PE Agenda December 17-21

Parents,

Please check your child's PE grade on My Student Progress. I update grades within 48 hours of class and I do write comments periodically on specific situations that occur during class.

We will be finishing up our Fitness Circuits this week (Middle school, fourth and fifth grades).  I had a wonderful suggestion: a sixth grade student asked if the students could create their own fitness circuit.  It's a great idea, so we may be working on something in that area in the third quarter.

We will be playing various movement games that involve Christmas-themed activities.

If a student is injured or is sick, please provide a doctor note, so I have documentation of what a student can or can't do during class.
We will be incorporating various Math terminology into classes to assist in the process of helping our entire school pull up our Math scores on state testing (I-STEP).

Good Luck Sports Teams!

PE Agenda for December 10-14

Parents,

Please check your child's PE grade on My Student Progress. I update grades within 48 hours of class and I do write comments periodically on specific situations that occur during class.

We are continuing to work on fitness circuit stations with middle school to build on our principles from President's Testing and adding a bit of competitiveness to class with it as well.

Third, fourth, and fifth grades have Christmas Program practices this week during Unified Arts (10:00-11:20). The practices will be Monday and Tuesday (December 10 and 11). Due to this, I will see fifth grade on Thursday, and Miss Glenn's class on Friday only.  I will see the 4-Split class at normal time Wednesday.  We will continue to work on a fitness circuit in grades 4-5. Third grade will work with jump ropes along with a movement game that involves strategy.

Kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade will all continue to work on jumping rope. All are at various stages--some initial stages, some are able to go forward and backward. This will be our main focus from here until the end of the quarter. We will also play a variety of tag games upon completion of jump rope on each respective day. 

If a student is injured or is sick, please provide a doctor note, so I have documentation of what a student can or can't do during class.
We will be incorporating various Math terminology into classes to assist in the process of helping our entire school pull up our Math scores on state testing (I-STEP).

Have a Great Week and Good Luck Sports Teams!

PE Agenda for December 3-7

Parents,

Please check your child's PE grade on My Student Progress.  I update grades within 48 hours of class and I do write comments periodically on specific situations that occur during class.

We are working on fitness circuit stations with middle school to build on our principles from President's Testing and adding a bit of competitiveness to class with it as well. 

Third, fourth, and fifth grades will start their Christmas Program practices this week during Unified Arts (10:00-11:20).  The practices will be Wednesday-Friday (December 5-7).  Due to this, I will only see each of these grade levels once this week.  We will work on a fitness circuit in grades 4-5.  Third grade will work with jump ropes along with a movement game that involves strategy.

Kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade will all continue to work on jumping rope. All are at various stages--some initial stages, some are able to go forward and backward. This will be our main focus from here until the end of the quarter. We will also play a variety of tag games upon completion of jump rope on each respective day.  Kindergarten will be on a field trip on Monday, so I will only see them on Wednesday this week.

If a student is injured or is sick, please provide a doctor note, so I have documentation of what a student can or can't do during class.
We will be incorporating various Math terminology into classes to assist in the process of helping our entire school pull up our Math scores on state testing (I-STEP).

Have a Great Week and Good Luck Sports Teams!

PE Agenda For November 26-30

Parents,

Sixth and seventh grades (General Music) are both wrapping up President's Testing--finishing up the mile.  Each specific middle school class is coming up with a thought process of how to improve on Testing numbers in the fourth quarter (what will the individual student do between now and then to ensure improvement happens).  We will also work on various fitness station work with the groups that have finished to continue to build on our principles from President's Testing.  Seventh grade has PE twice this week--normally Monday and Friday, but because of Mass being moved to Friday (Spanish Mass), PE this week for seventh grade will be Monday and Wednesday (November 26 and 28).

Fourth and fifth grades will work on fitness stations this week.  Both grade levels will start practicing for their Christmas program Wednesday December 5.  The practices will take place during Unified Arts times (10:00-11:20).

Kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade will all continue to work on jumping rope.  All are at various stages--some initial stages, some are able to go forward and backward.  This will be our main focus from here until the end of the quarter.  We will also play a variety of tag games upon completion of jump rope on each respective day.

If a student is injured or is sick, please provide a doctor note, so I have documentation of what a student can or can't do during class.
We will be incorporating various Math terminology into classes to assist in the process of helping our entire school pull up our Math scores on state testing (I-STEP).

Have a Great Week and Good Luck Sports Teams and Happy Thanksgiving!

PE Agenda for November 19 and 20

Parents,

We have an abbreviated week this week with Thanksgiving Break.

Monday will be a normal day starting with a "C" day for Middle School.  We will work on fitness stations with 8th grade.  We will work on jump ropes in all other classes and play a Thanksgiving movement game.

On Tuesday, we will have Mass at 8:30, so we will NOT  have Unified Arts with Middle School.  Again, we will work on jump rope and a Thanksgiving movement game with all class I will see on Tuesday.

Have a great Thanksgiving Break and Good Luck Sports Teams!

This Week's Agenda

Parents,

Due to our middle school schedule, we are still finishing up President's Testing. The General Music classes are typically larger than the Band/Choir classes, so they take a bit longer to finish things up. The classes that have completed Testing will talk about ways that we can improve our Testing for the fourth quarter when we do it again.  We will also work on various fitness station work with the groups that have finished to continue to build on our principles from President's Testing.

Third, Fourth and fifth grades are also finishing Testing and have started talking about specific ways to improve for the fourth quarter. We will start to work on jump rope after stretches daily as well.

Second grade has started work with the jump ropes, focusing on forward (regular) first. This will be a daily activity that we do after we stretch. It is truly amazing how much improved a student is on the jump rope after we do it for several weeks. We will play a movement game as well that works on teamwork.

First grade is in the initial stages of learning how to jump rope. Returning students from last year know how to do this and have done a great job so far. Our focus is with our new students and practicing the concept of hand, eye, foot coordination.

Kindergarten will start to work on the jump ropes (multi-step process using balance and coordination). We will also play a tag game that involves teamwork and cardiovasular endurance.

If a student is injured or is sick, please provide a doctor note, so I have documentation of what a student can or can't do during class.
We will be incorporating various Math terminology into classes to assist in the process of helping our entire school pull up our Math scores on state testing (I-STEP).

Have a Great Week and Good Luck Sports Teams!

This Week's Agenda

Parents,

Due to our middle school schedule, we are still finishing up President's Testing. The General Music classes are typically larger than the Band/Choir classes, so they take a bit longer to finish things up. The classes that have completed Testing will talk about ways that we can improve our Testing for the fourth quarter when we do it again.

Third, Fourth and fifth grades are also finishing Testing and have started talking about specific ways to improve for the fourth quarter.  We will start to work on jump rope after stretches daily as well.

