Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week - 12/19/11-12/23/11

Hi everyone,
     The week before Christmas is always exciting!  We had some wonderful events to celebrate the season!

.....My primary students had fun playing "Save the Turkeys!"  Students ride scooters to save foam turkeys from the "Turkey Gobblers"!  When it was one of the students turn to be the Turkey Gobbler, she was so happy she said:  "Excitement, Excitement!"  We added some math to the activity as we counted how many turkeys were saved!  When it was time to clean up and I asked students to share, one pair of students shared one turkey together - one hand each - and exclaimed:  "We shared!"

.....My older students had a ball playing "Scooter Blitz" this week.  It was fun watching as the students figured out strategies to defend their bowling pins as well as knock down the opposing team's pins!

.....I smiled as one of my students presented me with an origami bird he had learned to make in art class!

.....A colleague shared this week that she had read an article in the NY Times about childhood obesity and  what schools can do to teach students how to make healthy choices.  I was pleased when she said that we were on the right track at North Park because we were doing exactly what the article suggested!

.....We made it snow in the gymnasium this week!  Well, not really, but it was fun pretending to make it snow by tapping white balloons up and down in the air to some holiday music about snow and winter!

.....One of the lasting legacies of a former music teacher who has since passed away is an event called "The Brotherhood Pageant".  This event was started more than 25 years ago and is intended as an event to give to those less fortunate than ourselves.  Students and adults donate food and sing holiday songs in a school-wide event.  We had a wonderful time during our Brotherhood Pageant this week and it was nice to see alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends attend as well!

.....We ended the week with an event called Winter Workshops.  Our principal came up with this idea several years ago as a way to celebrate the season in a way that would include all children and make a productive last day before the winter break.  More than 25 workshops are offered during the day and range from cookie making to making healthy snacks to chess, yoga, making holiday ornaments and more!  A colleague of mine and I conducted a Circus Acts workshop and we had a terrific time!  I had an opportunity to visit some of the other workshops during the day and students were enjoying them all!  It was a great way to end the week and begin the celebration!


I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website if you would like more information about the PE program at North Park!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week - 12/12/11-12/16/11

Hi everyone,
     On Friday afternoon I had logged over 71,000 steps for the week!  It was a busy one, but definitely a fun one!

.....A third grader was using a heart rate monitor and suddenly said:  "Look at my heart beating!"

.....We have many wonderful adults who work in our building as aides.  As one class was leaving PE this week and choosing a face to answer the question:  "Did you help out in PE today?" an aide in the class answered it to!  She chose the happy face because she was a great help!

.....I have begun to create a PE portfolio for my second grade students this year.  I have been talking to students about the portfolio and the kinds of things that will be a part of it.  I recently had created the file with all of the students names in individual files and this week students had completed a Rock Wall Safety Test to be put in the portfolio.  I showed the students the box and their reaction was "Oooooh!"  They were very excited!

.....Our upper grades finished their lessons on the rock wall this week with a number climb.  Climbers chose a number from a cup and then had to climb to the next number randomly placed on the wall.  Groups of three took turns being the climber, spotter, and recorder.  Recorders wrote down all of the numbers on a white board and at the end of class worked together to add up the numbers.  I was impressed at the excitement that a combination of Math and PE could create!

.....My primary students have moved on to lessons learning about levels.  During one of the activities, a student smiled and said:  "My cat jumps in a high level!"  Another activity to reinforce the concept of levels is called the "Zany Zoo".  Students choose cards with animals and then pretend to be that animal in a zoo ring that I had created out of noodles.  One student said this week "Look!  The animals are escaping from the zoo!"

.....I asked two students to help me this week put the rock wall mats back in place so I could get ready for my afternoon classes.  I smiled when they reminisced about the lesson that was set up for the younger students coming that afternoon.  They remembered fondly the lesson from a previous year and were happy to help!

.....A bean bag frog landed on a student's head during an activity and as she was giggling about it I commented on how silly it was to have a frog land on your head.  She replied:  "Yes, that's why I'm laughing!"

.....Exercise Ernie spent the week in a K-1 class and participated in PE several times this week.  One of the days that he was in the gymnasium, a first grader noticed that "PE Paddy"(Fitness Frankie's friend from Ireland) was out and asked if PE Paddy and Ernie could play together!

.....Fitness Frankie spent the week in a 5th grade class.  On Friday I was in the library and asked the students how he was as I hadn't seen him all week because it was so busy.  A group of students chatted with me about all of the activities that he had participated in during the week.  He was as busy as I was this week!


I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website if you would like more information about the PE program at North Park!



Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week! 12/5/11--12/9/11

Hi everyone,
     The holidays are approaching and the excitement is building!

.....I was in the lunch line this week when a kindergarten student turned to me and said:  "I always eat a healthy lunch"!

.....Prior to using the climbing wall with my upper elementary classes, we engaged in a trust lean activity.  This activity requires a significant amount of trust on my part as well as on the part of my students.  I take the lesson seriously and expect that of my students as well.  When I asked for a volunteer in one of my classes, I was happy to see many hands go up.  I chose one student to help me demonstrate the trust lean.  I was so pleased at the trust this student placed in me as we showed the rest of the class how to do the trust lean......when the rest of the class participated in the activity, I was pleased at the trust they placed in each other!

......We continued to climb our rock wall this week.  We have a magnetic rock wall and a set of letters that I can add to the wall randomly or in words.  One of the upper elementary classes asked "Are we spelling words today?  That's fun!" Some students spelled their names, others read the words that I had made and yet another student spelled the word "pixy"! I think it's great that students want to spell and it is a great way to create an interdisciplinary approach to our Cooperative Activities unit!

.....We had our Winter Concert at school this week!  For many of the students it is the first time that they have performed in front of a large group.  We have wonderful music teachers who always have the students ready to perform and they did a great job!  I always enjoy seeing the students in a different light and I am proud of how hard they (and their teachers) worked and I am impressed with their talent!

.......One of the things that makes North Park so amazing is how we come together as a community to work hard to make our school the best it can be and help others in need.  This week our North Park family did both and I was proud to be a part of it...........


I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website if you would like more information about the PE program at North Park!



Sunday, December 4, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week - 11/28/11-12/2/11

Hi everyone,
      These are some of the best parts of my week!  I hope you enjoy!

.....I delivered Exercise Ernie to a kindergarten classroom this week.  They were so excited!

.....Even though I have been teaching for 28 years, I am always looking for new ideas and new things to try.  By doing this, I continue to learn and grow, and my students benefit from the new ideas and excitement as well! This week I tried two new activities.  One of them I learned from PE Central, and the other as a result of attendance at the recent NYS AHPERD conference.  One of the new lessons:  Scooter Ships, was so much fun that students talked about the activity all afternoon.  Before I knew it, I was adding "Space" music and using earth balls and asteroid balls as obstacles!  The other:  Noodle Bit Poppers, was enjoyed by all!

.....As a culminating activity to our Cooperative Activities Unit, students use the rock wall and older students learn to spot each other as they climb.  When classes arrived this week and saw that the rock wall was open, they screamed with excitement!

.....A fifth grade class was working together to create a "pipeline" so that various objects could travel through it.  I was especially proud of the perseverance that students showed and two students in particular were proud of their accomplishment even though it was difficult.  When I asked them how it felt when they accomplished the goal, they smiled wide and said: "Awesome!"

.....I smiled when a student smiled at me this week and said:  "I made a new friend today!"

.....We held a school-wide Fitness Friday activity this week where I played a song over the PA system and students exercised.  I saw a kindergarten student in the hallway after we finished and she said with a smile: "I'm worn out!  I need a drink!"

.....After Fitness Friday, I received an e-mail from a teacher who was happy to share that a student in her class who had been reluctant to participate in Fitness Friday as well as other activities, willingly participated without prompting and even volunteered to be the "Monkey" who decided on the exercise while friends followed along!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website if you would like more information about the PE program at North Park!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week 11/21/11-11/25/11

Hi everyone,
   It was a short week due to the Thanksgiving holiday and Parent/Teacher Conferences.  I am always asking my students to show their "Attitude of Gratitude" so I thought I would show my gratitude this week as we celebrate Thanksgiving and pause to give thanks......
I am thankful for.....

