Curriculum Detail

Upper School Personal Fitness and Wellness

The philosophy of the Personal Fitness and Wellness Department is based on the belief that an individual’s physical, social and emotional development is as important as their academic growth. The curriculum is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to build a foundation of comprehensive wellness by learning to create and analyze individualized plans. The classes incorporate personal goal setting, exercise physiology, strength training, cardiovascular training, mindfulness, yoga, and interdependent thinking to promote lifelong patterns of healthy behavior.

The Personal Fitness and Wellness Department seeks to impart to its students through its curriculum an enduring understanding of specific knowledge, principles, and learning dispositions such as :
  • Establish habits for lifelong fitness, well-being and mindfulness.
  • Provide character education and personal development opportunities: challenge one’s personal limits and express care and appreciation for others.
  • Participate as a member of a team, acquire leadership abilities, understand good citizenship and friendly competition.
  • Develop kinesthetic, coordination, and loco-motor skills to play and live actively.
  • Instill a love of game; play and sport from both a spectator and participant perspective.
Graduation Requirement: Three semesters of Personal Fitness and Wellness and one semester of Health and Human Development to be completed by the end of Grade 10. Participation in Interscholastic Athletics fulfills the PFW graduation requirement, and one season of interscholastic sports is equivalent to one semester of PFW.

Click here to view the department overview.
 
 

  • Health and Human Development

    (semester course)

    Health and Human Development is designed to engage students in discussion and reflection on various aspects of health and life as they begin their high school years. The course focuses on helping students become more aware of themselves (emotionally, physically, socially, and spiritually) and the world around them while they make the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Students are taught how to make appropriate and responsible choices when they are faced with the many challenges of adolescence. Health topics include: self-esteem, nutrition and eating disorders, suicide and depression, personal health, interpersonal relationships, sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse including alcohol, nicotine and drugs. personal direction and responsibility. The course is discussion driven and allows students the freedom to speak openly in a supportive environment and provides opportunities for students to define their fundamental values, examine their personal health, priorities, goals and use of time and reflect on their relationships.

    Prerequisite: none.
    A required course which must be completed by the end of grade ten.

  • Interscholastic Athletics

    St. Margaret's offers interscholastic CIF competition in the following sports: 

    Fall Season Winter Season Spring Season  
    Boys Cross Country Boys Basketball Boys Baseball 
    Girls Cross Country  Girls Basketball Girls Beach Volleyball*
    Football Boys Soccer  Boys Golf
    Girls Golf Girls Soccer Boys Lacrosse
    Girls Tennis Surf Team* Girls Lacrosse
    Girls Volleyball Cheerleading Boys Swimming
    Cheerleading Equestrian Team* Girls Swimming
    Boys Tennis
    Boys Track and Field
    Girls Track and Field
    *Not CIF
    		 Boys Volleyball

  • Personal Fitness and Wellness

    (semester course)

    This course is designed to allow each athlete to build their movement literacy and mental wellbeing through basic human movements. As their skill improves, the exercises that they are able to perform are advanced or intensity is increased in order to challenge them and create the stress, recovery and adaptation cycle.

    Grit, resilience, teamwork, leadership and curiosity are the non-cognitive skills we work to improve through training. We use a skill based resistance-training program that is based on a linear progression. We stress that each time they come to class they are at a practice or training session and not a workout. Workouts are defined by the way you feel during and immediately after a session. Training is an applied system of stress management in order to garner a specific result. Training helps put the “why” into our program and builds the habit of fitness.

    Daily training will include barbell, dumbbell and bodyweight movements as well as plyometrics and locomotive patterns like skipping, running and interval training for conditioning. Recovery strategies like foam rolling and stretching are used as a daily practice as well as mindfulness, journaling and meditation. These modes of exercise develop general strength and will have broad application to many other forms of exercise and leisure activities.

    Prerequisite: none.
    The course may be repeated for additional credit. 

  • Sports Medicine

    (semester course)

    The Upper School Sports Medicine Course is designed for students interested in the health sciences. The course covers a wide range of topics from career opportunities in sports medicine to recognition and treatment options for specific pathologies. The sports medicine class has a variety of components from classroom learning to field work. Upon completion of the coursework students are expected to be able to demonstrate skills appropriate to the field. Students may also apply for an internship into the Student Athletic Training Program at St. Margaret's.

    Prerequisite: none.
    An elective course for student in grades ten through twelve.

  • Dance I (PFW Credit)

    (semester course)

    This course is taken for Personal Fitness and Wellness credit. The course may be repeated for additional credit.

  • Dance II (PFW Credit)

    (semester course)

    This course is taken for Personal Fitness and Wellness credit. The course may be repeated for additional credit.

