The Best Parts of My Week - 12/15/14--12/19/14

Hi everyone,
     It was a wonderful and busy holiday spent with family and friends so I am a little late with this posting of the Best Parts of My Week.  Nevertheless, it was a great week and I am happy to share the "Best Parts" with you!

.....The week began with an annual event to help others called the "Pageant for Peace".  Students and adults bring in food for those in need in our own school community and then we sing a variety of songs as a group.  It was started many years ago and is such a wonderful and charitable event.  In fact, our Healthy Highway road this month is called Charity Way and we have been encouraging our students to help so that others have enough.  Many families come to the event and this year I noticed that some of the family members in attendance had been students who had participated in the event when they were children!  How cool is that?

.....The week continued with an energetic Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassador meeting!  We came up with a plan to increase classroom activity breaks and our ambassadors are ready to lead the way!  We ended the meeting with a few activities from Go Noodle.  During a warm-up activity, one of the athletes mentioned that your body is like a car and you need to take care of it and put good fuel in to get good performance.  One of the students said:  "Hey, you say that too!"  This made me smile because it means our Healthy Highway program is working!

.....Cardio Cal spent some time in a fourth grade class recently and one of the students in the class took him home during the Thanksgiving break.  She wrote a four page story about his adventures and this week she shared it with me!  

.....While I was in the Library working one morning during my prep time a student working on a project came over to ask me how many steps I had on my pedometer so far that day!  I am always happy to share my step count.  It helps me to set a good example and "practice what I preach".

.....One of my primary students had a birthday this week.  He brought in fruit kabobs and shared one with me.  He even helped to make them!  They were delicious and his healthy birthday treat earned a mile for his class!  

.....In support of the Common Core and learning that is happening in the classroom, I have increased the number and scope of the vocabulary words that I teach and reinforce during PE class.  One of those "teachable moments" happened this week with a first grade class when I was talking about the number of muscles that we have.  That discussion led to the number of bones we have and before I could even tell this class that they have 206 bones they told me!  Can you believe that first graders know this?  I was surprised and proud at the same time!

.....Our school was treated to a Winter Concert during this week before vacation.  I am always impressed with the musical talent of our students and our music staff!  The orchestra, band, and choral groups were truly wonderful!  It was obvious that a tremendous amount of perseverance and practice went into their performances!

.....The week ended with our traditional Winter Workshop Day.  This always occurs during the last day before winter vacation.  Students participate in four one hour workshops during the day that are led by teachers, administrators, and parents.  Some of the workshops included chess, healthy snack making, crafts, art, weaving, basketball, speed stacking, music, computer games, and circus arts and much, much more.  In fact, over thirty different workshops are offered during the day!  A colleague of mine and I organize the circus arts workshop and we had a terrific day!  We taught students how to juggle, spin plates, use angel sticks, balance feathers and other objects, and even walk on stilts!  I got to practice my diablo skills and for the first time ever actually caught the diablo!  It was a perfect time to remind students about the value of perseverance!  It was a day full of laughter, challenges, smiles, and accomplishments and it was a great way to end the week!  

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week - 12/8/14--12/12/14

Hi everyone,
     It was a week of starts and stops as the weather in the Northeast began to look a lot more like winter!  As a result of ice and snow we had one snow day and one delay this week and technically it is not even winter yet!  Still, there were some great moments!

.....Fitness Frankie to Go came back on Monday after having some holiday adventures!  He helped to cut down a Christmas tree after a hike with one student and exercised, had a healthy dinner, and met some grandparents with another!  Not only are students taking photographs to include in his journal, but they are also writing about the adventures to go in the journal as well!  

.....Primary students began to practice throwing skills playing a game called "Clean Up Your Backyard".  This is a classic game and one that I have played for many years.  This game has been enhanced by a book of the same title written by a creative and talented PE professional - Lynn Hefele - through her company called LEPE - Literature Enhanced Physical Education.  The book sets up the game and reinforces good throwing techniques with a great story and surprising ending!  I read the book this week to my students and they were so excited!  The basic premise of the game is that students clean up their own backyard by throwing "garbage" over a fence into a neighbor's backyard.  Now of course, this is a story and students are told that this is only a pretend game.  When asked where garbage is supposed to be put they all know that it should be thrown in garbage cans and recycle bins.  I use baskets to store the balls and at the end of the game students actually clean up by putting the balls back in the baskets.  One of my kindergarten classes decided to actually clean up during the game.  I did not realize this at first but then I started wondering where all of the balls had gone because it seemed that there were not enough for the game.  I finally discovered that they were already being put in the baskets before the game ended! Students had so much fun playing and their throwing skills are getting better already!  