Second grade has started work with the jump ropes, focusing on forward (regular) first. This will be a daily activity that we do after we stretch. It is truly amazing how much improved a student is on the jump rope after we do it for several weeks.  We will play a movement game as well that works on teamwork.

First grade is in the initial stages of learning how to jump rope. Returning students from last year know how to do this and have done a great job so far. Our focus is with our new students and practicing the concept of hand, eye, foot coordination.

Kindergarten will start to work on the jump ropes (multi-step process using balance and coordination).  We will also play a tag game that involves teamwork and cardiovasular endurance.

If a student is injured or is sick, please provide a doctor note, so I have documentation of what a student can or can't do during class.

The roofing company has completed their work over the gym, so we will be in the gym unless a class has students that need to still do the mile or it warms up again.

Have a Great Week and Good Luck Sports Teams!

This Week's Agenda

Parents,

Due to our middle school schedule, we are still finishing up President's Testing.  The General Music classes are typically larger than the Band/Choir classes, so they take a bit longer to finish things up.  The classes that have completed Testing will talk about ways that we can improve our Testing for the fourth quarter when we do it again.

Third, Fourth and fifth grades are also finishing Testing and have started talking about specific ways to improve for the fourth quarter.  We will also play a Halloween game this week.

Second grade has started work with the jump ropes, focusing on forward (regular) first.  This will be a daily activity that we do after we stretch.  It is truly amazing how much improved a student is on the jump rope after we do it for several weeks.  We will also play a Halloween game this week.

First grade is in the initial stages of learning how to jump rope.  Returning students from last year know how to do this and have done a great job so far.  Our focus is with our new students and practicing the concept of hand, eye, foot coordination.

Kindergarten will finish up on the balance beam going backward this week.  We will also start jumping rope after we complete the balance beam.

If a student is injured or is sick, please provide a doctor note, so I have documentation of what a student can or can't do during class.

The roofing company has completed their work over the gym, so we will be in the gym unless a class has students that need to still do the mile or it warms up again.

Congratulations to the Fever on bringing a Championship to Indiana!

Happy Halloween and Good Luck Sports Teams!

This Week's Agenda

Parents,

Happy Fall Break!

While you have some time off, I encourage you to do some physical activities with your children.

We have a new roof that will be put on over the next couple of weeks (over the gym and fourth and fifth grade classrooms).  The installation may cause us to get kicked out of the gym.  Please pay attention to the weather and have students dress appropriately for going outside in the event that we cannot be in the gym for class on a certain day(s).

Some classes in grades 3-8 are finished with President's Testing, some will be wrapping up this week and or next week.  Upon completition of the testing, it is important for the students to reflect and gauge where they believe their physical fitness level(s) is and how it can improve--what are some steps to improve.  We will be doing some work in class on this, but this is an area that can also be worked on at home and through sports (team and individual sports). 

First and second grades will start to work with the jump ropes.  Our focus will be going forward (regular), and we will use our balancing skills that we used in the first quarter to improve our motor skill development with the jump rope.

Kindergarten will be finishing up with going backward on the balance beam.  We took a break from this during the Fall Program practices (the program was great!).  We will only have one class this week due to our Fall Break day on Monday October 22.

If a student is injured or is sick, please provide a doctor note, so I have documentation of what a student can or can't do during class.

Good luck to our sports teams, good luck to the Indiana Fever, and to the Colts!

This Week's Agenda

Parents,

We will have an abbreviated week this week due to the Fall Program (Tuesday), noon dismissal Wednesday (conferences), and Fall Break (Thursday and Friday).

We are finishing up President's Testing (grades 3-8).  The students have been working very hard and I encourage them to continue to work hard on their physical fitness.  Parents, you can also help with this as well with your encouragement.  Playing sports together as a family or simply going on a family walk are great ways to bond with your kids as well as getting some family physical fitness.

If a student is injured or is sick, please provide a doctor note, so I have documentation of what a student can or can't do during class.

Have a great week!

Good luck to our sports teams, good luck to the Indiana Fever, and to the Colts!

This Week's Agenda

Parents,

We are working on President's testing in grades 3-8 and some groups are close to finishing up. The testing consists of a series of Physical Education tests that gauge muscular strength, muscular endurance, speed and quickness, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. The tests include pull-ups, curl-ups, flex arm hang, shuttle run, pushups, sit and reach, mile run (jog) 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 (middle school has a journal that previous year's results are a part of, so they can physically see their results before testing with me). We will be testing the next few weeks (usually one test a class period depending on class size). We will test again in the fourth quarter to gauge improvement over the course of the year.  We will be jogging the mile in several classes over the next week or so.  If your child has asthma and they use an inhaler on a daily basis, please have them bring the inhaler to class next week (grades 3-8).  We are working on responsibility with the inhalers.  We have been practicing jogging at a pace for a period of 1, 2, 3, and 4 minutes at a time in grades 3 and 4.

Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade have either completed the balance beam work or will be finishing soon.  We are starting Fall Program (Kindergarten-Grade 2) practices Tuesday-Friday this week, so between 12:10-1:35, I will not have these particular grade levels for class if they normally see me during that time.

If a student is injured or is sick, please provide a doctor note, so I have documentation of what a student can or can't do during class.

Have a great week and Good Luck Sports Teams!

This Week's Agenda

Parents,

Our focus, in many of our classes recently, has been what our Personal Best looks like and the expectation that we should see it in PE every day. The end result of doing a task might look very different from one student to another student, but each one of us is capable of our Personal Best each and every class that we have PE, regardless of our athletic ability.  The eighth grade really rose the occasion on Thursday and worked as hard collectively as I've ever seen from this particular group.

We are working on President's testing in grades 3-8. The testing consists of a series of Physical Education tests that gauge muscular strength, muscular endurance, speed and quickness, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. The tests include pull-ups, curl-ups, flex arm hang, shuttle run, pushups, sit and reach, mile run (jog) 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 (middle school has a journal that previous year's results are a part of, so they can physically see their results before testing with me). We will be testing the next few weeks (usually one test a class period depending on class size). We will test again in the fourth quarter to gauge improvement over the course of the year.  We have been in school for seven weeks now and students should be prepping for the mile on their own--walking, jogging, running to get ready.  We will spend some in class time  prepping, but students should have already started working in this area.

Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade have started working on the balance beam. We have a beam on the playground that will be used when the weather is appropriate to go outside and we use a portable one in the gym when we cannot go outside. The students came up with great answers how we can stay balanced and we are putting those answers into action as we work on the balance beam. We have completed going forward over the beam. We are currently working on going backward on the beam.  We are going to be finishing this up soon and moving on to other things.

