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P.E. Thrilled With At Home Engagement
The St. Luke’s Physical Education Department had to get creative to ensure our Middle School students continued to benefit from staying active during this time of distance learning.
Through the efforts of Director of Athletics and Physical Education Mike West, Associate Director of Athletics Jennifer Besgen, and Physical Education Teacher Pat Raffaele, all students continue to meet and workout once a week as a class via Zoom. The PE department has introduced a number of body-weight exercises and Tabata-style workouts, as well as yoga sessions.
Students have also been asked to complete 30 minutes of activity on days they do not Zoom and record all activity in their personal Physical Activity Log. In their logs, students are asked to describe the activity they did, their motivation level before exercise, the intensity level of the workout, how they felt during the exercise, and their mood before and after the physical activity.
The new initiative has been received well by students and Besgen is excited to introduce even more workouts in the coming weeks: “The students appreciate that they get to spend time with friends and exercise at the same time. At first, I was a little uncertain about doing a virtual workout with all my students, but I have really enjoyed it.”
Pat Raffaele has also been pleased with how well the new format has worked: “It’s great to see the kids try something new. I know it can be uncomfortable to work out in this setting, but I have been happy to see the kids rise to the challenge.”
The PE department looks to launch a virtual field day towards the end of May. As has been our custom, we look forward to the seniors playing a role in field day.
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 40 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Leading with Humanity curriculum builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
