Welcome to Towson High School
Health and Physical Education
Meet Our Department Members:
Bradley Eastham (Dept. Chair)
Anne Ensor
Tim Gavin
Larry Hall
Carol McClenathan
Jon Salvino
Deja Washington
Courses Offered:
Physical Education Required Course
Fitness Foundations/Fitness Mastery
Fitness Foundations/Fitness Mastery is the course needed to fulfill the graduation requirement. The course is designed to be taken in grade nine prior to any physical education electives. Fitness Foundations/Fitness Mastery emphasizes the concepts of personal fitness, personal assessment, and the knowledge to achieve and maintain a lifetime of optimal health and wellness. Students within a class will be performing at various levels of competency to improve motor skills and fitness levels. Application of this knowledge will be assessed throughout the course. All students will have a personal fitness plan, and by the end of this course, they will have the knowledge to assist them in adjusting this plan as their interests and abilities change throughout their lives.
Physical Education Elective Courses
Team Sports
Previously learned concepts and skills from the required high school physical education course, Fitness Foundations/Fitness Mastery, provide the foundation for the team sports elective. Selecting the team sports elective means the student will be placing emphasis on personal improvement of sport-specific movement patterns, strategies, and rules. Although skill-related components of physical fitness are emphasized in this course, opportunities will be provided for the student to work on their personal fitness plan that includes the enhancement of all health-related components of fitness. Skill competencies, participation in team sports, and achievement of fitness levels are individual and students within a class will be performing at varying levels of competency.
Weight Training
Previously learned skills from the required physical education course, Fitness Foundation/Fitness Mastery, provide the foundation for the Weight Training elective course. Selecting this course means the students will be placing emphasis on personal improvement of muscular strength and/or muscular endurance. Opportunities will be provided for the students to work on a personal fitness plan that includes the enhancement of all health-related components of fitness. Understanding fitness concepts and achieving fitness levels are individual and students within a class will be performing at varying levels of competency.
Leadership
This course provides an opportunity for any student who has shown outstanding performance in the Physical Education program. These students have two or three years of participation in the Fitness Foundations/Fitness Mastery and any elective courses. Students who sign up for leadership must be a Junior or Senior and must be pre-approved by the Department Chair of Physical Education. Leadership students will assist the Fitness Foundations/Fitness Mastery or Adapted Physical Education courses. The Leadership course allows for students to display the characteristics of a mentor and leader to underclassman by helping set up and break down from class activity, lead warm-ups, referee/officiate games, reinforce the physical techniques of skills taught by the teacher, and support the cognitive development of the concepts learned from our curriculum.
Health Graduation Requirement
The required Health course is a .5 credit for 1 semester that focuses on developing the skills and knowledge to address health issues impacting teens as they enter adulthood. Tobacco, alcohol and other drug use, dietary patterns, sedentary lifestyle, HIV and other STI infections, and mental health topics are addressed.