If a student is injured or is sick, please provide a doctor note, so I have documentation of what a student can or can't do during class.

Have a great week and Good Luck Sports Teams!

Update On Gym Uniforms

Parents,

Every student that ordered a gym uniform in August or early September should now have a gym uniform.  I do have a supply of PE shorts and t-shirts in my office with a variety of youth and adult sizes.  The shorts are $14 and the t-shirts are $8.  Checks need to be made out to:

Holy Spirit PTO

Memo line should read: Gym Apparel

If a student is in need of either or, please write a check for the proper amount and let me know what size(s) is needed.

Also, the Faith Filled Friday t-shirts will be allowed to be worn in place of the traditional PE t-shirt on Fridays ONLY.

Thank you!

This Week's Agenda

Parents,

Our new grading system (My Student Progress) is almost ready. With the new program, we will be able to email and blog directly from the site, which will make it easier to have communication coming from one source.

Our focus, in many of our classes this past week, was what our Personal Best looks like and the expectation that we should see it in PE every day.  The end result of doing a task might look very different from one student to another student, but each one of us is capable of our Personal Best each and every class that we come in for PE.

We are working on President's testing in grades 3-8. The testing consists of a series of Physical Education tests that gauge muscular strength, muscular endurance, speed and quickness, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. The tests include pull-ups, curl-ups, flex arm hang, shuttle run, pushups, sit and reach, mile run (jog) 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 (middle school has a journal that previous year's results are a part of, so they can physically see their results before testing with me). We will be testing the next few weeks (usually one test a class period depending on class size). We will test again in the fourth quarter to gauge improvement over the course of the year.

Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade have started working on the balance beam. We have a beam on the playground that will be used when the weather is appropriate to go outside and we use a portable one in the gym when we cannot go outside. The students came up with great answers how we can stay balanced and we are putting those answers into action as we work on the balance beam. We have completed going forward over the beam. We are currently working on going backward on the beam. 

If a student is injured or is sick, please provide a doctor note, so I have documentation of what a student can or can't do during class.

Have a great week and Good Luck Sports Teams!

Grading For Grades 3-8

Parents,

Below is how students in grades 3-8 are being graded this year in PE:

Physical Education Grading System (Grades 3-8)

*Daily class grade will be based on 15 points

*Final quarter grade will be based on the total number of points earned by the student compared to the overall total number of points possible for the quarter

Daily Class Grade Point Breakdown of 15 Points

1.  Gym Uniform (5 Points)

The Gym Uniform consists of a Holy Spirit P.E. shirt, Holy Spirit P.E. shorts, socks, tennis shoes, solid dark colored sweatpants and Holy Spirit sweatshirts may be worn over the top of the normal P.E. uniform in the cold months.  The gym uniform is worth 5 points.  The 5 points will be earned by the student wearing the entire gym uniform (H.S. shirt, H.S. shorts, socks, and tennis shoes).  A student will earn zero (0) points if the entire gym uniform is not worn and the student will receive a P.E. uniform notice that will need to be taken home and signed by the student and a parent and brought back the next day of school (the next day of school may not necessarily be a P.E. day).  The sweatpants and sweatshirts are considered optional in the cold months, but the entire gym uniform must be worn underneath for a student to earn the entire 5 points.

2.  Physical (5 Points)

The Physical aspect combines several different pieces, mainly the “doing” during class.  The “doing” consists of effort during stretches, effort during skill work (skill work includes learned instruction time, practicing the learned skill, playing a game that involves the learned skill, etc.).  The expectation of each student giving their Personal Best speaks directly to the 5 points of the daily 15 within the Physical.  Students, regardless of age, gender, or experience within a sport or activity have the ability to choose how much effort they are putting towards an activity.  Due to this student choice, the 5 points in this section can vary from a student earning all 5 points for putting forth their Personal Best, earning 0 points for putting forth no effort, or a reduction of points depending on the effort the student chooses to put forth for part or all of a given class.

3.  Emotional/Social (5 Points)

The Emotional and Social includes interaction with classmates, having a positive attitude toward one’s self and peers, exhibiting proper sportsmanship, having a proper attitude, and behavior.  The emotional and social is about student attitude.  The attitude a student has is directly tied to the Physical because the attitude allows a student to give their Personal Best in anything that we do during class.  The positive attitude of one’s self and others allows for a safe environment for all students.  The 5 points within this section will be earned in a similar way to the 5 points from the Physical.  Students can earn all 5 points, earn 0 points or earn points in between depending on the attitude and behavior that is exhibited during class.

*****NOTE*****Homework may be given based on the unit of study and upon teacher discretion.  Total point value may vary based on unit of study.*****

Colder Weather--Sweatpants and Sweatshirts

Parents,

It is getting colder outside, so students may start wearing sweatpants over the top of their PE shorts and sweatshirts over the top of their PE shirt.  The true PE uniform consists of our Holy Spirit gym shirt, Holy Spirit gym shorts, socks, and tennis shoes, but the sweats are acceptable in the colder months.

Sweatpants need to be navy, black, or gray and need to be plain--a stripe(s) down the side of the pant is acceptable and the sweatpant needs to come down to the ankle.  PTO does have some sweatpants for purchase, but you do not need to purchase from PTO if the student already has acceptable sweatpants to wear.

Sweatshirts may be worn over the PE shirt, but the only sweatshirts that are acceptable to wear are sold by PTO.  Sweatshirts may be a traditional, pull-over, or fleece material.  However, if a sweatshirt is going to be worn, it must have the Holy Spirit emblem on it. 

Hoodies should not be worn during PE class due to safety issues.

Thank you.

This Week's Agenda

Parents,

Our new grading system (My Student Progress) is not quite ready to be rolled out yet.  With the new program, we will be able to email and blog directly from the site, which will make it easier to have communication coming from one source.

We have been working on year long procedures in all classes--what to wear for class, how students are graded in grades 3-8, seating charts, how to enter the gym and leave the gym, expectations during class, etc.

We are working on President's testing in grades 3-8. The testing consists of a series of Physical Education tests that gauge muscular strength, muscular endurance, speed and quickness, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. The tests include pull-ups, curl-ups, flex arm hang, shuttle run, pushups, sit and reach, mile run (jog) 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 (middle school has a journal that previous year's results are a part of, so they can physically see their results before testing with me). We will be testing the next few weeks (usually one test a class period depending on class size). We will test again in the fourth quarter to gauge improvement over the course of the year.

Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade have started working on the balance beam. We have a beam on the playground that will be used when the weather is appropriate to go outside and we use a portable one in the gym when we cannot go outside. The students came up with great answers how we can stay balanced and we are putting those answers into action as we work on the balance beam.  We have completed going forward over the beam.  We will now work on going backward.

