Dawson School values the connection between mind and body. Supported by excellent facilities and a highly trained staff, Health/Fitness classes embody a carefully sequenced and developmentally appropriate games, fitness, and sports curriculum. Health/Fitness education develops wellness and seeks to promote a lifetime appreciation of physical fitness. It is concerned with helping students understand the relationship of human movement and cognitive learning. A concern for the effect of physical development on other aspects of human growth contributes to the uniquely broad scope of this discipline.

Health/Fitness education contributes to intellectual functioning and academic achievement. When geared to a child’s abilities, physical activity can increase confidence and improve self-image. Experiences in physical activity enhance social effectiveness, providing students with numerous opportunities to practice and evaluate interpersonal skills.

Sharing equipment, interacting with teammates, choosing activities, managing frustration, and resolving conflict are experiences that help students anticipate the consequences of personal behavior and enable them to predict peer reaction. Working cooperatively to achieve mutually defined and desired goals increases the likelihood that students will accept and respect individual differences. In Health/Fitness and in athletics, success is measured by the level of each student’s desire, effort, improvement, competence, and sense of fair play.

Dawson students have Health/Fitness class almost every day and may also participate in intramural and interscholastic athletics. Our offerings include baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, basketball, volleyball, golf, and cross-country. Through positive, healthy competition, students learn teamwork and fair play. Everyone gets to play.