.....the 50th day of school during which we celebrated with a 50's style Sock Hop!

.....the amazing colleagues that I have the pleasure of working with every day.

.....the hard working, curious, funny, talented, smart, helpful, caring students that I have the good fortune to be able to teach every day.

.....a wonderful gymnasium to teach in.

.....beautiful fields to play on.

.....terrific equipment to use that provides great learning experiences for my students.

.....a loving family that supports me in my work.

.....technology that I love to use every day!

.....a supportive administration that believes in the importance of Physical Education!

.....Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie!

.....Healthy Highway!

.....the many PE professionals that I have met on my journey.

.....the opportunity to learn and grow every day!!!

Thanks for reading about the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Learn more about our PE program by visiting the North Park PE Website!



Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week 11/14/11--11/18/11

Hi everyone,
     It was a week of challenges and triumphs.......and my friends and family supported me during both!

.....I spent most of the week at the NYS AHPERD Conference.  This conference is held annually and is a wonderful chance to learn new things and to grow professionally.  I was thrilled to be able to present several sessions at this conference with colleagues and I am always happy to meet new people and learn from their experiences as well.  This conference was special because I was honored to be receiving an award from NYS AHPERD.  From the beginning of the conference I felt welcome and special.  I had great fun with Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie at the conference too!  Everyone who meets them loves them!  They are truly ambassadors for healthy choices!  At the end of the conference, my friends and my family - my Pit Crew - helped me celebrate.  In fact, my two best friends surprised me by coming to the dinner unannounced!  It was an amazing surprise!


I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website  and the new North Park PE Website for more information about our program!

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

Hi everyone,
    I hope you enjoy reading about the Best Parts of My Week!  I would love to hear about yours!  E-mail me at northparkpe@yahoo.com!

.....I was discussing cooperation with my younger students and I asked them how they should react when their partner makes a mistake.  One student raised his hand and said:  "We should help them".........wouldn't it be great if we all reacted that way?  It was a great opportunity to reinforce the idea that good teammates help each other learn......

.....One day this week I heard a spontaneous reaction from a student on the way in to PE class:  "I LOVE GYM!"  It made me smile!

.....Recently the NYC Marathon was held.  One of my students was very proud that his dad had run in the marathon and he was thrilled to tell me about it.  He actually brought in his dad's medal to show me!

.....I had a great opportunity to attend and present at the SEZ of NYS AHPERD Election Day conference this week.  I am so fortunate to be able to participate in some wonderful professional development during the year.  It's always a great chance to meet some passionate professionals and to learn some new ideas!  I can't wait to try out some of the new things I learned!  Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie attended too!  They were a hit!

.....The weather here in the Northeast has been unusually warm lately.  I took some of my classes outside this week and I was suddenly struck by how beautiful our play area is and how lucky we are to have such great spaces to play and work in!

.....I was walking in the hallway and met up with some students who asked how many steps I had on my pedometer so far.  I tell my students that I wear my pedometer all week and like to get a weekly total so I do not reset it until Monday morning.  When I told my students how many steps I had walked so far this week they looked surprised so I also said:  "I move a lot!"  One of the students replied with a smile:  "I can see that!"


I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website  and the new North Park PE Website for more information about our program!

Visit a preview of the new North Park PE website!



Sunday, November 6, 2011

"The Best Parts of My Week" 10/31/11-11/4/11

Hi everyone,
     We started the week in October and now it's already November!  Our school is "traveling" down Pride Path and we are encouraging our students to take "Pride" in everything they do........I am so proud of my students as they show me that they have the "Courage to do the right thing"!

.....As my fifth graders were playing a game in partnerships, I noticed one student shake hands and wish each new partner "Good Luck"!

.....I played a cooperative game called Moon Ball with my fifth graders this week.  This game requires students to work together to keep a special balloon ball up in the air with as many hits as possible in a row.  In my many years of playing this game, I have never seen the cooperation, teamwork, fairness, and communication that one class in particular showed during this game.  It was absolutely amazing!

.....At the end of the day, one student took the time to ask me "And how was your day today?"

.....After school one day this week three former students came to visit!  As one of the students entered the gymnasium, he said "I told you I would come back to visit!"  It was great to see them!

.....One of the activities we played this week involved students acting as different objects and animals.  One of the levels in the game required students to act as eggs.  While giving directions, I cautioned the students to be careful and move safely around their classmates.  I said that we did not want to see any "scrambled eggs"!  They (well, most) laughed!

.....We have a great opportunity to use pedometers on a daily basis with my students in grades 3-5.  I smiled when I noticed that one of my students wears his own pedometer on a daily basis too!

.....I happened to be in the office when two kindergarten students came in to drop off the "North Park EZ-PASS" that they had earned during recess.  This pass is given for good behavior and allows students to go to the front of the line for lunch in the cafeteria.  These students were all smiles and very proud of themselves!  I was too and showed my pride with a "high five"!

.....While getting milk for my lunch this week I was in the cafeteria line when a kindergarten student chose carrots instead of noodles when asked by the cafeteria staff.  I was proud of his choice and told him that carrots were a healthy choice.  He was proud too!

.....At the end of the week my kindergarten students were working together to build towers using foam bricks.  These towers are built with one student holding the base of the tower while another student builds on top of the base.  The towers inevitably fall and we talk about how good teammates react in those situations.  I was reminded of the pure joy of play when one of my students laughed the biggest "belly laugh" I have heard in quite awhile each time the tower fell.  I could not help but laugh myself!


I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website for more information about our program!

Visit a preview of the new North Park PE website!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week 10/24/11-10/28/11I have recently

Hi everyone,
    It was a great week with many great moments!  28 years of teaching and I am still experiencing some things for the first time!

..... I had a great opportunity to go on a field trip with the 5th graders and their teachers to the Walkway Over the Hudson this week.  This is an amazing walkway over the Hudson River.  It was created as a restoration of a local train bridge and has spectacular views of the river and our beautiful Mid-Hudson Valley.  It was the first time I had been on the Walkway and the views and experience did not disappoint!  Students wore pedometers and made step count predictions ahead of time.  They were excited to use our pedometers in a "real world" way!  To be honest, I am not a fan of heights, so I was a little nervous about the trip, but my fears were calmed by the students' excitement, our ambassador's enthusiasm, and walkway's amazing views!  Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie were in attendance as well and they were just as excited as we all were!  This experience was a truly interdisciplinary one as Math, Science, Physical Education, Library Research, and Social Studies were all a part of the experience!  Click this link to view some pictures!

.....After the Walkway field trip, Exercise Ernie and Fitness Frankie spent the week in two different third grade classes.  During the week my third graders were sure to keep me posted as to their adventures!  They both spent some time in PE class, but also enjoyed Art and classroom adventures!

......As my primary students were getting to know each other during our cooperative unit, I asked students to ask a friend "What is your favorite dinner?"  One student answered:  "Popcorn Shrimp!"

.....During another cooperative activity with my primary students, I challenged classes to fit as many students in as few hoops as possible during a game called "How Low Can You Go?"  I was impressed as students were able to fit 18-20 students in just 2-3 hoops!  (-safely of course!)  It was great to see them including everyone!

.....As a result of my membership in the Southeastern Zone of NYSAHPERD, I had the opportunity this week to participate in a Care to Share event at Manhattanville College.  I had fun sharing the game "Pigs in a Blanket", but it was even more fun sharing the experience with those preparing to become PE teachers!

.....I have recently begun a Cooperative Education unit with my students in grades K-5.  I love this unit and always learn from it, even as I see the same activities create different outcomes year after year.  This week my students in grades 3-5 played a game called "Scrunchie Tag".  This game requires students to "donate" scrunchies to those who are out of scrunchies.  At the conclusion of the game I ask students to relate how they felt when helping others, or when being helped.  One of my students this week shared that it was more important to him to give away his last scrunchie rather than keep it for himself.  THAT is the power of Cooperative Education!

