The Best Parts of My Week....12/20-12/22

Hi everyone,
As the holidays approach and the excitement grows in our school, as in many others I am sure, the best parts of my week keep getting better!


......On Monday we held our annual Brotherhood Pageant. This event was started by a former music teacher who sadly passed away this past summer. This event is surely a big part of her legacy here at North Park and while there are few of us left who remember that it began with her, I could not help but think how proud she would be to see that the Brotherhood Pageant lives on! During this event, students and staff alike donate food to those in need. We all sing a variety of holiday songs and this year several "North Park alumni" came back to enjoy the holiday spirit!

.....Well, Fitness Frankie (Our Healthy Highway Race Car Bear) enjoyed his first week in a third grade class and during our morning announcements, two students from that class read about his adventures to the entire school. After the announcements, I was stopped in the hallway by some kindergarten students who asked me if I had heard about Fitness Frankie's week! They told me that they had heard that he was eating healthy snacks! Fitness Frankie is on vacation this week, as am I, but our office staff offered to take care of him. I can't wait to hear about his adventures next Monday! Click here for Fitness Friday pictures with Fitness Frankie!

.....Winter Workshops was a great event on Wednesday this week. Our principal created this day several years ago as a way to celebrate the holidays, include all students, and use the last day before our vacation in a productive and enjoyable manner. During this day students attend four one hour workshops that are facilitated by staff of our building, parents, and administrative staff in the district. Many different workshops are offered which include activities like chess, cheerleading, music, making healthy snacks, painting winter murals, jeopardy games, holiday crafts, woodworking and more! A colleague of mine and I offered a circus activities workshop. It was great fun! A former student volunteered to help us our and we taught students how to spin plates (plastic of course), juggle, walk on the "high wire", balance feathers, use angel sticks and have fun with the diablo! We even learned a few tricks ourselves! Circus music in the background and a parachute big top helped to make this a great day and definitely one of the best parts of my week! Click here for Circus Activities pictures!

Thanks for reading about the "Best Parts of My Week!" I will be enjoying vacation this week, and will be back in 2011 ready to begin the new year!

The Best Parts of My Week....12/13-12/17

Hi everyone,
"Fitness Frankie" is a big part of the "Best Parts of My Week" this week! Here's why.......

......On Monday we held our third North Park Healthy Highway assembly. Based on an idea I had while attending a conference awhile back, I created "Fitness Frankie"! Fitness Frankie is a bear that my husband brought back for me from Indiana when he was visiting friends a few years back (I love bears!). I have had him in my office for a few years but he did not have a name or a purpose until recently. He has a race car on his stomach so I thought that I might use him for our Healthy Highway program one day. Well, one idea led to another and now we have Fitness Frankie! I introduced him at our assembly this week and our students were very excited! Fitness Frankie is going to spend one week in each classroom so that he can learn about Healthy Highway and participate in Wellness Wednesday and Fitness Friday, He travels in a small sack with a binder so that students in each classroom can help him to keep a journal of his adventure! One of our third grade classes was the first to host Fitness Frankie and I had a ball visiting the classroom and talking to students about how he was doing! On Tuesday I reminded the class that the next day was Wellness Wednesday. One of the students asked me about what Fitness Frankie likes to eat! I answered that he likes anything healthy of course! On Wednesday I visited the class at the end of the day and had the pleasure of listening to one of the students read what he had written about the healthy snacks that Fitness Frankie had eaten! Fitness Frankie also attended Fitness Friday in the gymnasium (where else would he be???) where students, teachers, and I danced the Peanut Butter and Jelly Dance and the Cupid Shuffle!

.....During the North Park Healthy Highway assembly, our principal announced how many miles that students had earned for good character (traveling down Respect Road) and healthy choices by participating in Wellness Wednesday and Fitness Friday. Our students traveled 264 miles this month! We are all very proud of their efforts!

.......While talking to some students during bus duty Fitness Frankie came up again. These students are not in the class where Fitness Frankie was this week and they were talking about the exercises they were going to have him do during Fitness Friday when it was their turn to host!

.....Unrelated to Fitness Frankie, but related to bears and zoo animals, my kindergarten students were participating in a Zany Zoo activity to practice moving in different levels. I created a "Zoo Ring" using some foam noodles and noodle connectors. I was watching the activity when a student jumped out of the "Zoo Ring" and said "Look! I escaped!" I laughed out loud!

Have a great week everyone! Thanks for reading about the best parts of my week!

The Best Parts of My Week....12/6-12/10

Hi everyone,

It seems to me that the best parts of my week are a little bit like snowflakes.....no two weeks are exactly alike!

.....One of the things that I love about technology, having a website, and blogging is that I get a chance to connect with people that I would have otherwise never met! Early this week I received an e-mail from Paul Stasso who is the founder of P.A.C.E. Trek. P.A.C.E. stands for Promoting Active Children Everywhere. Paul asked me if I would mention his program in my blog. I had heard of P.A.C.E. Trek before, but wanted to find out more about it. I learned that this program invites students to virtually "tag along" as he completes amazing journeys all over the world. Schools sign up and pledge to complete the same mileage as he runs along a particular route. Student mileage is accumulated and students can log on to the P.A.C.E. Trek website to view Paul's progress and learn about his trip. This program is a great way to encourage student activity while introducing students to places they most likely have not been! Paul's next trip is a journey across the Mohave Desert in April, 2011. This program is free to students in grades K-12. Check it out and learn more at www.pacetrek.com!

...."Healthy Highway" continues to grow and take shape at North Park! This week a student spontaneously told me that he had strawberries for lunch. I asked him if he brought them for lunch or if they were served as part of the school lunch. He answered that they were served as part of the school lunch. He was very proud of his choice! I asked the class if anyone else chose strawberries during lunch and many students raised their hands. I then asked if there was a green circle near the choice (Green Light foods). They responded that indeed there was a green circle near the strawberries and we entered into a great discussion about green light foods and making healthy choices!

.....We had some fun (actually, a lot of fun) with our parachute this week. I learned a few new activities at a recent conference that I attended and I was eager to try them out! One of the activities involved a ball "surfing" on the parachute while I played a song about surfing in the background. The students were so very excited and had a great time working together to make the ball "Surf". One of the students said "This makes me think of Hawaii!"

