INTRODUCTION

The sixth through eighth grade physical education program is designed to introduce students to a variety of sports, sport competition, and to maximize their fitness.   Emphasis is placed on participation, cooperative spirit, and good citizenship. Students are evaluated and graded on knowledge of the sport as it is taught, preparedness for class, physical fitness, teamwork, and effort. A student’s ability is taken into account and rewarded only in terms of the student’s motivation and desire to succeed.  Each day, students may earn points for teamwork, effort, encouragement of others, improvement and dedication to learning, and their preparedness.  Their grade will be based on their daily assessments of these components.

I. Loudoun Country Day School is a member of the Piedmont Athletic Conference which is comprised of four other local accredited VAIS (Virginia Association of Independent Schools) schools: The Hill School in Middleburg, Highland School in Warrenton, Virginia, Powhatan School in Boyce, Virginia, and Wakefield School in The Plains,Virginia.

II. The physical education philosophy of Loudoun Country Day School is that every child plays in every game. No one is excluded but is expected and encouraged to participate in every aspect of every class which includes the after school games. Each sport is taught equally to every student and each student is given equal opportunity to excel and improve.

lll. PROCEDURES

     A. Classes combine the sixth, seventh and eighth grades in order to field teams for interscholastic competition. When the need and interest arises, new sports will be added.

     B. Teams are divided as follows: Students are placed on teams based primarily on their physical readiness for the level of play. Social and emotional readiness of the individual student is also taken into account when making team placement decisions. Eighth graders are given green team (most competitive) preference if players are evaluated to be at comparable levels. If three teams are fielded in a sport, 8^th graders are not eligible for the most developmental level of play. If there are not enough players to field two teams, competitive (green) and developmental (blue) players will either be combined to make one team, and will play at the appropriate level or, some players will be asked to play  for both teams in the games.

     C.  All middle school students meet for PE class three times per week, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, from 1:55pm to 3:20pm.                                   

IV.SCHEDULE

Fall Season

1.Field Hockey – Girls, A/Green & B/Blue level teams
2. Soccer – Boys, A/Green & B/Blue level teams
3.Coed Tennis
4. Girls Volleyball – A/Green level team
5. Cross Country – Extracurricular, practices after school, all 5th through 8th invited
6. Cross Country One Mile Run
     a) Located at The Hill School, Middleburg, Virginia
     b) Required for all 4th – 8th graders

Winter Season

1.Basketball – Girls and Boys, A/Green, B/Blue, & C/White level teams
     a) Up to 3 teams will be fielded depending on interest
     b) Culminates with an LCDS hosted Talon Tournament for the A/Green level boys and girls.
     c) Teams will be required to practice after school.
2. Coed Recreational Sports and Fitness
     a) During PE time
     b) Students participate in a variety of indoor and outdoor sports

Spring

1. Boys and Girls Lacrosse – A/ Green & Blue level teams
2. Tennis – Coed
3. Blue-Green Track Meet
     a) Students participate in all track events
     b) Required for 4th through 8th graders
     c)  All day event, 9am-3pm

Year-round – Girls and Boys

1.Swimming
     a) Using Ida Lee Park’s indoor pool on Fridays
     b) Competitive with swim meets on weekends
     c) Not required, all grade levels welcomed to join
     d) Additional fees required

IV.POLICIES

A.Practices and games

1.  Students participate in practices and after school games.  Most practices take place during the school day; however basketball teams often must practice after school.

2.   Students may be excused from games at any time, but are asked to notify their coaches as far in advance as possible. The responsibility of notifying the coach regarding planned absences belongs to the students.

3.   Students with a signed note from a doctor requiring the child to sit out, due to an illness or injury (in some cases, a note from a parent is acceptable), are asked to attend practices and games. 

B. Absences and Illnesses

1. All students are expected to attend physical education class like any other class.

2. If a student is absent from school, he/she will naturally be excused from class.

3. If a student has been sick at home and should not participate in class the next day, he/she will be excused from participating in class, with a written note from a doctor or parent.

4. All students are to report to their coach at the beginning of class even if they cannot participate.

5. Since team sports are the primary focus of the class, everyone’s participation is important if the group is to perform successfully as a team.

6. Parents and students are asked to not schedule doctor’s appointments or any other appointment during physical education class time.

7. If an absence for such a reason cannot be avoided, parents and students are asked to notify their coach as soon as they know that a student will not be present on a given day, especially on game days.

8. If a student is absent on the day of an athletic event, or arrives after 10:00 AM, he or she is not eligible to participate in the event, unless authorized by the Division Director.

C. Uniforms

1. Each student must purchase the Loudoun Country Day School PE uniform, green t-shirt and LCDS blue shorts, from Cheers Sports online.

2. Information about uniforms can be found on the school website under “uniforms.”

3. Both the LCDS green t-shirt and the LCDS blue shorts are required for every class, as well as athletic socks, shin guards (for soccer and field hockey), and cleats or tennis shoes.

4. Students will be provided with a uniform for games. The game uniforms are to be returned at the end of each season.

5. Students are also required to wear Kelly green soccer socks, over shin guards in soccer games and lime green socks for field hockey. 

6. Blue sweats are the required apparel for cold weather.

C.Equipment

Students will be provided with all additional equipment they may need for the season, with the exception tennis players must provide their own tennis racket.

1.Field hockey
     a) Mouth guard
     b) Field hockey stick
     c) Goggles
     d) Field Hockey shin guards
     e) Cleats preferred or running shoes

2.Girls lacrosse
     a) Mouth guard
     b) Lacrosse stick
     c) Helmet
     d) Cleats preferred or running shoes

3. Coed Tennis
     a) Tennis Racket
     b) Tennis Shoes

4. Soccer
     a) Cleats preferred or running shoes
     b) Soccer shin guards

5. Volleyball
     a) Knee pads
     b) tennis shoes

6. Cross Country
     a) Good running shoes

7. Basketball
     a) Basketball shoes

8. Girls Lacrosse
     a) Stick
     b) Girls lacrosse helmet
     c) Mouth Guard
     d) Cleats preferred or running shoes

9.Boys’ lacrosse
     a) Helmet
     b) Stick
     c) Shoulder pads
     d) Gloves
     e) Arm pads
     f) Cleats preferred or running shoes
     g) Athletic supporter/jock straps

Mouth guards –

All students are issued one mouth guard a year at the beginning of the appropriate season (field hockey for girls and lacrosse for boys). Mouth guards are REQUIRED for field hockey and lacrosse; a student who does not have a mouth guard at game time will not be allowed to play. Students will not be allowed to “borrow” mouth guards from each other. If a student loses his/her mouth guard, he/she will be responsible for replacing it.

V. TRANSPORTATION

1. Students will be transported to all away games on a school bus.
2. Parents may attend games and take their child home with them.
3. Or parents may pick their child up from LCDS at the gym after the team returns on the school bus.
4. If a child is to ride home with someone other than a parent, the parent must give permission first.

 

VI. PARENT SUPPORT

In advance, we would like to thank all parents for their support. Please remember, parents are invited and encouraged to attend all games, both home and away.