.....Recently,  I have been supporting learning that is going on in the classroom by including some of the new NYS Domain vocabulary words for first grade in my PE classes.  This week the two words that I  had on display were "muscles" and "voluntary".  Before I even had a chance to ask how these two words are connected, one of my first graders gave a wonderful description of what voluntary and involuntary muscles are!  I am quite sure that I did not know that when I was in first grade!

.....I absolutely love the "WHOA!" effect.  This is the reaction that students exhibit when they arrive at the gymnasium and see what is set up for their class.  I had the pleasure of this reaction many times this week as students in the upper grades were beginning to play small group games in Volleyball with a variety of different balls and court set-ups and my primary students were playing "Clean Up Your Backyard" and balloons filled with helium were ready to be used as targets!  

.....Sometimes the little moments and small gestures are the once that touch my heart the most.  I received a handmade sign this week from one of my students.  She is one of our Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassadors and she made me a Fuel Up to Play 60 sign for my office door!  

 I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week - 12/1/14-12/5/14

Hi everyone,
    How did we end up in December already?  As we began the week one of my colleagues pointed out that there were only 15 school days until the Winter Break!  She then added that this fact was both exciting and terrifying at the same time since there is much to do and not much time to do it!   That being said, it was a busy and exciting week!

.....My primary students have been exploring different levels and I like to culminate the activity with a series of stations that use different levels and a variety of equipment.  When a first grade class arrived at the door one student walked in with a smile and said:  "Thank you for making this!"  As the students completed the stations, one student increased the distance he was standing from a target at a high level and said:  "I'm challenging myself!"  

.....Students in the primary grades are learning vocabulary words that connect with work that the students are learning in their classroom related to the NYS Common Core.  This week's words were "healthy" and "exercising".  One first grade student pointed out that those words are connected because one leads to the other.  What a smart student! 

....I recently made some posters to illustrate the NYS Learning Standards for Physical Education and I asked my fourth and fifth grade students to read them and pick out something important to share.  I was impressed with their conversations!  They made some meaningful connections as to how our program meets the standards!

.....Fitness Frankie to Go is off on another weekend adventure!  The student taking him home this weekend said:  "I know it will be a healthy adventure!  Another student suggested that Fitness Frankie could be put next to an apple and then she could draw or take a picture of that scene!  I can't wait to see how his adventure went!

......I love to use music in my program.  I believe in the power of music to motivate the students and this week that was proven again as one of my quietest students was dancing away as the music played!

.....I also love technology!  This week I began to use a great app called Comic Life.  It is wonderful and began to use it to do some simple assessments with students learning volleyball and others learning about levels.  As students completed the assessment I was able to truly see what they had learned and what they still needed to know.  I am looking forward to using it more and more!



 I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week: 11/25-11/26

Hi everyone,
     Yes - the dates on this blog reflect only two days!  It was a short week as we did not have school Wednesday-Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday and Monday and Tuesday were only half days for students as parents and families came to school for report card conferences.  It has been a wonderful break and I am ready to begin December!  Even so, there were some special moments last week that I would like to share as the "Best Parts of My Week".....

.....During Monday afternoon I created a bulletin board in the hallway with pictures of our recent cooperative unit.  The theme of this bulletin board is "Why PE?" and in September I asked third grade students to contribute their thoughts.  I decided to continue the theme and add approximately 80 pictures as an answer to the question.  I did not anticipate the interest in the bulletin board!  I immediately noticed parents stopping in the hallway looking at the pictures and smiling!  The next morning, students were doing the same as they looked for themselves in the pictures!

.....My upper elementary students are learning about the sport of volleyball.  As they have been learning  different skills, I have asked students to work in groups of three.  One of the three has been assigned the role of "Coach".  The coach's job is to watch students performing a task and identify when students use specific cues and complete the skill correctly.  I have been very proud of our "Coaches"!  They have embraced their role and have been a positive influence in helping their friends learn correct techniques! When I asked the students if it helped them to know that a coach was watching them practice they said yes!

.....After a class that had completed some Volleyball skill stations this week one student exclaimed:  "That was really fun!  I think I dreamed that I played Volleyball!"

.....Each year I challenge my fifth grade students to be the best at the PE Password program.  I explain that a fifth grade class a few years back embraced the program so well that they told me the PE Password every chance they got, even if it was not during PE class.  This year's fifth grade has taken this challenge to heart!  One fifth grade class in particular passed by the gym and without knowing if I was in there or not, each student said the PE Password loud and clear as they walked by!  

.....I have been enjoying the success of our Fitness Frankie to Go program this year!  Students and families have been so supportive and the healthy adventures have been wonderful! This week the Fitness Frankie to Go packs came back with terrific pictures and stories of a variety of healthy adventures from bicycle riding to healthy food choices!

