Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums High School Accelerate everything but PE?!

Have any parents of high schoolers had to deal with this? HowlerKarma? DS16 (as of last week ) is classified as a sophomore, and is taking 3rd (Jr.) and 4th (Sr.) year math, science, and world language, all at the honors or AP level. Because of a schedule change this semester (better English teacher, wahoo!) he changed his PE period. Counselor "C" just called to tell me his new PE class is for Jrs and Srs, so DS has to drop his new CAD Engineering class that he loves, and take Drivers Ed instead (because, "he's 16, why hasn't he taken it yet?"), and add a free period.

So, they care about his "date of manufacture" as DS puts it sometimes, but not always. The PE class in question does NOT involve teams or competition where body size and strength compared to your classmates makes a difference in your survival (it's co-ed, btw), and besides, I know there were athletes and red-shirted 17 year olds in last semester's sophomore PE class, and at least one grade-skipped 16 year old in the junior class. And my kid isn't short.

I'm fine, actually, with adding a free period, but DS has already missed the first week of Drivers Ed, and he really likes CAD (no homework in CAD), and it's all been very stressful the last few weeks which led to the schedule change. I don't want to foist another decision and change and stress factor on him. So, I need to get the school to let him take PE with kids a year older, which would match all his OTHER classes where half or more of the kids are a year or two older.

DS is at school so I haven't had a chance to talk to him about it. But I know he'll be distressed.

How have you dealt with this in high school? My inclination is to say either "change his classification to junior" or just repeat a mantra to them: "he is in this class, he can be in this class, he will be in this class."

I would go with the mantra. It's far more important for his EDUCATION (i.e, why he's going to school there) that he take CAD than whatever is going on in PE. And, if there's a precedent for someone his age being in the juniors PE class, mention it. As for driver's ed, is that even a school requirement or up to parent approval?

NotherBen - we haven't dealt with a similar situation - our PE classes in high school are quite the opposite - open to any grade, the only caveat being that seniors register first, juniors next, etc, so freshmen/sophomore students sometimes aren't able to get into a class they want because it's already full. Our schools also give PE waivers for team sports etc or any extracurricular sport that a student participates in with a coach. Very few of the kids I know here take Drivers Ed in school either.

In your situation, I would check to see what district policy is, and I'd probably send an email to the counselor telling them to leave your ds' schedule as is and cc the principal on the email.

Good luck!

polarbear

My high school was 10th-12th grade, and the state graduation requirements specified two years of high school PE. We'd already had a mandatory year of PE in 9th, so that left one more year, to be taken anytime in the next three years, in order to meet requirements.

So, our PE classes were completely mixed by age and grade level.

I took it early to get it over with, and chose swimming. No contact, no competition, and therefore no worries with older kids.

Two senior classmates became lifelong friends of mine.

A lot of kids we know take PE in summer school to avoid scheduling conflicts.

That is stupid. In my experience though High Schools have STUPID rules sometimes that there isn't much you can do about. I'm curious how much PE is required ? In CA we only have to take 2 years of PE, one of them freshman year. Do they specifically have a PE for sophomores that must be taken? Is Drivers Ed a required class for High School graduation?

What I would do is to start and talk with the PE teacher. If you don't get anywhere with that then talk with the principal or vice principal.

Good Luck.

In Illinois (or at least our district) you have to have PE every semester that you attend and 30 classroom hours of Drivers Ed to graduate.

ConnectingDots, you're right! I like your thinking, CAD is more important, especially since it seems to have lit a spark in DS.

Bluemagic, yes, it is stupid. Good idea to talk to the PE teacher, although I'll bet his answer is "it's not my place to define the school's thinking" which is what the counselor said :{

4 years of PE is required, there is a required freshman PE, a PE that is open only to seniors but not required by seniors, and a bunch that are grade 9-10, 10-11-12, and 11-12. There're actually a lot of options (including dance) and I can kind of see keeping freshman girls and senior boys separate, if only because of the vast size difference.

We used to have the athletic waiver, the state eliminated it a few years ago, we fought and kept it for a while but just couldn't anymore. No PE in summer school in our district.

Drivers ed is not required, but I think if you're under 18 you have to pass a course before you can take the test. and you can take it summer school but DS will take USHistory then. You can take it outside of school and many do, but the counselor told me that the price is the same, and of his own kids, one took it at our school and one outside, and the school was much superior.

Mantra it is then. He is, he can, and he will.

I think the reason for PE is all the overweight kids you see these days. You rarely saw that when I grew up

Taking PE in summer school would negate any gain if that were the reason
If PE is about life long exercise (which it should be) would a before school or lunchtime walking group be feasible as PE for non sport kids? When I was a kid PE was major in primary but only 2 hours a week for the first 2 years of high school then it was optional.