We are very proud of the co-curricular classes that we offer to our students. It is our amazing specialist teachers and coaches who make these engaging courses happen!
This is the fourth in a series of Q & A articles highlighting our specialists and some of what makes their programs so unique, this time with our P.E. team. We asked our three full-time coaches to interview each other, and we hope you find their responses enlightening.
Coach Noah Verdi: Coach Danny, can you tell us a bit about your background and how you found your way to Wise School?
Coach Danny Herold: A wise man once told me, “Find something that you love to do and then try to make that your career so you will wake up every morning excited about going to work!” The “WISE MAN” was who told me that – WAS MY PE COACH! From the time I was a young athlete, I always aspired to become a coach. I was an employee of The City of Beverly Hills Community Services Department starting in my college years. I started as an after-school sports counselor and a football, basketball, and baseball official. I was then promoted to a teacher and then a Director for the City of Beverly Hills Preschool program for 11 years. During that time, I was offered the position at Wise School in 1999 as a part-time after-school coach for the Elementary School and Milken Community High School, working at both jobs concurrently. Then in 2010, I was offered a full-time P.E. teacher/coach position at Wise. In 2013, I was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director. In 2020, I was promoted to Athletic Director of WISE School.
Coach Danny Herold: So, Coach Gigi, what is most rewarding about teaching here at Wise?
Coach Gigi Sarmiento: It has been rewarding to see the growth and progress our students have made throughout the years. Ever since I started working with the Aquatics department at WISE in 2018, I have had the privilege to coach many of our students on the safety components of swimming as well as competitive techniques and skills. It has been nice to see some of our students continuing to swim well into their middle school and high school years. I find myself picturing back to when I was in school, wishing I could have experienced what our Wise students experience here every day. Since joining the full-time PE team in 2022, I have continued my learning journey by broadening my knowledge of physical fitness and athletics. My goal is to share my sports knowledge with our students so they too will carry on with their learning journey.
Coach Gigi Sarmiento: Coach Noah, what is your favorite unit or sport within PE to teach?
Coach Noah Verdi: I would have to say our unit on basketball is my favorite because I grew up playing basketball almost everyday on the playgrounds of North New Jersey. I played for one of the top club basketball teams in the country, and I played varsity basketball in high school. I had some terrific coaches along the way, and I enjoy passing along all my basketball knowledge to our students here at Wise, whether it is teaching them how to make their crossover-dribble lower and faster, or how to shoot the ball with a soft-touch and in good rhythm. Basketball is an awesome sport, and I love how popular it is here in our community.
Coach Gigi Sarmiento: Coach Danny, what is most important to you in teaching physical education to young people?
Coach Danny Herold: In the lower grades, students are provided with a sequential program devoted to developing their physical skills. Loco-motor and ball skills are emphasized. Students gain knowledge and experience through participation in individual and team games. They become aware of the importance of physical fitness, and develop sportsmanship in both non-competitive and competitive activities. Students are then exposed to a variety of developmentally-appropriate playground games. Through this balanced physical education program, students establish a healthy pattern of commitment to a life of physical fitness.
Coach Noah Verdi: Coach Gigi, we’ve recently begun discussions as a team about putting more emphasis on sportsmanship and strategy in P.E. classes! What might this look and sound like?
Coach Gigi Sarmiento: Sportsmanship is a big one for me. I have been using mantras with our students to help encourage positive communication and tempered reactions. I love it when students say “good job” to each other, along with a high five or fist bump every now and then. One of the mantras I have been using lately is “Say something helpful, not hurtful” to encourage students to say something uplifting in case a classmate is having a rough time in a certain skill or game. As for strategy in our PE classes, it has been a joy to see our students using their creativity to come up with different game plans with our athletic activities. One example was when we were playing Goal, a kicking game where students can choose any poly spot to kick from and try to make a successful goal. I explained how some may want to go for the poly spots that were closer for easier goals, or they could try the ones further away before the other teams get to them. I noticed one of my students choosing poly spots that were further away and they explained that the team decided to have one person try for the harder ones. It was great to know they were collaboratively discussing a game plan and assigning roles according to what might be best for the team.
Coach Danny Herold: Coach Noah, a few years ago we developed our Wise P.E. Scope & Sequence. What are some examples of how we use that and how it helps shape our students’ physical education journey through the years?
Coach Noah Verdi: Our Wise PE Scope & Sequence has been an exciting and helpful tool that we use to plan learning experiences tailored to children’s ages and developmental levels. Early in the year, we teach games and activities that students can play everyday at recess like handball and four-square. As the year progresses, we teach units of team sports including basketball, football, soccer, and volleyball. And, in the spring, we teach units on racquet sports like tennis and pickleball. The overall goal of our scope & sequence is to ensure that various skills and concepts spiral through the grades, and to provide a balanced and engaging physical education experience for all our students – athletes and non-athletes alike.