.....As students left school on Tuesday for the Thanksgiving break there were so many smiles and wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to all!  I could not be more thankful for my school!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week - 11/17/14--11/21/14

Hi everyone,
     While we are reminded at this time of year to be thankful, it is easy to forget about all of the things - big and little - that we should be thankful for all year long.....I am so thankful for so much professionally and personally.  I ask my students to show their "attitude of gratitude" and I am going to attempt to practice what I preach every single day.......

.....We celebrated the 50th Day of School this week!  Our primary students and teachers dressed up as if it were the 1950's and at the end of the day I organized a Sock Hop in the gym.  It is a wonderful tradition and this year did not disappoint!  Students and adults were so enthusiastic as we danced the Twist, Hand Jive, Lollipop Dance, and even worked on our hula hoop skills!  We are so thankful to be able to continue this tradition.  Our administration believes in the positive connection between physical activity and academic achievement and fully supports these special and creative projects.  I am grateful..... 

.....As part of our efforts to create a healthy environment, we encourage students to bring healthier alternatives to birthday cupcakes when they celebrate a birthday at school.  This week one of my students brought in the most wonderful treat!  It was a basket of bananas and each banana had a small party hat!  Each banana was decorated with a cute face and the basket also contained just the right amount of dark chocolate to accompany each banana!  How amazing is that?

.....Our Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassador program is going well!  We have a great group of students and this week they were so helpful with our "Stuff the Bus" program.  Students and families were asked to donate items for our local food pantry in anticipation of the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Our Student Ambassadors "adopted" a younger classroom to help with this task and many times this week I saw the ambassadors using teamwork to carry donated items to the bus!

.....As I work on my questioning techniques (a building wide goal this year) I began to use a poster that has three statements:  What I know, What I want to know, What I learned.  While this technique may not be knew to the classroom, it is new to me and I was excited to try it out.  Since we are just beginning a unit on volleyball, I asked my students to talk to a friend about what they already know about volleyball as well as what they want to know about volleyball.  I was so impressed with the responses! Not only did students know more than I thought, they were very thoughtful about what they wanted to know.  Some wanted to know about the history of volleyball, others wanted to know about the rules and skills necessary to play, and still others wanted to know about the referee's hand signals, what the ball is made of, and what team rankings mean!  

.....I had an amazing professional opportunity this week as I attended and presented at the NYS AHPERD Annual Convention in Verona, NY.  I am fortunate to work in a district where professional development is valued.  I have attended and presented at this convention for many years, and each year I return with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and energy!  This year seemed special as I connected with many National Teachers of the Year, colleagues I have not seen in awhile, and young and future professionals eager to begin their careers.  NYS AHPERD put on a fantastic conference with motivational keynote speakers and I am ready to get back to school and try out some of the lessons that I learned while there!  The conference theme was Pride, Passion, and Partnerships and I could not be more proud to be a Physical Education Teacher in NYS!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

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

Hi everyone,

     As we paused this week to honor our Veterans, I had many opportunities to feel grateful for the freedom that our Veterans worked so hard to preserve for us and future generations........

.....This week we finished up our Cooperative activities unit and I asked my third and fourth grade students to assess their behavior and learning during the unit.  Students "walked and talked" with a partner as they self-assessed and I was so impressed with their honest conversations!

.....Fifth grade students finished their work on our traverse rock wall this week.  One partnership was so focused on sharing the climbing and spotting time that they wanted to know how much time they had and asked me to let them know when half of the time had expired.  They certainly wanted to be fair to each other!

.....On our day off to celebrate Veteran's Day I had a wonderful opportunity to take a hike with my husband at a local preserve that has trails down to the Hudson River.  It was a great walk and it felt good to be outside enjoying our freedom!

.....Our Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassador group met for the second time this year and I am so impressed at their responsibility and willingness to help!  We had a great meeting and finished up the time with some activity!  I recently learned about a site called Go Noodle which has some great ideas for classroom activity breaks.  We tried one out as a group and had fun!

.....Two of the areas that our principal has asked special area teachers to focus on this year is our use of questioning strategies and the use of vocabulary words with multiple meanings.  This week my primary students are learning about levels and I asked my students to talk to a friend about what levels are, why they are important, and where they are used.  What a great discussion!  When I asked students to share what they talked about they came up with a variety of terrific responses and many multiple meanings of the word levels!  In addition to talking about the use of levels in space (low, medium, and high), one student talked about levels in terms of learning and another talked about them in the context of a tournament and how winning a game gets you to the next level!