......Another parachute activity involved soft music playing in the background while students took turns laying down on the parachute while the rest of us moved the parachute gently as if it were a cloud. Our parachute is rainbow colored and each handle corresponds to a color. I called colors for student turns. During one class, students were sure to encourage me to have a turn when my color was called! It was great to experience the activity and to enjoy and encourage the fairness that students were displaying while allowing everyone - including me - to have a turn! After all had had a turn, I asked students to share what that experience felt like. Students were so willing to share and were so creative in their responses! Some mentioned that it felt like they were floating, others shared that it felt relaxing! I think many would have stayed in the parachute relaxing all day if time allowed!

.....Older students had a chance to share feelings this week too! I use something called "Feelings Cards" (Project Adventure) with my older students at the end of our cooperative unit to discuss how they felt during particular activities. These cards are terrific because not only do they display words, but they also include pictures to describe many different feelings. Cards describe feelings from sad to happy to frustrated to confused to worried and so on. During one class this week, I placed about 25 cards on the floor and asked students to pick (in their mind) one card that best described their feelings during each of three final cooperative activities. I then asked students to create small groups to discuss these feelings. I gave the groups a few minutes to discuss the cards and feelings. I was impressed at the discussions that were taking place and the willingness of students to share. I then asked if anyone wanted to share with the class one of the feelings and the reason for their choice. I thought maybe one or two students would want to share with the full class group, but there were so many hands up we took extra time to share! It proved to me (once again) that cooperative/adventure education is a powerful tool to teach problem solving and cooperation in addition to building trust!

.....This last entry had nothing to do with my PE classes this week, but still makes the list of "The Best Parts of My Week! Our PTA is wonderful and very generous and was able to schedule a special assembly for our school this week. We enjoyed a full hour of a performance by a group of dancers and drummers from West Africa. This group was awesome! The energy and talent displayed during the assembly was incredible! Students were engaged and excited, but also respectful to the performers. (Our principal was so impressed with the respect that our students displayed that each class was given permission to move their class car - part of Healthy Highway - one mile down "Respect Road".) They were especially excited when the teachers were up in front learning and performing a dance! Without the generosity of our PTA, many students and staff would never have had the opportunity to experience this inspiring performance!

.....Remember, feel free to e-mail me the best parts of YOUR week! I would love to hear from you! - northparkpe@yahoo.com

The Best Parts of My Week....11/29-12/3

Hi everyone,
Well, the holiday excitement has begun! Experiencing the holiday season in an elementary school is wonderful and exhausting at the same time! Here we go!


.....This year I am assigned to bus duty in the upper elementary wing. Those of you who have read my blog before know that I actually enjoy bus duty! It gives me a chance to interact with students in a different setting and wish them well as they leave school at the end of the day. This week one student had a big smile on his face as he passed by me and spontaneously said (he knows I ask) "I had a great day today!" and wished me a nice evening. It made me feel good that my school was able to elicit that kind of response at the end of a day.

.....I am finishing up my unit on cooperative activities with my older students. One of the final activities is using our traverse rock wall. Students must spot each other on the wall after they learn the spotting commands. This year we were able to add a challenge course accessory to the wall which includes foam noodles in noodle holders. Students choose the level of challenge by climbing over, under, or through noodles and noodle arches. When the students walked in they were beside themselves with excitement! I was impressed at the level of cooperation during this activity! One student commented that we should use the wall more often and suggested that it be available during our warm-up sometimes. They are always thinking! In addition to the rock wall another final activity involves "noodle bits". These are small pieces of foam noodles. The task was for students to balance as many "bits" as possible on a partner, count the number of bits, and then record their best score. This was a great activity to observe! Students were so creative and enjoyed this activity! You can view pictures of all of the cooperative activities on my website: North Park PE

.....We had a great time during Fitness Friday this week! I invited my kindergarten and first grade students to the gymnasium. I taught them the Peanut Butter and Jelly Dance and the Cupid Shuffle! They and their teachers were terrific dancers and agreed that dancing is a great way to exercise! Some adults passing by the gymnasium stopped in to see what all the excitement was about and joined in too!

Have a great week!

The Best Parts of My Week....11/22-11/26

Hi everyone! This was Thanksgiving week and early release days for parent/teacher conferences and so it was a short week for students which gave me some time to reflect on my own "attitude of gratitude". I am thankful for many things in my life - my family, my friends, my school, my work, technology, and so much more! I realized that in a way, I am giving thanks each week as I share with you "The Best Parts of My Week"!


.....Monday was our 50th day of school! Our primary students count the days of school as part of their Math activities and celebrate at certain milestones. Several years ago, some of our teachers decided to celebrate the 50th day of school with a 1950's themed day. They asked if I could support this celebration by teaching some dances from the 1950's. Well, it grew into the 50th Day of School Sock Hop! We had so much fun doing the Hand Jive, the Stroll, the Twist, and listening to some genuine 50's music!

.....I was dressed up for the Sock Hop on Monday. Some people who saw me did not understand why I was dressed the way I was and I spent some time during the day explaining. At the end of the day however, when I was doing bus duty, one of the older students walked by and said "Oh, it must be the 50th day of school!" She liked my outfit and remembered participating in the sock hop herself!

Have a great week!

The Best Parts of My Week....11/15-11/19

Hi everyone,
This was an incredibly busy week "chock full" of wonderful moments! Read on.......


.....On Monday we held our second Healthy Highway assembly. It was full of smiles and energy! We introduced "Respect Road" and danced the "Healthy Highway" dance! It was a sight to see everyone dancing and moving forward on the "Healthy Highway"!

.....As part of our character education program, students can be rewarded for good behavior with a special card that allows them to go to the front of the line for lunch. Tuesday was the first day and students were so proud they couldn't wait to tell us! One student was so excited that she went to the front of the line all the way to the cash register without getting her lunch!

.....I had a wonderful opportunity this week to attend and present at the NYSAHPERD annual conference. While in attendance at the conference, I enjoyed meeting new people and connecting with colleagues who are just as passionate about quality Physical Education as I am! My district supports and encourages professional development and I feel fortunate to have had this opportunity. Conferences re-energize me, validate the work that I do, and provide me with information about the latest innovative ideas and programs that can only improve the health and wellness of our students and ourselves! I learned so many new things and I can't wait to try them out at North Park!

