Mulberry Waldorf School Upper Grades Physical Education Program
The upper grades at Mulberry School have an extensive physical education program.  We spend four hours per week of class time in physical education in addition to the unstructured or training times available at lunch recess.  Our focus is on health and nurturing a joy of sports in each child.
Each class has an aerobic component, core training and stretching.  Each sport is allocated sufficient time so that all children may learn the skills and become sufficiently proficient.  We also leave time and space so that the children learn team dynamics and sportsmanship.  Even though the sports are intrinsically competitive and expectations are high in terms of accomplishment, collaboration and mutual support is stressed.  Our expectation is that each child – not just those who are identified as the strongest – will learn to love activity.
Our fall term begins with flag football and soccer.  During the fall season we also train at lunch for the Fort Henry cross country race.  Late fall brings us indoors to basketball followed by volleyball.  As weather allows we play outdoor hockey once a week and spend several half days cross country skiing at Little Cataraqui Conservation Area.
In the early spring we begin our “circus” module.  In this module, balance and coordination are encouraged through juggling, stilt-walking and use of unicycles.  We also use gym space and our outdoor nets to play badminton.  In later spring we have a dance module.  This year, in additional to traditional dances, we have done hip-hop and break-dancing in collaboration with Queen’s University dancers.  We also do a four hour session of swimming (spread over four gym classes) consisting of free time and structured instruction.  As weather permits in the spring we again go outside and start baseball, another soccer module and finally track and field.
We use our own gym for core training, circus and dance.  We use our outdoor space for badminton and basketball.  As well, we use, on a bi-weekly basis, the gym at the nearby Boys and Girls Club for basketball and volleyball.  Swimming, volleyball and badminton modules are booked at nearby Artillery Park.  The walks to and from the Boys and Girls Club and Artillery Park help to form an appreciation of using our community facilities and our extended neighbourhood around the school .
Our extra-curricular training times are at lunch.  Depending on the year and ages of children we sometimes join the Algonquin Board in basketball and/or volleyball games and tournaments as well as the Algonquin Board track meet.   Overall, our desire is to bring safely the skills of sports to these children so that they will develop a lifetime habit and enjoyment of healthy activity.