The Best Parts of My Week - 12/3/12--12/7/12

Hi everyone,
     It was a busy week as we move closer to the holidays.......

....Every once in awhile an idea pops into my head unexpectedly, and usually at 3:00 am!  This week an idea I am calling the "PE Password" made it's debut.  I have been trying to find the best way to incorporate more vocabulary into our PE program without sacrificing activity time and the "PE Password" seems to be just the thing!  I introduced the "PE Password" this week to my students in grades three through five and it has been a hit!  Students were told the word and the definition and were also told that I would be asking them randomly throughout PE class to tell me the "PE Password".  They were correct every time!  I decided to take it a step further and asked students in the hallway and on the way to the busses and one class even told me in unison without being asked!  After introducing the password, I created spaces in the hallway where students could "peek" at the password.   Students coming to PE class later in the week were aware of these areas before I even got a chance to tell them!  It has been fun and the best part is that students are learning the word and it's definition!  Do you know what the "PE Password" is?  You can "peek" by clicking on this link:
North Park PE Password

.....Our school runs on a six day cycle - Days A-F.  I always tell my primary students that on A day we learn a new warm-up.  One of my first graders walked in on A day and said:  "It's A day so we must have a new warm-up right?"  I guess he was listening!

......Another new idea I tried this week involved number dominoes, odd and even numbers, and exercise.  I called it "Domino Fitness" and students were asked to run to an area full of dominoes, bring the domino back to their group, add the numbers, decide if it was odd or even, and based on that, complete a particular exercise using the total.  Students did a great job and several said:  "This was fun, can we do it again?"  I am always happy when students find an activity as much fun as I think it is going to be!  They were also practicing Math facts and did not mind at all!

.....Students in the primary grades have been participating in a unit about balance.  I had 11-12 stations set up using a variety of equipment so that students could practice balance.  They were so excited when they walked into the gymnasium!  One of the stations for second grade included an assessment task to be included in their portfolio.  I was pleased to see that when the students were done with the task but it was not time to go to the next station yet, several students took it upon themselves to do jumping jacks while they waited!

.....I am tremendously proud to be at North Park school for many reasons, but one reason in particular is the collaboration that happens so easily and positively.  This week a third grade teacher and I worked on a project together called the "3rd Grade Pedometer Project.  Students have been working hard to learn how to use pedometers responsibly and this week they were allowed to wear the pedometers for two full school days after making a prediction as to how many steps they would take.  It was great to work with the students and teacher on this project.  Students had a great time wearing the pedometers and made great conclusions as to the benefit of exercise!  Click on this link to view the data from this project:  3rd Grade Pedometer Project

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  http://classrooms.hydeparkschools.org/webpages/MRobelee/

See you next week!

The Best Parts of My Week - 11/26/12--11/30/12

Hi everyone,
     We began the week remembering that every day is a gift.......

....I was greeted on Monday morning by a first grader who wanted to know if I enjoyed my Thanksgiving!  It was so thoughtful!

.....As fourth and fifth grade students were finishing a unit on cooperation, students were using buddy walkers.  One group decided to make up a pattern to help them with their goal of working together!

.....Other students in fourth and fifth grade were taking their turns on our traverse rock wall.  I noticed a partnership giving each other a high five when they made it to the end!

.....I asked several of my upper elementary students to self reflect on their cooperative effort during our cooperative unit.  Students worked in pairs and discussed their responses to some self-reflection questions.  I was proud of their honesty!

.....Physical Eddie and Healthy Hannah began the week in new classrooms.  The students in each class were so excited to have their turn to host Physical Eddie and Healthy Hannah!

.....We celebrated the 50th Day of School this week!  Some of our primary classrooms celebrate with a 1950's themed day!  We dressed up as if we were in school in the 1950's and there were many poodle skirts, rolled up jeans and white t-shirts!  Everyone looked terrific and we finished the day with a 1950's style sock hop!  It was great fun!  We danced the Hand Jive, the Stroll, and the Twist!

.....At the end of the week I invited some third grade classes to the gymnasium for a Fitness Friday activity.  I have not been able to do that as much as I would like this year due to changes in our schedule.  We had a great time with some fitness activities and dancing!  Healthy Hannah came along too!  I always appreciate the willingness of the classroom teachers to support our Fitness Friday activities!  North Park is truly a school of dedicated professionals making every minute count!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  http://classrooms.hydeparkschools.org/webpages/MRobelee/

See you next week!

The Best Parts of My Week! 11/19/12--11/23/12

Hi everyone,
     It was a week to be thankful for so much........my family, my friends, my health, my school, and the wonderful opportunity to teach Physical Education!

