The Best Parts of My Week - 2/20/12-2/24/12

Hi everyone,
The week started with duck tape and ended with race cars.........:-)

.....When I was young duck tape fixed things.....now it is a fashion statement!  I was talking with a group of fifth graders about how duck tape is now used to make all sorts of things and one of them said that she had made some duck tape flower pens over the weekend.  She brought one for me!  It is terrific and useful too!

.....Last week I wrote about the "PE People Project".  Students are coloring in "themselves" using drawing paper that has been cut from a die cut machine to be a boy or a girl.  The idea is that these will be hung up in the hallway when students are doing their best during PE class as a display of exemplary work.  This week we finished up the coloring and I began to laminate them.  They are adorable!  I can't wait to begin to display them!

.....As a fifth grade class was finishing up the "PE People Project" I was chatting with a group of boys who were coloring them to look the same.  When I commented that they all looked alike, one of the boys said: "We are triplets.  We went through mitosis!" (I kid you not........)

.....Early this week I was on my way down the primary hallway to drop off something at a classroom during morning arrival.  As I was walking down the hallway, one student said:  "Hey, what are you doing here, you belong in the gym!"

.....As students were marching to some patriotic songs during a pathway activity, one student smiled and said: "We sang this at nursery school!"

.....Our Science Fair was this week and it was great to see all of the hard work that went into the projects.  Some of the projects even had to do with heart rate and they were terrific!

.....During a pathway activity, students were creating letters using segmented jump ropes.  Some of the ropes were red and some were blue.  One students decided that the blue should be vowels and the red should be consonants - creative!

.....During a different pathway activity, students were creating curved pathways and one student said: "Mine has loop-di-loops!"  I guess she really understands the concept of curved pathways!

.....As I was tying the shoes of a new student this week, he looked at my badge and said: "Did that used to be you?"  I smiled and said that the picture was taken some time ago.  I guess I look different and he noticed!

.....Our warm-up in the primary classes this week was a Healthy Highway Race Car Warm-up.  During this activity, students take turns in color groups jogging around a "race track" and I announce different events that might occur and students react to the event in certain ways.  For example, if it is raining, students must slow down to 5 mph (walking) and put on their windshield wipers (arms waving).  I always encourage students to "look both ways" when entering the track.  This week I added a reminder to "put on your blinkers" when pulling out or pulling off the track.  It was so cute to see them putting on their blinkers for safety!  They love being race cars and it goes right along with our Healthy Highway program here at North Park!

Thanks for reading about the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website if you would like more information about the PE program at North Park!

The Best Parts of My Week! 2/13/12--2/17/12

Hi everyone,
   We are still waiting for some snow, but we had a great week with the 100th Day of School on Monday and Valentine's Day on Tuesday!

.....A third grade student was happy to tell me that she had brought in a healthy snack for her birthday treat - Fruit Kabobs!

.....I had written about the increasingly popular use of heart rate monitors in science projects recently and at the beginning of this week a student brought in his finished project to show me!  It was terrific and I was happy to have helped out with a small part of it!

.....A first grader was proud to show me his new sneakers.  He said: "They make me super fast!"  Remember those days when you were convinced that a new pair of sneakers did the same for you?

.....Tuesday was Valentine's day and there was plenty of smiles and valentines to go around!  Fitness Frankie was spending the week in a second grade classroom and they made him his own mailbox stuffed with valentines!  One of the students suggested that when Fitness Frankie was done with the mailbox for Valentine's Day he should leave it in the main office in case anyone wanted to leave him a message!  What a great idea!

.....This week two of my upper elementary classes began to color in their "PE People" for use in our "PE Best" bulletin board.  In a previous post I wrote about this idea to recognize students for doing their best by hanging up a boy or girl cut-out that is decorated by each student.  I was proud of how the students decorated their "person"!  They are very cute and at some point in the near future I will post a picture of the project!

Thanks for reading about the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website if you would like more information about the PE program at North Park!

The Best Parts of My Week! - 2/6/12--2/10/12

Hi everyone,
    I hope you enjoy the "Best Parts of My Week" as much as I did!

.....I was presented with a small piece of artwork from one of my students this week.  It was so thoughtful!

.....A fifth grade group was getting ready to use the horizontal bar during our gymnastics unit this week.  I was spotting students as they were doing front circles on a single bar.  One of the students was so excited and said:  "I've been looking forward to this all year!!!!

.....This week a student taught us how to "share-count stretch" in Punjabi!  This was a first and this year we have counted in Arabic, Spanish, French, Korean, Vietnamese, English, and now Punjabi!

