Fitness continued!!

As we finish up fitness testing, we have continued to do fitness activities.  For one of our fitness activities, students go around the track and after each lap, stop to do a specific exercise.  This helps students keep track of how many laps they have done, and integrates some of the exercises and stretches we have learned throughout the year.  

Before starting any fitness activity, we discuss why fitness activities are important.  We use the term cardiovascular fitness for *heart health*.  We do activities to make our hearts beat faster, because that makes our hearts stronger and more healthy.  We also are doing these activities to prepare for the Haisley Hustle Walk-A-Thon, Friday, May 17!!  

Exercises with pictures for lower elementary students.  

Bright shoes! 

Exercises for upper elementary students.  

Mile Run Testing!!

The weather has been GORGEOUS GORGEOUS, when it hasn't been snowing, hailing, or sleeting!!  So, we have been doing mile run testing, weather permitting, of course.  My goal is to have each class in grades 2-5 have two mile run tests this spring.  Depending on the weather, special events, field trips, assemblies, etc. -- some classes may only have one chance at the mile for the spring. Regardless of 1 or 2 trials, I'll record their best score in the FitnessGram, and reports will go home in June.   Grades K & 1 will complete a half-mile run "test".  Unfortunately, FitnessGram doesn't have a space for a half mile test on their reports.  Completing this activity is a cardiovascular fitness activity, and prepares students very well for the mile run test.  The cardiovascular fitness test for grades K-1 will be the PACER test.  See the FitnessGram website for more information, or contact me for more information.  

Students are encouraged to pace themselves, start slow to let their bodies warm up, AND to save their final bursts of energy for the last part of their mile.  If needed, they are definitely allowed to walk - I share with all students that when running, I often take "walk breaks" during my run.  Taking a little walk break lets me catch my breath for a moment, and have energy to jog more over the course of my run.  After students finish their mile run/jog/walk, they continue walking/jogging/running the track until we do a final cool-down stretch before transitioning back into the building.

A class takes off along the "sidewalk track" for the mile.  See the Fitness Testing post for more information.  

Sky Tri Triathlon

I recently completed my third sprint triathlon, the Sky Tri.  The event raised money for the Skyline swimming program, and took place at Skyline High School Sunday, April 21.

I LOVE doing triathlons -- I don't come close to winning my age group, let alone the whole race -- but I really enjoy the challenge.  My sister-in-law also did the race - her first triathlon!!  It was an amazing experience, and I have talked with some classes about the experience.  I trained for about 8 weeks, with a good fitness base before starting swim, bike, and run training for the race.

Check out these links for ways to find triathlons or other events.  There are kids' triathlons, too, with age-adjusted distances for each event.

Tri Kids Tri:  Right here in Ann Arbor!!

TriFind:  Look for Triathlons by state, distance, beginner, women's only, and more.

Kids TriFind:  A section of TriFind for kids' triathlons!!

Chelsea Kids Triathlon!  Check this out!

TriNewbies Training Programs:  I used this training program (almost exactly) for my first triathlon in 2004, and then had to make many more adjustments to it for my summer 2012 race.  For the Sky Tri, I did my own training (roughly:  one "brick" workout per week, one day off, and the rest of the days spread between running, biking, and swimming).

Below are some pictures from the Sky Tri!  It was a great event, and was managed by Epic Races.  Epic is a former Haisley parent's business!!  (Tri Kids Tri is also an Epic Races' event!)  It's a small world, indeed.  The race was incredibly well organized and I would highly recommend any of their events!

My kids decorating my shoes....duck tape to help block the chilly wind!!  

That's me with the green/black helmet - putting my bike back after swimming and biking.  Ready to run!  

Finish!!!!!  Right into my oldest daughter's arms!  

Best cheering squad ever - my niece, nephew, and my kids!  

We did it!  

Sit and Reach testing and Curl-Ups

Sit & Reach Testing
We use a metal box with a slider to measure how far students can stretch.  Students set up their body straight in front of the box, feet flat on the box.  Then, one knee up, and students reach three times with both hands.  They have to keep their straight leg straight while reaching.  Then, they switch:  other knee up, other leg straight.  This method of testing (with one knee up, then switch) is designed to a) protect students' back and b) identify flexibility differences between legs.  