.....I had a great conversation with a student this week about how his strength and endurance has improved during the past year!  He explained that he had been working hard and that he was now stronger and could run longer than in the past.  I am so proud of him!

.....We had a great Healthy Highway assembly this week to introduce our next road - Charity Way.  Students listened to a book by Todd Parr called The Peace Book and then were asked about what Peace is.  Students had some great responses and were then challenged to work hard to ensure that everyone has "enough"......enough good feelings, enough food....enough warmth.......enough time......enough safety....enough love.....When everyone has "enough" there can be Peace........We have many school-wide events to accomplish this task and it is always heartwarming to see students rise to the challenge.

.....At the end of the week I was talking to a class about responsibility for fitness.  I explained that while PE was a great start, students needed to take responsibility for their own fitness by exercising outside of school.  One student shared her view of this in such an amazing way that I wish that I had taped it!  She explained that while she does not belong to a team or organized group, she wants to stay healthy and fit so one of her strategies is exercise before she watches television!  How great is that!  I told her that if more people had that attitude the world would be a healthier place!  

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week - 11/3/14-11/7/14

Hi everyone,
     How did we get to November?  November is a very busy month for school and family but it is also a month during which we should pause and give thanks......I am so grateful for the many opportunities in my life.  I teach in a wonderful school full of dedicated professionals and wonderful students and families and I have an amazing family of my own.   I hope that by sharing some of the "Best Parts" my gratitude is felt by all who read this blog.  

.....I have often talked about my "PE Password" program.  This week I overheard one of my fifth graders as he checked out the PE Password.  He said:  "Biceps!  I was right!".   It was great to hear learning going on without me even being present!

.....Students have been learning and practicing Trust Leans in preparation for climbing our Rock Wall.  I always demonstrate with a willing student volunteer.  This week when I asked for volunteers so many hands went up!  When I demonstrated by having the student be the "leaner" while I was the spotter, I could feel the incredible trust that the students had in my ability to keep them safe.  I remember that everyday......

.....On Tuesday I had a terrific opportunity to attend and present at the Southeastern Zone of NYS AHPERD Election Day Conference.  The energy in the sessions and the quality of the conference was amazing!  I always appreciate the opportunity to present and share some of my lessons and I met so many dedicated professionals who want to deliver quality Physical Education in their schools!

.....Wednesday was National Healthy Eating Day and we celebrated with Wellness Wednesday!  In PE students were asked to contribute by writing down their healthy snack.  The message was received!

.....Cardio Cal finished his adventure in a fifth grade class this week and I asked students to share some of his experiences in their class so that a journal entry could be created.  It was delightful as students told me about the Science and Math lessons that Cardio Cal was a part of!

.....Our before school day care program uses the gymnasium in the morning so that students can be active.  I am happy to share the space and so many of the students volunteer to help me!  This week in particular one student was available everyday with a smile and "Do you need any help?"

.....As students finished up our unit on Cooperative Education, they climbed our traverse Rock Wall.  I am always impressed with the care that the spotters give to their climber but this year seemed special as students gave "high fives" to climbers as they finished the wall,  and so many encouraging words were heard while students climbed!

.....Friday morning I was walking down the hallway as students were arriving.  One of my first graders smiled and asked:  "How is your day going so far?"  It was 9:05 am!  I replied that it was going well!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week - 10/27/14-10/31/14

Hi everyone,
     Where did October go?  We finished the month with some exciting activities!

.....On Monday I was finally able to go with my fifth grade students and their teachers on our Walkway Over the Hudson field trip.  We had scheduled it twice before and both times the weather did not cooperate!  I guess the third time was the charm because we had an amazing day!  The weather was gorgeous and the whole experience was simply wonderful!  The Walkway Over the Hudson is basically in our backyard and is a renovated train bridge that has become an exercise destination for so many residents of the Hudson Valley and beyond!  This field trip is a truly collaborative project involving the classroom teachers and myself.  Students share pedometers and make predictions about step counts and then use the data in a math activity back at school.  Classroom teachers share the history of the Walkway and students use the experience to write a personal narrative!  We walked over and back and then enjoyed a healthy snack! I love this trip for so many reasons!  When we returned to school I thanked our principal for supporting the trip.   There is so much to do and so little time to do it but this project allows students to learn on many levels while using a community resource that is accessible to all!

.....Fitness Frankie to Go came back right on time Monday morning!  He spent the weekend bicycling on a rail trail with a family that included a picture in his journal!  This project is so much fun!  

