Middle School Curriculum Guide

The Fifth and Sixth-Grade Physical Education program continues the learning progression from the student’s Lower School experience. The curriculum emphasizes team, individual, and lifetime sports. Refining and building upon sports skills remains a focal point, as well as fostering responsibility, self-expression, positive social interaction, cooperation, and teamwork toward a unified goal.
     
Students will have a choice During many of our competitive units students will choose between participating in one of the following competitive levels; very competitive, middle range of competitiveness, or low competitiveness.  The students may also choose from experienced or inexperienced levels of play.The program emphasizes good sportsmanship and stresses that ability alone does not constitute the well-rounded athlete. We hope that the Physical Education program will help students develop a strong sense of self-awareness and confidence.

The Middle School Athletic and Physical Education program provides a strong base of fundamental and sport-specific skills in preparation for the Upper School program. In Grades 7 and 8, students choose whether to join an interscholastic team or to participate in a PE class (dance or sports conditioning) for a given season.

The Physical Education program emphasizes good sportsmanship. The development of sound skills and overall athletic ability is a main objective of the Physical Education program. As with the fifth and sixth-grade program, the program's overall goals, however, stress that ability alone does not constitute the well-rounded athlete. The program provides interscholastic opportunities for three seasons. For many students, the seventh and eighth-grade program may be their first time competing for a position on a team or playing against an opponent in an official contest. Coaches are aware of this and balance the interests of the individual with that of the team. Each program will field two teams, A and B, based on the athlete’s skill.

Interscholastic teams participate in the Fairchester Athletic Association League. RCDS teams will, on average, play one game each week of the season. Interscholastic teams/classes meet Monday through Friday, 2:15 – 3:15 p.m. 

Eighth-grade student-athletes may try out for a position on an Upper School varsity team. Once your student-athlete has all of the necessary New York State paperwork completed, has passed all the components of the New York State fitness test, and has gone through tryouts, the coach will assess the athlete’s position on the team. It is RCDS policy that the eighth-grade student-athlete must be in good standing academically, be a good citizen in the Middle School, and have the skills to secure a starting position on the team.

Seventh-grade students may not try out for a position on an Upper School varsity team.

Fall	Winter	Spring
Cross Country	Basketball	Baseball
Field Hockey	Fencing	Lacrosse
Football	Ice Hockey	Softball
Soccer	Squash	Tennis
Volleyball	Wrestling

Dance and Sports Conditioning physical education classes are offered each season. There is not an afteschool commitment to these classes.