Hi everyone,
This week was one the last full weeks of school as we move toward summer. There are only five weeks left and three of those are shortened due to holidays and the beginning of summer vacation. Recently, I have been asked so many times if I am counting down the days to my retirement. My answer is still that I am just working hard to enjoy the days that are left but I can’t help but be acutely aware that the number is getting lower and lower……
…..I had a brief meeting of a student group that I work with and after most of the students went back to class I noticed that one student remained behind. It was obvious that she wanted to talk to me about something. She stayed behind to tell me of her recent bike riding success. She had been working so hard to accomplish this goal and wanted to share her success with me. I am so proud of her and I had goosebumps as she told me her story……
…..I had taken the previous Friday off as a personal day and I was so happy to see that there were so many Coop Cars waiting for me on Monday morning! It has been a bit of a slow start to this year’s Operation Healthy North Park project. During this project, students and families are encouraged to celebrate National Physical Fitness Month by being more active and submitting Coop Cars to get credit for this physical activity. Since Monday marked the halfway point of the project, after school I counted the cars that we have collected so far. I was pleased to announce on Tuesday that we had collected 1,570 cars, but I noticed that some classes were in need of some motivation to submit their Coop Cars. I mentioned that a friendly competition was happening between “book buddy” classes and that did the trick! During the rest of the week more and more Coop Cars came streaming in!
…..As we continue to work on our gymnastics unit I added the high balance beam to the available stations for students to use. I allow 5th grade students to spot each other as I supervise. It was so wonderful to see them take on this responsibility with maturity as they spotted each other. Some needed more help than others and I was proud of the care that they showed their partners. While 5th grade students are allowed to spot each other, other grade levels have varying degrees of independence as they use the beam. Kindergarten students must hold my hand, first graders have a choice, most second graders just need help getting on the beam, and third and fourth graders are allowed to choose what level of help they require. I was so happy to be able to help those students who were especially reluctant or a bit scared of the height of the beam. I totally understand this as I am not a fan of heights myself. There were students who gripped my hand so hard that it almost hurt and other who walked across as if there was nothing to it! One day I added Basketball Betty to the beam since she is not in a classroom at the moment. One of my third grade students asked if she was there to give everybody courage to use the beam! I loved that idea and decided to go with it! I mentioned it to other classes and they all thought it was a great idea too! One second grader muttered to himself the entire time he was walking on the beam. He kept saying: “Courage, courage, courage, courage…..” and when he successfully landed on the mat he turned to me and said: “Thanks for the courage!” So this idea kept growing during the week and while one of the students thought that Basketball Betty needed a bit more fashion, another student thought that we should add one of our lions to the mix to add more courage! Our school motto is to “Have the Courage to do the right thing”, and so we have Courageous Carlos and Courageous Cassie in our main office as part of our stuffed animal pals. Again, I thought, what a great idea, so the next day Carlos joined us and Cassie will make an appearance next week. It’s fantastic when students embrace the message and give me ideas to try!
..... While I was chatting with a student on the beam she said: "I'm going to exercise tonight! I met a friend and I like to ride my bike!"
…..I received my first retirement card from former students and their family. It was so nice that they thought of me!
…..I have been using our iPad minis and an app (Decide Now) that has a spinning wheel of exercises for a warm-up with students in grades 3-5. I decided to use it with my 2nd graders since they are close to becoming third graders. They loved it and said “that was fun!”
…..One morning this week a student came to me to ask me to sign his application for his promotion to the next belt in karate. He had to have teachers attest to his strength of character. I was happy to do it as he definitely makes good choices and displays good character. I was pleased that he asked me!
…..Our school budget vote was held this week and our teacher’s union holds a book sale and ice cream social to support the budget vote. I was a volunteer at the book sale and saw many former students! It was so nice to see how they are growing up!
…..A class was lined up to leave the library and two of the students had checked out books on Gymnastics. They were happy to share this with me and I told them that I have the same book. They loved the connection and so did I!
…..As part of a student engagement survey students are asked to answer a list of questions each year.. One of the adults who help out with one of the classes told me that one of the third grade students answered that PE was the best part of third grade!
…..At the end of PE class this week I asked students to pair up and share a card that had various stretches on it.. Students were supposed to pick a stretch and do it together. One of my second-grade pairs decided to do it just like I do when I am leading the stretches. I call it “share count stretching” which means that I count one and the students say two and so on.. I find that this helps the students focus on the stretch as well as slow it down. I was pleased to see that they were share count stretching with each other!
…..On Friday morning we were getting ready for a Spring Concert performed by our music students and I was in the cafeteria helping to get the microphone ready.. Students were lined up getting breakfast and noticed the set-up of the cafeteria.. One of the first graders asked: ”Are we having a Healthy Highway assembly today? When I told her that we were having the Spring Concert instead she seemed happy but also said: “I like Healthy Highway assemblies! Later in the morning we listened to the concert and the students played and sang such beautiful music that I had tears in my eyes realizing that it was my last one…..
…..I have asking students to set individual goals during our gymnastics unit and then work with a partner to help each other reach their goals. Students use “Freedom with responsibility” when working at different stations and can pick and choose where they go as long as they are working on a goal. On Friday afternoon one of my second grade students was so intent on working on a particular goal in gymnastics that she spent the entire class on the balance beam. Her goal was to get on by herself and then do a one foot balance while on the beam by herself. Another student worked hard to walk on the beam but admitted that she was still working on the goal. As she left she said: “My goal is to do the balance beam without holding your hand…” I love the focus!
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.
