This Week's Agenda

September is Fruits and Veggies—More Matters Month, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, National Cholesterol Education Month, Whole Grains Month, National Celiac Disease Awareness Day (September 13), World Alzheimer’s Day (September 21), Family Health and Fitness Day (September 24), National Women’s Health and Fitness Day (September 28), and World Heart Day (September 30).

The “Growing To Greatness” shirts (grey shirts that can be purchased from PTO) may be worn in place of the Holy Spirit gym shirt on Fridays for middle school classes in A, B, C rotation, Ahonen homeroom, Glenn homeroom, Preschool (4 year olds), Elliot homeroom, and Ray homeroom.  The Holy Spirit gym shorts still need to be worn with the optional t-shirt.

We have been working on a new stretching routine in our PE classes that involve dynamic stretching rather than static stretching.  Dynamic stretching involves movement and form rather than static stretching (standing and stretching, which is the way most of us learned how to stretch growing up).  Studies have shown that dynamic stretching helps to increase flexibility and to reduce injury over time, so we are getting more “bang for our buck” with dynamic stretching.

We are well under way with President’s testing (third grade through eighth grade)—a series of Physical Education tests that gauge muscular strength, muscular endurance, speed and quickness, and flexibility among others.  The tests include pull-ups, curl-ups, flex arm hang, shuttle run, pushups, sit and reach, mile run (half mile for third grade including Mrs. Elliot’s class), and I have added an additional test and that is the pole climb on the playground.  Returning students will be told their results of last year and the idea is they show improvement from their fourth quarter results as they perform the tests in the first quarter this year.  We will be testing the next few weeks (usually one test a class period depending on class size).

Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade will continue working with the balance beam.  We have been using the outside beam, on the playground.  We have initially been working on just going forward over the beam with our eyes looking forward and hands out to our sides for extra balance.

Preschool has started working on daily procedures in the gym.  We have also been working on simple games such as Simon Says.

As always, it is expected that each student is to come to class each day with their gym uniform, have a good attitude, ready to learn, and ready to work.