The Best Parts of My Week....11/8-11/12

Hi everyone,
These are the "Best Parts of My Week!

.......A parent stopped me in the lobby early this week and said "I LOVE your program!" I thanked her, of course, for the kind words. This took me by surprise because this is a new parent that I had not yet met. She obviously knew who I was (maybe it was the sweats....). She continued to talk about how hard it is for kids to stay fit and she appreciated all that our program does to promote and encourage healthy lifestyle choices! That conversation started off the week on a high note!

..... I was chatting with some students while I waited for their teacher to pick them up after PE. We were talking about our Fit Kids program and our new venture - Healthy Highway. I told the students that we were going to have a Healthy Highway assembly on Monday and during the assembly they would learn some new ways to earn points and "miles". One of the students asked if we were going to do the Healthy Highway Dance. Now, this was a fifth grade class and when the question was asked, I was not sure if they were looking forward to it or not. I answered: "Of course we are going to do the Healthy Highway Dance!" The students replied excitedly that they loved the dance! We all started spontaneously doing parts of the dance! I am so happy that they are looking forward to it! I am too!

.....I started a lesson on pathways with my primary students and I was talking about maps and roads. Students had a jump rope on the floor and were moving in many different ways along it as if it were a straight road. One of my students raised his hand and told me that he had a fortune cookie recently that said that he could travel down any road that he wanted to! I agree!!!

.....My upper elementary students continue to use our PE Packs to use pedometers at home. I was talking with one student waiting for a bus and it was raining. I gave him some suggestions to use the pedometer indoors and he said that he would figure out some way to use it. The next day I was reviewing log cards from the pack and I discovered that he had logged over 1200 steps. This was particularly significant to me on many levels, but mostly because this student found a way to exercise despite obstacles in the way!

Enjoy your week! Thanks for reading about the Best Parts of My Week!

The Best Parts of My Week....11/1-11/5

Hi everyone,
Hard to believe it's November already!

.....I had the privilege of having a colleague from another district come to visit my school on Monday! It is always fun to collaborate with other like-minded professionals!

.....Tuesday was a teacher training day in our district and as a result, school was closed for students. I had the opportunity to attend and present at the SEZ of NYSAHPERD Election Day Conference. It was a terrific day and I always come back energized and ready to try out some new ideas!

.....My primary students are finishing up a unit on cooperative/adventure education. As a culmination to this unit, students were climbing our new rock wall. As our wall is magnetic, I placed random letters on the wall and challenged students to touch all of the letters that they could climb to and reach. Many of these students have not been on our wall before and the range of emotions on their faces that I saw before, during, and after their turn on the wall was priceless! I feel extremely fortunate to have a rock wall and provide the opportunity for the challenge and adventure of climbing and spotting to my students!

.....As a result of a grant I received, I was able to create a program called "PE Packs to GO!" where students borrow pedometers for use at home. Students share the packs with two other friends and I challenged the students to reach a combined goal of 10,000 steps. As you might imagine, there are some frustrations involved in getting the packs back in a timely manner.....but on Friday, one of my students came to find me to tell me that his group decided on a new goal - 20,000 steps! He said that two of the three friends who had used the pack had already gotten more than 16,000 steps and the third friend had yet to use it so they increased the goal! That made me realize that this program is definitely motivating students to move more outside of school!

Have a great week! Feel free to e-mail me the best parts of your week at northparkpe@yahoo.com!

The Best Parts of My Week....10/25-10/29

Hi everyone,
As each week begins, I wonder what will emerge as the "Best Parts". Sometimes I wonder if I will be able to write about something meaningful that others will relate to as they read this blog. Let's face it.....teaching is a labor of love and some days seem more challenging than others. However, challenges lead to hard work, and hard work leads to success. Nevertheless, as each week ends and I reflect on the week as a whole, I always come back to the positive moments; The Best Parts of My Week!

.....Several of our kindergarten and first grade classes went on a field trip this week to a local performing arts center. At the end of the day I was asking one of the teachers how the trip was and I inquired about what show they saw. I was told that they saw a show about several Leo Lionni books. One of these books is called Swimmy. I replied excitedly that I had recently used that book as a lead up to one of my cooperative activities with my first grade classes. The book is about a fish named Swimmy who teaches his fish friends to work together so that they can keep each other safe in the ocean. The teacher then said that her students told her all about the PE class where I read the book and they played a game called "Giant Tuna" where they learned to help their friends! I truly felt like that lesson made a difference in these students' lives. This experience also pointed out to me that there are many opportunities to collaborate with classroom teachers that are missed and I hope to capitalize on those opportunities in the future.

.....Healthy Highway continues to grow! This week I was assigned bus duty in the fourth and fifth grade wing. I used my "Traffic Light" sign that we made in our committee. Showing red means "Stop and think about it"; yellow means "Slow down and think about it"; and green means "All systems go". One of the places we use these signs is in the hallway during dismissal to remind students to move safely. It is pretty amazing how these simple signs work! As one student was racing down the hallway I showed the yellow sign to her and she immediately slowed down! I did not have to say a word! Other times this week students spontaneously used the hand signals to the color that I was showing! One of our parents who saw the signs in action wished that she had a similar prop to use at home!

.....Each week I have a "Question in the Pocket" as I call it. This is a question that is placed in a wall hanging that has four pockets. The top pocket holds the question, the next holds a picture of a smiling face, the next holds a picture of a thinking face, and the last holds a picture of a sad face. This wall hanging is placed at the exit doors of the gymnasium. As students leave PE they are asked to "Choose a face". This is an exercise in self-reflection for students. Students "answer" the question by touching the face that best reflects their behavior during PE related to the question. This week's question was "Did you help others during PE today?" Prior to answering the question, I asked students to tell me who and how they helped during PE. The answers they gave validated my belief that students are great helpers! They really do want to help others. They just need the opportunity and the example......

Have a great week everyone!

The Best Parts of My Week - 10/18-10/22

Hi Everyone,
This was a jam-packed week! There were many great events of the week!

.....Tuesday was Fire Safety Day. During this day the gymnasium is used for one of the Fire Safety Stations so I make plans to be outside when the weather permits. I made an announcement that all PE classes would be held outside. After the announcements, one of my second graders walked by the gymnasium and said "Sorry you lost your house today!" He was very sincere and I was impressed that he had the empathy to recognize that the gymnasium could be my "house" and that being out of it might be something to be sad about!