Curl-Ups Test

Curl-ups, rather than full sit-ups, are used to measure abdominal muscle strength and endurance.  A measuring strip is used on the mat.  This measuring strip helps students know how far they need to curl up, and is an attempt to make the curl-up more uniform for all students testing.  I use tape on the mats to mark out the measuring strip distance (for grades 3-5, the measuring strip is wider than for grades K-2).  As students curl-up using their abdominal muscles, they feel with their fingers along the measuring strip.  When they reach the other edge of the tape with their fingers, they can lower themselves back down.  There is also an audio track that plays during this test, setting the pace for the curl-ups.  If students fall behind the pace, or break form, they are allowed one warning.  Another break in form or another pace warning ends their test.  

Students completing the curl-up test.  A scoring partner watches for form, pace, and writes down the testing student's score.  Six students test at once, so I can also watch student form and pace.  

Fitness Testing!!

We are beginning our Spring round of fitness testing.  This is important to have an end-of-year marker for students' fitness levels, and we hope to improve our scores from the fall round of testing.  For most tests, I record the best score into the FitnessGram report your student will receive home with their final June report card.  

Testing includes: 
Curl-ups (Abdominal endurance)
Flexed Arm Hang (Upper body strength and endurance)
Half Mile (K-1) and Mile Run Test (2-5) (Cardiovascular endurance)
Trunk Lift (Core strength and flexibility)
Sit and Reach (Hamstring flexibility)
Height and Weight measurement (Body Mass Index)

For kindergarten students, this spring round of testing is their first, and the goal for kindergarten "testing" is experiencing the tests for the first time.  

For all classes, procedures and rules are reviewed and the test is demonstrated before testing.  Individual improvement and reaching the "Healthy Fitness Zone" is emphasized, as opposed to emphasizing being the best scoring student in the class or grade level.  

For more FitnessGram testing information, please see the FitnessGram Parent website, or contact me if you have any questions or concerns about your child's participation in our fitness testing.  

Mile Run "Bubble Sheets", pre-labeled with names and Fall Mile Run Scores for students.   Pre-labeling them saves time, and allows students to see their own previous score individually.
Students are encouraged to try to beat their previous score.
Thank goodness for binder clips!!  

"Bubble Sheets" for mile run.  Students carry their own (half sheet of paper).  Each lap, I mark in the "bubble".  At their 6th lap, I note the time and keep their sheet to record their time in each student's FitnessGram record.  3rd graders, 4th graders, 5th graders, and spring 2nd graders participate in this test.  Spring 2nd graders participate to prepare for the fall 3rd grade mile run test.  

"Bubble Sheets" for half mile run.  Same procedure as the mile run.  Kindergarteners, 1st graders, and Fall 2nd graders participate in a timed half mile.  The goal of a timed half mile is to prepare students for a full mile.  

More posts to come with pictures of fitness testing!!!!

PHOTOS

Here are some photos I snapped this week during a few of our PE classes.  

Looking at these photos reminds me how I continue to be in awe of Haisley students.  Students who may not be highly skilled in basketball trying a new game.  Students with great basketball skills "taking it easy" to let less skilled players stay in the game a little longer.  Kids helping each other understand the game and what to do next.  Students who are often reluctant giving great effort and doing amazing things.

I didn't take a photograph of lower elementary jump rope this week, but I have the memory of so many of these moments etched in my mind.  Learning to jump rope is HARD!!  There were many moments in the past two weeks where we CELEBRATED - kids who made incredible progress in learning how to jump rope.  Helping a student start to master even one small part of a complex skill is AWESOME - it is why I choose to teach, and why I am honored to teach physical education at Haisley.

Jumping Rope:  Mrs. Saenz and Mrs. McGee's 3/4 grade classes

Lightning Recycle:  Mrs. McGee's class

Sharks and Minnows:  Ms. Cech's class

Wow! It's been 1 month!!

I haven't updated the PE blog in 1 month!  It's been a busy month -- planning the Heritage Festival took a lot of time and energy in the last two weeks of January, and now Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart have taken over -- along with a couple of snow days, Valentine's Day and preparing for mid-winter break!

Since January 15, here is what has been happening in PE classes:

Jump Rope and Jump Rope for Heart
Grades K-2 started jump rope skills.  We have worked very hard on jumping rope basics.  Start with the rope behind feet, swing it overhead and then try to jump over it with feet together.  We use the keywords Back, Front, Jump to make this sequence easier to remember.  The most common corrections when students are first learning this skill include separating their feet and swinging the rope over backward.  Students often separate their feet and step/jump over the rope this way at first -- this results in more misses because it creates more body parts for the rope to catch on.  Some students try to swing the rope backward - it is slightly easier for some to master swinging the rope this way first, but it's much harder to learn to rhythmically jump over backwards before learning to jump over the forward swinging rope.