Mrs. G has been kind enough to make a schedule for middle school students and have them put it in their student planners as a way to remember when they have PE.  It is a great organizational tool.  Seventh grade has PE on "A" days, sixth grade on "B" days, and eighth grade on "C" days.

If a student is injured or is sick, please provide a doctor note, so I have documentation of what a student can or can't do during class.

Have a great week and Good Luck Sports Teams!

Parents,

Our new grading system (My Student Progress) should be up and running next week.  With the new program, we will be able to email and blog directly from the site, which will make it easier to have communication coming from one source.

We have been working on year long procedures in all classes--what to wear for class, how students are graded in grades 3-8, seating charts, how to enter the gym and leave the gym, expectations during class, etc.

We have started President's testing in grades 3-8. The testing consists of a series of Physical Education tests that gauge muscular strength, muscular endurance, speed and quickness, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. The tests include pull-ups, curl-ups, flex arm hang, shuttle run, pushups, sit and reach, mile run (jog) 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 (middle school has a journal that previous year's results are a part of, so they can physically see their results). We will be testing the next few weeks (usually one test a class period depending on class size). We will test again in the fourth quarter to gauge improvement over the course of the year.

Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade have started working on the balance beam. We have a beam on the playground that will be used when the weather is appropriate to go outside and we use a portable one in the gym when we cannot go outside. We have been talking in classes about different ways that we can stay balanced and we will be putting those ideas into practice as we perform on the beam.

Once the new grading system is up and running, I will attach what the students are being graded on in class.  In the meantime, you can ask your students in grades 3-8, they should know.

Have a great week and Good Luck Sports Teams!

This Week's Agenda

Parents,

With our grading system not up and working yet (My Student's Progress), I want to post on my blog from previous years about what we've been working on so far in Physical Education.

We have been working on year long procedures in all classes--what to wear for class, how students are graded in grades 3-8, seating charts, how to enter the gym and leave the gym, expectations during class, etc.

We have started President's testing or will start testing in grades 3-8 this week.  The testing consists of a series of Physical Education tests that gauge muscular strength, muscular endurance, speed and quickness, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance.  The tests include pull-ups, curl-ups, flex arm hang, shuttle run, pushups, sit and reach, mile run (jog) 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 (middle school has a journal that previous year's results are a part of, so they can physically see their results).  We will be testing the next few weeks (usually one test a class period depending on class size).  We will test again in the fourth quarter.

Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade will be starting work on the balance beam.  We have a beam on the playground that will be used when the weather is appropriate to go outside and we use a portable one in the gym when we cannot go outside.  We have been talking in classes about different ways that we can stay balanced and we will be putting those ideas into practice as we perform on the beam.

Have a great week!

This Week's Agenda

Parents,

THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER GREAT TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!

May is Arthritis Awareness Month, Better Hearing and Speech Month, Global Employee Health and Fitness Month, Healthy Vision Month, Hepatitis Awareness Month, Lupus Awareness Month, Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, Mental Health Month, National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, National Celiac Disease Awareness Month, National High Blood Pressure Education Month, National Mediterranean Diet Month, National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, Ultraviolet Awareness Month, Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (6-12), North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (6-12), National Stuttering Awareness Week (7-13), Air Quality Awareness Week (7-11), Food Allergy Awareness Week (13-19), National Women’s Health Week (13-19), Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week (21-27), Heat Safety Awareness Day (25), National Senior Health and Fitness Day (30), and World No Tobacco Day (31).

Middle School

Our schedule will be Y and YY classes on Tuesday and Z and ZZ classes on Wednesday.  We will have shortened periods on Wednesday due to the Eighth Grade Awards Ceremony at 9:00 and we will be finishing up President’s testing make-ups.  I will keep journals for current sixth and seventh grade students over the summer and we will use them again next year, rather than add more items to the class kits.

Grades 3 (including Mrs. Elliot’s class), 4, and 5

We will be finishing up with President’s testing make-ups on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Grade 2 (Mrs. Norman’s class)

We will finish our Wiffle Ball unit this week.

Enjoy Field Day on Thursday!  Field trip permission slips should have gone home today for Field Day.

This Week's Agenda

May is Arthritis Awareness Month, Better Hearing and Speech Month, Global Employee Health and Fitness Month, Healthy Vision Month, Hepatitis Awareness Month, Lupus Awareness Month, Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, Mental Health Month, National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, National Celiac Disease Awareness Month, National High Blood Pressure Education Month, National Mediterranean Diet Month, National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, Ultraviolet Awareness Month, Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (6-12), North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (6-12), National Stuttering Awareness Week (7-13), Air Quality Awareness Week (7-11), Food Allergy Awareness Week (13-19), National Women’s Health Week (13-19), Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week (21-27), Heat Safety Awareness Day (25), National Senior Health and Fitness Day (30), and World No Tobacco Day (31).

Middle School

We will be finishing up with President’s testing over the next few classes.  As a reminder, President’s testing is 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, and I have added an additional test and that is the pole climb on the playground.  Students must show progress from their first quarter results and we will be tracking results in journals.  We are not yet done with the mile in every class, so we will be continuing until finished—please have students bring inhalers if they have them or need them.

Grades 3 (including Mrs. Elliot’s class), 4, and 5

We will continue with President’s testing—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, and I have added an additional test and that is the pole climb on the playground.  Students must show progress from their first quarter results.  We are not yet done with the mile in every class, so we will be continuing until finished—please have students bring inhalers if they have them or need them.

Grade 2 (Mrs. Norman’s class)

We will continue a Wiffle Ball unit.  We will start playing games this week and we will use “pitcher’s hand”—if the fielding team gets the ball back to the pitcher before the hitter runs from home to first base, the hitter is out.

First Grade and Kindergarten

We will continue our soccer unit.  We will play soccer games this week.  The classes will be broken up into small teams, so there is more of an opportunity for sharing the ball with one another as we play.

Preschool

This past Friday was our last day of class for the year.  The preschool will have their graduation next Friday.

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.

This Week's Agenda

May is Arthritis Awareness Month, Better Hearing and Speech Month, Global Employee Health and Fitness Month, Healthy Vision Month, Hepatitis Awareness Month, Lupus Awareness Month, Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, Mental Health Month, National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, National Celiac Disease Awareness Month, National High Blood Pressure Education Month, National Mediterranean Diet Month, National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, Ultraviolet Awareness Month, Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (6-12), North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (6-12), National Stuttering Awareness Week (7-13), Air Quality Awareness Week (7-11), Food Allergy Awareness Week (13-19), National Women’s Health Week (13-19), Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week (21-27), Heat Safety Awareness Day (25), National Senior Health and Fitness Day (30), and World No Tobacco Day (31).

