Sports Program
Sports Are an Essential Part of the Chapel Experience
Continuously moving
Chapel students have a wide range of sports and physical activities options, because the school understands sports as a key part of the school experience. There are curricular activities (a compulsory part of the Physical Education subject) and extracurricular activities (carried out outside regular class time).
The entire sports program at Chapel is driven by the school’s values, as outlined in its mission statement: “In a caring and academically challenging environment, Chapel provides an American-style education to an international student body. Through Christian values, students learn to make informed decisions, to own responsibility for personal actions and community needs, and to respect life and cultural diversity.”
These goals are promoted during sports practice by developing interpersonal skills, the so-called soft skills, such as discipline, commitment, respect, tenacity, collaboration, and the ability to work in a team. The focus is on grooming people who will exercise their citizenship – Chapel’s goals do not include developing professional athletes, but this does not mean that it doesn’t perform in school events with a high level of competitiveness.
Chapel’s Physical Education classes are always taught by two teachers (starting in Elementary School) who share the responsibility for organizing and monitoring class activities, which usually have 24 students. This allows classes to have a high standard, and makes better use of time, space, and resources. The entire class can do the same activity, or else be split into two groups, which carry out different activities according to the curriculum for that academic grade.
Sports Program Overview
Curricular activities
The sports curriculum runs from Pre I to 10th grade. Along the course of the grades, the number of classes per week can range between two and four.
Early Childhood Education Center – ECEC
At Chapel, the ECEC Physical Education Program aims to develop fundamental physical skills and appropriate physical activity experiences. It provides instructions designed to promote knowledge acquisition and skills in five essential categories of movement exploration (movement concepts, balance, mobility, handling objects, and social and emotional development).
During Physical Education classes, our students learn to develop confidence in their abilities, and lay the foundation for a lifelong love of sports, physical activity, and a healthy lifestyle. Students perform a series of activities that develop motor, cognitive, and socioemotional skills that allow them to learn about themselves, the importance of healthy lifestyles, self-expression, decision-making, and social skills.
In ECEC, Physical Education classes are 30 minutes long. The activities are playful and based on two pillars: motor development and social interaction. Using games and playful activities, classes are designed to get children to actually move and socialize. The idea is to plant the idea of enjoying physical activity at an early age.
Elementary School
1st to 6th grades
From 1st to 6th grades, student assessments for Physical Education are based on participation (socioemotional performance), motor skills, and physical abilities. A grade is given for each of these three components. The range of physical activities increases the higher the grade. Rules and techniques of various sports modalities gradually increase in relevance more naturally and organically, as the backdrop to the games and activities.
7th to 10th grades
Classes now focus heavily on group and individual sports, to acquire motor and technical skills, besides understanding concepts so that students can organize and manage their physical activities outside of school. Mastery and use of concepts related to each modality – such as the correct positioning of athletes during offense or defense, and the right technical move – are now taken into account when each student is assessed.
The physical activities in Chapel’s curriculum include a large number of games and play activities, gymnastics, martial arts, and sports modalities that teachers can employ to build their teaching strategies, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, physical training, floor hockey, handball, track and field, games and play activities, futsal, climbing, softball, flag
football, wrestling, racket sports (badminton, tennis and table tennis), lacrosse, TEQbol, and tchoukball.
11th and 12th grades
In the last two grades of school, Chapel offers a wide range of after school physical activities and sports, but students also have the option of doing them off-campus. Regardless of where they’re practiced, students must complete 38 class hours of physical activities per semester.
Focus on personal responsibility
When it comes to physical activities and sports for children and teenagers, a major concern for students and parents is certainly that of self-image, both in terms of physical standards – extolled by advertising and social media – and the fear of judgment based on one’s physical standards or physical performance.
Chapel aims to promote a safe environment, so that all students can feel good when practicing physical activities, and learn how to deal with their win-lose-related emotional highs and lows. After all, playing sports implies balancing victories and defeats, success and frustration. Sports is a great learning experience, since it helps address both euphoria and frustration.
