“If they grow it, they will taste it. For them to sit down and try a bell pepper, even though it's dipped in ranch dressing, they eat it. I think it encourages them to try new things, not just food, but ‘Hey, I tried that, and I liked it. Maybe I can try this activity. Maybe I can hit a baseball.” - Lisa Smith
Through PE, Parish students can express themselves in ways that go beyond traditional academics. Jennifer promotes movement through self-expression, and activity with each student encourages collaboration while building confidence. “Physical activity helps students see what they’re capable of, promotes body awareness, reduces stress and anxiety and also reflects on their growth,” Jennifer said. “It develops confidence that carries over into all areas of life.” Parish’s Sports Court is one of the most popular areas on campus. It’s a wide open canvas of sorts, where students can choose to shoot hoops together, scoot around or a place to just run around with their classmates and laugh. It’s also where a lot of team activities take place. Jennifer stresses the importance of teamwork. Working together towards a common goal goes beyond playing a game, it helps build inclusion and connection by creating shared experiences. Uplifting one’s teammates, picking them up after a game is just as important. Similar to students taking the stage in drama, there’s no more rewarding feeling for Jennifer than seeing her students come off the sidelines, be a team player and give it their all. “You can see their posture change. They walk taller, make eye contact and smile more,” Jennifer said. “That’s confidence built not just from skill development, but from feeling included and supported. These
transformations often happen gradually, but when they do, they’re powerful. The student not only becomes more engaged in PE, but they also carry that self-assurance into the classroom, friendships and other parts of life.” The Wonders of Nature The collaboration built in PE continues as students step outside to learn from the world around them. Nature plays a big role at The Parish School, as the campus was built to resemble the summer camps Robbin Parish attended when she was younger. Naturally, it’s an important part of Parish’s curriculum as well. Nature Studies Educator Lisa Smith loves the outdoors, and she feels that nature can teach her students valuable lessons. “The things they learn in nature apply to life, like patience. You get to plant a seed, and you have to wait several weeks before it comes up,” Lisa said. “They've enjoyed seeing that bloom. There's just so much that they learn in nature that they can apply to their life and it benefits their life as they're coming along.” Lisa’s classes plant their own vegetables, and the students get excited watching something they planted themselves slowly grow over time. Not only has it taught them patience, but so many other learning opportunities.
Nature plays a big role at The Parish School, as the campus was built to resemble the summer camps Robbin Parish attended when she was younger. Naturally, it’s an important part of Parish’s curriculum as well.
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