Croton Elementary and Golfview Elementary Magnet have been awarded the prestigious Excellence in Physical Education Award (EPEA) title for 2010-2013, listing them among the best schools in the district for physical education programs. Brevard now has nine Excellence in Physical Education Schools.
Croton Elementary and Golfview Elementary Magnet join the 2009-2012 EPEA site: Palm Bay Elementary; 2008-2011 EPEA sites; Apollo Elementary, Longleaf Elementary and MILA Elementary and the 2007-2010 EPEA sites which are Discovery Elementary, Fairglen Elementary, and Indialantic Elementary. The three-year award honors school physical education (PE) programs that demonstrate balanced diversity, high performance standards and instructional quality. In addition, these PE programs promote academic and physical achievement in other curricular areas such as math, reading and science, and contribute to the overall excellence of the school environment.
“Physical Education is about the whole child because it sharpens a student’s overall cognitive abilities and motor skills via athletics, exercise and various other physical activities,” said BPS Superintendent Dr. Brian T. Binggeli.
Implemented in 2007, The EPEA project was developed by Brevard Public Schools. The EPEA process begins with an application of intent from the school. Physical Education teachers, with the support of their administrators, then develop a portfolio that demonstrates the rigorous descriptive process of their physical education program, addressing 40 criteria. A team of professors and doctorial students from Florida State University reviews and scores the portfolio, and schools with qualifying scores then receive a site visit. The site visit team, composed of three out-of-county experts in the field of physical education, reviews the school’s portfolio, conducts interviews and visually inspects and evaluates the site and the PE program in action before determining the award recipients.
School programs that get recognized for the Excellence in Physical Education Award receive a banner, plaque and $1,000 for their physical education program. The physical education teachers receive $500, a polo shirt, a padfolio and business cards signifying them as EPEA winners.