Sunday, February 7, 2016

The Best Parts of My Week: 2/1/16--2/5/16

Hi everyone,
     In many ways this was a challenging week, which is precisely the reason why I write this blog.  Focusing on the many, many, positive moments helps me to keep everything in perspective and reminds me that the positive always outweighs the challenges!

.....I was out of school on Friday 1/29 because I was presenting at a conference.  I am not absent very often and I usually let my students know when I have the opportunity to go to a conference and share some lessons that we enjoy. When I was absent I missed one of my third grade classes.  When they arrived at the gymnasium this week one of the students smiled and said:  "It's back to normal!"  When I asked him what he meant he said that because I was back everything was where it was supposed to be and everything was back to normal like it should be!  It was so nice to be missed!

.....Physical Eddie is being taken care of by a second grade class for a few weeks and he came to PE this week.  While he was on the floor one of the students bumped into him by accident.  While another student and I checked to make sure Physical Eddie was OK, another student did not seem so worried because he said Physical Eddie was not real.  As a result of that statement a very nice discussion began about the importance of imagination and the fact that Physical Eddie is indeed real to me and to my friends at North Park!

.....We have a new employee in our building and I met her this week as she was stopping to see what was happening in PE.  I invited her to come into the gymnasium and she smiled and said that she feels a "good vibe" every time she passes by the gym doors!  I am so happy that the "vibe" is positive and is felt right through the doors and walls!

.....As we get ready for Jump Rope for Heart students are using heart rate monitors to check their heart rate when warming up and jumping rope.  Students were so excited this week to share their heart rate with me to show me that they were warming up at the right level and exercising to make their hearts stronger!

.....I have had a variety of jumping areas set up for my students so that they could practice and get ready for Jump Rope for Heart.  Students are allowed to choose their activity as long as they are working on the goals for the day.  I encourage creativity and challenge and I was so happy to see that some of my students were creating their own ways to jump and land with balance!  One of my second grade students used a scissor jump successfully to jump while turning her own rope and another was able to do a hop while turning his own rope.  He was so excited (and surprised I think...) he shouted:  "I hopped!" .....A first grader was jumping in my long turning rope as I was turning it.  She had just come from the Hippity Hop station and told the rest of the jumpers that it was "crazy fun!"

.....At various times during the year I have students who are medically excused for one reason or another.  Most are only excused for a short period of time but once in a while a more serious injury or illness prevents students from participating for a more lengthy period of time.  Each student handles the situation in his/her own way and some are more patient than others.  (I would probably be far less patient than some of my students are!)  I have a student right now who has been excused for quite some time but is now able to participate with limited mobility.  She is not allowed to jump and this week she and one of her friends came up with a new rope trick so that she could turn one end of a short rope and her friend could turn the other end and still jump in it.  Not only was it an amazing trick but it was also a true testament to friendship and inclusion!

.....As I challenged my students in grades 3-5 with some pretty fancy jump rope tricks I was impressed with their perseverance and skill.  While I still can't do it (I am practicing.....), one of my third graders showed me that he learned how to do a double-under (rope turns twice while the jumper only jumps once)!

.....I asked my students to help advertise our upcoming Jump Rope for Heart by creating posters to hang in our hallways.  I received SO MANY posters this week and each one had a terrific heart healthy message!  One student even asked one of her friends to make a poster and her friend goes to school in an entirely different school district!

.....On Friday some of our classes were invited to attend a taping of Master Chef Jr. - Hyde Park at the Culinary Institute of America.  The CIA is right in our own backyard if you will, and we have been fortunate to have CIA chefs be a part of our Family Fitness Nights in the past.  When I heard about the opportunity I asked if I could go along.  I was thrilled to be a part of it and our students were so excited about the opportunity too!  Some of our students were selected to be a part of a friendly competition during which students made healthy sandwiches and raspberry lemonade as well as a sweet cupcake treat!  It was so great to see that students were engaged in this opportunity and that this kind of alternative learning situation was embraced and supported by the administrators in our building and district!  Fitness Frankie went along too!
  


I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.  




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