The aftermath of summer gym

By JOE ROSALINA ‘17

Over the summer, St. Ignatius added a new class to its list of summer school courses. Summer gym sessions were set up, as the senior and junior classes both were short on PE requirements, causing the logistical problem of trying to get anyone who did not meet the sport exemption into a class period. Thus, many people chose to sign up for one of seven sessions over the summer instead of packing their class schedules during the school year. There were four two week sessions, as well as three sessions spread out at different times. These were taught by four people: Mr. Johnson, Mr. Michals, Mr. Fossa, and Mr. Ganor. Mr. Jim Michals of the PE department, commented that the classes consisted of “pretty much what the freshman did, but some things that I thought would be enjoyable and fun.”

When asked about the curriculum setup and how much freedom teachers were given to do their own activities with classes, he said, “It wasn’t all a hundred percent, but it was close and we pretty much all did the same thing.” This curriculum included a variety of skill and fitness tests over the class period, as well as different sports and activities. Some of the more interesting activities included yoga on four different days, and a bike ride one day to Edgewater Park led by Mr. Nolan. Finally, when asked about whether or not he thought this was a success from both the school’s and the students’ perspectives, Mr. Michals closed with, “Yes. I think from the school’s perspective, they offered a variety of different options. I think the teachers tried to make it enjoyable, and the guys were cooperative and made the best of a bad situation.”

Logistically, this operation did seem to be a success, as the school is yet to have any major issues with students who are currently unable to meet their requirements. A few students also shared what they thought of the classes. Senior David Bauman, who was placed in one of the two week sessions, stated, “I thought it was more efficient and effective than the actual class, but the six hours didn’t go by very quickly.” The two week session, while seeming shorter than the full semester, was placed at a six hour time frame, from 8 AM to 2:30 PM, with an hour built in for lunch. In Mr. Michals’ two week session, this was shortened to forty-five minutes to allow for more time for activities. Another student, who had Mr. Johnson, commented that, “From the standpoint of being in one class it seemed like the focuses of the class were a little different. It looked like we did more actual sports, while they mostly did skill tests.” Whatever the case for the classes, this scenario seemed to play out well for the school, despite causing some students and teachers to lose a small part of their summer.