As defined by the National Wellness Institute, the Westford Academy Health and Physical Education Department believes in the concept of Wellness, which is “an active process through which people become more aware of, and make choices towards, a more successful existence.” Increasing awareness and an understanding of the interconnectedness of the Occupational, Physical, Social, Intellectual, Spiritual, and Emotional Dimensions of Wellness can promote growth and balance in an individual's wellness.
To achieve this, the program is built on the goal of developing both Health and Physical Literacy skills in every student. SHAPE America defines these concepts as follows:
- Physical Literacy is “the ability to move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities in multiple environments that benefit the healthy development of the whole person.”
- Health Literacy is “the ability to access, understand, appraise, apply and advocate for health information and services in order to maintain or enhance one's own health and the health of others.”
Exposure and engagement with the content in these courses each year are vital to a student’s overall wellness, social and emotional well-being, and success as a life-long learner. Furthermore, Health and Physical Education are identified as an essential component of a student’s well-rounded educational experience and provide the following benefits:
- Prevention of the negative consequences of stress
- A positive association with attention, concentration, and on-task behavior
- A reduction in anxiety
- Promotion of lifetime healthy habits
- A positive relationship with academic achievement
We welcome and encourage students to take more than one Health and Physical Education course per year to explore their interests and round out their educational experience. For planning purposes, please keep the following in mind:
- While students may take extra PE Courses, any credits earned beyond the yearly requirement cannot be carried forward to satisfy the PE requirement for future academic years.
- Students are not permitted to repeat a PE course after its successful completion.
For course sequencing, see the Westford Academy Health and Physical Education Course Sequence document.