.....Back at school we are continuing our cooperative activities unit and this week fourth grade students participated in a trust activity.  Students chose partners and then guided their blindfolded partners through the gymnasium that was strewn with balls, cones, etc.  Students were very responsible during the activity and it is always interesting to see the different reactions by blindfolded students.  Some are very hesitant while others seem to have no fear at all!  At the end of the activity, I asked students to talk to their partners and finish the statement:  "I felt safe because........"  When I asked students to share, the responses were so genuine and showed the trust that they have in their friends!

.....My primary students learned a new warm-up this week that uses our "Rainbow track", as I call it.  We have floor tape in six colors outlining a track and some activity happens inside the track and some activity happens outside the track.  This week students paired up and while one student was jogging, the other was stretching.  I encourage students to "look both ways" before they "pull out" onto the track.  My kindergarten students took this very seriously!  They were adorable!

.....As I watched my primary students completing a building activity with a partner I was struck by the looks of pure joy on their faces as they played!  Sometimes it is easy to get distracted by the frenzy that occurs sometimes when there is not enough time, but this is when we need to let the children PLAY!  They were learning for sure, but they were also having so much fun!

.....Another cooperative activity with my primary students this week involved a game during which students shared a scooter (a garbage truck) by sitting back to back, and then worked together to clean up the "garbage" on the floor.  One of my kindergarten students was being my helper to demonstrate the game and he came up with a way to back up the truck in a way that I had never thought of!  His thinking was amazing and my teaching partner and I were both struck by his creativity!

.....Fitness Frankie spent some time in the gymnasium this week and I positioned him by the door so that students could see him and say hello and goodbye.  They were so happy to see him and gave him high fives on the way out!

.....At the end of the week I was teaching my upper elementary students how to do trust leans in preparation for use of our rock wall.  I asked for a volunteer that trusted me.  A student volunteered and said:  "I trust all teachers!"  How great is that!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week! 10/20/14--10/24/14

Hi everyone,
     October is flying by!  Our cooperative unit is in full swing and is one of my favorite units to teach.  Regardless of the number of years I teach, I learn new ways to solve problems every year!

.....I began the week early Monday morning meeting with our new Student Ambassador group for our Fuel Up to Play 60 program.  A colleague and I decided to bring this program to North Park to allow students to be more involved.  What a wonderful group of students!  It was our first meeting and the excitement was in the air!  We are hoping to make a difference and with this group of students I am sure that it is possible!

.....Our Fitness Frankie to Go packs came back right on schedule on Monday morning!  The students had a great weekend with him and one student even made a video!

.....Physical Eddie arrived with a kindergarten class this week wearing a new shirt!  When I asked about it the teacher explained that this was his new lab coat because he is "Dr. PE"!  He is helping to teach the students about the human body!  How cool is that!  I love the collaboration!

.....As a result of a generous grant from the Southeastern Zone of NYS AHPERD, I was able to add three iPad minis to our program.  I love technology and I am so excited to add this technology to our program.  This week the iPad minis were used for a warm-up for the first time.  I told students of my expectations in terms of the safe and respectful use of the equipment and I was so proud of their use and care!  They were so excited to begin to use them!  They had a great workout and all students were able to take lots of turns during the warm-up.  I can't wait to use them again!

.....One of my favorite cooperative lessons involves tossing and catching rubber pigs on a garbage bag. It is such a silly but cooperative activity!  As a fifth grade class was participating in this activity, one of my students said:  "and my mom said I wouldn't get an iPhone until pigs fly!"

.....There is never enough time to accomplish all that I want to in a given class period.  During the cooperative unit, debriefing is important, but it is hard to find the time.  This week I ended some of the classes with a "Walk and Talk" during which students were supposed to finish the sentence "I liked it when......"  I sent the class on their way and it was so great to hear all of the talking.  When the students returned I asked for some students to share their responses.  The responses were amazing!  All of the responses were positive and many had to do with the cooperation that they used during the activity!

.....Our school received the Let's Move Active Schools 2014 National Recognition Award!  On Thursday night, the banner, certificate, and congratulatory letter from our First Lady Michelle Obama was unveiled at the Board of Education meeting.  I had the privilege to speak to the BOE about the award and was so incredibly proud of the team effort from our staff, students, families, and community that made this award possible....

.....At the end of the week I gave the Fitness Frankie to Go packs to the next two students for their weekend adventures.  They were so excited!  One of the students had a bike riding adventure already planned!

.....I finished off the week after school on Friday by taking a picture of my principal - dressed as Fitness Frankie for the evening Halloween party!  I am thankful everyday to work for such a dedicated, caring, and supportive administrator.  I know how lucky I am!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week - 10/14/14--10/17/14

Hi everyone,

     The week began on Tuesday this week due to the Columbus Day holiday.  Still, the list of the "Best Parts" is quite impressive! 