.....I mentioned last week that my students are participating in a unit on cooperative education and that some classes are struggling with some of the lessons. I was thrilled at the messages that my students shared this week after completing the cooperative activities. Students in grades K-5 shared how others helped them and that it felt good to help and be helped!

.....I had the opportunity to attend and participate in a Care to Share event at Manhattanville College sponsored by the Southeastern Zone of NYS AHPERD. I shared some pedometer activities and explained my PE Packs to GO program to the graduate students in PE. This was a great opportunity for me to share some of what I do to enthusiastic students, but I also learned some new activities from some of my colleagues in the SEZ! This was certainly an opportunity to continue as a lifetime learner!

.....I created and sent home my monthly newsletter this week - The Fizz-Ed Times. I couldn't believe the number of Fitness Fanatics we had this month!We had a record 36 Fitness Fanatics! Fitness Fanatics have completed and turned in our monthly Fitness Calendar.

.....We held our first assembly for Healthy Highway this week. Our school is participating as a pilot school for the Healthy Highway program created by Wendy Cooper. The assembly was terrific! Students quickly learned hand signals for the Green, Red, and Yellow traffic light signs and some of our teachers and I taught our school the "Healthy Highway Dance"! The next morning after the assembly I held up the red side of our traffic light sign and my fifth graders spontaneously showed me the hand signals to go with the red light which means "Stop and think about it". I guess we are on the "Road to Success"!

The Best Parts of My Week - 10/13-10/15

Hi everyone,
It was a short week due to our Columbus Day Holiday, but there was no shortage of great moments during the week!

.....I smiled as I watched the pure joy on the faces of kindergarten students as we played a game called "Clean Up Your Own Backyard"! This is such a simple game that reinforces the concept of over and under, yet the students absolutely love it! I sneak in some "Garbage Math" during this activity. Students count the "garbage" at the end of each round and we add it up together. I am quite sure that they did not realize that they were doing Math during PE, but PE is so much more than just "throwing out the ball" and playing games!

.....While I watched a third grade class struggle with a new cooperative activity, I realized that the value and need for cooperative/adventure education can not be underestimated. I am looking forward to the journey that this group will take as they learn to work together and problem solve for the greater good!

.....Listening to my fifth grade students answer my question about what was important during a cooperative game that we had just played called "Scrunchie Tag" was an amazing experience. We use something I call the "Magic Microphone". It is a microphone that is "Magic" because it only allows the person holding it to speak. Students shared ideas about the importance of playing fair, having fun, helping their classmates during the game by "donating" a scrunchie to someone in need of one, and playing safe while tagging. The power of cooperative/adventure education continues!

Have a great week!

The Best Parts of My Week....10/4-10/8

Hi everyone,
It was a pretty busy week at North Park......actually, they all are! That's what keeps me going! Enjoy the best parts of my week!

.....Our school is beginning a journey this year by participating as a pilot school for Healthy Highway. This is a program that was created by Wendy Cooper. I met Wendy five years ago at a conference and I have watched her program grow. I am pleased to say that we are on the "Road to Success" now as a Healthy Highway school! This program uses traffic signs and a highway theme to teach and reinforce safety rules, fitness, and nutrition concepts to elementary children. We were fortunate to have Wendy at our school this week for training. It was a terrific day and we have a wonderful group of teachers, food service staff, administrators, and support staff that will make this journey one to remember! I am looking forward to this program!

.....I received a card from a kindergarten student this week. In the card, the mom of the student wrote me a note to say that her child wanted to write me a card and that although she physically wrote the card, the words and feelings were all her child's. The kindergarten student wrote to tell me that she loved PE and how PE makes you tired but strong! That card made my day! I went to the student's classroom to thank her and she was all smiles! So was I! Sometimes the words and smiles of a student are all you need to know that you are on the right path and making a difference!

The Best Parts of My Week 9/27-10/1

Hi everyone,

School is in full swing! I hope you enjoy the "Best Parts of My Week"!

.....During an "Alphabet Soup" warm-up students were spelling words that they knew by actively moving about the gymnasium and touching alphabet tiles scattered on the floor. At the end of warm-up, I asked a second grade class to share the words that they spelled. One student said "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, but I didn't have time to finish!" Since we do the same warm-up for the three days of the PE Week, each day she spent time spelling the word and finally finished! You really can't make this stuff up! By the way, I spell-checked this to be sure I knew how to spell it, but I am quite sure that my second grader did not need to!

.....On Friday morning I arrived to find a wonderful gift at my door! Our school Cub Scout Den is learning about community and made me a decorated pencil holder for my desk! It is decorated with sports labels and "R" and a "star" for "Rock star"! I always say that teaching in an elementary school makes you feel like a Rock star! One of the moms involved told me that I am their Rock star! What an amazing feeling! Thanks to our thoughtful Cub Scouts!

Have a great week!

The Best Parts of My Week....9/20-9/24

Hi everyone,
It was once again a great week with many stories to share! Enjoy!

.....I was playing a game called the Incredible Shrinking Gymnasium with a group of my primary students. The object of the lesson is to pretend that the gymnasium shrinks little by little so that students learn to move safely in small spaces. I added something to the lesson this year that I called my "Magic Button" which makes the gymnasium grow larger and larger. I must be a pretty good actress because more than one of my students asked me if the button really works!!!!

.....During this week we held our annual "Meet the Staff" nights. We hold a night for grades K-2 and a separate one for grades 3-5. While special area teachers are not required to attend both nights, how can I pick which one is more important? The answer is that I can't, so I attend both nights. I am so glad that I did! Each year I meet so many interested parents and this year was no different! I had many wonderful conversations including one with three generations of interested family members; a mom, grandmother, and great grandmother! How wonderful for this child that there are so many people willing to be a part of her education! Another conversation included a parent asking me about a new program that I created called "PE Packs to GO!" I mentioned this program to my fifth grade students and while I got some positive reaction, I was not quite sure how it was received overall. This parent that came to visit me on "Meet the Staff" night said that the first thing that her child spoke about at the end of the day was the fact that 5th graders were going to be able to use the "PE Packs to GO!" I guess they were listening and excited!

