Welcome to Mr. Crouse’s Page

I currently teach Physical Education and Health at Saints Philip & James School. Listed below are brief descriptions of the major academic topics we will cover in class.

Phys Ed

Grades K-2

Establishing the importance of locomotor skills is a central component of the New Jersey curriculum for students in these grade levels. These students must learn why mastering different locomotor skills is important and why locomotor skills impact not only their ability to perform in sports but their everyday lives. They will learn the basics of coordination and manipulation skills like throwing and catching a ball, balancing on a beam or narrow base, jumping rope, etc. Lastly they will learn the very basics of team sports like the differences between offense and defense or how your attitude can impact your performance.

Grades 3-5

Understanding the essential elements of movement skills will be a major focal point for students in these grade levels. Essential elements are flow, force, shape, space, and time. We will explore and perform these elements in practice and in game situations like 3v3 basketball, or a tag game when it is important to understand the kind of space, flow, and force you need to get by someone. They will learn certain concepts for sports on offense or defense because they have already established a foundation for the objective of individual sports. They will learn rhythm and flow in relation to dancing for specific songs or genres of music and different cultures. Sportsmanship and understanding how to help a teammate or motivate a teammate is essential in these grades.

Grades 6-8

At the middle school level it is imperative for these students to be able to apply the skills they acquired in elementary school such as manipulation skills or motor skills in a game setting, applied setting, or a practice setting. They must demonstrate knowledge of the defensive and offensive strategies they have acquired such as spacing, passing, or communicating. They will combine skills and movements into different line dances and dances in general. Compare roles and responsibilities of players, officials, coaches, and observers.

Health

Grades K-2

Students will learn about what fitness is and what the importance of being "fit" means. They will also begin to understand how physical activity can impact their physical health and mental well-being.

Grades 3-5

Students will learn the difference between health-related and skill-related fitness, as well as activities for both of these categories. They will learn the extent to which certain factors such as training, or diet can impact your personal fitness level. They will also explore how someone's environment or their social circle can impact their fitness level and mental well-being.

Grades 6-8

During health they will establish a long term fitness plan while using the principles of training (FITT) for modifying their plan. Explain, analyze, and explore how medical and technological advances have impacted athletes and performance both on and off the field. Finally they must relate healthy eating and mental well being to physical fitness and performance.

Religion

Grade 6

Theme
The outline for a life of reverence and love as He wished for us. How this is done through abiding by The Ten Commandments and an appreciation for the Holy Mass. Through these, God has given us the key to Eternity in His presence.

Sequence
Part 1: The Ten Commandments. Strengthening a connection with God and understanding how to live in His image.
Part 2: The Holy Mass. The Lord's sacrifice, how this act impacts us today, and a methodical look into the parts of the Mass.
Part 3: The Last Things. Our ascendance from this mortal plain into Eternity. How God's judgment will be based upon a life spent following or refusal to follow the will of the Father, and that at the end of all days He will come again..

Aim
To help sixth-grade students learn and understand the ways in which they can live as God did; to emulate His will. To grasp the importance and power of the connection formed within the Mass and how it allows us to honor and cherish the Lord. To appreciate the potential for Eternity in His kingdom and how this can be achieved

Grade 8

Theme
The history of the Church — its founding and direction by and through Christ, the role of the one, true Church, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and the impact of the saints, the religious and laity up to the present. Fulfilling our call to Holiness in His image through prayer and the sacraments within the Church and how this affects our Eternity.

Sequence
Part 1: The Church. Christ's plan for the Church's structure, authority within the Church and early figures of the Church: Martyrs, Fathers, Saints and Mary.
Part 2: The Christian in the World. A life led by virtue, the clergy and laity, Marriage and family life, and how our conscience intersects with laws.
Part 3: Fulfilling Our Call to Holiness. The impact of prayer and the significance of the Sacraments.
Part 4: The End of Christian Life. Death, Judgment, the end of the world.

Aim
To help eighth-grade students acknowledge and appreciate the Church as Christ's Body, and to have faith in the Church and its teachings in order to strengthen their lives as Christians to confidently face the turmoil and secularism of our modern-day society.