.....As many of you are aware, teachers all over the country are struggling to implement Common Core.  I am working hard to find ways to support the Common Core without losing activity time.  I recently learned that one of the NYS Speaking and Listening Domains for first grade is the Human Body and one of the core vocabulary words is "joint".  During a warm up this week one of my first graders said "we are moving our joints!"  It was a terrific teachable moment!  We had a great discussion about what joints are and how we use them.  When the class was picked up the student proudly told his teacher about our discussion!

.....In the classroom, students are often asked to "think-pair-share" or "turn and talk" to discuss an important concept.  I like the idea but want to add the activity so I use a "walk and talk" technique when I want students to discuss a concept or work out a plan.  This week I introduced this idea to first and second graders and they had some amazing discussions about muscles and the heart!  I loved listening to their discussions as they passed me during the "walk and talk"!

.....Second grade students participate in a "Fitness Frankie to Go" program that I developed using our mascot bear - Fitness Frankie.  Each weekend two new students take Fitness Frankie home with them for a healthy adventure.  On Monday the students brought Fitness Frankie back and the healthy adventures were terrific!  One student drew a picture of bicycling with Fitness Frankie and the other had a photo taken while doing push-ups with Fitness Frankie on his back!  I can't wait to see the rest of the adventures!

.....I saw so many "butterfly claps" this week!  Students use this technique to show me that are excited about something without making noise or disrupting the class!

.....Our primary warm up this week was a song that allows students to be a leader and lead the class in exercises.  It is one of our favorite warm ups and this week one of the leaders used an exercise that he had recently learned -"bear push-ups".  The whole class was growling and getting strong!

.....As a first grade student left PE class this week she said "I like PE.  It makes me sweat!"

.....The PE password this week was Quadriceps.  Every time I saw one of my fifth graders this week he told me the password!  I must have seen him at least ten times!  I think he learned the word!

.....As we began our cooperative unit this week I tried a new activity with fourth and fifth grade students.  It involved using large tangram puzzle pieces and working together to get the pieces, choose a puzzle, and complete it as quickly as possible.  It was so much fun!  The communication and problem solving strategies were amazing and students competed as many as six or seven puzzles in a short period of time!  It's great to try new things!

.....One of my fourth grade students was warming up with a jump rope this week and said "watch this...."  She was jump roping on one foot with her eyes closed!

.....My upper elementary students use pedometers during almost every class period.  One of my fifth grade students asked if next time we could use the calorie mode during PE.  Of course I said yes and showed him how to check!

.....We are beginning a Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassador program this year and I had a great discussion with one of our ambassadors.  Our first meeting is next week but she has already signed up and is ready to go!

.....I love technology and have recently joined a PE professional learning community on Twitter.  I have learned so much and had the opportunity this week to participate in a webinar sponsored by SPARK to learn more about using Twitter.  It was fantastic!  I am looking forward to using it more and learning from the amazing professionals in the PE learning community!  You can follow me on Twitter - @mrobPE #physed

.....The week ended with our first school -wide Fitness Friday!  We use our PA system to play an activity song and students and teachers participate together in their classrooms.  As I was going down the hall to take pictures one student was on his way to join his class and was dancing and snapping his fingers to the beat with a huge smile on his face! 

     WHEW!  What a week! I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week - 10/6/14--10/10/14

Hi everyone,
     I can't believe how beautiful the weather has been this fall!  We have been outside so much my friends that I have not seen in awhile have been asking why I am so tan!

.....Our Healthy Highway program is in full swing and many classes have already earned enough miles to complete a lap!  When a lap is completed a sticker is placed on a class car.  I was happy to see a student putting a sticker on his class car this week!  I love it when the classroom teachers get the students involved in the management!

.....In an effort to increase student led conversations and still keep activity time at a maximum level I have begun to institute a "Walk and Talk" activity when students need to discuss things with each other.  This week students were creating their own 1 v 1 soccer games and I asked them to "Walk and Talk" to decide how the activity was going to work.  I gave them some discussion prompts and then sent them off.  This activity served a dual purpose and by the time the students returned they were warm-up up and ready to go!  I was impressed with the conversations!

.....The students in grades 3-5 have been working hard to learn and practice a variety of soccer skills and as they began their 1 v 1 soccer games this week and I was happy to see them using the skills!  When I asked them to talk about what skills they had improved in their practice, I heard a variety of answers and saw the improvement in action!  It was great to see them playing and having fun and some of the groups even named their teams!  One student group remarked that they were playing for the FIFA World Cup!

.....As I was circulating around our field watching and commenting on the soccer games this week one of the students was resting.  He smiled up at me and said "it's halftime!"

