Mission Statement

The mission of the John Pritchard Middle Years Physical/Health Education Program is to develop students' skills, knowledge and attitudes required for living a physically active and healthy lifestyle. Activities in the program are selected from a wide variety of offerings for children in grades six through nine. Through participation in physical education, students have the opportunity to develop knowledge and practices necessary in obtaining personal physical fitness and lifetime wellness values. They also acquire appropriate physical skills to participate in a wide range of physical activities and specialized sports skills. Social interaction occurs in physical education classes and participation should foster personal values.

Curricular Component

The physical education component of the curriculum for grades 6-9 is taught by Mr. Spark and Ms. McDonald. The health component for Grades 6-8 is taught by the students' classroom teachers. The curriculum focuses on the development of skills and abilities in five general areas; movement, fitness management, safety, personal and social management and healthy lifestyle practices.

At John Pritchard, it is expected that all students come prepared for gym class.  This means they need to have the appropriate attire and footwear for the activities they will be participating in.  When in the gym, students are expected to change into a set of clothes different from the ones they wear throughout the rest of the day. Shorts/sweatpants and a t-shirt are ideal. Appropriate footwear is considered running shoes, no boots, sandals, crocs etc.   When participating in outdoor activities, students are expected to have the appropriate attire for the weather conditions.  In winter, hats, mitts and boots are essential.

Intramural Component

The intramural component of the program offers students a variety of games and activities over the lunch hour period.  Some of the activities included in our Intramural program are: Indoor/Outdoor Volleyball, 3-on-3 Basketball, Floor Hockey, and Indoor/Outdoor Soccer.  Activities will be run in various formats.  Some activities are scheduled as team sign –up, class vs class, or simply by just showing up. This is a fundamental component of our program, as it provides an opportunity for all students to develop game skills in a competitive but non-threatening environment. This environment allows participants and spectators of student-centered games to develop positive social and interpersonal skills.

Interscholastic Component

The interscholastic component of the program provides a means for those students who have the desire to further develop their athletic skills and abilities, outside of the regular curriculum based program, an opportunity to do so. As this component of the program is much more intense, a high level of commitment and determination is expected of students. The expertise of coaches and dedication of student-athletes have resulted in a program with a rich tradition of success.

Our interscholastic sports teams compete against other schools throughout the River East Transcona School Division in the following sports; cross-country running, volleyball, basketball, badminton, and track and field. With the exception of cross-country running, where a "no-cut" policy is in place, the volleyball, basketball, badminton and track and field teams are all selected by a try out process.