To give students small group time with me, we divided into centers.  Two centers were specifically about jumping rope, and the other two were fitness centers.  I spent most of each class at one center, helping students at their individual level to improve their skills.  Some were ready for some more advanced tricks, and others needed basic skills work.  A free jump allowed students to work individually on their rope jumping.  The other two centers reviewed overhand/underhand throwing, and balance activities.

Basketball Skills and Hoops for Heart
Grades 3-5 have started basketball skills.  Basic skills include dribbling, passing, and shooting.  With most basketball activities, I allow students to choose between a basketball and a playground ball.  This allows students to self-select based on their comfort level with basketball skills.

This week, we participated in a basketball obstacle course.  Students practice wall chest passes, dribbled to shoot on either the center hoop or side basketball hoop, and then dribbled back to the start.  We did this continuously for about 10 minutes, so students had several turns to practice those skills in sequence.  Then, students had a choice:  basketball shooting or Lightning Recycle on one half of the gym or jump rope activities on the other half of the gym.

Jump Rope and Hoops For Heart
Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart are fundraising programs for the American Heart Association   All students participate in the program, regardless of donations.  We learn jump rope and/or basketball skills, and we talk about how some people have special hearts - hearts that need medicine and/or surgery to keep working.  The American Heart Association funds research to find medicines, surgery  and education to keep hearts healthy.  We do this program annually, and it corresponds with our physical education and health topics each year.  This year, donations are due Friday, February 15 in the main office.  Thank you for your support!

Student Assistant for 1/2 Day

My student assistant making sure centers were going smoothly.

One lucky student won the silent auction item to be the PE teacher assistant for half day!  She assisted me with lower elementary classes on Tuesday, February 12.  This lucky student had her very own whistle, and it even matched her outfit!  The activity for each class was centers, so she helped me explain the directions to each class.  She helped make sure everyone was following the rules, and then she used her whistle and the microphone to let groups know it was time to "clean up, sit, and point" to the next center.  Thank you, M, for your help that day! :):)  I am so glad you got to help me for the afternoon!

K-2: Overhand Throw

This week, grades K-2 are working on the overhand throw.  (See my previous blog post for how grades 3-5 practiced the overhand throw!)  We use most of the same underhand throw centers to practice overhand throw.  This helps minimize time spent explaining center rules since students have already experienced the centers once before.  As with underhand throw, there are three throwing practice centers and one fitness center:  jumping/jumping rope.

We break the overhand throw into three parts:  T, step, throw.

• T:  make your body into the shape of a T, with throwing hand back and opposite hand pointing toward the target. 
• Step:  step with your opposite foot toward your target. 
• Throw!  Bring your arm OVERHAND and release the ball or beanbag!  

Students practice saying the keywords several times.  Then, they watch me demonstrate the throw while they say the keywords.  Students then practice throwing with no ball -- while saying the keywords, and then finally, have the opportunity to practice at centers.  

This is the poster we use for keywords.  

In the background, students partner throw back and forth.
In the foreground, students jump: jump rope or ski jump at the fitness center. 

A student overhand throws with enthusiasm at the throw bowling center. 

Students line up to throw at our shape wall targets. Targets are bigger for lower elementary students. 

More wall target practice.  

With our centers, there are targets - but we emphasize form over accuracy at this point.  Many students step with their same foot (instead of their opposite foot) -- and lining up into a "T" helps minimize this.  

K-2: Underhand Throw

Grades K-2 are working on the underhand throw.  We break the skill into three parts:

Important vocabulary for this skill includes:  opposite foot, release, and follow through.  These ideas are important and relevant to many fitness and sports activities, and resurface during many future lessons and activities.

I demonstrate the underhand throw several times, and have students watch my demonstration for different important points.  Students repeat the key words (Step, Swing, and Point) several times, and then practice the motion without the ball or bean bag.  Finally, they have practice time with the object at their own target.

For the first day of practice, the target is a rectangular brick along the outside edge of the gym.  Each student has their own target.  Students take three steps out from the wall, turn around, and underhand throw to their target.  I circulate checking for opposite foot and basic parts of the skill, giving feedback to each student during practice.

For the second day of this topic, centers are used for practice.  Students have a variety of high and low targets at each center.  Center descriptions are posted on the wall, and are described and demonstrated before students begin rotations.

Wall targets are created with tape.  They are different shapes: pentagon, hexagon, triangle, and rectangle. These labeled targets reinforce geometry and math concepts learned in the classroom.  

Bowling pins (3) are the target for this center. Students love to hear them clatter to the floor when they hit the target!  

Hula hoops on the floor are targets for this center.  

