The Best Parts of My Week - 6/12/17--6/16/17

Hi everyone,

    Field Day week is probably one of the most intense as well as one of the most exciting weeks of the year and this year did not disappoint!  It was HOT, and despite an injury to my toe, (never a good time for that….) and one postponement due to the heat, the week went off without a hitch!  

…..Monday was Field Day for third and fourth grade students.  It was hot but the students did very well.  We have a few water stations but but the students do not get too wet from those activities so one of the parents asked if they could use the hose to mist the students and cool them down.  Normally I resist using the hose because it can get a bit crazy but since it was so hot I decided to say yes.  I am glad I did!  The parents manning the hose were fantastic and students got just wet enough to cool down.  There were several compliments given by parents on student behavior which made me very proud.  The parent volunteers remarked that the students were so polite, well mannered and well behaved!  I was especially proud and relieved because we had quite a few behavior challenges leading up to Field Day!  Students rose to the occasion and represented themselves and our school well!  I knew it would be an emotional week since it is my last set of field days and I was humbled by the kind words of so many of our parents and family volunteers……..

…...My principal told me that during Field Day she overheard a 4th grader say  “This is the best day of my life!”  How cool is that!

…..Monday afternoon I was talking about the name tags for Field Day with a group of my 2nd graders.  All of a sudden one of the students noticed that I was wearing my Field Day shirt because the third and fourth graders had Field Day that morning.  She said:  ”You don’t need a name tag….Mrs. Robelee is on your shirt!  Wait, it’s on all of our shirts - we are all Mrs. Robelee!”

…..I’m not sure when it happened but sometime during the last decade, signing Field Day shirts became a “thing”.  It is quite a big deal and students bring markers so that classmates can sign each others shirts.  On Tuesday morning I was presented with another Field Day shirt that was signed by all of the Student Ambassadors!  

…...All of the retirees from my school were invited to the last PTA meeting of the year as a celebration of our retirement.  Unfortunately I was unable to attend but the next morning I received a beautiful print of an oil painting of our school.  I was so touched and feel like now I can take a bit of North Park with me as I retire…..

…..Field Day for K-2 students was Tuesday and the word I would use to describe the looks on their faces during Field Day is simply JOY!  After all, it is the first experience for kindergarten students and all of the students were excited beyond belief!  We had so much fun!  One of the stations involves having students draw a picture of their favorite station.  As I was visiting that station I asked:  “What was your favorite station?”  One student answered:  “The sock station!”  The station that he was describing was “Hanging Out the Laundry” which is a relay activity involving socks, a laundry line, and clothespins!  

…..It was even hotter during the K-2 Field Day so cooling off the students with the hose was a must.  I started calling it the ”Kiddie Wash” and students not only enjoyed it but also giggled when I said it was time for the “Kiddie Wash!”

…...We held our annual school barbecue and picnic day on Tuesday afternoon.  Even though it was hot students and families enjoyed picnicking and eating a delicious meal outside.  This year a local law enforcement K-9 dog was in attendance.  I love dogs and I was so excited to meet Max the K-9 dog!  Students loved meeting him too!

…..5th Grade Field Day was postponed until Wednesday morning due to the heat index on Tuesday afternoon.  The weather was much cooler on Wednesday morning and everyone was glad we waited.  During this Field Day students participate in a number of “backyard” games such as ladder ball, spikeball, badminton, tennis, wiffleball, Frisbee games like Saucer Slam, baggo ball, four square, and more.  Students enjoy “Freedom with responsibility”, which means that they can choose what they want to play as long as they are being responsible, including others, and staying active.  It was such a wonderful morning!  We had terrific parent volunteers and the students were active, engaged, and having fun all morning long.  It was a bit sad at the end when it hit me that this was my very last Field Day…….

….I was going to a few different classrooms a bit later in the week and everywhere I went students were thanking me for Field Day!  It is so much work to put together, but it is so worth it when I know students enjoy and appreciate it!

.....I came back to my office to find a beautiful note from a student!

…..I received so many random hugs this week.  One student hugged me and said:   “I like hugs!”

…..One night this week I attended a dinner to celebrate the end of the year with my Southeastern Zone of NYS AHPERD family.  We had a terrific time and I was so touched by their many wonderful retirement wishes.  I was overwhelmed with gratitude and it was hard to find the words to say thank you……

…..In the middle of the week I hurt my toe and had to get an Xray to make sure it was not broken.  Fortunately it isn’t but it is quite painful, bruised and swollen.  As a result I needed to wear a surgical shoe and I was struck by all of the kind words and caring behavior of students.  They were concerned and let me know that they cared!  

…..At the end of the week I took students outside to play on the playground.  On the way back inside a discussion of favorite vegetables popped up out of nowhere!  This discussion turned into a discussion about mushrooms, which turned into a question about who cooks dinner at my house! I told my students that my husband and I take turns depending on who gets home first and they seemed satisfied with that answer…...

…..Well, the Fitness Bags Eagle Scout project is almost done!  My former student is putting the finishing touches on the project and was working on it after school one day this week!   I offered to help and we had such a nice conversation!

…..On Friday morning as the students were arriving I was standing in the hallway.  As the students were walking by one student stopped and this was our conversation:  3rd grader;  “Are we doing something fun in PE today?”  Me:  “We do something fun in PE everyday don’t we?”  3rd grader:  big smile and nod yes!  Me:  “We are going outside today.”  3rd grader:  “Yay!”

…..At the end of a third grade class I told students that it was their last PE class for the year and my last class with them since I am retiring.  Students reacted by saying:  “Nooooooooooo……..”  I responded that I agreed it was sad and that I was sad too and would miss them.  One student raised her hand and asked:  “If you are sad why are you retiring?”  I said that it was a hard question to answer and that while I know that it is time to retire and start my next chapter, it is still ok to be sad to see something end…….One more week to go and I know I will need to have my box of tissues ready!  

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.