The strategy adopted by teachers is grounded on a wide range of options, but most importantly based on lending their support throughout the process. Activities can be organized such that interactions can take place among students who have similar performance levels in a given sport (all play volleyball, for example, but are placed according to their technical level). Another option would be to make up four teams, distributing those who perform the best in a balanced arrangement, or have half of each class practice a certain sport. This equilibrium is determined by teachers based on their experiences and feelings, and creates a positive setting for all.
Extracurricular activities
In addition to Chapel’s curricular Physical Education activities, as part of its continuous work with students, it also offers a wide range of extracurricular sports.
ECEC
In the ECEC, the extracurricular activities program for Pre II and Kindergarten students provides movement and playful activities, and multi-sports classes twice a week, lasting one hour per session.
Elementary School
Elementary School students have the Young Trojans sports program, which includes a wide range of extracurricular sports activities. As a result, students’ interests can be addressed comprehensively, while their families can work around different alternatives for how to best adapt their daily schedule.
The Young Trojans activities start in 1st grade. As a result, children have the opportunity to practice sports starting at age six – even if it is just by playing. In 1st and 2nd grades, group sports teams are not separated by gender: girls and boys practice together. The separation is only from 3rd grade onwards.
Up until 6th grade, there are no official competitions, only exhibition matches against other schools and games during school-wide celebrations. This helps children learn early on how to interact with others, and adequately address any emotions that may arise. Sometimes the school hosts visiting teams, and other times Chapel teams play at other schools.
In each semester, with dates published in the school calendar, the physical education teachers promote an event called Family Active Morning, which aims to present a little of the PE curriculum to the students’ parents, in a way that allows parents to participate together with their children. In the first semester the event is held with students from 1st to 3rd year and in the second semester for those from 4th to 6th year.
High School
Teams are put together for the sports that make up Junior Varsity, JV under-15, (7th to 9th grades) and Varsity, under 19, (10th to 12th grades) competitions. Chapel competes in the São Paulo High School League (SPHSL) championship, which brings together five international schools (American and British), and takes place throughout the semester, and in the Association of American Schools in Brazil (AASB) competitions, all of which include 14 American schools in Brazil. These are traditional competitions in which the school has participated since the 1970s.
Up until the age of 12, the idea is for games to occur among children of the same age. From 12 to 15, the sports category “graduates” to Junior Varsity, and the ages are more mixed. Players of any of these ages can be seen on the same team. The same occurs later, in Varsity, which includes 16- to 18-year-olds.
This progression is embedded in the natural shift in the students’ status throughout their time at Chapel. Whoever was the oldest student in the class becomes the youngest when they get to Junior Varsity sports, and the process repeats itself at age 15, when a Junior Varsity veteran becomes Varsity’s youngest. This is all part of the students’ maturing process and ability to adapt to different situations. Another change in the HIgh School Sports Program, starting in Junior Varsity, is that events previously held once yearly now take place twice a year. The first semester, from August to December, includes official football, basketball, and cheerleading competitions. In the second semester, from January to June, the season shifts to futsal, volleyball, softball (baseball), and cheerleading again.
The traditional Varsity competition between eight schools—the Big 8—takes place at Acampamento Nosso Recanto, known as NR, in the town of Sapucaí-Mirim, in southern Minas Gerais. NR is a venue that has hosted sports tournaments for international schools since the 1980s. It provides excellent monitoring, hospitality, food, and security. Little 8 – soon to become Little 10 to include two more schools – is for Junior Varsity teams, and also takes place there.
Celebrations that engage the school community
The days leading up to Chapel’s participation in the Big 8 tournaments are marked by Spirit Week, a series of social and celebratory events that stir up the emotions for this sporting competition, and that get everyone rooting for the school’s teams to do their best in the Big 8.
The end of Spirit Week, on the Friday prior to the trip (which starts on Sunday), heralds the Pep Rally. The entire High School goes to one of the courts, where a major presentation of the traveling teams is showcased with fight songs, a performance by the cheerleading team, and other social activities organized by StuCo, the Student Council.