.....I always encourage problem solving and the fact is that some groups are better at it than others.  This week a student commented that she really needed to be able to see two sides of the story because in her quest to solve a problem she saw one side but did not see the other until it was pointed out to her.  How mature is that!

.....As a 5th grade passed in the hallway this week each and every student told me the PE Password and gave me a high 5!  YAY!

.....Several students took the time to show me the healthy snacks they were saving for later on their way back from the cafeteria!

.....The week ended with a half-day professional development afternoon.  I participated with a group of first grade teachers, reading teachers, and teaching assistants.  I am so thankful for the colleagues that I work with everyday!  They are talented, dedicated, professional, and always, always want to deliver the best possible education to our students!  As a result of this professional development and collaboration I am ready to try some new things!


I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week - 9/29/14--10/3/14

Hi everyone,

     The gymnasium floor at my school has been under repair and as a result we have had to be flexible and make changes on the fly.  This week included a bit of a "PE Potpurri"  but there were still a bunch of "best parts!"

.....Early in the week we were unable to access any equipment and relied on classroom play equipment and the playground for our activity.  My rule for inclusion is that if anyone asks to join an activity the answer is YES.  I have made this very clear to my students over the years and the majority understand and include everyone.  It is always heartwarming to see this in action and this week I was able to see it in action quite a few times!

......During one of our outdoor activity days I noticed a group that was interested in learning how to throw a football.  This group included boys and girls and one of the boys was teaching the group how to throw.   He was being a great coach!

..... It's time for students to turn on completed Fitness Calendars and this week I received more than 50!  It was wonderful to create the first list of Fitness Fanatics!

.....Spontaneous "Thank you Mrs. Robelee" comments on the way back to class made my day!

.....After all these years I have seen the "evolution of play" if you will, in terms of boys and girls playing together.  As I observed my students this week I noticed that the boys and girls played together without a second thought.  This included jump roping, basketball, football, soccer and more!  ( a definite "PE Potpurri"!). How great is that! 

.....I was outside on the playground during one of our "no access to the gym or equipment" days this week.  One of my primary classes told me about a pole that had come loose.  I climbed up to check it out.  One of the students asked "How did you get up there?"  They were amazed!  Another asked "How are you going to get down?"  There were many possible options so I asked the student to choose for me.  She chose the "twisty" tube slide.  I had actually never been down that slide.  It was fun!

.....Physical Eddie is being hosted by a third grade class.  They brought him to PE this week and included him in every activity! 

.....As a third grade class was lining up at the end of class there was a discussion about being first.  It is no surprise that students want to be first and while some classes have line leaders this one did not.  With a smile on my face I asked students if there was a prize waiting in the classroom for those returning first.  Of course there was not but one student raised her hand and said that the real prize here was learning PE!!!!!!  That comment will make me smile for a VERY long time!

     I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week: 9/22/14--9/26/14

Hi everyone,
     Every once in awhile, I am reminded why it is so important to find the positive moments in each day.  This was one of those weeks....There were some great moments to remember!

.....Sometimes my classes arrive just as the morning announcements are being made.  This week my class arrived and we said the Pledge of Allegiance in the hallway.  Another student noticed and stopped in his tracks to say the Pledge too!

.....We spent time outside this week as we began a soccer unit.  One of my second graders was so excited to share his soccer experience with me.  He had a smile on his face as he talked about how he scored a goal and I was so glad that he wanted to share this moment with me!

.....At the beginning of the first class involving soccer skills with my 3rd grade - 5th grade classes I asked students how many played soccer on a team and many of them raised their hand.  I was impressed not only with the level of skill, but the students willingness to help others!  One of the activities involved students taking turns being a player and a coach.  The coach's job was to give feedback to the player regarding his/her dribbling skill.  So many of the students were so positive in their feedback and comments to their player!

.....Our current PE Password is "Flexibility".  After discussing the meaning of the word as it relates to PE, I asked my students if they knew another meaning for the word since this is a word with multiple meanings.  A third grade student said that he thought another meaning was to have flexibility in your brain.  When I asked him to tell me more he said that flexibility in your brain means thinking of things in many different ways!  Now that's thinking out of the box!

.....As I was returning from lunch one day this week a fifth grade student was waiting for his teacher to pick up the class.  He was munching on carrots and seemed to be enjoying them!

.....My primary students were learning about and practicing offensive and defensive skills as part of our soccer unit.  The game involved taking turns guarding a cone to practice defense and dribbling and kicking a soccer ball to knock down a cone.  One of my students said: "This is great!  I think I want to do this everyday!"

.....Friday afternoon I was chatting with some students who were waiting to be picked up.  School was closed the day before due to a religious holiday.  I asked students if they had played outside on their day off.  One student remarked that of course he did because it was Nickelodeon's World-Wide Day of Play!  Who knew?  I am glad that he did!