.....At the end of this week I was playing a game called "Bubbles" with some primary students. This game involves students moving throughout the gymnasium holding hoops around them as if they were "Bubbles". The object of the game is to keep your "bubble" from popping by not touching any other "bubbles" . I'm sure that you know the phrase "Sorry to burst your bubble"; but how many six year old students know and understand that phrase? Well, sure enough, one of my primary students was playing the game and as she went by me during the game she said " don't want to burst your bubble!!!" with a big smile on her face! That made me smile and the fact that she understood the phrase was not lost on me!

I am looking forward to what fun awaits me next week! Have a great week!

The Best Parts of My Week 9/13-9/17

Hi everyone,
This was the first full week of school and there were many events that qualified for the best parts of my week! Enjoy!

.....Tuesday was Primary Day and our school serves as a polling place. During the day I ran into a former student who had arrived to vote. We had a wonderful conversation!

.....This week several of my classes earned their "PE Driver's License"! They were so excited! (So was I!) This is a part of the "Healthy Highway" program that our school is adopting this year.

.....As a result of our work to earn a "PE Driver's License" students learn the "PE Rules of the Road". The rules are associated with common traffic signs. After three days of teaching and review, one of my first grade students came up to me and said "Guess what - I saw the "Do Not Enter" (with food, drink, or candy) sign on the way to school today! I guess she was paying attention!

.....I hosted my first "Fitness Friday" of the year for students in kindergarten and first grade! We had a blast! The kindergarten students now know what "Fitness Friday" is all about!

The Best Parts of the First Week of School!

Welcome back to the 2010-2011 school year! I am so excited to be back at school! If you are new to my blog, I hope you enjoy the best parts of my week! At the end of each week, I write about what was great about the past week. It's a way for me to share funny stories, kid's quotes, and teachable moments, and helps me to focus on and share what is good in every week. Sure, there are challenges to face each week, but I believe that focusing on the positives helps me to appreciate all that is good about teaching! This week was the first week of school and teachers and students alike were happy to be back! There was an electricity in the building that is unlike any other beginning that I have experienced. I feel privileged to be able to be a part of this excitement every year! The smiles and hugs were endless when the bell rang and students arrived on Wednesday morning. I met several new students during the day, including some of our new kindergarten students. One student arrived for PE in the afternoon and upon entering the gymnasium said "Are we playing basketball today?" When I replied that there were many fun activities in store for him, but basketball was not on the list yet, he replied "Then what are we doing here?" It struck me that at five years old, he already had a preconceived notion as to what PE was all about. How does that happen???? I guess one of my challenges will be to teach him that PE is more than just basketball! One of the first day activities that I provide for my students is a slide show of last year's PE activities. The objective is to remind students of activities that they enjoyed and show students activities that they can look forward to this year. It also reminds me of how fortunate we are at North Park. We have so many wonderful opportunities! At the end of the week, I had the good fortune to be greeted with smiles and hugs from two former students. It is so gratifying to realize that you have made a difference in the lives of your students! It was a great week! I hope you enjoy this blog! Feel free to e-mail me the best parts of YOUR week! - northparkpe@yahoo.com

The Best Parts of My Week....6/21-6/24

Hi everyone,
Well, it's the last week of school! Every year seems to go faster and faster! Wasn't it just September? Wasn't it just my first day of teaching back in 1984? I went through my school yearbook today and I counted 19 of my students whose parents I had as students too! You would think that after all this time I would be counting the days to retirement.....but just the opposite is true! I am more and more energized as the years go by. Sure, my bones and joints hurt more and this job is sometimes physically challenging, but I am only looking toward retirement in the sense that I am counting how much time I have left to accomplish my goals. There is so much more that I want to do! I love my job and the following are some reasons why!

.....While talking to one of my fourth graders on the last day of PE, he shared with me that he now has his own pedometer and will be wearing it all summer to see how many steps he moves each week just like I do!


.....I watched in pride as our 5th grade students "Moved Up" during the ceremonies and celebrations of this week! It seems like yesterday that they arrived as kindergarten students!


.....As I was saying good-bye to students on the last day of school during dismissal, I was suddenly wrapped in a hug by one of my students. While many students give hugs on the way out, this one was special on many levels. It's hard to describe why, but if you are a teacher, you know the kind of student I am talking about........the challenging one......the one it was hard to connect with......the one that you were never quite sure if you were giving what the student needed.......the hug told me that I got it right!

Have a great summer everyone! See you in September!

The Best Parts of My Week....6/7-6/11

This week we held our annual Field Days! Field Days were the best parts of my week on so many levels!

.....seeing the excitement on the faces of Kindergarten students as they experienced Field Day for the first time!

.....welcoming the more than 40 volunteers who helped with Field Days which included parents, grandparents, and former students!

.....playing with students during Tug of War, "Clean Up Your Own Backyard", Beach Ball Volleyball, Water Balloon Toss, "Spaghetti and Meatballs Relay", and more!

.....watching with pride as fifth grade students cooperate, problem-solve, and work together during our adventure-style fifth grade Field Day!

.....listening to the excitement on the fields while students participated in the many Field Day activities!

.....answering a Kindergarten student the day after Field Day who asked if we were going to have Field Day again!

.....reading a booklet made by Kindergarten students who wrote about and drew a picture of their favorite Field Day activity as a way to thank me for providing them with a terrific Field Day experience!

.....feeling the excitement in the air each day that a Field Day was scheduled!

.....being grateful for terrific weather on each of three Field Days even the weather forecast indicated otherwise!

.....realizing that all of the work that goes into creating successful Field Days is worth every minute!!!!

The Best Parts of My Week....6/1-6/4

As the school year winds down, the events and activities wind up!!!!!!!
Enjoy the best parts of my week!

.....During Kindergarten Orientation, as I was explaining my PE program to a group of parents touring the building, a parent of a current student and an incoming kindergarten student thanked me for teaching her daughter Yoga! She explained that her daughter came home and told her mother that she learned a new way to react to her little brother when he was bothering her! She learned a "Volcano" pose, which helps students get rid of angry or difficult feelings and was going to use it the next time she got upset. The power of Yoga for children continues to amaze me! That made my day!