The sports year closes with the grand celebration of the Sports Banquet, which brings together students and families. After a celebration dinner, three standouts are announced for each team chosen by the coaches for the categories of best defensive player, best offensive player, and most inspirational player
(or the same best defensive or offensive player). More recently, the award has been given out to three nominees for each category, thereby increasing the number of students receiving recognition.
Tournaments
Little 8/ Little 10
Teams: Junior Varsity (under-15)
Where and when it takes place: NR 2 (Acampamento Nosso Recanto), November and May
Participating schools: Chapel, Graded, EAC, PACA, EARJ, EAB, Sant’Anna, and ISC
Modalities: First semester - soccer, basketball, and competitive cheerleading. Second semester - futsal, volleyball, softball, and exhibition cheerleading.
Big 8
Where and when it takes place: NR 2 (Acampamento Nosso Recanto), October and April
Participating schools: Chapel, Graded, EAC, PACA, EARJ, EAB, Sant’Anna, and ISC
Modalities: First semester - soccer, basketball, and competitive cheerleading. Second semester - futsal, volleyball, softball, and exhibition cheerleading.
AASB Final 4
Where and when it takes place: At the school that volunteers to host it, December and May
Participating schools: The champion and runner-up teams in each modality of the Big 8 tournament, together with the champions and runners-up of the ISSL tournament (held with the other half of the American + British schools)
Modalities: First semester - soccer, basketball, and competitive cheerleading. Second semester - futsal and volleyball.
SPHSL
Where and when it takes place: Varsity (round-robin: playing one game at home and one away against each opposing team), Junior Varsity (single round, two games at home and two away) throughout the first or second semester
Participating schools: Chapel, Graded, EAC, PACA, and St Paul’s
Modalities: First semester - soccer, basketball and competitive cheerleading. Second semester – futsal, and volleyball.
Young Trojans Modalities
Soccer: from 1st to 6th grade
Basketball: from 1st to 6th grade
Volleyball: from 5th to 6th grade
Cheerleading: from 1st to 6th grade
Artistic gymnastics: from 1st to 6th grade
Tennis: from 1st to 5th grade
Multi-Sports: from 1st to 5th grade
Flag Football: from 3rd to 5th grade
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Chapel’s sports traditions begin?
Chapel’s focus on sports and physical activities dates back to the founding of the school, more than 76 years ago. Simply leaf through the yearbooks available in the school library to see how relevant this history is.
Is the goal to develop professional athletes?
The idea is to provide experiences in several sports modalities, based on the understanding that physical activities are an essential component for achieving balance in school years, and a source of valuable learning experiences for life. The goal is to contribute toward the development of people who can exercise good citizenship.
What is the theoretical basis for Physical Education at Chapel?
The sports curriculum at Chapel is based on SHAPE America, developed by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE), a traditional institution founded in 1885. SHAPE is synonymous with health education and school physical education excellence. The precepts established by the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) are also followed.
Why can physical activities be done off-campus in 11th and 12th grades?
This is a strategy to achieve a balance at a time in the school year when academic studies are more intense. By allowing students to practice sports off-campus, the school extends its consideration to those students who specialize in a specific sport or activity, mindful that this practice already requires a significant amount of training. Some students also choose to engage in a customized workout plan led by a personal trainer.
How can we provide evidence that 11th and 12th graders are performing off-campus sport activities?
Evidence of off-campus sports practice basically comes from information provided by students. It is logged into the semester activity record, together with the information on planning, activities performed, and confirmation. In some cases, especially those involving a personal trainer, the school’s sports department may also wish to contact the professional in charge.
How does Chapel address disagreements and complaints during physical activities and sports practices?
These are tolerated up to a certain point, with continuous monitoring by teachers. In addition to the school’s general rules, which determine what is and what is not acceptable, it is worthwhile remembering that a student’s behavior affects their grade in Physical Education. In turn, the grade for Physical Education, like all other subjects, affects the student’s GPA (Grade Point Average). This is an important consideration in scholarship and college applications. Personal responsibility is the only component that is constantly assessed during Physical Education classes; other attributes are assessed occasionally depending on the activity being performed.
What is the level of participation in extracurricular sports activities?
