The purpose of P.E. is to give each student some daily exercise and more importantly the knowledge and skills to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout their lifetime.
Our goal as a department is to empower every student to take ownership of their own personal health and fitness.
Physical Education - Middle School
Physical Education is a vital part of every student’s overall education at Northside ISD. Our middle school PE program is designed to motivate students to lead active, healthy lifestyles by building the motor skills needed to enjoy a wide range of physical activities. In addition to skill development, students gain knowledge, understanding, and positive attitudes about movement, fitness, and teamwork. Northside ISD is committed to offering high-quality PE experiences that are meaningful, engaging, and challenging, helping students develop habits that support lifelong wellness.
In sixth grade PE, students will gain awareness and understanding of the relationship between physical activity and health while developing the knowledge and skills for both team and individual sports. There will be options throughout this one-semester course for non-competitive and competitive activities. Noncompetitive activities include a variety of recreational and outdoor sports such as rock climbing, lacrosse, mountain biking, and activities that promote enjoyment and success. Competitive activities will enhance skills through various activities that will provide a preview for UIL sports such as football, volleyball, basketball, track & field and soccer.
In seventh grade PE, students will learn to apply movement concepts to a variety of activities such as spinning, recreational volleyball, and soccer. Students will also be exposed to a variety of recreational and lifetime sports such as circuit and fitness training, archery, and rock climbing.
In eighth grade PE, students will be exposed to activities that support being physically active for a lifetime. Activities such as yoga, Pilates, archery, tennis, and golf will be taught. Students will also be exposed to mountain biking and a variety of recreational and outdoor sports.
Curriculum
Northside ISD Physical Education teachers have optimal opportunities to play vital roles in positively impacting the health and well-being of our students and their communities. We empower students for a lifetime of health and fitness using standards and research-based curriculum to support activity and learning for student success.
Northside will provide physical education instruction, K-12, according to the Texas Education Code and adopted by the State Board of Education (SBOE). Educators at Northside ISD teach according to the guidelines established in the TEKS emphasizing concepts that promote physical fitness and wellness that apply to the lifelong process of becoming fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
- Spark
- Catch
- District Enrichment Modules - The “Move to Live, Live to Move” (P.E.P. Grant) Program features Mobile Learning Modules aligned with TEKS-based curriculum. These modules focus on fitness and lifetime activities to enhance fitness levels, increase awareness and knowledge of fitness training, and motivate students to stay active into adulthood. By introducing a variety of lifetime sports and leisure pursuits, the program encourages students to “live to move” and provides rotational access throughout the district.
Note: Module rotations vary from year to year and are provided throughout the district.
Northside is currently implementing a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) with physical education serving as the foundation. The CSPAP is a multi-component approach which includes physical activity before, during, and after school, and involvement with communities and families. The new approach provides students the opportunity to be physically active for the recommended 60 minutes per day.
Fitness Assessment
State law requires school districts to annually assess the physical fitness of students enrolled in grade three or higher and to provide the results of individual student performance on the administered physical fitness assessments to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The Physical Fitness Assessment Initiative (PFAI) is a program designed to collect and analyze the required student physical fitness data.
Parents may request their child's physical fitness assessment results by contacting their child's physical education teacher.
Restricted Physical Education
A student who is unable to participate in the state-required regular PE program due to a specific physiological condition should have a physician complete the Physician's form and will have their program modified.
Adapted Physical Education (APE) (All Campuses, K-12)
Northside ISD’s Adapted Physical Education program provides an individualized program of developmental activities, exercises, games, sports, and rhythms designed to meet the unique physical education needs of students experiencing difficulties in the psychomotor domain. The program is tailored to support each student’s growth, skill development, and overall physical wellness.
For further information, please contact your campus Special Education Coordinator or visit https://www.nisd.net/district/special-education.
Off-Campus Physical Education Program (Middle & High School)
Northside ISD offers Category I Off-Campus Physical Education for students training in sports not offered at NISD campuses. Eligible students must train at least 15 hours per week, compete at national to Olympic levels, and meet qualifying criteria.
OCPE is a partnership between NISD and approved off-campus agencies, offering activities such as dance, gymnastics, martial arts, swimming, and equestrian. The Physical Education Department oversees program standards to ensure a quality experience. Grading is Pass/Fail.
Note: For grades 9–12, participation in a Category I program can substitute for the state physical education graduation requirement (Texas Education Code). NISD extends the above guidelines to students in grades 6-8.
(Incoming 6th grade students are eligible for the Off-Campus P.E. Program during the spring semester. Please contact your campus counseling department for further information.)
Northside ISD participates in Category I Off-Campus Physical Education (OCPE). Off-Campus Physical Education students must meet qualifying criteria, participate, and compete in a sport. Students must train at least 15 hours per week and compete in national to Olympic level competitions throughout the year. Please see the Off-Campus PE Guidelines for additional information. Failure to meet these requirements will result in removal from the program.
