The Best Parts of My Week - 1/20/15 - 1/23/15

Hi everyone,
     Well, after an exciting circus week it was back to the regular schedule.  It is always good to return to a routine and I enjoyed this week as there were many great parts to it!

.....I had the pleasure of congratulating our fifth grade students on their hard work and perseverance during Circus Week.  As I told the students how proud I was that they worked through the frustrations and challenges of learning the circus skills in such a short time, I was touched by how they received my message.  Many heads were nodding up and down and the smiles on their faces told me that they were proud as well!

.....I was teaching a kindergarten class this week and I introduced a picture of the circulatory system and had cards with "blood vessels" and "circulatory system" posted in my goal chart.  New York State Domain 1 includes these vocabulary words for first graders and these kindergarten students are part of a K-1 combination class so they have been exposed to this in their classroom.  When I asked the kindergarten students to tell me what they saw on the goal chart one student read the words "blood vessels"!  I was so impressed I asked them if they could point out the heart and lungs on the chart and of course they could!  

.....My upper elementary students are learning about the components of Physical Fitness and this week I had six different stations that focused on different components of fitness.  I always like to play some upbeat music during PE class and this week I used some dance music.  One of the songs that came on during a fifth grade class was the Cha Cha Slide.  As the song played, students did the dance steps while they were doing the fitness station!  Students were dancing while stepping up and down on fitness steps, using medicine balls and exercise balls and even jumping rope!  I told the students that I was going to rename the song to Cha Cha Fitness!

.....As my broken foot continues to heal I am without crutches but my leg/foot are still in a boot.  Several students during the week made me get well cards.  The cards were colorful with thoughtful messages.  Not a day went by this week without a card or a get well wish!  I feel better already!

.....Our PE Password this week is Challenge and our exit question is "Did you challenge yourself?"  When I asked students at the end of class how they challenged themselves during PE they came up with some great answers!  My principal even got into the act this week when she thought I was walking on my foot too much.  She challenged me to move UNDER 10,0000 steps per day!  It was hard and I came very close!  Next week I will have to rise to the challenge!

.....As I walked through the cafeteria this week several students stopped to show me that they were eating apples!  How healthy is that!

.....Our Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassadors have been working on promoting our "Brain Break" week which begins on Monday.  We are encouraging our classes to use Go Noodle activities for at least one brain break every day.  They made some amazing posters to advertise the event and this week a colleague and I put them up in the hallway.  One of our student ambassadors thanked me for putting them up!  She was proud of her work and so am I!  I am looking forward to the week!

.....Primary students were participating in an "Alphabet Stretch" warm-up.  The idea is to move and then stop by a letter and make your body look like that letter.  A second grade class was doing this warm-up and I asked students to say the letter's name, say it's sound, and say a word that begins with that letter.  One group was at the letter "F" and when asked for a word that begins with "F" said Fitness Frankie loud and clear!

.....The week ended with Fitness Friday and as I was getting ready for my first class two third grade students came into the gym because their teacher needed help for a Fitness Friday activity.  They were so excited they were talking at the same time and I had to slow them down to find out what they needed.  I went down to the class to help out and it was so great to see that classroom teachers were including exercise in their day and participating in Fitness Friday!  

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 - 1/12/15--1/16/15

Hi everyone,
     This week was Circus Week at North Park and what a week it was!  The National Circus Project spent the week with us and kicked off the week with a performance for the entire school.  The week continued with workshops everyday and ended with the fifth grade class performing for the school in the afternoon and for families and friends on Friday night.  It is truly the most intense and, in many ways, one of the most rewarding weeks of the year.  Click the links below for pictures of the week!
Circus Week Pictures
5th Grade Circus Show

.....We decided that this week would be a perfect week to begin to travel down "Perseverance Path".  Students were encouraged to persevere as they learned a variety of circus skills.  We all needed a bit of perseverance this week and Fitness Frankie got into the act too!