  • Dance III (PFW Credit)

    (semester course)

    This course is taken for Personal Fitness and Wellness credit. The course may be repeated for additional credit.
  • Mr. Joshua Markum
    Assistant Athletic Director; PFW Department Chair; Head Varsity Girls Basketball Coach
    Trinity International University - B.A.
  • Ms. Megan Armes
    Head Girls Lacrosse Coach
    Saint Mary's College of California - B.A.
  • Ms. Amanda Arnold
    JV Cheer Coach
  • Mr. Patrick Bendzick
    Assistant Head of School, Health and Wellness; Head Cross Country Coach
    National University - M.Ed.
    California State University, Long Beach - B.A.
  • Mr. Brian Bennett
    Assistant Baseball Coach
  • Mr. Dennis Birch
    Coach
    California State University, Dominguez Hills - B.A.
  • Mrs. Avery Chambers
    Head Cheer Coach
    Greenville University - B.S.
  • Mr. Cedric Cole '15
    Track & Field Coach
    Chapman University
  • Mr Michael Davis Jr.
    Head Strength & Conditioning Coach; Personal Fitness & Wellness
    California University of Pennsylvania - M.S.
    Western New Mexico University - B.S.
  • Mr. Adam Doty
    LS Personal Fitness & Wellness; US Assistant Coach
    California State University, Fullerton - B.S.
  • Mrs. Lori Fava
    Director of Athletic Operations; MS PE
    Molloy College - B.A.
  • Mr. Ryan Fitzpatrick
    Assistant Baseball Coach
    University of California, Irvine - B.A.
  • Ms. Megan Good
    Co-Head Cross Country Coach, MS PFW Teacher, Track & Field Coach
    Montana State University - B.S.
  • Mr. Tom Groeninger
    Assistant Boy's Lacrosse Coach
  • Mrs. Kirsten Harvey
    Director of Dance
    University of California, Irvine - MFA
    University of California, Irvine - B.A.
    University of California, Los Angeles
    New York University School of Medicine
  • Ms. Makenna Henry
    Personal Fitness & Wellness; Dean of 9 & 10 Grade Students; Soccer Coach
    University of California, Long Beach - M.S.
    University of California, Santa Barbara - B.A.
  • Mr. Edmund Herlihy
    US Science; Department Chair; Swimming & Diving Coach
    University of California, Irvine - M.A.
    University of the Pacific - B.A.
    Credentialed
  • Mr. Jon Hughes
    Head Varsity Boys Basketball Coach
    Calvary Chapel Bible College - BBS
  • Mr. Brian Kelly
    MS PE and Head Varsity Boys Lacrosse Coach
    California University of Pennsylvania - M.S.
    Whittier College - B.A.
  • Mr. Scott Lipsky
    Assistant Athletic Director; Head Boys & Girls Tennis Coach
    Stanford University - B.S.
  • Mrs. Trisha Marx
    Personal Fitness & Wellness; Assistant Coach
    University of California, Irvine - B.S.
    Azusa Pacific University - M.A.
    National University - Credentialed
  • Mrs. Erin Monroe
    Assistant Volleyball Coach
    University of Southern California - M.S.
    University of Southern California - B.A.
  • Mr. Greg Namrow
    Assistant Football Coach
  • Mr. Dan O'Shea
    Director of Athletics and Head Football Coach
    University of La Verne - MBA
    California State University, Long Beach - B.A.
    Credentialed
  • Mrs. Leslie Pacheco-Manning
    Personal Fitness & Wellness
    Bowling Green State University - M.A.
    Bowling Green State University - M.Ed.
    Pepperdine University - B.S.
    Credentialed
  • Mr. Randy Park
    Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach
    University of California, Los Angeles - B.A.
  • Ms. Michelle Quon
    Assistant Volleyball Coach
    University of California, Los Angeles - MBA
    University of California, Los Angeles - B.A.
  • Mr. Benjamin Siff
    Baseball Coach
    University of Hawaii, Hilo - B.S.
  • Dr. Danny Solarz
    US History & Social Science; Head Golf Coach
    Claremont Graduate University - Ph.D.
    University of California, Riverside - M.B.A.
    University of California, San Diego - B.A.
    Credentialed
  • Mr. Phil Steering
    Assistant Baseball Coach
    University of Hawaii, Hilo - B.A.
  • Mr. Dave Tomlinson '95
    Athletic Trainer; Personal Fitness & Wellness; Dean of 11 & 12 Grade Students
    Concordia University - M.A.
    California State University, Northridge - B.S.
  • Mr. Edgar Vazquez
    Head Track & Field Coach
    Concordia University - B.A.
  • Mr. Scott Wallis
    Head Baseball Coach
    University of Hawaii, Hilo - B.A.
  • Mr. Mark Warren
    Coach
    University of California, San Diego - MBA
  • Mrs. Staciana Winfield
    US Physiology; Head Swimming & Diving Coach; MS Health; Personal Fitness & Wellness
    Concordia University - M.A.
    University of California, Berkeley - B.S.
    Credential - Multiple Subject
  • Mr. Bob Yoder
    Head Boys & Girls Volleyball Coach
    University of Southern California - MBA
    University of Southern California - B.A.

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School

31641 La Novia Avenue
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(949) 661-0108
 
Translation? ¿Traducción? 翻译?:

An Independent Preschool Through Grade 12 College-Preparatory Day School in Orange County California

Non-Discrimination Policy
St. Margaret's Episcopal School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid, hiring and athletic policies or in other school-administered programs.