The physical education department hopes to gain a modernized and expanded weight training facility, a wrestling classroom, and improved fields from next year’s bond.

According to Instructional Supervisor Linda Morris, the P.E. department plans to build a wrestling room and a classroom at the south end of the small gym, where the batting cages are currently located with funding from next year’s bond.

Thus far, the department has only turfed and developed its baseball field, according to Morris. The football turfing will start in May, which could affect the schedule for the track and field team. The improved football field will feature new visitor and home bleachers, bathrooms and snack bar, all of which will be funded by a private donation.

The Capital Bond Project will also allocate funds to go toward installing new lights and fencing for the El Camino Field, where both soccer and lacrosse teams play.

Thanks to funding from Site Council in late 2007, the department also plans to incorporate yoga instruction into the sophomore Dance class and the freshman P.E. classes beginning in two weeks.

“Physical Education only received $300.00 from Site Council for 07-08
school year,” said Site Council Coordinator Edith Miller. “This is for yoga guest teacher to work with various classes.”

The department has also improved the overall program by providing an adaptive P.E. class for 14 students with special needs and improving results for the annual flexibility tests by implementing a new policy pertaining to the sit and reach exercise.

According to Morris, 90.6 percent of Paly students passed the California Physical Examination test in the Paly 2006-2007 year, compared to the 84.2 percent of students who did so the previous year.

“We definitely made a big improvement,” Morris said. “The flexibility results were affected by the addition of the shoulder stretch.”