.....Renaldo and Justin from the National Circus Project performed an amazing show for us at the beginning of the week.  They are so skilled and they always get the audience involved.  One student was asked to go up on stage to help with a skill.  It was his first week at North Park!  What a way to begin!

.....Renaldo asked on of the adults to come up on the stage to help with a trick.  The person he picked is someone who does not like to be the center of attention but she was so gracious and did terrific job!  I saw her after the performance and, knowing that being up on the stage must have been challenging, I thanked her for being a good sport.  Her response was:  "only for you Mrs. R!"  How nice was that!

.....The laughter and smiles during the Circus show at the beginning of the week were electrifying!  I don't think I stopped smiling and laughing all week!

.....During the week I saw multiple instances of perseverance and the joy of success when a particular goal was accomplished.  I saw stilt walkers walk with confidence, plate spinners do tricks they never thought possible, jugglers juggle basketballs, rings, scarves, and balls, and many, many more successes. I was proud of students and staff alike as they tried new things and worked at getting better!

.....During the Friday afternoon performance a stilt walker made several attempts to walk up a series of mats arranged at different levels.  Renaldo always says there is only one way in the circus - "All the way!"  The stilt walker continued to persevere with Renaldo's encouragement and successfully made it up and down the mats!  The roar of the crowd was deafening as they applauded his effort and his success!

.....After the Friday afternoon school performance so many adults came up to me to tell me what a great week it was and despite the expense of the program we need to do whatever it takes to bring the program back again next year.  Several adults began to suggest ways to make it happen!

.....After the Friday evening performance I had a chance to speak with students and parents and congratulate them on a job well done!  One student remarked that he had done his best, another said that he was actually impressed with himself, and still others were proud of their hard work and perseverance!

.....It is hard to describe the feeling that comes from knowing that this program is about so much more than the actual skills being learned.  There is one particular example of this that I would like to share.  Even before the week began a student asked me if everyone had to be in the circus show.  It was clear that he did not want to be a part of it.  I asked him to keep an open mind and see how the week went before he made a decision.  The beginning of the week was difficult and while he reluctantly participated in the skill practice, I was sure that being a part of the performance at the end of the week would be out of the question.  As the week progressed I witnessed an amazing transformation.  I had tears in my eyes as I told him how proud I was of him and I had the chance to share the same message with his dad.   It was then that I was reminded of the value of this intense and amazing 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 - 1/5/14--1/9/15

Hi everyone,
     Happy New Year!  It is hard to believe that it is 2015 and since I began my career in January of 1984 this marks the beginning of my 32nd year of teaching!  I do not know where the time has gone but it has been a truly amazing ride.....

.....I began the week at home due to an unfortunate accident that resulted in a broken foot.  While this is not the way that I planned to start the new year it makes it to the list of "Best Parts of My Week" because of the wonderful response and offers of help from so many.  When I finally made it back to school on Thursday I was overwhelmed with the caring and help from students and adults.  I am so grateful......

.....On Thursday I planned an activity that would be fun for all but that would not involve too much set up.  I settled on an game called Fitness Payback which involves bowling pins, exercise stations and bean bags.  The students love this game and while they were playing one student came over to have his shoe tied.  As I was tying his shoe another student knocked over his bowling pin.  He turned to the student and said:  "That doesn't count.....I'm on pause!"  It made me think of pausing a video game and I decided that this was a better way to be on "pause"!

.....Cardio Cal is spending some time in a fifth grade class and he came to PE this week.  The students were having so much fun including him in their activity!  One student positioned him so that he could use the flex bands and warm up with everyone else.  It was too cute!  

.....The National Circus Project is coming to our school next week to conduct an artist-in-residence program during which students learn a variety of circus skills and one grade level performs for the entire school at the end of the week.  I had the opportunity to share this with students this week and the excitement in the air was infectious!  We can't wait to spin plates, juggle, balance, and walk on stilts!  

.....The week ended with a snow day.  It is winter after all, and snow days are to be expected, however this one was somewhat of a surprise.  Here's to hoping that next week is a full 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