.....My primary students participated in an "Alphabet Stretch" warm-up this week.  During the week I changed the letters that students were creating.  Later in the week the letters became more challenging and one of the letters that students were asked to create by stretching their bodies was the letter "Q".  I smiled when I saw one of my kindergarten students making a terrific "Q" using one of his feet up in the air "just so" for the tail of the letter!  Another student said "Look at my i!"  He used his hand above his head as the dot!

.....I invited the 4th and 5th grade students to the gymnasium for Fitness Friday this week.  We played UNO Fitness and danced the Cha Cha Slide.  It was so much fun to see students working hard and having fun!  Click this link to view pictures of some of our Fitness Friday pictures!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website for more information about our program!

Visit a preview of the new North Park PE website!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week - 10/17/11--10/21/11

Hi everyone,
     It was a week to take a step back and appreciate the little things that can be easily taken for granted........

.....After playing a game with my kindergarten students called "Clean Up Your Backyard", one of my students commented while cleaning up at the end of class: "Oh look, we are recycling!"

.....One of the reasons that I like the game "Clean Up Your Backyard" is that it allows for some reinforcement of Math practice with my primary students. Students were counting and I was adding up the "garbage" on each side of the "fence" when one of my first graders offered to do the Math.  He did a great job!  He was 100% accurate!

.....Although I have been playing the game "Clean Up Your Backyard" for many years, I attended a conference last fall and went to a session about this game.  Lynn Hefele, a PE teacher, wrote a book to accompany the game.  I bought the book and added it to my lesson.  It was terrific and my students loved it! Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie played too!  One of the objects of the game is to aim for balloons that represent trees.  One of my students hit the ribbon holding up the balloon and commented: "I hit a branch!"Visit Lynn's website at LEPE, inc. for more information about this book and game.

.....While outside with my upper elementary students this week, we had the opportunity to play one-on-one soccer games.  It was a beautiful Fall week and we have such wonderful fields on which to play.  It was hard not to be grateful.......

.....I watched has students in several classes this week assisted others in need of help for shoe tying.  The students who helped did so willingly and without looking for thanks in return.....

.....I invited some second and third grade students to the gymnasium on Friday for a Fitness Friday activity.  We had a great time with UNO Fitness and the Cupid Shuffle.  A new faculty member joined in for the first time and said: "What a great way to start the day!"  I agree!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Please visit the North Park Physical Education website for more information about our program.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week 10/11/11--10/14/11

Hi everyone,
     The days and weeks are flying by!  It's hard to believe that we are halfway through October already!  I wonder if time flies by as quickly for our students as it does for the adults in our building........

.....We had the opportunity to be outside participating in some soccer activities early this week.  One of my second graders said "I used to play soccer, but I retired."

.....I had the pleasure of listening to a fifth grader read Fitness Frankie's journal entry for the week he spent in their class.  She read with such great expression and enthusiasm I could have sworn that Fitness Frankie himself was speaking!  My principal continues to remind me:  "You know he is just a bear, right?"  I am not so sure.........

.....I am always inspired by the kindness that I witness at the most unusual moments during the day.  Several students this week definitely showed the "Courage to do the right thing" by being kind and helpful to other students who benefited greatly from their kindness.  I had the pleasure of sharing this behavior with their classroom teacher.  All involved were proud!

.....We held our October Healthy Highway assembly this week and introduced our new "characters".  Courageous Carlos and Courageous Cassie are the newest addition to what we call "The Pride of North Park"!  They are lions that will help our students with courage!  The students and staff were all smiles and laughter as they lions made their debut!  At the end of the assembly one of our fifth grade classes volunteered to dance our Healthy Highway dance on stage.  They did a great job and are wonderful leaders in our school!

.....October is Fire Safety Month and we have a wonderful fire department that comes to our school each year to teach fire safety to our students.  It is always an exciting day and I had an opportunity to take some kindergarten students to see the fire trucks.  They were in awe of the firefighters and the equipment.  We are so fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers keeping us safe!

....As a result of Fire Safety Day, I was not able to use the gymnasium and the weather did not cooperate so I spent the day in the music room playing Uno Fitness and Speedstacks with my classes.  When a kindergarten class arrived, one of the students said:  "I thought you were the gym teacher!"  When I responded that I indeed am the PE teacher, he said:  "Then what are you doing in here?"

.....Speedstacks are very popular with my students and we enjoy using them during the school year.  Kindergarten students are just beginning to use them by building creatively.  One student said to another when he was building: "You know the bigger the bottom, the higher you can build".  I thought that this was quite a concept to understand at five years old!  Maybe he will be an architect or an engineer someday - who knows??????

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!

Please visit the North Park PE Website for more information about our program.

Monday, October 10, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week - 10/3/11-10/7/11

Hi everyone,
     We are enjoying the changing of the seasons here in the Northeast, but one thing that never changes is that there are many great moments during the week!  Enjoy!

.....Exercise Ernie's journal entry was read by an enthusiastic first grader during morning announcements! It sounded like Ernie himself were reading!

.....One of our fifth grade classes took care of Fitness Frankie this week.   They were just as happy as the kindergarten students to have him in their class!  They helped him draw a picture in art and brought him to PE class with a pear!  His blog will be updated soon!

.....At our faculty meeting on Monday my director presented me with a beautiful hand-made plaque in recognition of my NYS Elementary PE Teacher of the Year Award.....Words are not enough to say thank you.  I continue to be overwhelmed...........

.....One of my kindergarten students brought in apples as healthy treat for his birthday celebration and brought me one too!

.....My primary students were creating obstacle courses this week.  I was impressed at the creativity of many of my students.  Each group used the same equipment, but there were so many creative ideas that I had not even thought of!  Two of my kindergarten friends who were working together told me:  "We made it so that we could go at the same time!....."  They have already learned how to Play Fair!

.....As a warm-up activity this week, younger students were moving throughout the gymnasium as they found letters on the floor to spell words.  Some spelled their name, others spelled a word on their spelling list.  One second grade student told me he spelled "Photosynthesis"and another told me he spelled "Jump Rope for Heart!"

.....I was waiting for a class to be picked up from PE this week and I said to the third grade class:  "I guess you will have to stay with me all day!"  They responded enthusiastically "YEAH!"  It doesn't get much better than that!

.....At the end of this week I had a wonderful opportunity to present two sessions at the Central South Zone of NYS AHPERD Mini-Conference at SUNY Cortland.  It was a great experience!  I am a SUNY Cortland graduate and it was a real treat to be back!  As I was setting up for my session in the gymnasium, I had a moment to myself to be truly thankful for the journey that I have been on since my days at SUNY Cortland.  I met some wonderful PE Majors and PE Professionals!  Thanks to the CSZ for inviting me!

I hope you enjoyed reading about the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Please visit the North Park Physical Education Website for more information about our program.


Monday, October 3, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week - 9/26/11--9/30/11

Hi everyone,

September flew by! It's hard to believe that we have been in school for a month already! The leaves are starting to fall and we are enjoying the cooler weather! I hope you enjoy the "Best Parts of My Week"!



.....This week students in the primary grades were learning a warm-up during which small groups take turns jogging around our "Rainbow Track". Each color starts in a different place, so I always remind students to "look both ways" before they enter and exit the track. Students take this direction seriously and I always smile when I see them doing it. One student was standing still in the middle of the track during her turn and turning her head from side to side. Other students jogged around her, and I went over to her to ask why she was standing still. She replied "You told me to look both ways!"



.....I had the pleasure of bringing Exercise Ernie down to a K-1 class this week as it was their turn to take care of him. They were so excited! Each time they attended PE, they brought him to the gymnasium. One kindergarten student proudly announced that they were teaching him how to eat healthy snacks!