Middle School

We will continue with President’s testing this week.  As a reminder, President’s testing is 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, and I have added an additional test and that is the pole climb on the playground.  Students must show progress from their first quarter results and we will be tracking results in journals.  We will be doing the mile in class on the next available good weather day—please have students bring inhalers if they have them or need them.

Grades 3 (including Mrs. Elliot’s class), 4, and 5

We will continue with President’s testing—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, and I have added an additional test and that is the pole climb on the playground.  Students must show progress from their first quarter results.  Some of the classes will be doing the mile in class on the next available good weather day—please have students bring inhalers if they have them or need them.

Grade 2 (Mrs. Norman’s class)

We will continue a Wiffle Ball unit.  We have been working in stations on throwing and catching, swinging the bat level, and fielding.  We have been working on force outs vs. non-force outs and started hitting the ball last week.  We will continue hitting this week, work on fielding, and starting the process of having the kids pitch (underhand).

First Grade and Kindergarten

We will continue our soccer unit.  We will continue station work this week on kicking a long distance using the toe (rather than the inside of our foot for short distance) of our foot and stopping the ball by putting our foot on top of it and working on goalie skills—catching and blocking the ball with our hands.  We have started to dribble the soccer ball in between cones as well and will add kicking to a partner after we dribble to simulate playing an actual soccer game, which we will start soon.

Preschool

We will work on our stretches and throw beanbags underhand with a partner.

 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.

This Week's Agenda

May is Arthritis Awareness Month, Better Hearing and Speech Month, Global Employee Health and Fitness Month, Healthy Vision Month, Hepatitis Awareness Month, Lupus Awareness Month, Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, Mental Health Month, National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, National Celiac Disease Awareness Month, National High Blood Pressure Education Month, National Mediterranean Diet Month, National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, Ultraviolet Awareness Month, Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (6-12), North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (6-12), National Stuttering Awareness Week (7-13), Air Quality Awareness Week (7-11), Food Allergy Awareness Week (13-19), National Women’s Health Week (13-19), Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week (21-27), Heat Safety Awareness Day (25), National Senior Health and Fitness Day (30), and World No Tobacco Day (31).

We will be back to our normal rotations this week (Half Day on Friday)—so I will only see 2/3-E and 3-R once this week and I will not see Preschool.  However, we will be out of the gym starting on Wednesday, due to the setup in the gym for the A.F.D.

Middle School Schedule this week for PE:

Monday May 7           Y and YY
Tuesday May 8           Z and ZZ
Thursday May 10        X and XX
Friday May 11            Y and YY

Middle School

We will continue with President’s testing this week.  As a reminder, President’s testing is 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, and I have added an additional test and that is the pole climb on the playground.  Students must show progress from their first quarter results and we will be tracking results in journals.

Grades 3 (including Mrs. Elliot’s class), 4, and 5
We will continue with President’s testing—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, and I have added an additional test and that is the pole climb on the playground.  Students must show progress from their first quarter results.

Grade 2 (Mrs. Norman’s class)

We will continue a Wiffle Ball unit.  We have been working in stations on throwing and catching, swinging the bat level, and fielding.  We have been working on force outs vs. non-force outs and started hitting the ball last week.  We will continue hitting this week, work on fielding, and starting the process of having the kids pitch (underhand).

First Grade and Kindergarten

We will continue our soccer unit.  We will continue station work this week on kicking a long distance using the toe (rather than the inside of our foot for short distance) of our foot and stopping the ball by putting our foot on top of it and working on goalie skills—catching and blocking the ball with our hands.  We will start to dribble the soccer ball in between cones as well.

Preschool
We will not meet this week due to the noon dismissal on Friday.

 

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.

This Week's Agenda

May is Arthritis Awareness Month, Better Hearing and Speech Month, Global Employee Health and Fitness Month, Healthy Vision Month, Hepatitis Awareness Month, Lupus Awareness Month, Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, Mental Health Month, National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, National Celiac Disease Awareness Month, National High Blood Pressure Education Month, National Mediterranean Diet Month, National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, Ultraviolet Awareness Month, Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (6-12), North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (6-12), National Stuttering Awareness Week (7-13), Air Quality Awareness Week (7-11), Food Allergy Awareness Week (13-19), National Women’s Health Week (13-19), Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week (21-27), Heat Safety Awareness Day (25), National Senior Health and Fitness Day (30), and World No Tobacco Day (31).

With I-STEP this week, the schedule has changed:

Middle School—we will have physical activity each day for 20 minutes (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—Mass Day is Friday, which is why we will meet on Wednesday).  Middle school students should wear their normal PE clothes Monday-Thursday.

Kindergarten

Catton—Tuesday only
Hill—Monday and Thursday

First Grade

Ahonen—Wednesday and Friday
O’Neal—Monday and Friday

Second Grade

Norman—Monday and Thursday

Third Grade

Elliot—Wednesday only
Ray—Tuesday and Friday

Fourth Grade

Eastman—Wednesday only

Fifth Grade
Glenn—Tuesday and Friday
McMahon—Monday and Thursday

Middle School

Mrs. Chappelow will be aiding me and we will have half of the middle school for 20 minutes each day (Monday-Thursday).  The plan will be that a group of students will be with me doing one of the tests for President’s testing during the 20 minutes each of the four days we will have this schedule this week.  As a reminder, President’s testing is 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, and I have added an additional test and that is the pole climb on the playground.  Students must show progress from their first quarter results and we will be tracking results in journals.

Grades 3 (including Mrs. Elliot’s class), 4, and 5
We will be continuing President’s testing—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, and I have added an additional test and that is the pole climb on the playground.  Students must show progress from their first quarter results.

Grade 2 (Mrs. Norman’s class)

We will continue a Wiffle Ball unit.  We have been working in stations on throwing and catching, swinging the bat level, and fielding.  We started talking about force outs vs. non-force outs last week and started to demonstrate what each looks like and we will continue to work on it this week.  We will also work on hitting the ball this week as well.

First Grade and Kindergarten

We will continue our soccer unit.  We started station work last week on kicking a short distance using the inside middle part of our foot and stopping the ball by putting our foot on top of it and working on goalie skills—catching and blocking the ball with our hands.  We will continue to work on these things along with kicking a longer distance—using our toe.

Preschool

We will not meet this week due to the I-STEP schedule and we will not meet Friday May 11 (Noon dismissal due to the Annual Fund Dinner the night before).

 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.