....I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week - 9/15/14--9/19/14

Hi everyone,
     As September moves right along, and we are enjoying the full effects of Fall, our students are settling in and we are having a great start to the school year!

.....This was our week for Meet the Teacher nights.  We have two separate nights; one for students in grades K-2 and another for students in grades 3-5.  I always enjoy these nights because I have the opportunity to talk about my program and meet the parents of so many of my students.  We had a great turnout and, as usual, I met some parents who were my former students!

.....Pedometer use is a significant part of my program and it is always exciting to see students use them for the first time.  This week some third grade students were amazed at their step counts!

.....A fifth grade student worked very hard to get 3,000 steps during one PE class!  Students were challenged to get 2,000 steps together as a partnership with another student - 1,000 steps each.  Students took turns walking for one minute and then jogging for one minute.  This particular student thought that goal was too easy and took it upon himself to make a new goal!

.....I have talked about our mascot bears - Fitness Frankie, Physical Eddie, and Cardio Cal.  This week a kindergarten student wanted to know why I did not have the bears out during PE.  He had just been introduced to them last week.  I told him they were taking a nap and would be out next time!

.....Last year I received a grant to purchase Ipad minis to use during PE class.  This week students began to use one of them and they were so excited!  I was too!

.....Kindergarten students were incredibly creative this week during an animal walk activity.  One was even floating gracefully like a butterfly!

.....A week does not go by without students smiling during PE, being proud of a newly learned skill, or commenting about how much fun they were having.  This week was no different.  It never gets old.......and always makes me smile too!

....I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week - 9/8/14--9/12/14

Hi everyone,
     It was the first full week of school and it was a full week in more ways then one!

.....Our kindergarten students began on Monday!  It was so much fun to see them arrive!  Many were confident and excited, a few were a bit hesitant, but all were ready to begin!

.....Students in grades 3-5 create class PE contracts.  This week students told me the rules that were important to them so that the contracts could be created.  I am always impressed with the mature responses!

.....As a school we have increased our focus on the creation of goals and I decided that I would ask my fourth graders to come up with a PE goal this year.  I assigned this as "PE homework" after students had a chance to "walk and talk" about the goals with a friend.  I half expected a groan or two when I told students about the assignment but there were no groans at all!  In fact, students seemed eager to complete this assignment and more than 95% of students handed it in on time!

.....5th grade students completed a "How did you Play 60?" bulletin board this week.  They were busy this summer!  

.....I was able to introduce the use of pedometers to my third grade students this week.  The excitement was incredible!  The look on their faces when they see how many steps they move during PE is priceless!

.....I always smile when a student leaves PE saying "this was fun!" ; no matter how many times it happens!

.....We finished the week with our first Healthy Highway assembly of the year!  Our students were so well behaved!  We introduced Courage Crossroads, I was able to share a book I wrote about Fitness Frankie's summer adventure, and our students learned about something called the Four Step Apology.  I had a chance to talk with students later and they enjoyed it!

....I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education

The Best Parts of My Week - 9/2/14--9/5/14

Hi everyone,
    We are back!  It was a great summer but I am ready for a new school year!  It is hard to believe but this is my 32nd school year!  It was a great first week!  We started the week with the usual meetings and it was wonderful to see colleagues that I have not seen all summer!  During the opening day we were treated to a musical performance by two of our high school vocal groups and it was gratifying to see students from North Park that are part of these amazing and talented groups!  During the afternoon, students came to visit school and drop off school supplies and I enjoyed very much catching up with students from last year as well as meeting new ones!  I think it is going to be an exciting year!  I hope you enjoy reading about the Best Parts of My Week this year!  

.....While this actually happened at the end of the summer, I have to share!  I received a letter at the end of the summer from one of my first grade students.  He wrote to tell me that he had been running during the summer to stay healthy!  How amazing is that!  I enjoyed writing back to him to tell him how proud I was!

.....There is nothing better than the smiles on the first day of school.  We were treated to our share of them on Thursday!

.....We received word this week that North Park is on the list of nationally recognized schools as a Let's Move Active School! We are one of 698 schools nationwide and one of only 21 in New York State!  Go North Park!

.....It was great fun introducing Fitness Frankie to our new friends at North Park!  This week I am planning to share his summer adventure during one of our assemblies.  Stay tuned!

.....I always begin the year with a slide show of last year's PE program.  At the end I asked students to share with the class what they noticed.  One student shared that she noticed that we have many activities and opportunities to be active during PE!  We do and I feel very grateful!  It's going to be a great year!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  North Park Physical Education