Ah, summer–– a time for relaxing, sun-bathing, pool-hopping, and… taking a physical education class at school?

Staples offers a PE Fitness and Sports class during two different sessions throughout the summer. This class benefits students who need to make up a PE class, or who desire to take a PE class in advance.

“I decided to take gym over the summer because I figured, if I was going to be going to the Edge every day anyway, I might as well get school credit for working out,” Julia Greene ’15 said.

Run by PE teacher CJ Shamas, the summer physical education classes have been known to be much smaller than a normal class size, usually between eight and 10 students.

Shamas believes that this accounts for the high overall success of the classes each year.

“They have higher student achievement over the summer compared to a regular during the school year PE class,” Shamas noted.

Each session, three weeks long for two hours each day, counts for credit for one quarter of PE. The dates available are June 30 to July 18 or July 21 to August 8.

One concern with the program is that if students opt out of gym for one quarter during the school year, it goes against the physical education department’s message that physical activity strengthens mental activity, according to K-12 Coordinator for Physical Education and Health David Gusitsch.

“If [students] have all seated core classes during the day, they might not have an opportunity to have physical movement embedded in their day,” Gusitsch said.

The summer PE class is more personalized than any PE class during the year. At the beginning of each session, Shamas collaborates with his students and together, they develop a plan for which activities they will do. Using the summer weather to their advantage, classes will often start outside and then return to the air conditioned fitness center for a zumba or yoga or pilates activity.

Students seem to truly enjoy the course.

“It was laid back, kind of like a sports camp,” Leo Andruik ’15 said.

Shamas is happily astounded by the summer PE students’ behavior throughout the course.

“It has been a pleasant surprise where students in the summer, who take the course, the vast majority of them actually want to be there. And so they’re motivated,” Shamas said.