This Week's Agenda

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month, Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month, National Autism Awareness Month, National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, National Donate Life Month, National Facial Protection Month, National Minority Health Month, National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month, Occupational Therapy Month, Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month, Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month, Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month, National Public Health Week (2-8), National Alcohol Screening Day (5), World Health Day (7), National Infant Immunization Week (21-28), Safe Kids Week (21-28), and World Meningitis Day (24).

Middle School

We will be continuing President’s testing this week—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, and I have added an additional test and that is the pole climb on the playground.  Students must show progress from their first quarter results and we will be tracking results in journals.

Grades 3 (including Mrs. Elliot’s class), 4, and 5

We will be starting President’s testing this week—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, and I have added an additional test and that is the pole climb on the playground.  Students must show progress from their first quarter results.

Grade 2 (Mrs. Norman’s class)

We will start a Wiffle Ball unit.  Over the course of the unit, students will use skills from throwing and catching along with learning how to hit a Wiffle Ball with a bat (hand-eye coordination), and learn the rules of the game.

First Grade and Kindergarten

We will start a soccer unit.  Our initial focus will be short and long distance kicking, stopping the ball, and dribbling a soccer ball.

Preschool

We will work on our stretches, beanbag toss underhand with a partner, and we will leave some time to either go outside on the playground or have free time in the gym depending on the weather.

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.

This Week's Agenda

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month, Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month, National Autism Awareness Month, National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, National Donate Life Month, National Facial Protection Month, National Minority Health Month, National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month, Occupational Therapy Month, Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month, Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month, Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month, National Public Health Week (2-8), National Alcohol Screening Day (5), World Health Day (7), National Infant Immunization Week (21-28), Safe Kids Week (21-28), and World Meningitis Day (24).

A reminder that next week, the Book Fair will be in the gym all week, so we will either be outside if the weather cooperates or in classrooms.  Please check the weather each day.

Middle School

We will be continuing President’s testing this week—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, and I have added an additional test and that is the pole climb on the playground.  Students must show progress from their first quarter results and we will be tracking results in journals.  The 8^th grade will be in Washington DC all week.  We will either do testing outside or in classrooms.

Grades 3 (including Mrs. Elliot’s class), 4, and 5

We will be continuing to prep for President’s testing by doing some different types of walking—working on arm swings and strides.  We will be starting our testing soon.  We will also have some time to play kickball if we are outside and we will talk about nutrition if we are in the classrooms.

Grade 2 (Mrs. Norman’s class)

If we are outside, we will do some walking for exercise, play kickball and play on the playground along with our normal daily stretches.  If we are inside, we will stretch, walk within the school building, play Simon Says, and talk about nutrition.

First Grade and Kindergarten

If we are outside, we will do some walking for exercise and play on the playground along with our normal daily stretches.  If we are inside, we will stretch, walk within the school building, play Simon Says, and talk about nutrition.

Preschool

If we are outside, we will stretch, work on our beanbag tossing underhand with a partner, and playing on the playground.  If we are inside, we will stretch, play Simon Says, and do a few indoor physically active games.

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.

This Week's Agenda

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month, Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month, National Autism Awareness Month, National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, National Donate Life Month, National Facial Protection Month, National Minority Health Month, National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month, Occupational Therapy Month, Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month, Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month, Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month, National Public Health Week (2-8), National Alcohol Screening Day (5), World Health Day (7), National Infant Immunization Week (21-28), Safe Kids Week (21-28), and World Meningitis Day (24).

I hope everyone had a Great Easter!

A reminder that next week, the Book Fair will be in the gym (Tuesday April 17-Friday April 20), so we will either be outside if the weather cooperates or in classrooms.

Middle School

We will be starting President’s testing this week—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, and I have added an additional test and that is the pole climb on the playground.  Students must show progress from their first quarter results and we will be tracking results in journals.  The 8^th grade will be in Washington DC next week (16-20), so we will spend some extra time in class getting some testing done with them this week, knowing they will not be here next week.

Grades 3 (including Mrs. Elliot’s class), 4, and 5

We will be starting to prep for President’s testing by doing some pushups in class along with some endurance walking.  We will be starting our testing in the near future.

Grade 2 (Mrs. Norman’s class)

We will be finishing up our basketball unit with passing this week that we did not get to complete the week before Spring Break due to the Awards Program.

First Grade and Kindergarten

We will be working on jump rope and a new movement game this week that incorporates strategy and vision.

Preschool

We will be working on our stretches (and teaching them to a new student) along with tossing a beanbag underhand.  We will also leave some time at the end for free time activities.

 

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.

Agenda For The Week After Spring Break (April 2-6)

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month, Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month, National Autism Awareness Month, National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, National Donate Life Month, National Facial Protection Month, National Minority Health Month, National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month, Occupational Therapy Month, Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month, Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month, Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month, National Public Health Week (2-8), National Alcohol Screening Day (5), World Health Day (7), National Infant Immunization Week (21-28), Safe Kids Week (21-28), and World Meningitis Day (24).

We will be focusing on movement activities this week with all classes.  We will try to go outside as much as we possibly can, so please check the weather and have the students dress accordingly with their proper gym uniforms.

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.

HAVE A GREAT AND SAFE SPRING BREAK!

This Week's Agenda

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, National Endometriosis Awareness Month, National Nutrition Month, Save Your Vision Month, Workplace Eye Wellness Month, Trisomy Awareness Month, National Sleep Awareness Week (5-11 This is during I-STEP Week), National School Breakfast Week (5-11 This is during I-STEP Week), World Kidney Day (8), National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (10), Brain Awareness Week (12-18), National Poison Prevention Week (18-24), National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (20), World Tuberculosis Day (24), National Tsunami Awareness Week (25-31), and American Diabetes Alert Day (27).

Middle School

We now have a new rotation for Unified Arts due to Annual Fund Dinner rehearsals (X and XX, Y and YY, and Z and ZZ classes).  We will maintain these new rotations for the duration of the school year—not just until the A.F.D.   If students are having trouble remembering which group they are in or which days they have PE, it would be a good idea to write down which days they have PE in student planners for the rest of the year to stay organized.  We will do some movement activities this week.

Grades 4/5
We will be spending some time outside this week with some movement activities.

Grades 2/3

We will continue to work on dribbling—knees bent, head up, using our fingertips, and dribbling the ball below our waist.  We will continue to work on passing with a focus on proper hand placement on the ball prior to passing.  We want our hand placement to be in shooting form on the ball, so we can maintain a triple threat of shooting, passing, or dribbling.  We have been working on chest passing and bounce passing.  We will work on over the head passing this week.  We will also be spending some time outside.

