In addition to the PAR, students will have to obtain Emergency First Aid and CPR certification in order to graduate. ISB believes that having this certification is beneficial to everyone as emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time. Lee O’Rourke, head of the PE Department hopes that “all ISB students will be prepared” in any emergency cases. “As a result, ALL of our PE elective courses will include First Aid and CPR training,” adds Ms.O’Rourke. This will allow students to handle any emergency if one happens to arise, and can be a critical component to saving lives, which is an extremely important skill set students should be able have.

Ms.O’Rourke believes “that there are often misconceptions about Physical and Health Education and what it is.” She states that “PE classes have a much different focus than they did in the past; in the courses, [they] strive to develop students who are physically literate and healthy.” Physical literacy is the ability to move with confidence and competence in a wide range of activities and environments. Therefore, people who are physically literate develop the competence, confidence,and motivation and the skills necessary to enjoy a variety of sports and physical activities, and as a result, they are more likely to stay active for life. By comparison, people may not see a difference between taking a PE class and doing physical activity outside of school, but being physically literate is a skill that you can only acquire by taking a PE class.

The PE department also recently announced that they have increased the number of PE classes available to take, thus giving students a wider range of options when deciding whether or not to take a PE class, even after they have met ISB’s graduation requirements.

Tori Alexander (12), is currently taking a PE after already having met all her graduation requirements, because “[she] plays sports everyday and it’s hard for [her] to imagine life next year without it,” Tori adds that “It has given [her] an hour and a half to escape from stress during school every other day and it has given [her] the opportunity to learn new sports and make new friends.”

With the many options and diverse PE classes ISB has to offer for our students, why not fulfill the additional requirements that have been implemented during school? For those students, who have been trying to find a way to be more active and confident when doing exercise, taking PE might be just what is needed to take a step towards leading a more healthy, active, and balanced life, while still being able to participate in other extracurricular activities after school.

The new PE classes, which will be available starting next school year are Powerfit, which is an only girls PE class, and Team Sports Concept 2, which is a second versions of the Team Sports Concept 1 class, which students will then get to perform similar exercises, but with a lot more skill and knowledge than the previous semester. However, there are five additional available classes, including Sports for Life, Lifeguarding, Personal Fitness one and two, as well as SEHS, which is an IB, SL class.

Powerfit, a new course designed for females will enable a comfortable and cooperative environment while building fitness and wellness through activities such as cross-training yoga sessions, pilates, stability and medicine ball core training, circuit training, tabatas, and group exercise courses. Not to mention, students will be given some choice in terms of their fitness assessment, making the class flexible in a supportive environment.

Furthermore, other fun activities, such as scuba diving, kayaking, and rock climbing be added to the already existing Sports For Life class if student as it not only helps to enhance the diversity of the type of exercises in the class, but also will allow anyone interested in learning or further developing their skills in those activities to join.

And yes, everyone understands that ISB High School students are constantly striving to succeed at school while balancing extracurricular activities, academics, sports, and some free time. However, many students at ISB experience stress or anxiety due to all the hard work they put into whatever it is that they do. Not only will taking a PE class benefit your physical health, it enhances mental health by increasing happiness, confidence, and may even help students academically.

As a matter of fact, by taking PE, additional graduation requirements that have been added can easily be dealt with at during school, giving students a vast amount of time and opportunity to concentrate on academics and other commitments after school, instead of taking an Emergency First Aid & CPR course outside of school hours.

Taking a PE elective not only enables students to satisfy the Physical Activity and the First Aid/CPR requirements, but they’ll get fitter, de-stress, have fun and develop the skills necessary to lead a lifestyle that is healthy, active, and balanced for years to come.

For more information on specific PE courses, check out this link!

https://docs.google.com/a/students.isb.ac.th/document/d/1FwX_YPyw0u2FBzWpXzqZk7MCWvfrZPUl-div154qFNU/edit

Sofi Sintes & Stella Kim