PE Waiver

The PE waiver is just what it sounds like - it provides the opportunity for students to waive having PE as a required class for graduation.  This option is available to students participating in high school athletics including cheerleading and marching band.  (For ease of explaining and writing this, when I refer to sports or athletics throughout this post, please know that it also includes marching band.)  All students must still earn the full 20 credits to graduate from high school, this waiver would simply mean that what has typically been required (1/2 credit of Physical Education) would not need to be included in the 20 credits earned.

The option to utilize a PE waiver is open to any current 9th, 10th, or 11th grade student (as well as all future, incoming Kilbourne students).  The waiver option is NOT available to any current 12th grade students because athletic participation during your senior year does not count.

In order to utilize the waiver, students must successfully complete two full seasons of athletics.  This can be 2 different sports in one year, it could be 1 sport over two years, or even 1 sport one year and another sport the other year.  So, for example, if I participate in both football and basketball in the same year, I could apply for the waiver.  If I participate in football as a sophomore and again as a junior, I could apply for the waiver.  If I participate in football as a sophomore and track as a junior, I could apply for the waiver.

The waiver option went into effect last year, so any sports completed prior to the start of the 2013-14 school year do not count toward the two sports needed to meet the waiver requirement.  So, essentially, as of August 2013, every student began with "0" sports and then will have to fully participate in 2 seasons before the end of junior year to be able to apply for the waiver.

In order to have your sport counted as one which can be used for the waiver, it must be an approved high school sport.  This means that your club sport participation, like club soccer or club volleyball, is not included in the waiver eligibility.  Also, bowling, dance team, and the competition cheer team are all club teams and not high school sponsored athletics and so they are not eligible for the waiver option.  Additionally, team managers and statisticians cannot count their involvement as a season toward the waiver.

Students must complete a "full season" in order to have the sport count which is considered from the first practice through the last event or banquet.  If a student is "cut" from a team, quits, or has an athletic/ activity code violation which requires them to forfeit 50% or more of the season, then that season would not be able to be used to meet the two-season requirement.  If you were to get hurt, the injury will not eliminate the option of having the season count if the principal, coach and athletic director concede that the student actively participated and made contributions in spite of the injury.

Many students asked if it could be a partial waiver because they had already completed one of the PE required courses and would only have 1 season of sport eligibility and the answer is no, there is no ability to mix and match.  If you have already completed a PE course, you can still utilize the waiver to eliminate PE as a required course, but you must complete 2 seasons of sports in order to apply for the waiver.  The bottom line is that 0 seasons of sports = needs PE/ doesn't meet the waiver eligibility requirement, 1 season of sport = needs PE/ doesn't meet the waiver eligibility requirement, and 2 seasons of sports = meets the waiver eligibility requirement and can apply for the waiver (therefore doesn't need PE classes).

The PE Waiver application is available in the Co-Curricular Office and on the WKHS Counselor Website.  When you finish your season of participation, you will get a signature on the form by your coach.  After you have completed two seasons (and have both signatures on the form) you will submit the waiver form to Mr. Todd and he will verify your completion.  Mr. Todd will turn the forms into me (or he will have you bring it to me) and we will then you will have fulfilled the PE requirement.  

As I have been reviewing student's course requests for next year I noticed that there are a lot of students who are waiver eligible, but have not turned in their waiver application.  Please, make sure you get the form, get it signed by your coaches, get it approved by Mr. Todd and bring it to me as soon as possible!