Kindergarten/Grade 1

We have been working on dribbling a basketball.  The focus has been on knees bent, using fingertips, controlling the ball below our waist, and trying to keep our eyes up as much as possible.  We have also started to work on different kinds of warm-up activities (lead ups) to dribbling and we will add a couple of them each class as we continue to focus on dribbling.  Most of our dribbling so far has been in our squads to start working on eyes looking up and not looking at the basketball, but we have started to use the entire basketball court, which will promote eyes looking up so we can see where we are going and not running into other students.

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.

HAVE A GREAT AND SAFE SPRING BREAK!

This Week's Agenda

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, National Endometriosis Awareness Month, National Nutrition Month, Save Your Vision Month, Workplace Eye Wellness Month, Trisomy Awareness Month, National Sleep Awareness Week (5-11 This is during I-STEP Week), National School Breakfast Week (5-11 This is during I-STEP Week), World Kidney Day (8), National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (10), Brain Awareness Week (12-18), National Poison Prevention Week (18-24), National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (20), World Tuberculosis Day (24), National Tsunami Awareness Week (25-31), and American Diabetes Alert Day (27).

A reminder: the third quarter ends on Friday (March 16).

Middle School

We will have a new rotation for Unified Arts due to Annual Fund Dinner rehearsals.  We will bring the middle school into the gym Monday morning and explain the new rotation—it is a little confusing at first, but the students should be able to pick it up quickly, once they know what group they will be in.  We will maintain these new rotations for the duration of the school year—not just until the A.F.D.   We will be finishing up our handball unit this week with our new classes.

Grades 4/5
We will conclude our handball unit this week, which will end our teamwork unit that we started in January.  The students have made progress in many areas with our teamwork activities.

Grades 2/3

We will continue to work on dribbling—knees bent, head up, using our fingertips, and dribbling the ball below our waist.  We will continue to work on passing with a focus on proper hand placement on the ball prior to passing.  We want our hand placement to be in shooting form on the ball, so we can maintain a triple threat of shooting, passing, or dribbling.  We have been working on chest passing and will start to work on bounce passing.

Kindergarten/Grade 1

We have started working on dribbling a basketball.  The focus has been on knees bent, using fingertips, controlling the ball below our waist, and trying to keep our eyes up as much as possible.  We have also started to work on different kinds of warm-up activities (lead ups) to dribbling and we will add a couple of them each class as we continue to focus on dribbling.  Most of our dribbling so far has been in our squads to start working on eyes looking up and not looking at the basketball, but we will start to use the entire basketball court, which will promote eyes looking up so we can see where we are going and not running into other students.

Preschool

We will continue to work on our stretches, tossing beanbags underhand with partners, and free time—active time to explore with the P.E. equipment.

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.

THANK YOU FOR 14 YEARS OF GREAT MEMORIES #18!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

This Week's Agenda

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, National Endometriosis Awareness Month, National Nutrition Month, Save Your Vision Month, Workplace Eye Wellness Month, Trisomy Awareness Month, National Sleep Awareness Week (5-11 This is during I-STEP Week), National School Breakfast Week (5-11 This is during I-STEP Week), World Kidney Day (8), National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (10), Brain Awareness Week (12-18), National Poison Prevention Week (18-24), National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (20), World Tuberculosis Day (24), National Tsunami Awareness Week (25-31), and American Diabetes Alert Day (27).

Middle School

We will not have traditional PE classes for middle school this week, due to I-STEP testing.  We will have larger than normal groups and our focus will simply be on movement in order to wake the middle school students up in the mornings before they start testing.  Middle school students should wear PE clothes Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (not Wednesday due to Mass).  We will be going outside, weather permitting.

Grades 4/5

We will continue our Handball units this week, but we will also add some relay races and other movement activities to help promote movement with I-STEP testing.  The schedule has changed a bit this week due to testing (Eastman Wednesday March 7 PE only, McMahon Monday and Thursday March 5 and 8, Glenn Tuesday and Friday March 6 and 9).

Grades 2/3

We will continue to work on dribbling—knees bent, head up, using our fingertips, and dribbling the ball below our waist.  We will continue to work on passing with a focus on proper hand placement on the ball prior to passing.  We want our hand placement to be in shooting form on the ball, so we can maintain a triple threat of shooting, passing, or dribbling.  Our schedule has also changed due to testing (Norman Monday and Thursday March 5 and 8, Elliot Wednesday March 7 only, Ray Tuesday and Friday March 6 and 9).

Kindergarten/Grade 1
We will start working on dribbling a basketball.  The focus will be on knees bent, using fingertips, controlling the ball below our waist, and trying to keep our eyes up as much as possible.  The schedule for the week has changed as well (Catton Tuesday March 6 only, Hill Monday and Thursday March 5 and 8, Ahonen Wednesday and Friday March 7 and 9—same days as normal just different times, and O’Neal Monday and Friday March 5 and 9).

Preschool

We will not meet this week due to I-STEP testing.

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.

This Week's Agenda

February is AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month, Heart Month, International Prenatal Infection Awareness Month, National Children’s Dental Health Month, Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (7-14), National Donor Day (14).

Middle School

We will continue our Handball unit.  We have incorporated some rules to promote movement and sharing the ball, which have really helped out the play of the game during class.

Grades 4/5

We have started a Handball unit.  Our focus so far has been on the basic rules of the sport and the history.  We will play during class, working on teamwork and movement.

Grades 2/3

We will continue to work on dribbling—knees bent, head up, using our fingertips, and dribbling the ball below our waist, but we will start to work on passing.  Our biggest focus with this will be to have proper hand placement on the ball prior to passing.  We want our hand placement to be in shooting form on the ball, so we can maintain a triple threat of shooting, passing, or dribbling.

Kindergarten/Grade 1

We will complete throwing and catching this week—we had a few hiccups last week with this.  We have been playing the A, B, C game (each completed catch represents a letter of the alphabet and the ultimate goal is to get from A-Z without dropping the ball).  The students have come a long way since we first started the process of learning how to throw and catch.

Preschool

We will work on stretches, some movement activities going sideline to sideline, some free time using the PE equipment.  We will also start to work on tossing a beanbag with a partner.

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.

This Week's Agenda

February is AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month, Heart Month, International Prenatal Infection Awareness Month, National Children’s Dental Health Month, Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (7-14), National Donor Day (14).

Middle School

We are phasing out our team building activities that we started after we came back from Christmas break.  The students have worked hard in this area over the last month.  We will still have reminders in class, when necessary, but we will be moving on to other things during class time, including the continuation of our Handball Unit.

The middle school has won a structured dance party that will be held on Tuesday February 21 that is sponsored by Radio Disney from 7:55-8:55 am.  The students received a pedometer and had to fill out a sheet of paper in the fall to see if they were able to do 30 minutes of physical activity, daily, as part of a physical activity challenge put on by the Indiana Sports Corporation and Radio Disney.  Due to our participation and success with the challenge, Radio Disney has selected the middle school to participate in the structured dance that will take place in the gym on Tuesday morning.  All middle school students should wear their normal PE uniforms on Tuesday to school.

