<p>If your child is doing marching band, I have a question - does his school give band students credit for gym? In other words, do they still have to take a year of PhEd? </p>
<p>My D. is doing marching band. It takes tremendous amount of time. She loves it though. She hopes she can keep doing it in HS. But it is almost impossible if she has to do other required coures like gym, art, techEd, etc. I’ve heard some kids telling me their school let them replace gym by marching band and one of two other sports, including team work. I’m wondering if it is a policy that many schools adopt.</p>
<p>I don’t know (since my kids were never in band) but if you want to change a policy, you could google schools in your area, see what their policies are, and present that to the school board as rationale for making a case.</p>
<p>I had never even heard of marching band considered as a PE credit. If only. Marching band is an after school activity in our Maryland school district and not considered for any school credit.</p>
<p>My son does marching band and no one has even considered granting a PE credit for it. Until last year, if you made varsity in any school sport, you would get a half year’s credit in PE. They removed that option last year, and now you have to take PE for at least 1.5 years and health for half. The STEM kids taking band often have to go to summer school for PE becuase they can’t fit both band and PE in their schedules.</p>
<p>Our public HS changed its policy recently and allowed a marking period of PE credit for marching band as well as team sports (thus allowing elimination of some PE teaching positions for budgetary reasons).</p>
<p>We don’t have a marching band, only jazz ensemble and orchestra. </p>
<p>Phys Ed is required through 10th grade, and elective thereafter. But documented physical fitness (via sports team, or other ECs) is required in all grades (it shows up on your transcript). Also electives from a set are required for every year of highschool (one has to choose several in grades 9-12, chosen from different sets to create breadth). </p>
<p>If you join time-intensive extra-curriculars, such as sports teams, orchestra, choir, it can not be used as credit or to replace required or elective courses. But it does show up on your transcript.</p>
<p>starbright and eastcoastcrazy - do the kids get credit for marching band?</p>
<p>In our district, the practices for marching band are all after school, but the kids have a band class, where they practice their music, and they get credit for it. </p>
<p>Same for sports. Most JV teams meet first period (and have practice before school starts and thru 1st period) and Varsity teams meet last period and practice during that period and then after school for and hour or so.</p>
<p>We don’t have a marching band but you do get extra credit on your transcript for being in orchestra. But since it doesn’t buy you out of courses, there isn’t much value in the credit.</p>
<p>At our school you don’t get out of gym if you do marching band or other sports. Those are extracurriculars not classes. However if you do marching band you get credit which is stupid because no other extracurricular gives you credit.</p>
<p>grcxx3 , until a couple of years ago our symphonic wind ensemble (highest level band in the high school) students were required to be in the marching band. It all meshed together from August through November. Most of the band period during those months was devoted to marching band. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble is a credited class. Marching Band met an additional 3 hours/week in the evenings. </p>
<p>Several years ago, the band director decided to separate marching band from symphonic wind ensemble for several good reasons. 1.By linking them, it kept kids in the lower level band from participating in marching band. 2. There were excellent musicians who were dropping band altogether because the required fall emphasis on marching band (extra practice time, marching at half time for home football games, and all day Saturday participation in competitions) made participation in fall sports very difficult. </p>
<p>Now, marching band is a purely extracurricular activity, open to any kid in any band level, with the color guard open to anyone in the school. They’ve increased participation in the marching band from 50 to 80 kids, all of whom want to be there. </p>
<p>During the day, both bands are credited classes. Symphonic Wind Ensemble is available as a weighted or non weighted class, with some extra requirements for musicians taking it as an weighted class. Marching Band is not a credited activity. It meets only after school, at home football games and some competitions. </p>
<p>And our JV and Varsity Athletes do not get PE credits. Everyone is required to take one year of PE/Health class.</p>
<p>eastcoastcrazy - sounds like your school made a good move since it increased the band numbers.</p>
<p>But, so sorry, had to chuckle at the band numbers. My son’s high school band has 280+ kids!!! Okay - it’s Texas! High school football - and bands - are BIG!!!</p>
<p>The band program is broken up into 5 different levels. Each level is in a different class and learns different concert music. But all 5 levels participate in marching band. For football games, all kids march. But for marching competitions, only 250-or so march.</p>
<p>All the kids get credit for band (both in the fall for marching band and in the spring for concert band). There are some kids who are on the football team who opt out of fall (marching) band and just do spring (concert) band. And visa versa for spring sports, like baseball. </p>
<p>I have to say, the band directors and athletic directors have always done a great job supporting those students who want to do both. I can’t count the number of band members who show up at spring concerts in baseball uniforms rather than tuxes…because they’ve just come from a game! It’s great.</p>
<p>Our kids also had to have 1.5 credits (now it’s 1.0 credits) of PE + 1 semester of health. But, as I said, marching band and JV and V sports (because they meet as a class and earn credit) count for the PE credits (not health).</p>
<p>at our HS, just about all the students take PE in summer school to free up room in their schedules during the school year for electives such as marching band or studio art, etc. There is no PE credit for sports, marching band, etc–and students need 2 PE credits</p>