This Week's Agenda

October is Eye Injury Prevention Month, Home Eye Safety Month, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Stop America’s Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Today Month, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month, Mental Illness Awareness Week (2-8), Drive Safely to Work Week (3-7), Child Health Day (3), Walk to School Day (5), World Mental Health Day (10), World Food Day (16), Red Ribbon Week (23-31), and National Drug Facts Week (October 31-November 6).

We are nearly finished 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. 

The Fall Program, put on by Mrs. Simms, will have rehearsal practices starting on Wednesday October 12.  The practices will take place between 10:00 and 11:20 and because of this, it will affect PE class time for grades 4 and 5.  I will see Mrs. McMahon and Mrs. Eastman’s classes on Monday and Tuesday respectively and those are the only two classes I will see this week for grades 4 and 5.

We will be participating in this on Wednesday: "Let's Jump" is the motto behind National Geographic Kids' Guinness World Record attempt for the most people doing jumping jacks during a 24-hour period, and staff are asked to spread the word. NGK and first lady Michelle Obama will lead the event with hundreds of Washington-area children on the White House lawn at 3 p.m. Oct. 11, but anyone, anywhere can participate in breaking the current record of 20,000 people by completing one minute of jumping jacks between 3 p.m. EST Oct. 11 and 3 p.m. Oct. 12.

We are also participating in a program called Get Active Get Fit in kindergarten-eighth grade.  Students will be receiving a pedometer, courtesy of a grant through the Anthem Foundation.  Parents may need to help the students set up information on the pedometer (instructions are in each box).  Students will fill out an activity sheet that lists what activities and the length of the activities.  The program will run through November 26.  The goal is to have each student active for a minimum of 20 minutes daily.

Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade will continue working with the balance beam.  We have started going backwards over the balance beam with our eyes looking forward (our most challenging feat yet).

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.