Our schedule for middle school Unified Arts will change this week, due to the dance party.  Monday and Friday will both be “B” days (that is 6^th grade for PE) and Thursday will be an “A” day (8^th grade for PE).  The “C” group (7^th grade for PE) will not meet with me this week and we will go back to our regular rotation next week.

Grades 4/5

Just like the middle school, we are phasing out the team building activities during class time.  We will start a Handball Unit.  We will learn the basic rules of the sport and some basic history of the sport along with playing it. 

Grades 2/3
We are working on a basketball unit, focusing on dribbling—knees bent, head up, using our fingertips, and dribbling the ball below our waist.  We have been working on two-basketball dribbling as well to get both our left and right brains thinking at the same time, and some ball-handling to help improve our one-ball dribbling and we have been playing Dribble Tag.  We will start to talk about 3 types of passes (chest pass, bounce pass, and over the head pass) and learn when to use each and we will work on them as well.

Kindergarten/Grade 1
This will be our final week with partner throwing and catching overhand.  We have been playing the A, B, C game (each completed catch represents a letter of the alphabet and the ultimate goal is to get from A-Z without dropping the ball).  The students have come a long way since we first started the process of learning how to throw and catch.

Preschool

We will work on stretches, some movement activities going sideline to sideline, Simon Says, and some free time using the PE equipment.  We will also start to work on tossing a beanbag with a partner.

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.

This Week's Agenda

February is AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month, Heart Month, International Prenatal Infection Awareness Month, National Children’s Dental Health Month, Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (7-14), National Donor Day (14).

Middle School

We have been working on different teamwork activities and thoughts concerning teammates, treating each other the right way, etc.  We are all a part of a team in some way, shape or form even though we may not play on an athletic team.  Our goals for this: to think about the words we use with others, a sense of belonging on a team and the realization that each piece of that team is important, and the power a group of people together can accomplish when they have the same goal in mind.  We will be using both Physical Education and Health State Standards as we work on this.  We have been working on a teamwork activity where the students form a human knot with their hands and they have to untangle themselves.  It is great for communication, leadership, and followership.  We are in the process of finishing up the teamwork piece, but we will continue to use it from time to time during class.  We are working on a Handball unit that the students seem to enjoy very much—working on passing, proper footwork (3 steps with the ball), and playing man to man defense.  Our goals are to have participation from all and sharing the ball with each other.

Grades 4/5

We have been working on different teamwork activities and thoughts concerning teammates, treating each other the right way, etc.  We are all a part of a team in some way, shape or form even though we may not play on an athletic team.  Our goals for this: to think about the words we use with others, a sense of belonging on a team and the realization that each piece of that team is important, and the power a group of people together can accomplish when they have the same goal in mind.  We will be using both Physical Education and Health State Standards as we work on this.  The students have really been working hard to come together and focus on the teamwork activities as a group, not just individuals, and choosing our words carefully.  We have also been working on the human knot, just as the middle school has.  We are in the process of finishing up the teamwork piece, but we will continue to use it from time to time during class.  We will also work on another teamwork game that is a movement game.

Grades 2/3

We are working on a basketball unit, focusing on dribbling—knees bent, head up, using our fingertips, and dribbling the ball below our waist.  We have been working on two-basketball dribbling as well to get both our left and right brains thinking at the same time, and some ball-handling to help improve our one-ball dribbling and we will play Dribble Tag, a dribbling game that we learned last week.

Kindergarten/Grade 1

We have begun work on partner overhand throwing.  The students are realizing that they cannot throw the ball as hard as they did against the wall with a teammate and they have shown some very good improvement.  We will add the A, B, C game as well (each completed catch represents a letter of the alphabet and the ultimate goal is to get from A-Z without dropping the ball).  We will also work with the jump ropes and do some movement activities.

Preschool
We will work on stretches, some movement activities going sideline to sideline, Simon Says, and some free time using the PE equipment.

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.

This Week's Agenda

February is AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month, Heart Month, International Prenatal Infection Awareness Month, National Children’s Dental Health Month, Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (7-14), National Donor Day (14).

I hope everyone enjoys their Super Bowl experiences and their weekend!

Middle School

Manners Day for 8^th grade will be Tuesday February 7.  We will still have our normal PE classes that morning for 8^th grade.  The Band/Choir students will be let early to change clothes.

We have been working on different teamwork activities and thoughts concerning teammates, treating each other the right way, etc.  We are all a part of a team in some way, shape or form even though we may not play on an athletic team.  Our goals for this: to think about the words we use with others, a sense of belonging on a team and the realization that each piece of that team is important, and the power a group of people together can accomplish when they have the same goal in mind.  We will be using both Physical Education and Health State Standards as we work on this.  We have been working on a teamwork activity where the students form a human knot with their hands and they have to untangle themselves.  It is great for communication, leadership, and followership.  We are working on a Handball unit that the students seem to enjoy very much—working on passing, proper footwork (3 steps with the ball), and playing man to man defense.  Our goals are to have participation from all and sharing the ball with each other.

 Grades 4/5

We have been working on different teamwork activities and thoughts concerning teammates, treating each other the right way, etc.  We are all a part of a team in some way, shape or form even though we may not play on an athletic team.  Our goals for this: to think about the words we use with others, a sense of belonging on a team and the realization that each piece of that team is important, and the power a group of people together can accomplish when they have the same goal in mind.  We will be using both Physical Education and Health State Standards as we work on this.  The students have really been working hard to come together and focus on the teamwork activities as a group, not just individuals, and choosing our words carefully.  We have also been working on the human knot, just as the middle school has been.  We will continue to work on this with the goal that each group that is split up during class time has success with it.  We will also work on another teamwork game that is a movement game.

 Grades 2/3

We are working on a basketball unit, focusing on dribbling—knees bent, head up, using our fingertips, and dribbling the ball below our waist.  We have been working on two-basketball dribbling as well to get both our left and right brains thinking at the same time, and some ball-handling to help improve our one-ball dribbling and we will learn a dribbling game and play it.

 Kindergarten/Grade 1

We have begun work on partner overhand throwing.  The students are realizing that they cannot throw the ball as hard as they did against the wall with a teammate and they have shown some very good improvement.  We will add the A, B, C game as well (each completed catch represents a letter of the alphabet and the ultimate goal is to get from A-Z without dropping the ball).  We will also work with the jump ropes and do some movement activities.

 Preschool

We will work on stretches, some movement activities going sideline to sideline; follow the leader, Simon Says, and some free time using the PE equipment.

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.