NOVEMBER PE NEWS BLOG:

During the month of October, students in grades 3 – 5 participated in a Soccer Unit and Fitness Testing.  In our soccer unit, students learned skills such as dribbling, passing and kicking on goal.  Additionally, students participated in modified game play to learn and practice soccer offensive and defensive strategies.

             Fitness Testing consisted of 4 key areas of fitness: 

1. Cardiovascular Endurance – The Pacer Test
2. Muscular Strength and Endurance – Push Ups
3. Flexibility – Sit and Reach
4. Abdominal Strength and Endurance – Sit Ups

          During the month of October and early November, students in grades K – 2 practiced the following skills:  dribbling with their feet, underhand throwing and catching, jumping and landing, and chasing, fleeing and dodging.  Students also reviewed the following:  spatial awareness, low, medium and high levels, straight, curved and zigzagged pathways.  Additionally, emphasis was placed on the following locomotor skills:  skipping, hopping and galloping. 

PRESENT

         Currently, students in grades 3 – 5 are learning the life skills of tumbling, rock climbing and Get Fit days.  Students in grades K – 2 are also tumbling, climbing and increasing their fitness. 

FUTURE

         Students in grades 3 – 5 will be learning about Striking in December and January.  Students in grades K – 2 will also be participating in a striking unit and then reviewing the components of the overhand throw. 

OCTOBER PE NEWS BLOG:

PAST

During the month of September, students in grades 3 – 5 participated in a Training Camp and a Teambuilding Unit.  In Training Camp, students learned about P.E. Rules, how to choose partners in a kind and inclusive manner and learned strategies to work out challenges with other students in a positive environment.  In our Teambuilding Unit students had opportunities to work together with different students in class and cooperate with each other in order to reach group goals.  Teamwork, cooperation and positive behaviors displayed were fantastic all around! 

During the month of September, students in grades K – 2 learned the following:  spatial awareness, low, medium and high levels, straight, curved and zigzagged pathways.  Additionally, emphasis was placed on the following locomotor skills:  walking, running, hopping and galloping. 

PRESENT

Currently, students in grades 3 – 5 are in the middle of a soccer unit.  Basic soccer skills such as dribbling, passing and kicking on goal are being practiced.  Additionally, students participate in modified game play to learn and practice soccer strategies.  Students in grades K – 2 are practicing dribbling with the feet, the underhand throw and catching.    

FUTURE

Students in grades 3 – 5 will be participating in a Fitness Testing as their next unit.  Fitness testing includes sit-ups, push-ups, sit and reach and the Pacer test.  Students in grades K – 2 will continue with catching and move onto learn about jumping and landing in their next unit. 

MAY PE NEWS:

PAST

During the month of April, students in grades K – 5 completed a Tumbling Unit.  Students learned about balance, flexibility and muscular strength.  Students practiced various types of jumps off of two feet and explored balancing using different parts of the body.  Students had opportunities to learn or practice the following skills:  donkey kicks, somersaults, frog stands, cartwheels, headstands, handstands and partner supports.  Students in grades 4 and 5 worked independently or on a team to create a sequenced tumbling routine.  The teamwork, cooperation and creativity displayed were fantastic all around! 

PRESENT

Currently, students in grades 3 – 5 are in the middle of fitness testing.  Fitness testing includes sit-ups, push-ups, sit and reach and the Pacer test.  Students in grades K – 2 are practicing loco-motor skills, throwing, catching and fitness. 

FUTURE

The end of the school year is right around the corner and our annual Field Day will be Tuesday, June 2, 2009.  Information related to Field Day will be sent home with students soon.  We will be in need of many parent volunteers so please mark your calendars! 

APRIL PE NEWS:

Grades 1 – 5: 

Nordic Skiing Unit

We completed our Nordic Ski Unit just in time before all the snow started to melt away!  Students learned how much fun it is to exercise outdoors and learned that cross-country skiing can be a fantastic aerobic workout.  Students learned everything from how to put on their boots and skis in addition to how to get up after a twisting fall.  They also learned proper techniques for flat track, uphill and downhill terrains.  The 4^th and 5^th graders went on a ski tour for their annual field trip to the Ski Touring Center.  We got in a few hours of outdoor fun all before lunchtime!  I’d like to extend another HUGE thanks to all the parents who volunteered to allow this special unit to happen for our students.  Thank you! 

Pickleball/Striking Unit

What do you get when you combine badminton, tennis and ping-pong?  These are the ingredients for the sport known as pickleball!  Pickleball was invented in 1965 and is named after Pickles, the family cocker spaniel of one of the co-inventors of the game.  Students in Grades 3 – 5 are learning some basic pickeball rules, how to keep score and improve their eye-hand coordination. 

Grades 1 and 2 are in the middle of a striking unit in which they are using beach balls to improve their eye-hand coordination.  All grade levels are participating in fitness warm-ups and are working on various components of fitness each day.  These aspects of fitness include:  cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance and flexibility.  

Kindergarten:

In our previous unit, students were practicing the underhand roll and learned about bowling.  We are currently in a striking unit using beach balls to improve eye-hand coordination.  Students have daily opportunities to practice their loco-motor skills including running, skipping, galloping, hopping and sliding.