If we were to come up with a mission statement for our department it would be this:

We have rededicated ourselves to this tenant for a number of reasons:

• For the health and well-being of our students

With this in mind, and through our interdepartmental collaboration, we have designed a Fitness Test that is uniquely ours, Lakeside School’s, which will be the centerpiece of our program. When a group of our graduates have gathered together and are recollecting memories of Lakeside, we want the "Fitness Test " to be something they not only remember, but remember fondly, conjuring up thoughts and feelings of satisfaction and admiration for having successfully gone through the "program".

The "Lakeside Fitness Test" has been designed with several key aspects in mind:

1. Progression – A step-by-step progression, with each year preparing the student for the next.
2. Experience – Moving through the different "levels", the students end up with a familiar experience each year, no matter what the grade level.
3. Measurability – Standards and norms are used as a basis of comparison, not only within our school, but nationally as well.
4. Uniqueness – Given the structure of our school, with proximity, equipment, and facilities, this test certainly is "one of a kind". And we are proud of that.

We feel very positive about the design of our program. Certainly, there are some differences between a 5^th grader and a 10^th grader. With that in mind, the scope of activities at the Middle School are more oriented towards movement activity and games, and at the Upper School they are more structured toward an understanding and implementation of fitness concepts.