.....As I was chatting about our upcoming Field Days with a group of students waiting to be picked up by their teacher, one of the students asked if I organized all of the Field Days for all of the students in our school. It was as if she just realized that someone had to be the one to organize the events and that they just don't happen by themselves. I responded that yes, I organize our Field Days each year. She then replied "Doesn't that take a lot of time?" I of course said yes, but that I love Field Day and it is worth all of the work that goes into it so that students can have fun! I then asked all of these students to show their "Attitude of Gratitude" during Field Day so that everyone can enjoy the activities. It was amazing to me that an elementary student could be aware of and appreciate the amount of work that it takes to create a school-wide event!

The Best Parts of My Week....5/24-5/28

Hi everyone,
It never ceases to amaze me that every week can be so different! Each week I am surprised by the events that can emerge as the Best Parts of My Week!

.....After a bus duty conversation with some of my students, I was asked to wear one of the earliest Field Day T-shirts that I had had made for my school Field Days. I had to dig back in the closet, but came up with one from 1996! All of my students were not even born yet, but they were thrilled to see me wearing the shirt!

.....This week my primary students spent time participating in Yoga activities. Two reactions stand out for me. First, when students arrived to the gymnasium and realized we were doing Yoga they smiled and exclaimed YOGA YESSSSS!!! Next, after finishing the activity with a relaxation and breathing activity, a kindergarten student said "This was so relaxing!"

.....During May, we celebrate National Physical Fitness and Sports Month with a project called "Operation Healthy North Park". Students, families, employees, and community members participate by exercising and filling out paper sneakers for activity lasting at least 20 minutes. These sneakers are collected, counted, and displayed on a bulletin board at school. This week, I received a pile of sneakers from a high school PE teacher and his students! This teacher had taught with me in prior years and chose to support the program by including himself and his students in the project! Many of the names on the sneakers were former students of mine who had participated in the project when they were elementary students! That truly made my day!

The Best Parts of My Week....5/10-5/14.....

Hi everyone,
What an exciting week this was! We are so fortunate at North Park! It was a great week to show our "Attitude of Gratitude!"


.....Wednesday our brand new ROCK WALL was installed! We now have a 20' long and 8' high magnetized rock wall! We will be trying it out this coming week! Everyone at school is so excited!!!!!!! (ME TOO!)


.....We have a wonderful PTA at my school! They often fund enrichment programs for our students and this year they offered me the opportunity to choose an enrichment program for funding. I immediately thought of Homespun Dance. This group is made up of Peter, Paul, and George, and they offer a program of live music and traditional American community dancing. I have had the pleasure of working with them in the past and I was excited to invite them to come back to North Park! During Thursday afternoon and all day Friday, Peter, Paul, and George provided an amazing experience for all of our students in grades K-5. The students and adults were engaged and enthusiastic throughout the program and the Family Dance Night on Friday night capped off the experience with a terrific night of dancing with students and families! This group of artists love what they do so much, that it is impossible not to love it too! Check out the pictures and you will see what I mean!

The Best Parts of My Week 5/3-5/7

Hi everyone,
This was Teacher Appreciation Week in my school and I certainly felt appreciated!

....Our PTA encourages our families and students to show appreciation using letters for each day of Teacher Appreciation Week. Our school letter days go from A-F, so for this week students used letters G-K. On "H" day I received "Hugs" candies from students....On "I" day the PTA supplied ice cream for a lunch treat and I received a packet of Impatients flower seeds.....On "J" day a student provided all kinds of "J" treats for the faculty and staff - jawbreaker candies, jelly beans, jolly ranchers, etc....On "K" day several students left Hershey Kisses chocolates...sometimes it's the little things that mean so much! The week ended with a wonderful luncheon provided by our PTA.....we feel so appreciated! Thanks to all!

.....This week our school began "Operation Healthy North Park" This is a program where students, families, employees and community members can turn in paper sneakers representing participation in a variety of exercise. Sneakers are counted and displayed on a bulletin board. Each year we try to break our record from the previous year. The sneakers are coming in! We are off to a great start!

.....It's been a busy week! We ended it with Project ACES - a program launched by Len Saunders to encourage exercise. ACES stands for All Children Exercise Simultaneously. I tried something new this year and I was happy to see students and adults engaged, smiling, and exercising together! It was a great way to cap off a great week!

......Finally, this weekend I was proud to attend the SEZ Elementary/Middle School PE Awards ceremony. Four of our students were among the more than 300 students being honored. The speaker commented that "you can fill up a gymnasium with all that is good about the youth of today". She was right!!!!!

The Best Parts of My Week....4/26-4/30

Hi everyone,
Sometimes it's best to step back and take in the best moments of each day from a short distance......This week, I did just that....


.....I watched a group of students outside at recess from my office window drawing boxes on the blacktop with sidewalk chalk and then playing four square. While that might not seem like a great moment, it was for me because prior to my teaching four square for the first time this year, students in my school did not play four square at recess. That moment showed me that, as teachers, we do make a difference, but we don't always get to experience it first-hand....

.....My younger students have been exploring balance with many different pieces of equipment these last two weeks. We are fortunate to have a variety of interesting equipment that helps students experiment with balance in safe and fun ways. One of the objects we use are foam noodles. Students try to balance their noodle in different ways. Some students balance it on their head, feet, fingers, shoulders, knees, etc. As I was observing one of the groups, I could not help but smile at the pure joy that showed on one particular student's face as he balanced his noodle on the bottom of his foot while laying on the floor on his back. His giggles were infectious! What a fun way to learn!

The Best Parts of My Week....4/19-4/23

Hi everyone,
This week's "Best Parts" happened during and after school!!!!

.....A second grade student brought to PE his medal that he won on a recent family vacation. He was very proud of it and I asked him how he won it. He replied: "Jump roping! No one could keep up with me!" What a great example of a student transferring something that he learned in PE to real life!

.....Family Fun Night! This week our PTA sponsored an event called Family Fun Night to celebrate PARP - Parents as Reading Partners. It has been a tradition for my obstacle course to be set up in the gym as one of the centers that students and families can enjoy. I was happy to set it up and run it for the evening. I had great fun helping and cheering on our students, their siblings, and even some "alumni" that came back to take a turn!

.....Our new rock wall! This week I was told that our new traverse rock wall is being installed in three weeks! I am looking forward to adding it to our program!

