It was a great week! As the week progresses, I write notes down on a piece of paper so that I can write my blog at the end of the week. I actually ran out of room on the page this week!
.....I was at a conference on the Friday before this week. When I saw a kindergarten student on Monday he said: "I miss you when you are gone!"
.....We continued some work on pathways this week. When creating a curved pathway with some long jump ropes one student said: "It's a squiggly village!" Another student exclaimed: "I wish I could have these at my house!" He was talking about some foam blocks that we were using to create straight pathways.
.....I am always impressed with the creativity of my students. They constantly come up with ideas that I would never have thought of! They are at their best when I give them equipment and allow them to build or create. During our pathway unit I set up stations where students are asked to create specific pathways using a particular kind of equipment. A kindergarten group created a "pathway snake" with some noodle bits. It was awesome! A second grade group used foam noodles to spell their first names. They were making zig-zag pathways and the letters in the name they chose fit the bill! Another group was using foam blocks and they made airplanes that they flew in many different pathways!
.....My upper elementary students are participating in a basketball unit. One of the basketballs got stuck on the top of the backboard ( a one in a million shot!). I was attempting to get it down by tossing another ball up toward the ball that was stuck. Of course, this took me several attempts and one of the students would rebound the ball and toss it back to me. Another student remarked: "This is good teamwork!" We kept at it and eventually got the ball down....teamwork works!
.....During another basketball activity, students were playing a game during which teams were required to pass, dribble, and shoot the ball and everyone on the team had to be included in the passing. While points were awarded for different accomplishments during the game, the overall score was not kept. I was so proud when these students were not only cheering for their own teammates, but they were cheering for the other team members as well! I mentioned it to their classroom teacher when she picked them up and she was beaming! Isn't teaching our students to be good people and have good character more important than the score?????? I think so!
.....We held a Fitness Friday activity on Wellness Wednesday this week due to some bad weather in a prior week. The gymnasium was full of 150+ K-2 students all moving during a speed stacking relay activity and they were amazing! The teachers commented on their positive behavior and I must say I was impressed too! This was the first time I had tried this activity with so many students. They loved it! They had so much fun it was hard to stop when it was time to go back to class!
.....At the end of the week we held our next Healthy Highway Assembly. We are traveling down Have A Heart Way this month as we get ready for Jump Rope for Heart. We are learning how to take care of our own hearts by exercising and eating healthy foods, and we are helping to take care of others' hearts by participating in Jump Rope for Heart! The participation and enthusiasm during and after our assembly was wonderful!
Thanks for reading about 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!