.....As we wrap up our gymnastics unit, I allow some classes what I call "Freedom with responsibility".  This is a phrase I learned while at a workshop some years ago.  Classes must earn this privilege and they are excited when they do!  Basically, it means that students are allowed to choose the activities that they would like to participate in, based on the stations that are open for the day.  Students can spend as much or as little time as they choose at a particular station.  I always say to students that the "freedom" part is easy, but the "responsibility" part is more difficult.  During gymnastics, the "responsibility" part means that students must use the equipment safely and appropriately, join at the end of the line, and participate safely while transitioning between stations.  It is always an accomplishment when students earn this privilege and I am always proud of how they handle it!

.....I was out in our community this week after school and had the pleasure of seeing some former students.  It was fun catching up!

.....Fitness Frankie's and Exercise Ernie's journals continue to grow with wonderful entries and books made by students!  I always enjoy hearing about their adventures!

.....Our warm-up this week included some "Uno Fitness".  I played some music during the exercise as I usually do, but this week the music seemed to enhance the activity just a little bit more than usual!

.....I wore a t-shirt this week that says: "Every BODY needs PE!"  One of my kindergarten students was reading my shirt and wanted to know what it meant.  I explained that PE is important for everyone so that they can make their muscles and bones strong, and their heart healthy.  One kindergarten student replied that yes, "PE is good for your whole body!"  I agree!

Thanks for reading about the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website if you would like more information about the PE program at North Park!

The Best Parts of My Week! 1/30/12--2/3/12

Hi everyone,
     At the beginning of each week, I wonder what I will be writing about at week's end.  I write notes as the week progresses and I am never surprised at how much I have to share!

.....I have previously mentioned our "Share Count Stretching" during which I count while stretching and students respond with the next number in sequence.  I always enjoy this because it helps to engage everyone while stretching and also helps to slow down the stretching process.  It is also wonderful when students teach all of us how to count in different languages!  This week the class and I learned how to count in Vietnamese!

.....As we continued our unit of Gymnastics, one of my younger students exclaimed:  "This is fun!"  It's great when I get a chance to experience an activity through the eyes of a student who may be participating in it for the first time!

.....This week's warm-up was "Monkey in the Middle", where students perform an exercise for others to follow along.  There is a great song from the Physical ED CD by the Learning Station that goes along with the activity.  My students absolutely love this activity and we often use it for our school-wide Fitness Friday activities.  As one of my classes was participating in the warm-up, the gym door was open and I overheard students in the hallway get very excited about the prospect of doing it for their PE class!

.....Last week I mentioned that during Science Fair time, students often ask to borrow heart rate monitors to work on their projects.  I think this is terrific and this week another student asked to borrow a heart rate monitor and as we were talking about his project, I was able to give him some ideas to try while using the monitor.  He was eager to try out some of the ideas and I can't wait to see his project!

.....A few weeks ago I was talking about students displaying their "PE Best".  I compared their work during PE class to exemplary work that is displayed on bulletin boards in the hallway.  I told students that it would be difficult to display their "PE Best" because actual students can not be displayed on a board.  I got quite a few laughs from that one!  A student raised her hand and said that I might not be able to display students, but I could display their photographs on a bulletin board! I thought that was a great idea, but kept thinking about ways to display students' "PE Best".  We are fortunate to have an Ellison Die Cut machine at our school and two of the die cuts are boys and girls!  I have cut-outs ready to go and soon students will be decorating "themselves" so that I can hang the cut-outs up!  I told this particular student that she had helped me with this idea and she was very proud!

.....Exercise Ernie was in a fifth grade class this week.  Some of the students decided to call him "Exercise Ernest" so that he feels a little grown up!

.....I was surprised this week to have an entire fifth grade class, including the teacher, complete and turn in the latest Fitness Calendar!  The teacher thought it would be great to support the program and the class completed an activity per day.  Absent students made up the work when they got back to school!  I went down to the class to compliment their work with one word:  AWESOME!  They were very proud of their work!  I was too!

.....A kindergarten student was learning a new skill and told me this week:  "If you focus, you can do it!"  He was right!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website if you would like more information about the PE program at North Park!

The Best Parts of My Week - 1/23/12-1/27/12

Hi everyone,
      It was a great week!  We are still waiting for snow here in the Northeast.......We are hoping to snowshoe soon!

.....As part of our Healthy Highway program we began "driving" down Consideration Court.  My heart smiled when I watched my primary students help each other on the low balance beam......they were certainly being considerate!

.....As part of a warm-up this week, students traveled to different stations to complete a variety of activities.  When a group of students arrived at one of the stations, a student said "Yea!  Crab kicks!"  Another student asked:  "Who invented the push-up?"

.....A number of years ago I learned that one of our classrooms used "Butterfly Claps" to show enthusiasm quietly.  I adopted the use of "Butterfly Claps" and encourage my students to use them when they are excited about something in PE, especially when they arrive to the gymnasium and see the equipment set up for the day.  This week there were many "Butterfly Claps" as students arrived for gymnastics!

.....I had a great discussion this week with some students about quality work.  I talked with students about how their teachers display exemplary work on bulletin boards and that during PE class I am looking for a display of exemplary work in their actions.  I told students that creating a bulletin board of PE actions is difficult but one of the students suggested that I use photographs of students displaying exemplary work on a bulletin board instead!  What a great idea!