.....I was touched this week when I saw a kindergarten student spontaneously go to another student to help with an activity. The student was having difficulty getting started and the other student went over quietly and helped without looking for any special thanks........



.....After Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie spend time in a classroom, students from that classroom read about their adventures to the school using our PA system. After two students read about Exercise Ernie's adventure this week they were walking back to their classroom when another student from their classroom stopped them and told them what a great job they did! He was so sincere and the students were beaming!



.....I have talked from time to time about how I enjoy doing bus duty at the end of the day. I often get to chat with students and ask about their day. This year I am assigned to the students who are being picked up. One student arrived to the gymnasium for dismissal and began doing jumping jacks! Her enthusiasm was infectious and soon the whole group was doing them!



.....I had the pleasure of moving some class PE cars down the road for classes that were doing a great job during PE. The students in the class were very excited and began using their "butterfly claps" to show how happy they were! Butterfly claps are quiet claps of fingers coming together. It is a great way for students to show enthusiasm and excitement without a tremendous amount of noise. It is always great to see them!



..... We had a great Fitness Friday this week! I invited some classes to the gymnasium for a Fitness Friday activity. Many of the students were from the kindergarten classes and had never been to a Fitness Friday activity in the gymnasium. They were so excited! It was clear that they did not know what to expect at first, and they realized quickly how much fun they were going to have! Me too!


I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"


Please visit the North Park Physical Education Website for more information about our program!


Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week - 9/19/11-9/23/11

Hi everyone,
   What a week!  We are in full swing!  I hope you enjoy the "Best Parts of My Week"!

.....Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie were ready to go at the beginning of the week!  They were assigned to classrooms this week and the cheers from the classrooms that were picked this week were terrific!  I had the pleasure of bringing Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie to their respective classrooms and the smiles from students and teachers alike warmed my heart!

.....Exercise Ernie came to PE this week with the class that was taking care of him.  They were very proud  to show him what PE is all about!

.....Early in the school year I teach a lesson to my primary students called "The Incredible Shrinking Gymnasium".  It is a fun lesson that helps to teach students how to move safely in spaces of varying sizes and shapes.  I always have fun pretending that the gymnasium is indeed shrinking and laughed out loud this week when my second grade class played right along by touching the imaginary wall and agreeing with me that the walls had moved!

.....We are very fortunate to have some great equipment for our program.  This week I assigned pedometers to my students in grades 3-5 and began some introductory lessons on how to use them.  They were so excited!

.....Tuesday and Wednesday nights were "Meet the Teacher" nights at my school.  These nights are always a great chance to meet new parents, catch up with current parents, and talk about our PE program!
Exercise Ernie got into the act as well!  Students in his class wrote notes to their parents about their classroom and included Exercise Ernie in the news!  I had some wonderful conversations with parents and, as has happened in the last few years, talked with some new parents who were also my former students!

.....During one of my lessons this week I was inviting students to challenge themselves.  One of my first graders said:  "I love a challenge!  It makes me smarter!"

.....As one of my classes arrived this week one of my first grade friends said:  "Looking good Mrs. Robelee!"  It made my day!

.....While waiting for a teacher to pick up her class this week our librarian across the hall needed some help with a dry erase board.  I suggested a dry erase cleaner and offered her some that I had.  One of my students said:  "You share with everyone, don't you......"  It made me feel good that he noticed some simple acts of kindness.......

.....During a lesson challenge with one class this week, one student began chanting:  "Never Give Up!  Never Give Up!"  It caught on and soon everyone in the class was saying the same thing!

.....Every day I am thankful to be a part of North Park School.  This week, the support from my colleagues was especially touching.......thank you to all........


I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Please visit the North Park Physical Education Website for more information about our program!


Saturday, September 17, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week 9/12/11-9/16/11

Hi everyone,
    Well, it was the first full week back to school and it was a week full of "best parts!"  I hope you enjoy!

.....We began the week with our first North Park Healthy Highway assembly of the year!  It was great fun!  I was impressed at what the students remembered from last year's program and the fact that everyone seems excited to continue our journey down the Healthy Highway!  Fitness Frankie shared his summer adventure with everyone and Exercise Ernie arrived to smiles and laughter!  I am always proud of how our building comes together, students and staff alike, to embrace the programs provided!

.....I was introducing the PE Rules of the Road to my kindergarten students this week.  I explained that classes would have the opportunity to earn their "PE Driver's License" and I showed them the road on the wall that class PE cars would travel down this year.  At the end of the road there are two paper trophies to signify where students complete a lap.  One of the kindergarten students asked what they were.  Another student immediately answered "oh, that's the Piston Cup!"

.....Several of my classes earned their "PE Driver's License" this week after learning and demonstrating the PE Rules of the Road.  They were very excited to receive their class car and it encouraged other classes to work hard to earn their "PE Driver's License" too!

.....One of my students this week stopped to tell me that her class was making very healthy choices in the cafeteria this week!  She thought I should know about it and I was happy to hear it!

.....We have decided to add the Healthy Highway Pledge to our existing North Park Pledge that students say every morning during our morning announcements.  I thought it would be a neat idea to make pledge cards and have the students sign the pledge by class.  It was great to see the students embrace this idea  and the pledge cards look great!

.....We recently had several retirements in my school.  One of my students asked me this week how many more years it would be before I retired.  I responded:   "I am having too much fun to retire!"  She agreed that my job was indeed fun, unless I had to send someone to the "Stop and think about it" center!

.....Fitness Frankie was given a gift by our friends who traveled this summer with us and enjoyed his adventure as well.  The gift was a small bear from Dublin, Ireland who we named "PE Paddy".  I had him hanging around the gymnasium this week and several students recognized him from Fitness Frankie's summer adventure pictures and were excited to see him!

.....At the end of the week two of my students enjoyed a birthday and instead of cupcakes, brought in a healthy alternative snack as a treat.  At North Park, students who do this earn a "Fit Kids" bracelet and earn one mile for their class.  The two students were in the same class and were telling me about the healthy treats they brought for the class.  I gave them their bracelets and one other student raised his hand and told me that for his birthday he was going to bring in his grandma's home-made, whole grain chips.  I said that sounded great and I asked him when his birthday was.  He responded:  "April!"  I guess he is planning ahead!


I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Please visit the North Park Physical Education Website for more information about our program!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week......9-6-11--9-9-11

Hi everyone,
     School is back in session!  It was a great week of smiles, new sneakers, and excitement!  I hope you enjoy the Best Parts of My Week!

     Since it is the beginning of the school year, I would like to remind everyone of the origins of this blog. This blog was created as a way to celebrate those wonderful moments that happen every week in my school.  The name came from an experience with my principal when she first began her career at my school.  As we were getting to know each other in that first year, she would frequently ask me (and others) "What was the best part of your day?"  That question helped me to recall the very best parts of each day.  It is so easy to dwell on what goes wrong each day or what part of each day is less than perfect.  However, if I have learned anything during my lifetime, it is that every day is truly a gift and if we take the time to think about it, every day has at least one (usually more) beautiful moment.  This blog is my attempt to remember, communicate, and celebrate those moments......

.....Each year before the students arrive, our district holds a Superintendent's Conference Day during which we prepare for the upcoming year.  It is always fun to see friends and colleagues and share the excitement of the new school year!

.....The first day of school with students is always exciting!  I had the opportunity to greet students as they arrived while I was taking pictures for our school website.  It was a very rainy day, but despite the rain, students were happy to begin the new year and many greeted me with a hug!  One student even shared with me how she exercised during the summer!

.....I was greeted one morning by a colleague who presented me with a "Savannah" bear!  She and her family spent time in Savannah. Georgia this summer and thought Fitness Frankie would like a friend!  I was touched by her thoughtfulness!

