A Parent's PE Night is a great way to showcase your PE program to parents and educate them on the benefits of physical education in the curriculum. It can be a separate event, or part of your regular parents' night.

How to Organize
The PE Night is an opportunity for students and their parents to participate in activities that are commonly used in your PE classes. Choose activities that allow everyone to participate on an equal level. Examples include fitness games; aerobics; cooperative games such as Balloon or a Beachball Volleyball, Siamese Soccer (played in pairs while holding hands), or parachute activities.

Before playing, discuss the purpose of the games. For example, Balloon Volleyball teaches the basic concepts of volleyball.

After the games, you could also include short lecture topics such as a description of your PE and health curriculum, varsity and intramural sports programs; a brief discussion on health and fitness issues, including the poor level of fitness among today's youth; and the importance of a regular physical education and exercise. A guest lecturer may even be brought in for this purpose.

Some teachers have produced a slideshow set to music, to vividly display fun moments from PE classes. You may be able to get your audiovisual technician to help you with this project.

Advantages
This may seem like a lot of work, and I'm sure it's not in your job description, but it will pay off in the long run by convincing parents about the importance and benefits of physical education in your curriculum...and that can mean job security for you. It may also increase their willingness to participate in booster clubs, fundraising events and team trips.

Variation - High School Recruiting Tool
If opened to prospective students (i.e. currently in grade eight) and their parents, a Parent's PE Night can become an effective recruiting event for your school.

?Fitness-conscious parents will become exposed to your program and may influence their children to enrol at your school. Again, a large phys-ed enrolment means job security for you. The other benefit is that it may attract talented athletes for your school's varsity teams.

Dick Moss, Editor, PE Update.com, January 2008.

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© 2008, Physical Education Update, www.peUpdate.com

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