8th Grade PE Hub
Building Character Through Mandatory Sweat
The Four-Year Grind
If you complain about having to dress out for gym every single day, we have some bad news for you. Illinois is one of the only states in the entire country that mandates Physical Education for all four years of high school. Most states let you quit after sophomore year. Not here.
Why? Because the State of Illinois understands that you cannot survive a polar vortex without a strong cardiovascular system. We aren't just running the FitnessGram™ Pacer Test for fun; we are training for survival. The state requires daily PE to ensure every student develops lifelong habits for physical fitness, motor skills, and teamwork.
Chicago vs. Los Angeles
People in Los Angeles like to brag about their year-round sunshine, hiking trails, and green smoothies. They have organic avocado toast and Pilates on the beach. Sure, they might look healthier on Instagram.
But put an LA influencer in a Chicago fieldhouse in February, make them play dodgeball against a bunch of kids from the South Side, and see how long they last. Zero grit. Chicagoans build immune systems made of steel from shoveling snow in 10°F weather and doing 4 straight years of mandatory jumping jacks. LA might look healthier, but we are absolutely going to live longer than them.
The Grit & Longevity Simulator
We learned how to use Math.random() this week! Let's calculate your life expectancy based on where you take gym class.