At our school, both Physical Education and Art & Applied Skills programs are designed to nurture students’ holistic development—fostering physical vitality, creative thinking, teamwork and personal growth. Let’s dive into the highlights shared by PE teacher Ms. Russell and Art & Applied Skills teacher Mr. Maksym.
PE Curriculum
Our PE curriculum offers a diverse range of sports and activities for students. Students can engage in a huge variety of team sports, basketball, soccer, badminton, frisbee and volleyball. Individual sports and events like track and field and fitness are also key parts of the program. Additionally, all PE classes include a classroom component that teaches students about healthy living habits and mental/emotional health.
We understand that students have significant differences in athletic ability. PE teachers focus on introducing new skills first, then scaffolding to more difficult tasks. Assessment is largely based on participation—hardworking and focused students can still obtain a high score regardless of their athletic performance.
For BC program students, PE classes are only available in Grade 10. To ensure Grade 11 and 12 students stay physically active, we offered Fitness 11/12 and Active Living 11/12 too. An Athletic Leadership course is also available for students interested in coaching, marketing and sports management. Beyond classes, we aim to equip students with lifelong healthy habits so they can make positive choices even without PE courses.
PE classes feature engaging projects, including a dance project that helps students build collaboration, teamwork, balance, coordination and spatial awareness. Other projects focus on nutrition, mental health and fitness. Looking ahead, we hope to add other units to enrich the PE curriculum further.
Vibrant Art & Applied Skills courses
Students get frequent chances to showcase their art publicly year-round. During course selection, visual arts students demonstrate crafts to prospective students and parents. Media Arts students’ work is featured in the yearbook, with student-designed spreads, photography, cover and layout work from the Yearbook Club. May is our annual Art Month, hallways are filled with student artwork, and select pieces are available for purchase (donations go to the Special Fund of Shanghai Rende Foundation). The program prioritizes fostering students’ personal awareness. Throughout the semester, students participate in peer critiques and guided feedback sessions to refine their work using design elements and principles. Each unit includes self-reflection tasks linked to core competencies and First Peoples Principles of Learning. Exit tickets and unit reflections help students assess growth, articulate learning and set future goals.
To connect classroom learning with the real world, students go on annual field trips to meet professional artists and explore art applications. Past trips include visits to Fotografiska Shanghai, the Coco Chanel fashion design exhibit, the Shanghai Museum of Art and Tianzifang.
Applied design courses equip students with valuable transferable skills: digital literacy, visual communication, layout/design principles and creative problem-solving. Students learn to work independently and collaboratively on real-world projects like yearbooks, films and exhibits, building confidence in project management and presentation.
A message from Mr. Maksym to all students: “Take pride in the creative journey, not just the final product—every mistake or revision is part of your growth as an artist and designer. Be bold, take creative risks, and trust your ideas—you never know who your work might inspire or where your skills may take you in the future.”