The Best Parts of My Week - 4/12-4/16

Hi again,
What a busy week this was! Still, there were many great parts of the week.....


.....talking with a former student, now a parent of a current student, and realizing what a privilege it is to teach in a school long enough to be able to enjoy that experience!

.....playing Four Square with a group of 4th grade students and enjoying the smiles as we played. I was welcomed into the game by the players enthusiastically! Our focus was on Fair and Honest play. Each player was fair and honest, which made the game much more enjoyable! They commented about how much fun they had had during PE!

.....being in the audience watching a school play performance. I am in awe of the talent of our students and enjoy seeing them shine in different activities!

.....participating in a special Yoga program provided by Miss Kathleen of Wellcome Yoga. Our PTA offers grade level grants to bring programs into our school. I applied for, and was awarded a grant to bring this yoga program to three of our primary classes. The students and teachers loved it! We even met "Mr. Zoobles", Miss Kathleen's Yoga character. We learned many poses as we played yoga. We learned down dog, table, rock or child's pose, sign language for Yoga, that yoga links mind, body, and breath, and more!....thank you to our PTA and Miss Kathleen!

The Annual Jump Show!

Hi everyone,
This week our annual Jump Show definitely stood out as "The Best Part of My Week! In an earlier post, I talked about our Jump Rope for Heart event. The Jump Show is a celebration of all of the hard work from our students and staff that make Jump Rope for Heart a success! Believe it or not, this started out quite a bit smaller, but then, these things usually do! We held our first Jump Rope for Heart event in 2005. We wanted to provide an incentive for students to do their best for this event, so our principal offered to jump rope during dismissal if we met our goal. Sure enough we met and exceeded our goal for the event! Everyone was so excited about the success that many more adults, myself included, offered to jump rope for the students. One thing led to another and before we knew it we were putting on a Jump Show! That alone speaks to the tremendous support that I receive from my colleagues for this and many other events! The first year we extended "CAUTION" tape as a joke to ensure the safety of all of the adult jumpers! Over the years, the event has grown to involve students and staff. This year, students from every grade level; Kindergarten through Fifth grade, performed during the show. Students and staff alike have improved their jumping skills and this year we were able to perform tricks like the Traveler, Rope in Rope, one-footed Front Cross, 2 in 1 Face to Face, and more! Many of our staff participated in our long turning rope jumping and we were able to get as many as four jumpers in one rope at a time! We even have one staff member who is amazing at the Chinese Jump Rope and she willingly performs every year! We are still working on being able to do Double Dutch......there's always next year! Judging by the applause and cheers from our students, we have their support to persevere! Thanks to everyone at North Park for your unending support and your willingness to be "Heart Heroes"!

The Best Parts of My Week....

Hi everyone! These were the best parts of my week! Feel free to e-mail me with the best parts of yours!

........March Madness has arrived at North Park! I was playing a game called Dribble Tag to help students learn and practice basketball dribbling techniques. The basic idea is that all students dribble a ball while two other students are "it" and attempt to tag as many students as possible while dribbling a ball as well. If a player is tagged, or loses control of the ball, he/she must "take a knee" and wait for another student to complete three passes, either chest or bounce pass, with the tagged student so that he/she may rejoin the game. During one of my classes, the classroom teacher came in to play! The students were thrilled! The teacher clearly enjoyed the game and tried to include everyone in his area of play! It was terrific to see the enjoyment on everyone's face! I think he made their day! I know that he made mine by caring enough to participate!

........One day this week I had the opportunity to provide a yoga session to a Girl Scout Troop trying to earn a particular badge. I was asked by the leader if I would be available to teach the students some yoga and I was pleased to be asked! It was scheduled for this week and it was a terrific experience! The girls were attentive and interested and event the leaders participated! A fun and relaxing time was had by one and all and I was grateful to be asked to help!


.......Fitness Friday was alive and well at North Park this week! This week I invited two grade levels to join me for Fitness Friday in the gymnasium where we spend about 15 minutes doing some form of exercise. Usually it involves a dance or two and upwards of 100 students at a time. Classes earn a point for participation in Fitness Friday (classes can participate in Fitness Friday on their own as well) and points can be redeemed for different types of equipment like balls, jump ropes, frisbees, etc. This week I taught a new dance that I just learned called "Walk the Dinosaur"! What fun! Not only did all of the students participate enthusiastically but the classroom teachers and other adults did as well! Some people stopped in just to see what all the activity was about! We ended the session with the ever popular "Monkey in the Middle" which involves one student at a time being the "monkey" and the rest of the students following the monkey because "monkey see monkey do!" I Love Fitness Friday!
Visit the following link to view different Fitness Fridays in action! http://www.hydeparkschools.org/NPE/fitkids.shtml


Visit my blog each week to find out about "The Best Parts of My Week!"

Message Received.......

Those of you who have been following this blog are aware by now that each week I try to captivate and post the best moments of the week. This week is no different, but I am entitling it "Message Received" because, as teachers, we are not always certain that our students truly internalize the larger messages and lessons that we try to teach. This week I received wonderful feedback that validated for me that my message was received! Here are a few examples.......

- A student giving a tour of our building to a prospective student and family asked if the visitors would like to hear about some of the special events that we hold at our school. The visitors responded positively and the tour guide began to tell them about our recent Jump Rope for Heart Event. The visitors asked if this event was a competition between groups and the tour guide responded emphatically that Jump Rope for Heart was definitely not about winning and losing - it was all about helping other kids with sick hearts! That was absolutely a message received and it warmed my heart to know that!

- After playing a game called Artery Avengers, during which students were learning about how fat can clog arteries and that exercise and good nutrition can block fat and keep arteries clear and healthy, a student commented to me: "I don't want my arteries to get stuck, I love my arteries and veins!"

- As part of our character education program, we sometimes meet with small groups of students to obtain feedback about the program. I was having a discussion with a group of primary students this week regarding what they have learned from our program. I was so impressed with their responses! Students were able to discuss the focus of our character education program, as well as when they were most likely to use what they have learned. One student told me that she was most likely to focus on Doing Your Best (this month's focus) during Morning Work, because sometimes the work was hard. Another student responded that he had to "Choose a Positive Attitude" in the morning when he got up for school!

MESSAGE RECEIVED!

Jump Rope for Heart Was the BEST Part of my week!