.....One of the gymnastics stations this week was the high balance beam.  Most students were really excited to climb up and walk on the balance beam, but some were somewhat apprehensive due to the height.  I was proud of and honored by the trust that students put in me as I held hands and supported their work on the balance beam!

.....Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie had a great time during gymnastics this week!  The classes that were hosting Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie brought them to PE every day and smiled as they balanced on the balance beam!

.....One of my students this week brought in a box of game cards to share with me and the class!  He thought I might want to learn some knew games.  He was right!

.....At the end of most gymnastics classes, my students and I participate in some cool-down stretches.  We count using something I call "share-count stretching".  During the stretch, I count one number and the students say the number that comes next.  This is always fun as I change my voice during the stretches and students copy my counting voice!  Additionally, we count in several different languages!  Most students know Spanish (even my kindergarten students!), but when I asked my students if they knew any other languages, they responded enthusiastically and as a result we also learned to count in French, Korean, Arabic, and German!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website if you would like more information about the PE program at North Park!

The Best Parts of My Week - 1/16/12--1/20/12

Hi everyone,
     The school was buzzing this week in anticipation of gymnastics!  It was a great week!

.....We had a great week participating in different gymnastics activities!  The students are always so excited to begin and I heard many comments this week about how fun PE is!!!!

.....I watched as a third grader patiently tied the shoes of another who needed help after gymnastics......

.....A third grader stopped me in the hall to tell me that he had brought in a healthy snack - trail mix - for his birthday as a treat to share with the class!

.....As I was informing a class that we would be having a Healthy Highway assembly this week, several responded with an enthusiastic fist pump and a "Yesssss!"

.....Some of my third grade friends read their Fitness Frankie journal entry over the PA system this week.  They did a terrific job and wistfully said good-bye to Fitness Frankie when they left the office!

.....As I was getting ready for a class early this week, a student stopped by and called in "Hi" to me across the gym.  He wanted to tell me about the jobs that he had this week and that he was excited to be coming to PE to participate in gymnastics!

.....I had a t-shirt on this week that says:  "Every BODY needs PE!"  One of my kindergarten (yes kindergarten) students read my t-shirt and explained to me that PE is good for you because you exercise in PE and it helps you to get healthy!

.....We had a wonderful Healthy Highway assembly this week.  We are driving down "Consideration Court" and we challenged students and adults to consider the feelings of others, consider how they take care of themselves and participate fully in the upcoming No Name Calling Week by calling everyone by their first names only.......

.....I am always happy when my students make some connections between Science and Physical Education.  I was happy this week when some fifth grade students asked to borrow a heart rate monitor to use in a Science project.  The students will be investigating the effect that music has on heart rate!

.....We held a school-wide Fitness Friday activity using our PA system.  I took Fitness Frankie to a fifth grade class to exercise.  We had a great time!  On the way back I chatted with another student and asked if he had a good time during Fitness Friday.  He had a big smile on his face as he answered YES!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website if you would like more information about the PE program at North Park!

The Best Parts of My Week - 1/9/12-1/13/12

Hi everyone,
     It has felt more like Spring than Winter lately......we are hoping for some snow!  I hope you enjoy the "Best Parts of My Week"!

.....During a warm-up with a 5th grade class this week, I overheard one of the students say to a friend while jogging "pull-over..."  In and of itself, this phrase is not exciting, but since our school is a Healthy Highway school, it was great to hear students using the "traffic lingo" too!

.....As I was walking down the hallway one morning this week I greeted one of my students who said:  "I can't wait for PE today!"  That made me smile!

.....During another warm-up with one of my classes this week, students were jump roping and a student called me over to show me her performance of the "double-under".  This is a difficult move and one that takes a great deal of practice to master.  As I was watching her I thought about how far these students have come in their jump rope skills.........I always teach them that practice helps you get better and it is nice to see that hard work pay off!

.....One of my third grade classes were participating in a game this week and one of the activities was jumping jacks.  One of the students called me over to show me a new variation on jumping jacks and said:  "This is a re-mix!"

.....A new student arrived this week and when the student's class came to PE, one of the other students took the time to introduce me!

.....Near the end of this week we began our gymnastics unit.  We are so very fortunate to have a wonderful set-up for gymnastics which includes multiple balance beams, bars, wedge and other mats, vaulting boards and a beautiful carpeted floor for many activities.  I am always grateful for the equipment we have and despite the work that it takes to set everything up, I am excited to begin the unit.  My students were so excited this week as they saw the gym transformed!  Many teachers commented on how gymnastics was the main topic of excitement during the day!  The faces on the kindergarten students were especially priceless as they walked into the gym to see all of the equipment set up for the first time!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"

Visit the North Park PE website if you would like more information about the PE program at North Park!