Welcome to Health, Physical and Driver Education
Prince William County Public Schools provides a Comprehensive Physical Education Curriculum, to include Health Education and Driver Education, which visualizes:
- A K-12 comprehensive physical education program that prepares all students to actively and adequately achieve and promote lifelong wellness on a daily basis.
- A continuous sequence of learning embedded in schools, community, and family.
- An instructional progression that provides all students varied opportunities to use the acquired knowledge and skills in meaningful, genuine, and realistic ways.
- A school community that recognizes and promotes the fundamental value of wellness.
Student wellness involves the acquisition and maintenance of moderate to high levels of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social fitness.
Physical Education
Physical education provides the opportunity for the acquisition and application of essential knowledge and skills in the following:
- Motor Skill Development
- Anatomical Basis of Movement
- Fitness Planning
- Social Development
- Energy Balance
Health Education
Health education provides the knowledge base and critical thinking skills necessary for students to make informed choices and to exert positive control over their lives. The health content includes the following:
- Body Systems
- Physical Health and Disease Prevention
- Health Promotion including Nutrition and Physical Activity
- Safety and Injury Prevention (CPR and First Aid - 9th grade)
- Social/Emotional/Mental Wellness
- Violence Prevention and Healthy Relationships
- Substance Abuse Prevention, Opioids and Safe Use Medication
- Community/Environment Health
- Health Careers (10th grade)
- Family Life Education in grades 8-10
Driver Education
Classroom driver education includes 36 class periods of driver education instruction for students in health and physical education II (HPE II). The focus of instruction is on providing teens the skills necessary for the responsibility of safe driving in our communities.
A mandatory 90-minute Parent/Student Driver Education Presentation that coincides with the student's classroom instruction is required for HPE II. This presentation is required for all classroom driver education students and their parent/guardian to attend together prior to the receipt of the student's DEC-District 8 card, which is a necessary step in the juvenile licensing process.
We offer an optional, in-car road and range (behind-the-wheel) program for our students to assist in their juvenile licensing process. Instruction is for 14 periods, typically two hours in the afternoon for 7 days. We currently offer the behind-the-wheel program as an after-school program or summer session at all high schools.
Visit our Driver Education Page
Vision Statement
Students will participate in an engaging and dynamic health and physical education program of excellence to become health-literate and physically-literate individuals.
Mission Statement
- Students will be exposed to a variety of foundational movement skills personal fitness, nutrition, and wellness activities.
- Students will gain knowledge in essential health concepts, healthy decisions, advocacy, and health promotion.
- Students will acquire the knowledge, processes, and skills to become physically educated, physically fit, and responsible students in their physical activity choices and behaviors for a lifetime.
WELNET®
WELNET® is an easy-to-use, web-based software application that was developed as a tool for students to understand their health and fitness and build a personal portfolio. WELNET® consists of seven modules that students may be completing assignments in: fitness, assessments, behavior logs, rubrics, wearables and online learning.
PWCS began using WELNET® for grades 3-10 in health and physical education classes in the 2019-20 school year. The program can be accessed through Canvas courses and Clever. Learn more about WELNET® (Word). For a Spanish translated version, please contact the Health and Physical Education program at 703-791-7270.
What VA standards of learning are taught?
What if my child cannot participate in physical education class?
How is personal physical fitness assessed?
Unstructured Recreational Time (Recess) Information
- Elementary Instructional Day Regulation 602-1
Emily Utter
Supervisor of Health, Physical and Driver Education
703-791-7270
utteres@pwcs.edu
Shylea Michaelis
Health and Physical Education Specialist
703-791-8042
michaesw@pwcs.edu
Dan Jones
Driver Education Specialist
703-791-7270
jonesde@pwcs.edu
Barbara Cook
Administrative Assistant II
703-791-7270
cookbl@pwcs.edu