This school year, a new Physical Education class was offered to the students of Poolesville High School. The class is Yoga; a drastically different class from the other traditional PE classes like Net Sports, Team Sports, and Weight Training. The class is taught by Ms. Regina Grubb, the athletic director at PHS.

“Between the [athletic] department, and myself, and I knew other schools were offering Yoga.”

Ms. Grubb stated that she created the class because she “thought it would be a good opportunity for student during the day, and just to try something a little different from what we offered before.”

The class has been proven to be very popular, as the two periods have thirty-six and twenty-eight students respectively. The class is diverse as well: predominantly female, but the students taking it all of all grade levels and ethnicities.

“Working with other teachers in the county and just trying new things, it’s been actually a learning experience for me too.” She also explained that a little of the curriculum is from MCPS, but she does different things in the class that she feels they enjoy. They work on basic Yoga poses, meditation, mindfulness activities, as well as core work.

The class was meant to help students be able to further their own physical fitness by beginning with flexibility. ISP Sophomore Jayleen Sorto enrolled in this class because it helps her “relieve stress from all [her] other classes and helps when [her] mental health isn’t at its best.”

The skills students are learning now are meant to help them become more able and prepared to accomplish other physical activities or sports. Despite the criticism about the amount of activity involved in the class, according to Ms. Grubb “some of the moves are very hard and can be very draining.” She tries to keep the class moving towards more advanced and complex poses but as it’s been the first time she’s taught, she is learning as she goes.

The department is hoping to keep it running for the next few school years. As of now, it is a semester long class but Sorto along with her classmates are “excited for what is left of the class” and “hope to take it next year.”