.....For some reason the yellow jackets in our area have been particularly aggressive this year and we have had a problem with them in my gymnasium.  As a result, I had to take my students outside for PE at the end of the week.  Since we are just getting started, I took some kindergarten students out to the playground and we reviewed the rules before they played on the equipment.  One particular student was apprehensive to use the "twisty" slide.  This is a tubular slide that twists as it descends.  I asked her why she was afraid and she responded that the slide was fast and dark.  I told her that she could use her feet as brakes and that I would be at the bottom of the slide for her if she wanted to try it.  She agreed and, after making sure that I was indeed at the bottom of the slide, she came down the slide with a huge smile and laugh!  She continued using the slide for the rest of the period, and thanked me at the end of the class for helping her!

.....A first grade student using the playground during that same day told me that he was proud of himself for being able to use a particular piece of the equipment that required a significant amount of upper body strength.  He said "I just had to believe in myself!"  Don't we all?????

.....I would be remiss if I did not share these last experiences as some of the best parts of my week.  I am honored to have recently been named the 2011 NYS Elementary PE Teacher of the Year by NYS AHPERD.  I am humbled by this award and have a difficult time sharing the news myself, but my principal was kind enough to share that news with our faculty during our opening day.  I was overwhelmed by their kind words and congratulatory hugs.  One of our teachers decided to share this news with her class and they responded enthusiastically!  As her students arrived to PE this week I received a round of applause and some wonderful cards!  One of the cards said:  "I always knew you could do it!"; and another said:  "I am so lucky to have you as my PE teacher!"  This brought tears of happiness to my eyes.........It does not get any better than that!  I am truly grateful!  I am looking forward to a wonderful year!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Please visit the North Park PE Website for more information about my program.

Monday, June 27, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week....6/20/11-6/24/11

Hi everyone,
Well, it was the last week of school and there was happiness and celebration in the air along with some sadness for those who were retiring or moving on to middle school.......



.....Early in the week I gave a third grade class some activity choices during their last PE class for the year. Some of the students played kickball. On the way inside, one of the students said: "That was a lot of fun because everyone was cheering for each other!" This is a class that has been quite competitive this year so I was very happy to hear that the outcome of the game was less important than cheering for each other!



.....I had a great visit with a former student this week! We had a great chat and she filled me in on what was going on in her life, but she also was interested in what was going on at North Park! It's always fun to have visitors and catch up! We had several visitors this week as the middle school students were finished with exams. I was happy to see them all!



.....Our kindergarten students participate in a celebration of their first year of school that involves student-made sunflowers and lots of smiles! The celebration was held this week and I was able to attend and take some pictures. Every student receives an award that is carefully planned by his/her teacher. It was wonderful to reflect on how much these students have grown this year! I congratulated one of the students later on and he said that he was happy to have seen me in the audience! He thought I might be late!



.....Our 5th grade students participate in a moving up ceremony as they will move on to middle school next year. It is always a wonderful celebration filled with happiness, but also some sadness. I am always thrilled for the students as they have worked hard to accomplish many goals, but I am always sad to say goodbye. As Special Area teachers, we have the unique privilege to be a part of these students education for six years in a row and we feel connected to their education in a special way.......I guess that's why it's so great when they come back to visit!



.....Our wonderful PTA provides a special breakfast for our 5th grade students on the last day of school to celebrate their elementary school experience. It has become a tradition in the recent past to put together a slide show that students watch during the breakfast. This slide show contains pictures of these students participating in various activities during the year. I was asked if I had some pictures of Field Day to contribute to the slide show and of course I said Yes! (I take literally thousands of pictures each year for the school and PE website.) After I had contributed these pictures I decided to look for more pictures for the show. I had fun looking for pictures of these students in past years and found quite a few to add to the show. I was struck by how much they had grown in a relatively short period of time! The PTA moms who made the show were very appreciative and not only added a slide saying "Club PE Rocks! We will miss you Mrs. R!", but they also made me a copy of the slide show!



.....I am always touched by the thank you notes and gifts that students and families so generously give to me on the last day of school. I am so thankful to be thought of........it is truly the thought that counts!!!!



.....Fitness Frankie and I had great fun saying goodbye to the students during dismissal! We had music playing, streamers waving, and bubbles floating! While there were tears from some who were sad to leave, there were many smiles and cheers as well! I am proud to be a part of a school environment where students are so moved by their experience and education......



......It has been a great year! Thanks for reading about "The Best Parts of My Week!" Have a great summer and come back to read more in September!


Check out the Last Day of School pictures on our website!

Visit the North Park PE website to learn more about our program.

E-mail me with comments or questions at: northparkpe@yahoo.com

Sunday, June 19, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week....6/13/11-6/17/11

Hi everyone,
Field Days continue as we look forward to summer vacation!

.....On Monday we held our Field Day for third and fourth graders and on Tuesday we held our Field Day for Students in kindergarten, first, and second grade. Both days were fantastic! We had wonderful parents, teachers, grandparents, and even some extended family members volunteer! The students were wonderful and a great time was had by all! I was able to visit with many of the volunteers during the events and enjoyed hearing the compliments about student behavior!

.....As you can imagine, organizing Field Day is a tremendous amount of work. I needed some help this week setting up and taking down some equipment that was just too heavy for me to lift by myself. I don't ask for help as often as I should, but this week I decided to put out an all call for help. In a matter of seconds, I had so many colleagues willing to help that the task was done in no time at all! I am so fortunate to work with such wonderful people!

.....One of the Field Day events is an obstacle course that I set up in the gym. I decided to keep the obstacle course up for the rest of the day and as a special treat, allow my younger classes to take some turns using the course. They were thrilled! They had such a good time and appreciated the opportunity!

.....I received some spontaneous hugs from some students on the way IN to the gymnasium this week! I guess they knew they were going to have some fun!

.....Sometimes teachers make connections in the places that seem the least likely. This week on the way inside at the end of the last PE class of the year, one of my fifth grade students said "I am going to miss you!" I was happy to know that I had made that connection. I am going to miss the fifth graders too!

.....I was in the lobby on Friday morning greeting students as they arrived. A first grader came up to me and said: "Guess what I have for snack today?" I responded: "What do you have for snack today?" She said: "An apple!" I responded: "That's a terrific healthy snack!" I guess they know that I am paying attention and care about their healthy choices! I DO!

.....I taught a fifth grade class this week how to play Ultimate Frisbee. I was explaining to the students the best way to toss a Frisbee and one of my students commented that it was just like skipping rocks. He was absolutely correct! I am always surprised by the connections and analogies that students make. This is an analogy that I will use in the future!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!

Visit the North Park PE website to learn more about our program.

E-mail me with comments or questions at: northparkpe@yahoo.com


Sunday, June 12, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week....6/6/11-6/10/11

Hi everyone,
It was a scorcher of a week in the Northeast! That meant some postponements of scheduled Field Days, but amid the disappointment there were many "Best Parts"! Enjoy!

.....On Monday I counted "Coop" cars to get the final total for our "Operation Healthy North Park". I was thrilled to count 2,785 "Coop" Cars! (I really counted every one!) That equals at least 55, 700 minutes of exercise! We beat last year's record!

.....I have been able to introduce golf putting skills to my students and I was so impressed with their approach to the game! Many students were serious and skillful and were thrilled to have a chance to play!

......I was happy to listen to students recount stories of playing golf with moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas!

.....A first grade student told me that she was both sad and happy because Field Day was postponed. She said: "I was sad because Field Day was canceled, but I was happy because I was so hot I did not want to do anything!" I felt the same way!

.....5th Grade Field Day was the only Field Day that we could hold this week and it was terrific! The students were amazing, the parents were wonderful and helpful, and we all had a great time! Fitness Frankie attended as well!

.....I had a great conversation with a grandparent who came to watch Field Day. There were many compliments about the students, our volunteers, and the activities!

......We are so fortunate to have such wonderful parents who help run our Field Day stations! This week I was sad to say goodbye to some parents whose students will be moving on to middle school, but I was happy to remember all of the wonderful times we have had and all of the events that these parents have volunteered for!

