Hi everyone,
It was a short week due to two snow
days! Well, not actual snow days
but unused snow days that our district gives back in the nicer weather! School was closed on Monday and Tuesday
and so we had a nice long weekend to relax and recharge! The remaining three days of the week
were packed with “Best Parts”!
…..The first day of the week
was Wednesday and we had a special CPR/AED event planned for our fifth grade
students during the afternoon. I
find myself saying “Another day, another event!” quite often and after
finishing last week with Family Fitness Night and beginning this week with
CPR/AED I was saying that same phrase again! Due to the generous support of a local paramedic unit as
well as the support of our building principal we were able to provide Hands
Only CPR training as well as training in the use of an AED for our entire fifth
grade class. I was so proud of how
seriously the students approached the event as well as how hard they worked to
learn the skills. Students shared
their own experiences and one student remarked that she is a “mother’s helper”
and is getting ready to be a babysitter.
She needed to learn CPR to take on these important
responsibilities. Another shared
that she is a volunteer at a nursing home where her mother works and she is
required to know CPR in order to volunteer. Others told me about their Scouting experiences and how they
need to learn CPR to earn badges.
What amazing group of young people I have the privilege to work with!
…..On Wednesday night I was
part of an event sponsored by the Southeastern Zone of NYS AHPERD called the
Meeting of the Minds, which is an event where professionals get together and
share ideas in order to grow professionally. A very enthusiastic PE professional started this event and I
was privileged to be a part of it this year! We had a great time sharing ideas and discussing programs
and policies in our different districts.
I truly believe that we make our profession stronger by sharing and this
was a wonderful opportunity to do just that!
…..My primary students are
finishing up a unit on balancing and one of my second graders said to me last
week: “You know why I’m good at
that? I went to the park and
practiced!” I love it when
students take skills that they are learning in school and find ways to practice
them outside of school!
……As May approaches and we
focus on celebrating National Physical Education and Sport Week as well as
National Physical Fitness Month I was telling my students about the special
project that we do called Operation Healthy North Park. This is our fifteenth year doing this
project and it is a way to encourage families and students to exercise outside
of school. Every time students and
families exercise outside of school they can fill in a coupon of sorts and send
it back to school. Since we are a
Healthy Highway school we use “Coop Cars” which are the theme car for HealthyHighway. All cars are displayed on
a bulletin board and I count them as the month goes on. This week I was showing a second grade
class the bulletin board and pointing out their class car and racecar bag for
the “Coop Cars”. One of my
students said: “I bet I’ll get a
lot because I’m athletic!” I hope so! Stay
tuned for updates!
…..At the end of the week my
fifth grade students were taking a PE vocabulary test. This test is an assessment of
vocabulary words that students have been learning for some time and is a
district requirement. As I watched
the students taking the test I was impressed at their perseverance (Our Healthy
Highway road is Perseverance Path!).
They stuck with it and were quiet and respectful while others
finished. My heart was smiling
with pride!
…..In my district we share
gymnastic equipment so that we can have a significant amount of equipment to
use for our gymnastic unit. It is
definitely a favorite unit and my students get so excited when they know that
this unit is approaching. Setting
up the equipment is no small task.
I hate to admit it, but it was easier when I was younger! We have the good fortune to have our
varsity cheerleading team practice in my gymnasium and as a result the
cheerleading practice floor is stored in my gymnasium as well. We have a great relationship and when
it comes time for gymnastics we use the practice floor for our unit. On Friday afternoon, the team arrived
to help me set up the floor. It is
such a great group of young men and women and they were only too happy to
help! Led by their coach, they set
up the floor in no time flat! Last
year I tried to do it by myself, which did not go so well! Earlier this year the coach reminded me
to ask for help when it came time to set it up. I did, and I am grateful!
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.
Follow me on Twitter! @mrobPE
