Freshman swimming requirement at Columbia

Our daughter will be a freshman at Columbia in 2016-17 and it seems swimming is a required unit of phys ed. She is already an excellent swimmer and would love to use the time for other purposes if possible. She plays both violin and cello and the Orchestra director said that she could do both with an extra Orchestra period.

The written rules say that the only out for swimming is a doctor’s note. Does anyone know if the administration is flexible than that?

It is only a one quarter course so if she were to be exempt and take the extra orchestra instead, it would only be for a single marking period  (approx 45 days) . Never heard of anyone being exempt for non-medical reasons. Do swim team members take it as well? 

She would have to swap in a different phys ed class even if she was excused from swimming.

Even the 9th grade swim team kids have to take swimming.  Even the 9th grade kids who are on swim clubs and put in 20 hours a week at their practices, have to go to CHS swimming.  

We continue to fund phys. ed. at the expense of value-added content.

I thought they were talking (again) about closing the pool?

tjohn said:

We continue to fund phys. ed. at the expense of value-added content.

No.  We do not continue to fund phys Ed  at the expense of value-added content.  

We fund phys Ed.

The state requires four full years of PE for a high school diploma so, there is no swapping a section of PE for music. 

NizhoniGrrrl said:

The state requires four full years of PE for a high school diploma so, there is no swapping a section of PE for music. 

It is possible to offer credit for PE for athletes  competing in teams .  It is done in some places. This would open up a schedule a bit.

We should cut out phys ed and get more teachers for real subjects.

alias said:

tjohn said:

We continue to fund phys. ed. at the expense of value-added content.

No.  We do not continue to fund phys Ed  at the expense of value-added content.  

We fund phys Ed.

is it back to 4 years, i heard it had been switched to 3 years in the mid 90s...

jmitw said:

is it back to 4 years, i heard it had been switched to 3 years in the mid 90s...

When I was there in the early 90's the number of credits was proportional to the amount of time spent in school. If it took you 5 years to graduate then you needed 5 years worth of phys ed credits. If you took summer school to skip a grade to graduate early, let's say in 3.5 years, then you only needed 3.5 years worth of phys ed. Obviously my experience is VERY dated and has no bearing on the OP's question.  

spontaneous said:

jmitw said:

is it back to 4 years, i heard it had been switched to 3 years in the mid 90s...

When I was there in the early 90's the number of credits was proportional to the amount of time spent in school. If it took you 5 years to graduate then you needed 5 years worth of phys ed credits. If you took summer school to skip a grade to graduate early, let's say in 3.5 years, then you only needed 3.5 years worth of phys ed. Obviously my experience is VERY dated and has no bearing on the OP's question.  

I think it is still this way. My kids, who graduated in 2009 and 2013, had to take 4 years of PE.  (One quarter each year was health.)

It is 4 years, but some other subjects, like math, are less. Maddening!

Ass backwards.

My daughter said it was 5 days a week plus phys ed. Also, she said it was all year. So what is the true story? I'm confused.

kss said:

My daughter said it was 5 days a week plus phys ed. Also, she said it was all year. So what is the true story? I'm confused.

Not sure what you are asking. PE meets 5 days a week. Students have PE for 3 quarters during the year. The remaining quarter is health. You need PE credits for the entire time you are in school. If you can graduate in 3.5 years, you need to have passed 3.5 years worth of PE/health. If you are permanently medically exempt from PE, you need to make up the credits some other way. Not sure if the students with temp exclusions (such as an injury that last the entire quarter) have to make up the PE class credit itself or just need enough elective credits to make up the difference.  When I was in HS, I was medically excused for PE. I still had to take health but took an extra elective and some independent study classes to make up the PE credits. 

All PE options run for one quarter . Swimming is one of the 9th grade PE courses  and runs per quarter. 

Can the student tack on an additional period at the beginning or end of the school day to accommodate the two periods of orchestra?

PE is four days I believe -- the kid's lab day in science is in the fifth slot.

deborahg said:

PE is four days I believe -- the kid's lab day in science is in the fifth slot.

In most cases.  One year, my kid had to rearrange her schedule to accommodate another class and PE wasn't available in the period adjacent to her science class so they did something different.  I don't know how often that happens.

As others have said, swimming is just one quarter of freshman year.  This post makes me wonder why some people think their kids are good swimmers, therefore they don't need to swim as part of PE.  I've never heard people say, my kid can run/play volleyball/works out, therefore no need for any running related sports/volleyball/fitness as PE. 

Is there flexibility within the class, so that new swimmers can learn strokes and experienced swimmers can just do laps? Basic instruction for experienced swimmers is just a waste of time.

yes.

Do students who can't swim at all actually learn how to swim well-enough to save themselves from drowning?

.

The swimming requirement has been the oddest thing about CHS.  It's been in place for around 50 years or more.  It terrorized and terrified so many of us, not only those who could not swim, but so many of us who hated like mad the thought of putting on a swim suit and wearing it in front of our high school friends and non-friends.  Ugh, horrible memories.  I recall a non-swimming friend and my older sister simply hating life during the swim semester.  Maybe it is how CHS had to justify the pool.   All I know is no other high school I am aware of has this requirement.

One of my kids had it for a day, the other didn't have it at all. The third is already concerned about how she's going to be able to blow her hair after class. 

Didn't realize CHS had a pool, do either of the Middle Schools?  My HS had a pool but turned it into an auditorium before I matriculated.

My son dreaded it but is now actually enjoying it. He can swim so they are focusing on form, etc. There are 4 levels, with the 4th being the athletes, the 3rd being the kids who can swim but aren't competitive, etc. The instruction is good. It's actually a very nice break for him, gets him out of the school routine and it's fun as well. They give them plenty of time to get to the next class (although blowdrying may not be a possibility). Plus it's only one quarter. He said he can't believe he worried about it when there is so much else to think about. 

My HS did not have a pool, but all the high schools in my area that did have one also had a PE swimming requirement.

boomie said:

The swimming requirement has been the oddest thing about CHS.  It's been in place for around 50 years or more.  It terrorized and terrified so many of us, not only those who could not swim, but so many of us who hated like mad the thought of putting on a swim suit and wearing it in front of our high school friends and non-friends.  Ugh, horrible memories.  I recall a non-swimming friend and my older sister simply hating life during the swim semester.  Maybe it is how CHS had to justify the pool.   All I know is no other high school I am aware of has this requirement.