An additional fitness or activity center is also used for this lesson, and may include jump rope, hula hoops, balance boards, or balance beam.  During this centers activity, I choose one center and give focused feedback to each student during their time at that one center.

3-5: Jump Rope Intro and Centers

Grades 3-5 are starting our jump rope unit.  We begin with the basics:  how to measure a jump rope.  Ask your student to show you how we measure to have the appropriate rope for each student's height.  We also review basic jumping techniques:  single jumps, double jumps (double bounce), and focusing on wrist movement (versus swinging arms) to keep the rope going.  Older students also choose between a beaded jump rope and a speed rope.

Basic jump rope tricks begin with different leg movements - starting with jumping on one foot.  Other tricks include ski jumps with the jump rope (two feet together, jump side to side), and other variations where just the feet move.  More advanced tricks include cross-overs (where the rope is crossed, and the student jumps through the loop created by crossing), and even 180 degree turns while jumping.

To practice some basic jumping skills, we rotate through jump rope centers.  Center descriptions are below.  With all classes, students have diverse ability levels.  If students are working on basic rhythm and rope movement, they work on those basic skills while others may be working on more advanced skills.  Students are intentionally grouped with others of different ability levels, and encouraged to help each other with skills.  A supportive environment is always what we strive for.

Students take turns turning long ropes and jumping. They can use different jump rope rhymes. Some are posted on the gym wall (see additional photos below).  Jump rope rhymes are from the book Anna Banana by Joanna Cole.  The book is full of jump rope rhymes, and the Haisley media center has it.  Check it out!

Warm-up/Cool-down Games & Activities

Sometimes we play games at the beginning or end of class for warm-up or cool-down.  These games often are low-organization games, which don't involve assigned positions or long sets of rules.  Both warm-up and cool-down games usually are designed to get students moving.  For cool-down games, we try to select ones that are relatively calm to prepare students to transition to their next special or to their classroom.

Here are two photos of 3rd and 4th grade students playing a version of Rock, Paper, Scissors called "I won, We Run" as a warm-up game.  Students gather around the center line of the gym, all with a partner to play Rock, Paper, Scissors.  They play.  The winner runs to touch the black endline once.  The loser runs to touch the black line twice.  Once each player returns to the center line, they play against anyone else who is ready to play.  Ties play again until someone is the winner.


Another favorite is our Spelling Warm-Up.  Each student has a card with a word on it.  All students start in the center circle, holding their card.  They jog to touch the wall underneath each letter to spell their card word.  They then exchange their card for a new card.  Letters are on the gym wall in ABC order.  This activity not only gets students moving, but also reinforces alphabetical order skills.

W is for Warm-up!  Letters like this are posted around the perimeter of the gym.   We use them for the Spelling Warm-Up described above, and they also are used for one of our assigned seats in the gym.  

Everybody's It.  Everybody LOVES this one!  This is great for a cool-down since it is more calm, even though students LOVE it.  Just like the game's title sounds, everyone is it for this one.  Students have to stay inside the boundary line we call "the box", the black line marking the perimeter of the basketball court lines.  Walking only.

• Round 1:  If you get tagged by anyone, you sit down criss-cross-applesauce and you are out.  You sit immediately right where you were tagged.  No moving your seat, no turning your body around, no getting back into the game.  

If Round 1 is played perfectly (no reminders about how to sit!), and we have time, we try the following variation for the subsequent round:

• Round 2:  If you get tagged by anyone, you sit down criss-cross-applesauce.  You sit immediately right where you were tagged.  No moving your seat, no turning your body around, no getting back into the game.  This time:  You can tag others while sitting.  If you tag others while sitting down, they sit down where you tagged them.  You may not uncross your legs or lay down.  

If Round 2 is played perfectly (no reminders about how to sit or unfolding legs/laying down!), and we have time, we try the following variations for one more round:

• Round 3:  If you get tagged by anyone, you sit down criss-cross-applesauce.  You sit immediately right where you were tagged.  No moving your seat, no turning your body around, no getting back into the game.  This time:  You can tag others while sitting.  If you tag another person while sitting down, they sit down where you tagged them, AND YOU GET BACK UP.  You are back in the game.   

Hot Lava.  We imagine the three center circles are full of hot lava.  Stay out of the lava!  Go counterclockwise around the gym using different locomotor skills.  I usually participate with students (which explains why many days, I wear shorts, even in cold weather!).  I demonstrate each locomotor skill, calling out the skill with the microphone while we are all moving.  We turn the music up, and students are encouraged to sing along!  This activity really gets our hearts and muscles warmed up.