The OCPE Program is a partnership between Northside Independent School District and approved off-campus agencies to provide activities such as dance, gymnastics, martial arts, swimming, equestrian, etc. Students will receive a numerical grade at the end of each grading period.
Student applications for Off-Campus PE will not be approved if the activity is available as part of the NISD curriculum or athletics at their grade level. Activities approved at the middle school level may or may not be allowed in high school. All sports/activities require individual, one-to-one, directly supervised instruction. No team sports, including team sports private lessons, will be approved (i.e. basketball, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, volleyball, etc.) Only sports that allow for individual scoring and individual advancement will be approved.
The Physical Education Department supervises the OCPE program standards to ensure that each student receives an exceptional off-campus physical education experience. Considerations for agency approval include district staff travel times to visit agencies during instruction. Areas for consideration include the Northside ISD vicinity to include areas near Loop 410, North Loop 1604, and within the I-10 West corridor to Boerne.
Note: As determined by Texas Education Code, the requirements are different for high school students vs. middle school students. For students in grades 9-12, TEC allows participation in a Category I program to substitute for the state physical education graduation requirement. NISD extends the above requirements and guidelines to students in grades 6-8.
Incoming 6th grade students are eligible for the Off-Campus P.E. Program during the spring semester. Please contact your campus counseling department for further information.
To be considered for the Off Campus Physical Education program at Northside, please review the following:
- Complete the Online Application
- Students must submit their own completed application by the deadline. School staff or agencies cannot submit on their behalf.
- Registration Windows
- Incoming 6th Grade Students (Spring Semester Eligibility): October 1 – December 1
- 7th–12th Grade Students:
- First Friday in June – First Friday in August (Fall & Spring registration)
- October 1 – December 1 (Spring Semester registration)
- Participation Requirements
- Students must train under professional supervision for a minimum of 15 hours per week.
- The agency must submit the student’s training schedule to the district through the agency portal.
- Approved students must be off-campus during 1st or 8th period.
- Agency Requirements
- Agencies not on the NISD Approved Agency list must submit the OCPE online application by May 15 each year to allow time for processing and training.
- Agency approval and certification are required for the student’s application to be considered.
- Approval Process
- OCPE approval is valid for the current school year only. A new application must be submitted for the following school year.
- The NISD P.E. Department will review the application, verify the training schedule meets the 15-hour weekly requirement, and notify the campus head counselor and principal for final approval.
- Students and parents/guardians should communicate with the campus counselor regarding the student’s schedule once approved.
The OCPE Program is a partnership between the Northside Independent School District and approved off-campus agencies. Students may not be enrolled in OCPE and any other general physical education class or physical education substitution at the same time.
NISD only participates in Category I of the TEA OCPE program.
Category I - Olympic/National Level - Participation and/or competition includes a minimum of 15 hours per week of highly intensive, professional, supervised training. The training facility, instructors, and the program’s activities must be certified by the superintendent to be of exceptional quality. Students qualifying and participating at this level may be dismissed from school one hour per day. Students dismissed may not miss any class other than physical education. PLEASE NOTE: Students who leave for instruction during the school day cannot participate in UIL activities in the same sport.
To be placed on the NISD OCPE Approved Agency List, an agency must:
- Complete the Online Application
- Submit the Off-Campus PE Agency application through the online portal.
- Provide proof of insurance.
- Meet Requirements and Deadlines
- Applications must fulfill all requirements and be submitted March 1st - May 1st each year to allow time for processing and training.
- District Certification
- If the agency is certified by the district as high-quality, it will be added to the published NISD Approved Agency List.
- Documentation and Deadlines
- All documentation must be completed and submitted by the required deadlines.
- Parents/guardians and students are encouraged to begin the process 2–3 weeks prior to the deadline to ensure all documentation and scheduling requirements are met.
- Incomplete information will result in denial of the student application.
- Agency Participation
- Students may participate with only one agency at a time.
- Credit cannot be issued for summer activities.
- Students must participate 15 hours per week at the approved agency from the first week of the semester through the end of the semester, or they must transfer into a general Physical Education class at their home campus.
- OCPE Attendance Policy
- Excused Absences:
- Illness or injury exceeding 3 days must be verified by a doctor’s note.
- Absences for sanctioned UIL school functions are excused.
- For absences less than 3 days, a parent/guardian note is sufficient.
- Category I OCPE students may be excused for state or national-level competitions (maximum of 5 days per school year) with proper documentation.
- Unexcused Absences:
- Illness or injury exceeding 3 days without a doctor’s note.
- Attendance at non-UIL or outside-school activities without a parent note.
- Choosing not to attend a scheduled OCPE class.
- Injury/Illness Protocol:
- Students must continue attending agency classes if injured. Alternative activities and lessons will be provided, but students must still meet the minimum weekly hours.
- If an injury lasts beyond 1 week, a doctor’s note must specify what the student can/cannot do and when they can resume full participation.
- The Agency Coordinator must contact the OCPE Specialist for further assistance if an injury or illness extends beyond 1 week.
- Excused Absences: