June 2000

Dear Berkeley High parents,

        Please consider asking the school to allow the use of the 8th period
'free-add' slot for PE classes. It offers the students several
advantages:

1. It offers another time slot for students to use to meet their 2 year
PE requirement. For children who have summer commitments, or many class
interests, this allows them to pursue their intellectual interests and
still meet the physical education needs for graduation during the normal
school year. 

2. Many coaches and PE teachers are there for after school team
activity, so it can work well for the PE teachers involved.

3. Students can use an 8th period PE class as a warm-up, if they also
participate in an after school team, which is always good to protect
against injuries.

4. Many students hate the idea of getting sweaty, or having to shower at
school, etc during the school day and then attending classes afterwards.
Slotting 8th period for gym would allow them to sweat-up at the end of
their day. This may also encourage them to put more into the phyical
exercise. They will know that they head home from there, rather than
have to sit by some really attractive student next period feeling
"reeky."

5. It may actually help re-energize the students at the end of the day,
or help them shake-off the stresses of all the class expectations. We
may get happier children back after school, more prepared to cope with
homework and other after-school commitments.
        
        What do you think? If enough feel it a good idea, it might be more
powerfully presented en mass to administration. I think it would be a
good choice for all involved. In a time when we seem to be losing
flexibility, this may give us a bit of breathing space back for the
children's schedules without cost.                                                            
                  
Loni

[Ed: I've excerpted Loni's letter in the interest of saving space]

Dear Ms. Saunders,

        I think I have an idea, or two that would be helpful to the
student scheduling for next year. [...]

Please consider first, allowing your BHS families to use 8th
period 'free-add' slot for PE classes. It offers the students several
advantages:

[Ed: Loni listed 5 advantages referred to in her letter to Teens]

Allowing PE into 8th period should not add to your budget costs and
would help quite a few children fit all the necessities in without
summer school,.. or two gym periods their senior year. It might
actually add to the attendance dollars the school earns because
children would be taking the additional class each day, rather than
simply substituting a different kind of class during the same number
of periods. If we allow those children who aren't sports-team oriented
to add on an 8th period, hopefully some additional revenues would be
earned by their longer day attendance.

          As a second yet related idea: It seems only just that if
athletically gifted students can use activities after school as the 2
year PE requirement to open up an additional school day slot for their
needs, that the other students should have the same after school
opportunity, even if they are not team oriented.

[...]

Please consider 8th period PE and off-campus PE substitution.

Thank you,                                     
                                                Loni 

Reply from Theresa Saunders:

Thank you... Currently, we have Phys. Ed. during 8th period as part of
the athletic program. Students who are part of a team get Physical
Education credit for their participation. We can not offer regular
Phys. Ed.  classes during this time period because we have no
space...Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a free ad... every
teaching position costs us in the schedule...We allow students to take
the Visual and Performing Arts classes because they would die without
the support... Physical Education is not such a species... I will,
though, bring this to the shared governance committee for next
year... Thank you again, for sharing your ideas... T.