The Health and Physical Education (HPE) program promotes healthy active living and enjoyment while students regularly participate in a variety of engaging physical activities. All HPE courses help students understand how their personal actions and decisions will affect their health, fitness, and well-being.
These courses also address relevant health issues and provide students with a wide range of activities that encourage fitness, the development of daily living skills as well as personal competence.
Students participate in four distinct but related strands within an HPE course:
- Movement Competence – develop personal movement skills and strategies
- Active Living – focuses on active participation, physical fitness and safety
- Healthy Living – improve knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions related to healthy growth and sexuality, lifelong health and personal safety
- Living Skills – develop a “sense of self” related to personal skills, interpersonal skills and critical and creative thinking
All students have access to programs that will suit their individual needs and will enhance their lives beyond high school:
- The Specialist High Skills Major Program in Health and Wellness offers the opportunity for students to explore specific skills and training in the areas of: child and youth work, early childhood education, educational assistant, paramedic and other paramedical training, biomedical engineering training, chiropractic, dentistry, pharmacy, certified fitness training, medical office reception as well as fitness instructor training
- Personal Fitness Courses offers the opportunity for students to explore their own personal fitness along with learning about the current trends in health and fitness opportunities
- Outdoor Education provides students with the opportunity to challenge themselves in a variety of activities that encourage interaction with the environment while attaining the skills needed for enjoyment and personal safety
The Ministry of Education endorses HPE as an integral part of any high school program. In fact, up to two credits in health and physical education can now count towards the 18 compulsory credits needed to earn a high school diploma.
All students are encouraged to take at least one credit in HPE each year of high school.
Students in a health and physical education course have the opportunity to:
- develop a positive attitude to lifelong healthy active living and the capacity to live satisfying, productive lives
- develop personal life-management skills such as teamwork and communication which support other subject areas and life beyond high school
- increase self-esteem and the ability to cope with stress
Health and Physical Education allows you to:
- challenge yourself to be better in both physical and personal skills
- learn to deal positively with daily stressors
- open the door to unique activities that will support lifelong participation
- be active on a daily basis
- discover potential areas of employment
