Throughout the nation, physical education classes participate in Presidential Physical Fitness Testing, to test their physical abilities. Students showcase their physical abilities through a series of tests and receive a grade based on their scores.

The test includes activities such as: hands release push ups, sit-ups, squats, sit and reach and the mile. Each test has a certain number of repetitions in order to pass, receive a higher score.

Student who pass all of the five fitness test will receive a certificate. those who are in the 80 percent and higher percentile for all five events will receive a medal.

Ericlee Gilmore physical education teacher assess all of his student, junior high and high school, with the same test.

“Physical fitness testing is a national test, and I decided to it April 2-8 because it was right around the time of SAT-10 testing. So we can test the brain along with our bodies,” Gilmore said. “I test my junior high and high school students on the same things, there are just different standards for each.

Gilmore develops the test requirements by averaging the total skill level of each grade.

“To find the standards for push-ups, sit-ups and squat tests I averaged each of the classes scores and used some of my own knowledge,” Gilmore said. “I would like to do testing more often, but it just takes a lot of work, because I have to watch each student individually.”

Junior Alyssa Oakley, believes participating in fitness testing is important for students, but they should practice each of the tests before hand.

“I personally don’t mind fitness testing, I think that its a good idea for students to get tested on there abilities,” Oakley said. “I wish that we would have practiced each of the five tests more so we could have the chance to get a better score.”

Chloe Mueller, ’16, enjoys testing her physical abilities and setting goals for herself.

“I think its important because it gives students goals to work for, and it helps them test their physical abilities and improve them,” Mueller said. “Also we had a competition between classes to see which class was the most physically fit.”

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For more sports, read the April 2 article, Boys tennis sport shorts: Caruthers.