.....At the end of the 5th grade Field Day I had asked some of the students to help clean up some of the equipment. I asked them if they had a good time during Field Day and I was answered with a "THANK YOU" and a hug!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!

Visit the North Park PE website to learn more about our program.

E-mail me with comments or questions at: northparkpe@yahoo.com




Sunday, June 5, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week....5/31/11-6/3/11

Hi everyone,
The days are getting longer, but the school year is getting shorter! There is so much excitement and celebration as the school year draws to a close!

.....Our Field Day shirts arrived and I spent time this week organizing them for distribution. While it is a big task to complete, I am always thrilled to see the excitement on the faces of students and adults alike as they receive their shirts!

.....My upper elementary students have been playing the game of 4 Square while I have been completing fitness testing. Since the testing was complete in one class, I asked the groups of players if I could join and play too! I was welcomed with smiles and I had a great time playing!

.....This week we held Kindergarten Orientation for our incoming kindergarten students. Our principal takes the parents on a tour of the building while the students meet with the kindergarten teachers. I was able to speak about our PE program with several parent groups this week. I always enjoy this opportunity! I even recognized some faces of parents who were my students!

.....My primary students have been using a variety of equipment to aim for a variety of targets this week. We have "Geo-Targets" (geometric shapes hung up on a rope), buckets, goals, and number targets. Students worked hard to kick, toss, throw, and strike objects so that a particular object will reach a target. I love to see the faces of students when they are successful!

.....While working with the targets this week I changed a few stations to make them different and exciting. One of my students walked in to the gymnasium this week and immediately said "I LOVE it when you make it challenging!"

.....We held our in-school Spring Concert this week. This serves as a dress rehearsal for our chorus, band, and string groups just prior to the evening performance. Our students and music staff work so hard all year to learn and improve. I am always in awe of the talent and dedication of our students and staff. It was a great concert and definitely one of the "Best Parts of My Week"!

I hope you enjoyed reading about "The Best Parts of My Week".

"Operation Healthy North Park!" has concluded! The final total of "Coop" cars will be coming soon!

Visit the North Park PE website to learn more about our program.

E-mail me with comments or questions at: northparkpe@yahoo.com


Monday, May 30, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week....5/23/11-5/27/11

Hi everyone,
What a wonderful week! There were so many great moments! Enjoy!


.....I had the pleasure of hosting Wendy Cooper, creator of Healthy Highway at my house this week as we prepared for our final Healthy Highway assembly of the year!

.....We held our final Healthy Highway assembly of the year on Tuesday. We introduced Victory Lane, celebrated our accomplishments this year, and reminded ourselves of those who help us achieve success in our lives - our Pit Crew! When I asked the students who they thought were a part of their Pit Crew they said, their parents, friends, teachers, and families! It was terrific being able to show Wendy how we have implemented Healthy Highway and after we enjoyed a slide show of this year's activities, we all enjoyed dancing! Wendy taught us a few new moves!

.....Fitness Frankie was awarded the Healthy Highway "Driver of the Year" Award! He even received a new shirt to wear!

.....I received my very own Healthy Highway shirt!

.....North Park School was given a beautiful plaque as the first recipient of the Healthy Highway "Green Light to Good Health Award"!

.....This week I received "Coop" cars for our Operation Healthy North Park program from all across the district! It made me smile!

.....I enjoyed a conversation with a parent this week who told me how much her child enjoyed PE........

.....Our superintendent was on her way to participate in a zip line activity at another school in the district. She called up to ask if she could bring Fitness Frankie! He had a great time! Check out his blog soon for his account of the experience!

.....I was doing a "shoelace" warm-up with my primary students this week. Each student is given a shoelace and they are asked to come up with creative ways to exercise. I was playing patriotic music in celebration of Memorial Day and one of my students called to me to say "Look! I made an "M" for Memorial Day!"

.....During bus duty this week I was talking with some students and asking about their plans for the Memorial Day weekend. One student responded that he wasn't sure, but it would probably include some exercise!

I hope you enjoyed reading about "The Best Parts of My Week".

This is the last week for participation in "Operation Healthy North Park!"

Visit the North Park PE website to learn more about our program.

E-mail me with comments or questions at: northparkpe@yahoo.com

Sunday, May 22, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week....5/16/11-5/20/11

Hi everyone,
The weather outside was rainy and dreary, but inside we had a ball! I hope you enjoy the Best Parts of My Week!

.....Fitness Frankie spent the week in the cafeteria sitting in the lunch line. He was watching all of the choices that the students (and adults) were making! Apparently I am not the only one who believes in Fitness Frankie since I checked on him one day to see that he had been turned around so that he could not see someone choosing curly fries for lunch!

.....We continued Yoga this week with students in grades K-2 this week. I was happy to see the smiles on students faces as they entered the gymnasium to see the yoga mats set up and ready to go! One of my first grade students smiled and said "I'm wearing my yoga pants!"

.....I counted the "Coop" Cars that have been turned in as part of our Operation Healthy North Park program. We have collected 1,447 "Coop" cars so far!

.....One of my third grade classes came to PE for the first time since the expansion of our rock wall. One of the students exclaimed "THIS IS AWESOME!"

.....I had a meeting this week after school at our administration building. On my way out I noticed a window to an office that had many "Coop"cars taped to it! I knew that many in our administration building had committed to participating in the program, but it was amazing to see the cars taped up on the window ready to be sent to North Park!

.....I asked many students this week if they had seen Fitness Frankie in the lunch line. They all responded yes, but one student said "I gave him a hug"!

.....One of our building secretaries stopped by the gymnasium to give me some paperwork while a class was completing a portion of a fitness test. She was impressed by the hard work and concentration of our students! So was I!

I hope you enjoyed reading about "The Best Parts of My Week".

Please consider participating in "Operation Healthy North Park!"

Visit the North Park PE website to learn more about our program.

E-mail me with comments or questions at: northparkpe@yahoo.com

Sunday, May 15, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week....5/9/11-5/13/11

Hi everyone,
It was a beautiful week! I was able to spend some time outside with my classes and we all enjoyed the sunshine! I hope you enjoy "The Best Parts of My Week"!

......One of my students stopped me in the hallway to tell me that they saw a real "Coop Car"! (A Mini-Cooper) This car is the theme car of Healthy Highway and we are using the cartoon character "Coop" as our Operation Healthy North Park exercise coupon. Students were so excited and I was excited to know that they are thinking on Operation Healthy North Park outside of school!

.....Last May we were fortunate to have a new rock wall installed in our gymnasium. This week we were even more fortunate as it was expanded this week to double the size! We are all very excited!

.....Due to the rock wall expansion in the gym this week, I held my classes outside while the work was being done. I decided to play a game that I call "Triangle Ball". It is a shortened version of whiffle ball and uses a tee and only three bases that make a triangle. Students play in small groups and take turns being the batter, pitcher, and fielder. I played this game with students from kindergarten through fifth grade and they all loved it! It was fun to watch them play!

.....Operation Healthy North Park is in full swing! I am grateful for the participation of so many in our school and community! This week I received "Coop Cars" from our Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services, as well as parents, students, siblings, teachers, and office staff from our school and administration!

.....I was excited to learn that our school may have the opportunity to create a "teaching garden" that will help students learn about growing healthy foods!

.....Toward the end of the week I planned yoga activities for my younger students. When they walked into the gymnasium many exclaimed "Yoga! Yesssssss!" At the end of the session, many others told me how much they had enjoyed yoga and that they were relaxed enough to sleep! I am always amazed by the power of Yoga for our students and feel grateful to have the equipment that allows me to provide the opportunity for them to experience it!

.....Fitness Frankie played golf (well sort of) with our principal and myself after school on Friday! We had a great time taking him along. He enjoyed it too! (I could tell by the smile on his face!) Visit his blog to read about his adventures! The Adventures of Fitness Frankie!

