Hi everyone,
It was one of the last two full weeks of school. I know that summer on the way but the beginning of the week still felt like winter! I have only worn shorts to school one day and on Monday the heat came on in my house and I wore three layers to stay warm and! That is going to change quickly though as next week’s forecast calls for 80-90 degree days….just in time for Field Days! Yikes!
…..We had a visitor come to school this week and I must admit I did not recognize him at first. It was a former student who is now in college and came to say hello and goodbye to those of us who are retiring. It was so nice to see him and catch up on what is going on in his life! He is in college and playing baseball at a very high level. We had a great conversation, and he is such a great person!
…..Early in the week I received a simple thank you note from fourth grader. It was so genuine and heartfelt that it started my week off on a wonderful positive note!
…..My students were so excited to be outside this week playing a game that I call Triangle Ball. It is a small-sided game that uses a tee, bat, ball, and two cones to complete the triangle of the field. The rules vary by grade level but everyone in grades K-5 absolutely love this game! It was so heartwarming to see students helping each other. As in any school, there are a wide variety of experiences and ability levels, but those who play on a team were very eager and proud to help others with less experience. I was especially pleased at the helpfulness of my students this week. There is a tremendous amount of equipment involved in this activity because there are ten small fields with tees, cones, bats and balls. Each day that we were outside my first class helped with the set up and my last class helped put everything away. I found myself asking why I don’t ask for their help more often……
…...It rained in the middle of the week and so my backup plan was a game called Slam Ball from OPEN (openphysed.org). It is a lead up game for Spikeball but is fun in and of itself. Students play with a partner and use strong force to bounce a coated foam ball into a hoop on the floor. Points are based on catching and whether the ball bounces in the hoop. We had a discussion about force and I asked the students how they would know if strong force was being used. They had some terrific answers! They said that they would know because of the loud noise, the arm movement of the person slamming the ball, and the height of the ball as it bounced up from the ground. I was impressed! We had a great time playing and they worked up a sweat!
…..One of the classes that had to stay indoors because of the rain was a Kindergarten class. As I led the students into the gym one of the students was upset and said: “You said we were playing T-ball!” Now, it was absolutely pouring outside at the time and the noise from the rain was so loud that you could hear it on the roof of the school so I responded “but it’s raining outside........” I think she understood at that point. During their next PE class I received tons of hugs when they found out we were playing Triangle Ball outside!
…..It was a busy week because I was getting ready for Field Days that are scheduled for this upcoming week. I have been actually planning for a few months but the week before the actual events is busy because of the last minute details and the equipment that needs to be organized. I spent many hours after school this week but it felt good to accomplish the goal of being ready for Field Day! Now all I need is for the weather to cooperate!
…..One of my goals this week was to put together the second grade portfolios. Second grade students work all year long and contribute a variety of work to their portfolio. At the end of the year they create a cover and I put it all together in an envelope which is sent home with the report card on the last day of school. As I was working on this project I thought about how I occasionally will look back at my son’s schoolwork that I saved (he’s 30 now….) and reminisce a bit. I wondered if students or parents will look back at this work someday and remember PE fondly….I hope they do!
…..Two first graders came down to the gymnasium one afternoon this week and delivered pictures and writing about why Mr. N and I are good PE teachers! They were proud to deliver them and I was pleased to accept! "Mrs. Robelee is a good PE teacher because......she is fun to play with you!"
…..I was setting up the obstacle course as one of the stations for Field Day on Friday afternoon as students were leaving when I heard whispers from the hallway - She’s setting up for Field Day!”
…..On Friday night I attended our Teachers union retirement party. It’s called Beginnings and Endings because not only are retirees celebrated but teachers who received tenure and teachers who have been in the district for twenty-five years are recognized as well. I had so much fun celebrating with other retirees! There were many kind words expressed and I am truly humbled by their thoughts and congratulatory sentiments…… We danced and celebrated our careers and our friendships. The beginning of the end is here and these next two weeks (actually just nine more school days….) will be be a challenge for sure. I need to make sure I have a box of tissues at the 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.
