Athletics

Middle School Athletics

St. Francis Middle School offers a comprehensive athletics program with fall, winter, and spring sports seasons. Students in grades 6–8 have the opportunity to participate on teams and compete against other schools throughout the year. While participation is optional, more than 90 percent of students tend to participate in at least one sport each year. Students who are not on a team are enrolled in a physical education class. We are members of the Houston Junior Preparatory Conference (HJPC), which comprises K–8 and K–12 schools from the Houston area. We have won 27 HJPC championships.

Boys: Cross Country, Football, Basketball, Soccer, Swimming, Wrestling, Baseball, Lacrosse, Golf, Tennis, and Track & Field.
Girls: Cross Country, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer, Swimming, Softball, Lacrosse, Golf, Tennis, and Track & Field.

Upper School Athletics

Upper School athletics began in the fall of 2018 with our Founding Freshman class. In our first two years, we are competing independently in the following sports: girls volleyball, coed cross country, boys and girls Basketball, coed swimming, coed track & field, and coed golf. Seventy-three percent of Upper School students participated in at least one sport this year. As the Upper School grows, we anticipate adding sports offerings similar to those in our Middle School program.

St. Francis Sports Association (SFSA)

In addition to our physical education program, students in kindergarten through fifth grade have the opportunity to participate in a variety of youth sports through the St. Francis Sports Association, a program of St. Francis Episcopal Church.

Physical Education

Primary School Motor Development

Taking advantage of our dedicated motor room and vast outdoor space, our Primary School’s motor curriculum promotes an active lifestyle and is aligned with our Reggio-inspired program. Students attend motor classes for 30 minutes each day with a dedicated motor teacher, learning how their bodies work through rhymes, songs, games, and movement. Lively activities, relaxing exercises, and active stretches help them develop fine and gross motor skills and prepare them for their future physical education experience.

Lower School Physical Education

Promoting an active lifestyle for all ages, the Lower School physical education program is modeled after Dr. Robert Pangrazi’s positive, inclusive Dynamic Physical Education philosophy. Lower School students attend physical education classes for 30 minutes each day with a dedicated PE teacher for the year. The curriculum introduces fitness development and a wide variety of skill-focused activities to instill a lifelong enjoyment of exercise, improved skills and fitness levels, and stimulation for a better learning environment.

Middle School Physical Education

Middle School provides a variety of dynamic games and fitness activities. The fifth-grade physical education program is modeled after Dr. Robert Pangrazi’s positive, inclusive Dynamic Physical Education philosophy. Fifth graders attend PE classes each day for 45-60 minutes with a dedicated PE teacher for the year and participate in intramural sports on a weekly basis. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders have the opportunity to participate in team sports and compete against other middle schools in the area. Students who choose not to play or manage a sport for a given season participate in physical education.

Upper School Physical Education

Upper School physical education affords students a fitness program tailored to meet their individual goals, aspirations, and physical needs. Students work alongside a certified group fitness instructor and PE educator two to three times a week for 45-minute sessions.

The Upper School Fit Fusion class infuses an assortment of aerobic-based workouts that aim to improve the five key fitness components: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Students learn how to develop their own exercise plans while incorporating nutritional guidelines and wellness principles geared toward modeling healthy, active habits. Much like a fitness club, our program offers group fitness classes like weightlifting and body sculpting, yoga, kickboxing, Tabata/HiIT, Zumba, step aerobics, and so much more.