.....It was a very short week due to the Thanksgiving holiday and parent/teacher conferences.  We had early releases this week and as a class was leaving the gymnasium, I encouraged the students to go out and play that afternoon.  One of the students responded enthusiastically that everyone should definitely "GO OUT AND PLAY!"  He went on to talk about how kids should go out and play every day instead of playing video games!  I thought it was great and said he would be a great spokesperson for healthy choices!

.....As I was getting ready for my day, a student stopped by my office to ask about Wellness Wednesday.  A question came up about whether or not a particular snack was healthy and he came to ask my opinion!  I was very flattered that he wanted to know what I thought!  I am always hopeful when I hear that the conversations about healthy choices continue beyond PE class!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  http://classrooms.hydeparkschools.org/webpages/MRobelee/

See you next week!

The Best Parts of My Week 11/12/12-11/16/12

Hi everyone,
     This week I had opportunities to pay tribute to our veterans, begin some new activities, and collaborate with colleagues across the state at a NYS AHPERD conference!

.....At the end of last week I was quite sick and lost my voice.  After a restful weekend, I was ready to get back to school.  Several students from kindergarten on up asked me if I was feeling better!  One of the students even said:  "Yea!  You got your voice back!"  It is so nice to be thought of!

.....As I was demonstrating a balance activity to a class, the noodle I was trying to balance fell.  One of the students remarked:  "Even the master makes mistakes!"  I guess I never thought of myself as a master of noodle balancing!

.....I spent the last part of the week at the NYS AHPERD conference where I had the opportunity to present sessions and share some of the fun activities and programs that we have here at North Park as well as learn new ideas.  I am always thankful for the opportunity to attend this conference.   Not only did I have the chance to interact with some of the best Physical Education teachers across the state, but this year I was able to attend sessions led by NASPE National Teachers of the Year!  I learned so much and am energized and ready to bring some new activities back to North Park!  The best part of the conference was getting a chance to see a former professor of mine.  She taught a course on Elementary Physical Education and I have not seen her since I graduated from college in 1983.  She actually remembered me!  Many of the conference attendees were students of hers as well and we were proud to show her the influence she had in our careers.......

 I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  http://classrooms.hydeparkschools.org/webpages/MRobelee/

See you next week!

The Best Parts of My Week - 11/5/12--11/9/12

Hi everyone,
     An exciting week!

.....More often than I would like, students are not prepared for PE class and must watch instead of play. I always tell my students that I feel bad that they can not play if they are not wearing sneakers, but I will feel worse if they get hurt.  That being said, it is important that their time on the side is productive and as a result, I provide my students with nutrition and Physical Education word searches and puzzles, books on different activities and sports, and coloring pages about vegetables, fruits, and activities.  This week one of my students was coloring a page about vegetables and took it upon herself to write a story on the back about her favorite vegetable!  She is a first grader and I was very proud of her!

.....Students return completed Fitness Calendars at the beginning of the month and are designated as "Fitness Fanatics" in our newsletter and website as well as a chart at school.  The response this year has been amazing!  This week I received a fitness calendar from a student who is now in the middle school but sent her calendar in with a sibling!  Fantastic!

.....Students in second grade learned for the very first time how to spot their classmates as they climb our traverse rock wall.  It is a tremendous responsibility and I was proud of how these students learned the spotting commands and kept their classmates and friends safe!

.....As we come to the end of our cooperative activities unit, our fifth graders were participating in an activity during which only non-verbal communication was allowed.  At the end of the activity, I asked the students how silence helped contribute to their success.  They were absolutely correct in their answer that silence helped them to focus and pay attention!

.....I introduced the "Magic Microphone" to my third and fourth grade students this week.  This is a plastic microphone that is "magic" because it only allows the person that has it to speak.  I use this tool to de-brief some cooperative activities when I ask students to share at the end of class.  It is a simple, but very effective tool.  This week one of my third grade classes enjoyed using the "Magic Microphone" and one of the students used it to thank me for helping with their strategy!  Another student used it to say that she liked it when her team trusted her!

.....As I was helping a younger group at the rock wall, other students were working independently at different stations.  One of the stations contained "noodle bits" and some other equipment for students to build creative structures.  One of my students was excited to show me her "healthy castle"!  It had a blueberry river, and was made of strawberries and healthy vegetables!  How cool is that!

