Physical Education
All students receive direct instruction for forty-five minutes once a week. PE instruction includes: social development, movement skills & movement knowledge, self-image, personal development and health.
Meet our amazing Physical Education teacher, Mr Marme.
Physical Education
All TK through sixth grade students receive weekly formal PE instruction for thirty to fifty minutes, depending on grade level.
What do you love most about being a PE teacher?
I love having the ability to inspire my students, whether it be to ride their bike, play a sport, jump rope at home, or perform any other physical activity that improves their overall health and well being. In a time where children are leading increasingly sedentary lifestyles, I relish the opportunity to motivate students to be active. I also love the relationships that I am able to build with students and watching them grow and progress throughout their elementary school years.
When are you happiest in PE?
I am happiest in PE when I see students working cooperatively and collaboratively with one another. I also love to see students push themselves and their classmates to do their best.
Can you share an experience that defines you as a PE teacher?
When Covid-19 caused schools to close, I was faced with the challenge of teaching PE online over Zoom. I used this time to create my own YouTube channel with exercise routines, music videos, fitness challenges, and other PE related content. While my students appreciated this, I felt like I wanted to provide them with an opportunity to be physically active around their peers, outdoors, instead of just at home alone in their rooms. That is when, upon administrative approval, I decided to start an after school bike club. Once they had logged off of Zoom classes for the day, students were welcome to meet in front of the school with their bike, helmet, and face mask. From there, we would ride around the parking lot and through the neighborhood, exploring different routes each week. And what started out as a small group turned into a large turnout, with several parents who also showed up to supervise the rides.
What do you envision for the future of the PE program at Adams?
I envision a PE program that presents opportunities to all students and gives them access to pursue what they enjoy. I believe that this can be accomplished by exposing students to various programs that are incorporated into the PE curriculum, ideally alongside a guest instructor with expertise in that field. While programs such as biking, tennis, and jiu jitsu have been included in PE, I would like to expand this list to create even more opportunities for students to learn life skills and become involved with sports programs in our community.
Can you speak to the success of our biking program?
Six years ago, staff discovered that many Adams students didn’t know how to ride a bike. The first year the PE teacher teamed up with Mr. Garnand (former5th grade teacher) to provide bikes & lessons for our 1st and 2nd graders. The following year, Adams partnered with Santa Barbara Bike Coalition and we were provided with bikes to use with our 3rd and 4th graders, as well as 10 Specialized mountain bikes for our 5th & 6th graders provided by CycleKids. In 2016, Adams staff attended the National Bike Summit and gave a presentation on K-6 Bicycle Education. Shortly thereafter, we received a full fleet of new bicycles from a generous donor, which allowed every student access to learning and improving their riding skills. Since then, the School District has used our bike program as a model for all other elementary schools in the district. Many schools in Santa Barbara now implement this program.
What new programs or equipment are you planning on introducing this year?
We are very excited about re-introducing the lower soccer goals for our lower field. Not only will students be able to use them during PE, but also during recess and after school. The field will be re-seeded and beautiful by Fall.