Very high. Currently, 86% of Elementary School students engage in an extracurricular sports activity at school. From 7th grade onwards, when academic demands and other interests also compete for a teenager’s attention, the participation rate is also very high, 81%.
How engaged are parents in sports activities?
Parental engagement is high and goes beyond being a fan on the stands. On SPHSL game day, for example, moms representing the ParentTeacher Association (PTA) take part in the Booster Club, which coordinates activities and invites volunteer parents to work at the school canteen. In addition to nurturing a close relationship with students, parental
involvement is a way to foster a sense of community, an attitude cherished by Chapel school. The amount raised by the Booster Club is forwarded to the sports department to help finance its activities.
Do girls have the same number of options for sports and physical activities as boys?
Sports activities at Chapel have helped break paradigms and create cultural transformation. One example would be cheerleading, which is no longer just about making presentations, but has reached competition status in international school championships. Traditionally associated with girls, the sport has also been drawing in boys interested in the rich combination of artistry and sports. On the other hand, there has also been a heightened interest in soccer by girls, who are already the majority of players in 5th and 6th grades.
Who organizes the championships that Chapel participates in?
Competitions are organized by the schools themselves, following the guidelines established by representatives of all the schools involved. Occasionally, adjustments are made from one year to the next, which include changes to a sport’s official rules. One example of a mutually agreed to change is the option of a football player who has been substituted to go back to the match, a practice not allowed in the official rules.
Do all students enrolled in sports participate in the championships?
Not all students who practice a certain activity are invited to play in the official games, because of a simple math issue, i.e., the number of spots is restricted to fewer than the total number of students practicing the sport.
What are the criteria for selecting students to participate in a championship?
The player selection process is based on several criteria that certainly include technique and the student’s physical fitness at the time. Nevertheless, other aspects are also taken into account, such as socioemotional skills. Those exhibiting a high level of participation and team spirit have an advantage over others with similar technical skills. Even those considered the best technically may not be invited because of their behavior.
How can I help my son or daughter address their frustration if they are not invited to participate in a championship?
Emphasize the message that this is part of life, and that continuing to strive toward the goal is the right road toward eventually being summoned. Chapel’s sports department works in partnership with families to help them understand that children have different development timelines and skill levels. Not all of them will necessarily stand out in sports, and this is not the most important factor when considering all the other gains received by practicing a physical activity. It is worth remembering that all those who are not invited to participate in a team can still play in exhibition matches at Chapel and at other schools. The only difference is that these matches do not count toward a championship, but they are just as organized, and include referees.
Which precautions should be taken so that extracurricular sports do not compromise performance in other subjects?
Poor academic performance in other subjects is cause for a student not to be invited to an official competition. In this case, it is understood that the student is having a hard time reconciling sports with their other academic activities. Therefore, the priority would be to catch up on the subject they’re lagging in. Showing commitment to academic improvement is a factor that would be taken into account in the following athletic selection process.
Mission Statement
In a caring and academically challenging environment, Chapel provides an American-style education to an international student body. Through Christian values, students learn to make informed decisions, to own responsibility for personal actions and community needs, and to respect life and cultural diversity.
Shared Vision Statement
Engage. Challenge. Support. Care. Prepare students for life.
Motto
“Faith in Education.”
Definition of High-Quality Learning
“At Chapel School, learning is a collaborative and personal journey, crafted to suit the needs and strengths of each student. Rooted in research-based best practices and grounded in international and national curricula, our approach to learning encompasses a holistic view of student growth.
Learning extends beyond academic knowledge. It embraces the spiritual, socioemotional, cognitive, and physical dimensions of student development. Our learning process nurtures life skills while fostering critical and creative thinking, communication, and collaboration.
By cultivating a sense of responsibility and belonging, we empower our students to become active contributors to their communities. Learning has a higher purpose to positively impact society”.
Definition of Internationalism
“Chapel School is an accepting and inclusive environment that respects and embraces cultural uniqueness and diversity. We seek to create an open-minded community while making connections between different perspectives, beliefs, and nationalities to promote a sustainable future in all its dimensions.”
