Educating the Whole Child: Body
At Long Island Lutheran Middle & High School, students are understood as whole people. Intellectual, spiritual, social, emotional, and physical development are interconnected, which is why LuHi’s mission calls the school to educate young people in body, mind, and spirit.
The “body” portion of that mission extends far beyond athletics. It means recognizing the importance of movement, health, wellness, creativity, hands-on learning, and healthy habits throughout a student’s development.
Physical Education and Health
Physical Education provides students with structured opportunities for movement, skill development, teamwork, and lifelong fitness.
Beginning in 10th grade, varsity athletes may opt out of Physical Education, recognizing the significant physical training and activity already incorporated into participation in a varsity sport.
Health education is also an important part of the curriculum. Students take Health in both 8th and 9th grade, providing developmentally appropriate opportunities to learn about physical, social, emotional, and mental well-being.
For students interested in exploring health and fitness more deeply, additional coursework provides opportunities to connect those interests with potential future areas of study and careers.
Athletics
From middle school opportunities through varsity competition, athletics provide students with another avenue for physical growth and development.
Student-athletes learn far more than the skills associated with their sport. Practices and competition provide opportunities to develop discipline, perseverance, teamwork, leadership, resilience, and responsibility.
Whether a student is trying a sport for the first time or competing at a high level, LuHi athletics are another extension of the school’s commitment to developing the whole person.
The Arts
Physical development also plays an important role in the Arts.
Musicians develop technique and control as they learn their instruments. Singers learn how breathing, posture, and movement affect performance. Actors and dancers develop coordination, expression, and stage presence. Visual artists build the fine-motor skills and techniques needed to work in a variety of media.
Through visual and performing arts experiences, students learn to connect body, mind, and spirit through creativity and expression.
Hands-On Learning
Learning does not always happen while sitting at a desk.
STEM, science, engineering, robotics, the arts, and other hands-on experiences give students opportunities to build, design, experiment, create, and solve problems.
These experiences reinforce the connection between thinking and doing. Students learn through experimentation and discovery while developing the confidence to apply what they know in new ways.
Community and Movement
Some of the most memorable moments of school life happen when the entire community comes together.
Pep rallies, spirit activities, student events, friendly competitions, and other traditions give students opportunities to move, laugh, participate, and connect with one another outside of the classroom.
These moments are about more than activity. They strengthen relationships, create a sense of belonging, and contribute to a school experience in which students are encouraged to participate fully in the life of the community.
Healthy Habits
Educating the body also means helping students understand the importance of caring for themselves.
Throughout the school day and across LuHi’s programs, students are encouraged to develop healthy habits, find balance, and understand the connection between their physical well-being and their ability to learn, grow, serve, and engage with others.
Educating the Whole Child
Body, mind, and spirit are not separate parts of a LuHi education. They work together.
A challenging classroom experience develops the mind. A Chapel service, retreat, or mission experience nurtures the spirit. Athletics, the Arts, physical education, health, and hands-on learning engage the body. And many of the most meaningful LuHi experiences develop all three at once.
At the center is the understanding that each student is a child of God, uniquely and wonderfully made. LuHi’s responsibility is not simply to prepare students academically, but to help them grow into compassionate, educated, healthy, faithful, and engaged young people who are prepared for what comes next.
See for Yourself!
Schedule a tour, and see first-hand why families choose LuHi.