.....As exciting as this week was, it was also a challenge because I was not feeling well and did not have much of a voice for most of the week.  I asked students to be helpful so that I did not have to talk any more than was necessary and they were very helpful indeed!  One of my students wondered why I was even at school when I was not feeling well and I explained to her that sometimes you have to do things that are important even when you do not feel your best - a teachable moment for sure!  Several other students wished me well as they left the gymnasium and encouraged me to "feel better".  It felt great to know that others cared!

  I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  http://classrooms.hydeparkschools.org/webpages/MRobelee/

See you next week!

The Best Parts of My Week - 10/29/12--11/2/12

Hi everyone,
      It was a very difficult week in the Northeast......and it continues to be difficult as so many are still dealing with the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.  My thoughts are with all those who have been affected.....

.....I was proud of a fourth grade class this week when they were asked to work together to complete a task.  Our exit question this week was "Did you cooperate today?" and when I asked the question at the end of PE class one of my students replied:  "Yes, especially during the planning time!"

.....The culmination to our cooperative activities unit is the use of our traverse rock wall.  The excitement was amazing this week as students walked in to find the wall open for climbing!

.....Physical Eddie is one of our mascot bears who spends time in each of the classrooms learning about Healthy Highway and healthy choices.  He was in a third grade class this week and the students brought him to PE class.  We were playing a Project Adventure game called "Peek-A-Who?" where students stand behind tarps and figure out which of the students is hiding behind the opposite tarp.  The students included Physical Eddie in this game and during one of the rounds he was the one who was hiding!  The other group figured it out!  At the end of class when we were sharing our feelings about the activity, one student helped Physical Eddie share that he felt good that the other group noticed that he was missing!

.....My primary students were playing a warm-up game called "Cleanies and Messies".  The "cleanies" like the cones set up and the "messies" like the cones down.  All students take turns being a "cleanie" and then a "messie" but some like one role better than the other.  When I assigned one student to be a "cleanie" she exclaimed "YESSSSS!"

.....At the end of the week we held a Healthy Highway assembly during which we introduced our new "road" that we will travel on for the month of November.  We will be traveling down "Responsibility Road" and we had a great time teaching students about the meaning of responsibility in terms of behavior, physical fitness, and nutritious choices, and recognizing students for their responsible choices.  We always end our assembly with a dance and this month a fourth grade class volunteered to be the leaders on stage for the dance!

      I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  http://classrooms.hydeparkschools.org/webpages/MRobelee/

See you next week!

The Best Parts of My Week - 10/22/12--10/26/12

Hi everyone,
    WOW!  What a week!  I hope you enjoy reading about the Best Parts of My Week as much as I enjoyed experiencing them!

.....My primary students are participating in a cooperative activities unit and this week began with a lesson called "Scooter Spaceships".  This lesson reinforces the concepts of playing fair, playing safe, and working together.  I told the students that I had some special "space music" to play while they were taking a trip to space.  The looks on their faces when I played the theme to Star Wars was priceless!  Most knew the song and I was surprised!

.....Students in the upper grades are assigned duties as the "materials manager" when log cards and other materials are needed.  Most students like to be the "materials manager" but there are times when students do not clamor to do the job.  One day this week a student decided that when the current materials manager did not finish the job correctly, she would step in of her own accord and finish the necessary tasks.  I was proud of her!

.....I love it when adults and students hear what is going on in the gymnasium and stop by to visit!  This week one of our monitors heard the music and excitement and just had to stop and see all of the fun that we were having!

.....Fitness Frankie has been assigned a role as Healthy Highway ambassador this year and is not visiting classrooms since Healthy Hannah and Physical Eddie are taking on that responsibility.  One of my fourth graders asked me "Where is Fitness Frankie?"  He was in my office so I brought him out and everyone was excited to see him!

.....I have mentioned before that we have a tremendous number of new students this year.  It has been exciting meeting so many new friends!  This week it occurred to me that "what's old is new" and so much of the "new" is exciting to so many new friends!

.....At the end of the week I had a wonderful opportunity to go on a field trip with the 5th grade classes to the Walkway Over the Hudson.  Students wore pedometers and logged steps, classroom teachers taught students about the history of this Walkway, and we finished the trip with a healthy snack of apples!  It was an amazing day and I felt terrific when the students expressed excitement when they knew that I was going too!  I had a chance to chat and walk with the students and be a part of a collaborative effort that included history, math, physical fitness, and healthy nutrition!  I brought Fitness Frankie, Healthy Hannah, and Physical Eddie (of course), and each class was asked to care for one of the bears during the trip.  The students were so happy to have them along and took great care of them on the trip!  Pictures of this trip will be on my PE website soon!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!"  To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website:  http://classrooms.hydeparkschools.org/webpages/MRobelee/

See you next week!