This was a special week! We held our annual Jump Rope for Heart and it was definitely the BEST part of my week! Our students have been preparing for this event and they did not disappoint! Each and every student gave his/her best effort during the event. In our building, Jump Rope for Heart is held during the day, so that everyone can participate, regardless of their ability to donate to the cause. As a result, students are made aware of the need to participate in their own heart health, in addition to the need to help others. This year's American Heart Association theme is "Be a Heart Hero", and everyone at my school is definitely a "HEART HERO"! Thanks to all who helped with this event! We had support from parents, colleagues, former students who made donations, administration, and the American Heart Association! I continue to be overwhelmed with the generosity of our North Park community! In these economic times, it is heartwarming to know that there are still those that believe in the mission of the American Heart Association and the importance of teaching our youth about the value of healthy hearts!
Pictures of our event can be viewed at
http://www.hydeparkschools.org/NPE/jrfh10.shtml

The Best Parts of My Week....

My favorite moments of this week.........

.........a student quote: "It's only paper plates and a mat, but who knew it could be so much fun!".....talking about our figure skating Winter Olympic activity station.


........a student quote: "I was awesome today! I think I won the Gold Medal!"......talking upon leaving PE and self-assessing using the question: Did you do your best in PE today?


........A definition of student success: I encouraged a kindergarten student who was at the "Curling" station by saying: "Almost!" when he slid a bean bag toward the target and the bean bag slid in and out of the target box. He looked at me and said: "What do you mean almost? It went in the box!" My definition of success at the station was that the bean bag would slide in and stay in the target.....his was that as long as the bean bag went in, he was successful!


........Smiling as I watched my students enjoy our Winter Olympic Activity Stations. Check out the activities at my website:
North Park Physical Education. Click on Winter Olympics Activities!

The Best Parts of My Week!

When you live in the Northeast, you learn to be flexible.....snow days, delays, and early releases are a given; and this week we experienced two out of three! Still, there were some great parts of the week!

......watching students rise to the challenge as they were allowed "Freedom With Responsibility" during the end of our gymnastics unit.

......experiencing the excitement of our Jump Rope For Heart Kick-off Assembly. Students and staff are ready to make a difference as we get ready to jump on March 2nd!

.....feeling the pride of our "torch bearers" as we began a Torch Relay warm-up to kick off the Winter Olympics!

The Best Parts of My Week......

Some snippets of this past week......each one made my day!


.......learning as two students taught us how to "share count" in Korean!

.......listening to a kindergarten student recounting a gymnastic experience at a community program saying "that was back when I was a kid..."

.......watching as a first grade student patiently taught a classmate how to tie his shoes after PE class on more than one occasion.

......viewing a "Sea of Red" on Friday as students and adults alike supported "Go Red for Women Day", sponsored by the American Heart Association.

The Best Part of My Day......1/25

Sometimes, the best part of my day involves time outside the gymnasium. Don't get me wrong, I love my job teaching PE!, but I do spend a fair amount of time with students during other events in the building and I enjoy this time as well. This month, I am assigned to supervising students while they are waiting to be picked up at the end of the school day. While some might disagree, I actually like this assignment! For me, it's a chance to interact with students in a different way. It's a great time for relaxed conversation as I ask students about their day, etc. Recently, a few of the "pick-ups" as we call the students, became interested in world capitals. The students are quite bright and know many more of these capitals than I do! They have enjoyed quizzing me at the end of the day and I have enjoyed learning too! Today we started with State Capitals and more and more of the students in this group are getting excited! Tomorrow I am going to bring my set of State Capitals flash cards that I planned to use for a game during PE. I'm going to study too! While this supervision time is brief, it has created teachable moments for many students, myself included!!!!!

The Best Part of My Day.....1/21

Today's story is short and sweet.
During a gymnastics lesson a first grader was using a springboard to jump and land on a landing mat. He was having much fun jumping and landing and had already participated in a rolling station, a balance area, a jump and land station, the "possum hang" and the pull-up station. He was very excited and exclaimed "I wish my house was a gym. Then I could exercise all day!" When we enjoy our exercise we tend to do it more.......find the type of exercise you love and you will be excited too!

The Best Part of My Day.....

Several years ago our principal retired and a new principal was hired. During the first few months of her tenure, she would frequently ask many staff members: "What was the best part of your day today?" The first time she asked me I will admit that I was caught completely off guard! I had to think about the day and come up with a response. While it's not hard to think of something good in every day, many times we just don't do it. We focus on the problems or the things that went wrong or the things we need to fix. Since that time I often think to myself at the end of the day to decide exactly what was the best part of my day. Sometimes it's easy to identify many great events of the day. Other times it's a struggle, but on these days I feel that it's the most important time to go over the day in my head to end on a positive note. As a result of that thinking I have decided to add a section to my blog called: "The Best Part of My Day.....". From time to time I would like to share with you the events of the day that were the best for me. Sometimes they may sound trivial, but for me it was "the best part of my day". Hope you enjoy it! Feel free to e-mail me with stories of "the best part of your day!"

Here's today's entry:

We are currently in the middle of a gymnastics unit. We are very fortunate and we have some great equipment. Students absolutely love this unit! I like to end the lesson with some stretching. I have cards with various stretches on them and I ask students to pick a stretch for the class to do. We do them together using what I call: "Share-Count Stretching" This means that I count 1 and the students count 2; I count 3 and the students count 4 and so on. I find this works really well because it slows down the stretch count and it is something we can do together, but with student input as to the kind of stretch we do. I can add some humor to it as well by whispering - the students whisper back, or speaking loudly and the students speak loudly back. Today we were "Share-Counting" with a fifth grade class and I spontaneously started to count in Spanish. The students responded accurately and enthusiastically! This worked so well I tried with the next class. This class was a third grade class which happens to have several ELL students (English Language Learners) in it. I asked the class first if they knew any Spanish. The smiles and look of pride on the ELL students was amazing! They knew that they would be teaching some other students how to "Share-Count" in their native language! Since I was enjoying this part of the lesson I again tried it with the next class - a K-1 Multi-Age class. Would you believe that they responded just as accurately and excitedly as the other classes! It was a nice addition to our "Share-Count" routine! I told my classes that next time I would teach them how to "Share-Count" in French!
E-mail me "The Best Part of Your Day!"