Physical Education
The Lamplighter school believes in the power of play, and the need for children to express themselves through play.
The Lamplighter Physical Education program develops students’ motor skills and hand-eye coordination, allowing students to interact with each other and work together toward common goals while learning good sportsmanship. Games and activities improve students’ strength, flexibility, and endurance through fun activities. Through physical activity and play, students learn to formulate strategies, solve problems in a group setting, recognize and perform patterns, and develop healthy habits that contribute to lifelong fitness.
The Early Childhood physical education program focuses on developing a young student’s motor skills and teamwork. During three 30-minute classes a week, students play together in the Early Childhood Motor Gym toward common goals while learning good sportsmanship. One of the hallmarks of the Early Childhood physical education program is the annual Kindergarten Square Dance, held every spring to the delight of the entire community.
In Lower School, students move to the larger Cook Gym and continue to develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination while playing games such as tetherball and volleyball, running through an obstacle course, or playing a form of soccer while riding on scooter boards. In all classes, competition is kept to a minimum; skills related to the social-emotional curriculum such as self-management, responsibility, respectfulness, communication, and cooperation are highlighted. Lamplighter students have taken part in the annual Kids Heart Challenge event for many years, raising awareness of the importance of healthy habits while challenging themselves to increase their cardio endurance.
In addition to weekly physical education and square dance classes, all students play outdoors daily during morning and afternoon recess times, where they run free under the playground trees, up and down the hill, in and through the tunnel, ride tricycles, swing, dig in the sandbox, climb, visit the barnyard animals, and play games such as tag, soccer, basketball, or wallball.