.....My week was extended a bit for wonderful reason. On Saturday I was proud to be a part of the Elementary/Middle School PE Awards sponsored by the Southeastern Zone of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (NYS AHPERD). I have volunteered at this event for a few years and in the recent past have been able to nominate some of my students for the award. 460 students were honored at this ceremony and I was proud to have students from North Park receiving the award as well! Families and students alike were proud of their accomplishment!

I hope you enjoyed reading about "The Best Parts of My Week".

Please consider participating in "Operation Healthy North Park!"

Visit the North Park PE website to learn more about our program.

E-mail me with comments or questions at: northparkpe@yahoo.com

Sunday, May 8, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week....5/2/11-5/6/11

Hi everyone,
This past week was Teacher Appreciation Week and National Physical Education and Sport Week! It was a wonderful week and I definitely felt appreciated!

.....While finishing up some dance activities one of my students doing the Paper Dance decided to do the "Tango" with her paper partner!

.....I was so proud of one of my students as he read Fitness Frankie's journal entry to the entire school!

.....Fitness Frankie has a great weekend with one of our teachers who took the time to make a book of his weekend adventure and included National Physical Education and Sport Week on the cover!

.....We started fitness testing this week. I was impressed with how hard my students worked and how they showed respect to their classmates with encouragement and kind words!

.....Operation Healthy North Park began this week as well! Many of our teachers, students, and families participate. One teacher showed me his very own pedometer!

.....Our wonderful PTA, students, and families showed their appreciation this week in so many wonderful ways........

.....We are getting ready for Field Day by selling Field Day T-shirts. An family donation came in to purchase a shirt for some other student in need.....

.....After school one day I was greeted by a little one who will be a kindergarten student next Fall. His dad was a former student of mine!

.....I am so lucky to work with wonderful people! Some of my colleagues offered to help with Operation Healthy North Park. I accepted and am very grateful for their offer!

.....Our office staff never cease to amaze me with their creativity and thoughtfulness! This week they turned in their "Coop" car for participation in Operation Healthy North Park and made one car so that the car door opened to find Fitness Frankie and another to find Exercise Ernie!

.....We were treated to a wonderful luncheon on Friday for Teacher Appreciation Week by our PTA. As I was leaving the luncheon a parent stopped to tell me that I was her PE teacher years ago! We had a terrific conversation and it brought me back in time!

.....All week we celebrated National Physical Education and Sport Week! We capped off the week with Project ACES! Our entire school spent time outside exercising as a team! We exercised, laughed, and appreciated the opportunities that we have in Physical Education!

I hope you enjoyed reading about "The Best Parts of My Week".

Please consider participating in "Operation Healthy North Park!"

Visit the North Park PE website to learn more about our program.

E-mail me with comments or questions at: northparkpe@yahoo.com

Sunday, May 1, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week....4/25/11-4/29/11

Hi everyone,
Last week we enjoyed Spring Recess and students and teachers came back to school energized for the rest of the year! I hope you enjoy the "Best Parts of My Week"!

.....Well, the ladies in the office at my school have outdone themselves again! Honestly, they are wonderful and so involved with our students and our programs! They volunteered to take care of Fitness Frankie during Spring Recess and made another awesome book with pictures and a story about his adventures with them! We are so fortunate to have them both in our building! Check out the story and some pictures by visiting Fitness Frankie's Blog!

.....During the day on Monday, I frequently asked my students about their Spring Recess. I wanted to know if they had been active and if they enjoyed their time off from school. I had some great conversations. At the end of the day, while I was on bus duty in the hallway, one of my fourth grade students was kind enough to ask me about my vacation!

.....I was on bus duty in the hallway on Monday afternoon when our health teacher came to tell me that when she discussed nutrition with some of our classes and told them that a tomato was a vegetable, many corrected her by saying "Mrs. R. said that it is a fruit!" We then had a great discussion about how the controversy over whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable. She was impressed that the food pyramid and nutrition was covered in PE class! I was impressed that my students remembered! I guess they were paying attention!

.....While introducing a Dance unit in my primary grades, I told the students that dancing is terrific exercise and I was going to prove it to them by using my pedometer to show them how many steps we took during each dance. My older students use pedometers regularly, but students in the younger grades have not yet used them during PE class. It was fun to show them the step counts at the end of each dance. They were excited to know how many steps we took for each dance and agreed that dancing is great exercise!

.....As I have said, my primary students have been enjoying some dancing recently. I learned a dance from a colleague many years ago called "The Paper Dance". Each student has a piece of paper on the floor in front of them (I use scrap paper and recycle it), and they follow me as I do basic dance steps on, off, and with the paper. One of the steps is called the "Cool Walk". I tell my students that they are the coolest students in the world and I want them to show me by doing the "Cool Walk" around their piece of paper on the floor. We practice and then during the music we all do it when I say "Do the Cool Walk"! I always smile and enjoy this dance because the "Cool Walks" that the students come up with are fantastic! They are totally cool!

.....One of my fourth grade classes was going to miss PE class one day this week because of a visitor to their classroom. This guest is an expert on Colonial America and comes each year to teach our students in a unique and engaging way. I went down to the class to watch his presentation during their scheduled PE time. He was terrific! The students were very excited and involved in the lesson. The timing was perfect because he was just about to teach the students about games that were played by children in Colonial America! I learned all about the games from that era. One of the games was a wooden version of something we use in PE today called a "Catch-A-Cup"! The Colonial game was much harder!

.....I am always looking to try new things and I saw a game in a new book that bought recently (PE 2 the Max by J.D. Hughes) called "Scooter Blitz". Sometimes games look good on paper, but need to be modified for your own space and students so I decided to try it out with one of my 5th grade classes. I told them that they were going to be my "test class", since I had not played the game before and I wanted to see how it worked. They were terrific! The game was great and they all seemed to enjoy it! At the end of class I asked them for feedback about what they liked about the game and ideas they had for variations. They came up with wonderful suggestions and seemed proud to be the "test class"! I was proud of them too!

.....I can't believe that April has ended and today is May 1st! During May we participate in a project that I call "Operation Healthy North Park". This is our 10th year of the program! It is a program that encourages students, staff, family members, and community members to exercise outside of the school day as part of National Physical Education and Sport Week which we extend to to the entire month of May. I had a great time getting ready for this project this past week. I put up a bulletin board that displays the project and enjoyed the interest that it generated! This year I have modified the program to include our Healthy Highway theme! Visit the North Park PE Website to see a picture of last year's project and to view information about the project. Everyone is invited to participate! If you would like to get involved, download the letter and "Coop" cars and e-mail me your activities!

.....We held our most recent Healthy Highway assembly this past Friday morning. We will be driving on "Success Circle" this month. It was a great assembly! We celebrated our many different student successes and talked about what success means from the viewpoints of character education, physical education and fitness, and nutrition. We had a great time!

.....Friday was an early release day due to parent/teacher conferences. I had a visit from a former student who is now in different elementary school. It was a great visit! It is so heartwarming to know that you have made a connection that continues even after students are no longer in your school..........

I hope you enjoyed reading about "The Best Parts of My Week".

Please consider participating in "Operation Healthy North Park!"

Visit the North Park PE website to learn more about our program.

E-mail me with comments or questions at: northparkpe@yahoo.com




Sunday, April 17, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week....4/11/11-4/15/11

Hi Everyone,
It was a fun-filled week as we looked forward to our Spring Break! I hope you enjoy the "Best Parts of My Week"!

.....I was fortunate to be able to obtain a grade-level grant from our PTA to bring in a local Yoga instructor this week. "Miss Kathleen" arrived on Monday to teach some Yoga activities to many of our primary classes. She introduced the students to "Mr. Zoobles" and "Mr. Twisty" who helped us all with our breathing and our Yoga poses. After the first group, Miss Kathleen asked where Fitness Frankie was! I did not know that Miss Kathleen even knew about Fitness Frankie but she had seen him on our website! I immediately went down to the class that was taking care of him this week and borrowed him! He took part in Yoga with all of us! You can see the pictures of our Yoga experience by visiting the North Park PE website.

