Physical Education

The physical education department at the Lower School strives to instill in students a joyful love of movement, an understanding of new sports and fitness activities, and the development of self-reflective and team-building skills. 

• All Lower School grades participate in P.E. four days out of the six day rotation for 30 minutes. Dedicated weekly physical education has been shown to not only benefit physical health but also improve academic performance, mental health and well-being, and social interactions.
• Lower School students are exposed to a variety of sports and their respective rules, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, flag football, softball, running, lacrosse, tumbling, dance, and even bocce ball.

Through the combination of individual and team activities, middle school students are introduced to a variety of sports and develop the fundamental skills needed for Upper School athletics and beyond.

• Physical fitness concepts in Middle School include cardiovascular development, proper warm-up and flexibility exercises, gross and fine motor control, beginning strength and conditioning concepts, and fundamental skill development. 
• Middle School students spend equal time in physical education as they do in core subjects, arts, and elective classes. This amounts to an average of 200 minutes of physical activity every week.
• In Grades 6 through 8, students spend some of their physical education time attending Parker's Life Skills program. This course provides students with the skills and knowledge to positively impact their nutrition, stress management, adolescent development, mental health, and even personal finances. CPR certification and standard first-aid are also part of the Life Skills curriculum.

Middle School Sports

In the Middle School, students have the opportunity to join boys, girls, and co-ed interscholastic sports teams and compete against other schools for the first time. Our Middle School is a great coaching and teaching incubator for students who may want to continue their pursuit of athletics at the varsity level. View the sports offered on our athletics home page.

Upper School students complete their physical education credits by participating in one of Parker’s junior varsity or varsity athletic teams or exploring new fitness interests in one of our unique P.E. class offerings.

• Let’s go, Lancers! Upper School students have the opportunity to play on one of Parker’s 20+ CIF sports. We believe that student-athletes benefit not only physically and emotionally by participating and competing in sports but also develop critical skills (e.g., teamwork, resilience, leadership, tenacity, etc.) that promote success in the classroom, in college, and in life.
• The Parker Physical Education Department aims to educate students in a range of lifelong fitness activities and develop an interest in joyful movement and health concepts during their four years of Upper School. Students are given a wide variety of unique P.E. classes to take, including Yoga, Fitness for Life, Sports Medicine, Pilates, and Student Athletic Training.