Physical Education Program

List of 2 items.

• Lower School

  Students in grades one through four participate in physical education classes four times a week. Each class is 45 minutes in length. Starting in the second grade, children are required to wear a Buckley physical education uniform.

  
  The curriculum focuses on the development of body awareness, hand-eye and foot-eye coordination, and locomotor skills. In first grade, the children learn simple games and are taught rules by which to play them safely. In second through fourth grades, sport skills are introduced. Children are taught the basic skills of such games as soccer, basketball and lacrosse.

  
  Physical fitness is the foundation of the physical education program. Activities developing cardiovascular endurance, strength and flexibility are a part of every class. The “Personal Best” fitness evaluation is begun in the third grade and is done twice a year through the eight grade. Character development, good sportsmanship and teamwork are important components of successful class participation.

  
  At Buckley, children in grades 2-4 participate in the annual “Jump Rope for Heart” service activity, sponsored by the American Heart Association. It is a learning project that combines fitness with helping others.

  
  The Red and Blue team competition began in 1938 and is a long-standing tradition at Buckley. Children join a team in first grade and remain a member of either the red or blue team through eighth grade. The Red-Blue competition promotes school spirit and brings the entire Buckley community together at the annual Red-Blue Field Day in June.

• Upper School

  The curriculum for the fifth through eighth graders focuses on interscholastic athletics. All students choose from cross country, tennis or soccer in the fall. Basketball is played in the winter. In the spring, boys choose either lacrosse or baseball, while the girls choose either lacrosse or softball. Students also have the opportunity, in 7th and 8th grade, to participate in both Volleyball and Flag-Football “mini-seasons,” in which they practice 6 times and compete in 1-2 interscholastic games. Skill development, physical fitness, sportsmanship, teamwork, school spirit, and having fun are all goals of the program.