.....Fitness Frankie has a new sleeping bag! One of the student in his "host" class made him a colorful paper sleeping bag to rest in during his nights at North Park! It was so thoughtful and he looked very comfortable in it!

.....My upper grade classes have been enjoying some basketball activities this past week. I always encourage my students to cheer for their teammates, but also for their classmates who may not be on their team for a particular PE activity. I was thrilled this week to hear all kinds of cheering for teammates and classmates during a variety of basketball activities!

.....As a follow-up to a Skype session that I did with some of my students and students in another district school recently, I asked my third graders to each write down a question that they wanted to ask during our next Skype session with the same class. I was impressed with the questions! One of my students wants to know if the goals for their PE classes are the same as ours! Now that's a great question!

.....On Friday I was encouraging my students to enjoy Spring vacation by going out to play and exercising during our week off. I told them that Fitness Frankie was going to enjoy his week at school with our office staff who offered to take care of him. One student raised her hand and said "How come Fitness Frankie doesn't get a vacation?"

.....Our school has a drama club run by our very talented Speech Therapist. This year's production was Charlotte's Web. There is a tremendous amount of work that goes into the production by students, parents, and staff and I am always in awe of the final product! I attended the opening performance of the play this week and the performance did not disappoint! Fitness Frankie attended as well and the students were happy to see him!

.....Our office staff are wonderful ladies who work very hard to keep our school running smoothly. They generously offered to take care of Fitness Frankie during our vacation as they are still working in the office. They were so excited when I delivered him on Friday afternoon! I can't wait to hear about their week!

I hope you enjoyed reading about "The Best Parts of My Week".

Visit the North Park PE website to learn more about our program.

E-mail me with comments or questions at: northparkpe@yahoo.com

Sunday, April 10, 2011

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

Hi everyone,
Spring has finally arrived! (well, sort of anyway....) We had a great week here at North Park! Hope you enjoy the "Best Parts of My Week!"

.....Fitness Frankie spent the week in a 5th grade class. They were so excited when I delivered him on Monday!

.....At the end of a kindergarten class, a student noticed that I was wearing my jacket with one sleeve rolled up and the other down. She commented on it and I said that I guess I just didn't notice it. When she left PE class she had rolled one pant leg up and the other was down! I think she was trying to be like me! I was flattered!

.....As one of my second grade classes arrived for PE class this week they brought a present. They worked very hard to write about Jump Rope for Heart and created a book of their work with the cover illustrated by one of the students! I was so touched! They were so excited to give it to me and I was more than excited to receive it! I read the stories that night, which included pictures of Jump Rope for Heart. They were terrific and one of the things that I was impressed with was that the students expressed clearly why Jump Rope for Heart is so important!

.....Just like all teachers, from time to time I need to be out of school and need a substitute. I was fortunate this week to have a former student with a college degree in Physical Education sub for me! He did a great job!

.....A colleague of mine and I are doing a project this year to learn about and find a use for Skype technology. Skype uses video technology to allow real time conversations using a computer and web cam. This week we used Skype with our third grade classes. My colleague and I teach in different schools in the same district. We each have rock walls, but there are some differences and similarities in how we use them. We decided to conduct a Skype session with one of our third grade classes using our respective rock walls, and follow-up with a question and answer session with the students. It was amazing! Each group showed the other how the rock wall is used. Our students were terrific and impressed with the technology! I can't wait for the follow-up session so that I can hear the questions and answers!

.....We ended the week with our annual Student/Teacher Jump Show. This show began six years ago as a celebration of our hard work to make our first Jump Rope for Heart a success. It began with a commitment from our principal and myself to jump rope for students. Well, one thing led to another and many other adults in our building volunteered to jump for the students too! As the years went by we expanded the show to showcase the skills that students learned to get ready for Jump Rope for Heart. Not only do we have students in grades K-5 jump in a variety of ways, but also many adults in our school embrace this show and participate to jump for the students! This year was a wonderful success! We raised more than $2500.00 for the American Heart Association during our Jump Rope for Heart event and for the past six years of the JRFH events we have raised more than $21,000.00! The tremendous generosity of our school community is one of the many reasons we celebrate with our Jump Show! We all agree that our jump rope skills have improved! Our future goal is to someday master the Double-Dutch Jump Rope!

I hope you enjoyed reading about "The Best Parts of My Week".

Visit the North Park PE website to learn more about our program.

E-mail me with comments or questions at: northparkpe@yahoo.com

Sunday, April 3, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week....3/28-4/1

Hi everyone,
The year seems to be flying by! It's usually around this time of year that I realize how much the students have grown and that another year is going faster than the last! I hope you enjoy the "Best Parts of My Week"!

.....I delivered Fitness Frankie to his "host" class. They were so excited (including the classroom teacher) that they asked me if I could hear them cheer from the office when their class was announced!

.....My primary students were participating in a Healthy Highway Race Car Warm-up. One of the students came up with a great idea! She suggested using arms as blinkers so that other students would know when students were entering and exiting the track! Why didn't I think of that????

.....My fifth grade students were playing a game called "Nutrition Concentration". I play a song during the game called "Superpower Vegetables" by Jump with Jill. I was asking the students about strategies that they used to find matches or pairs of vegetable cards. One of the fifth graders said that when he sang along with the song and said "Superpower Vegetables", he always found a match! He said that saying those words gave him "super powers"!

.....I had taken a picture of Fitness Frankie in his new spring hat (there is a picture on his blog). I was showing the picture to some of the students this week and as soon as they saw his picture they smiled and said "Awwwwwww, he's so cute!"

.....My fourth graders were allowed to take home our "PE Packs to Go!" this week. It was their first time using the packs which have a pedometer and log card to use at home. I challenge each group sharing a pack to get as many steps as possible and I announce those packs with more than 10,0000 steps. They were so excited to take the packs home!

.....Recently, I had the opportunity to contribute to an article that Wendy Cooper, founder of Healthy Highway, was writing for PE Links 4U Website. I was asked to write a portion of the article about how our school had implemented Healthy Highway. I was grateful for the opportunity and this week it was published! If you would like to view the article, visit the PE Links 4U Website and click on the Healthy Highway article!

I hope you enjoyed reading about "The Best Parts of My Week".

Visit the North Park PE website to learn more about our program.

E-mail me with comments or questions at: northparkpe@yahoo.com



Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Best Parts of My Week....3/21-3/25

Hi everyone,
Those who are a part of our community know that it has been a very difficult week as we mourn the loss of a young life. I thought about how I could possibly write about the best parts of my week, when so many, including myself, were so sad and upset by the tragic events of late. Part of me wanted to leave out this week, but another part of me knows that in difficult times it is even more important to recognize every day as a gift, and find the good where you can. It is for that reason that I decided to write about those moments this week that reminded me to always look for the best, even in the face of the worst.........

.....hearing the thunderous applause when I brought Fitness Frankie to the class that had been chosen to take care of him.

.....playing Artery Avengers with my primary students. This is a game that teaches them how fat can clog arteries and that exercise and good nutrition can help to keep arteries clear. The best part was pretending to be a super hero as we shouted "ARTERY AVENGERS".

.....playing tag with one of my students who sometimes comes to PE a little early for some extra activity.

.....sharing our Healthy Highway events in our monthly tune-up with the creator of Healthy Highway.

.....listening to a primary student explain to me that she and a friend were practicing for a one mile race in their living room and that the practice was helping their hearts get healthy just like Healthy Highway.

.....spending time on nutrition lessons to celebrate March as National Nutrition Month and being impressed at how much students knew and how much they quickly learned.

.....smiling as a fifth grade class asked if they could play another round of Nutrition Concentration.

....taking Fitness Frankie on a road trip with me as I shared him at a Care to Share event sponsored by the SEZ of NYSAHPERD.

I hope you enjoyed reading about "The Best Parts of My Week".

Visit the North Park PE website to learn more about our program.

E-mail me with comments or questions at: northparkpe@yahoo.com