Weeks of 2/22 - 3/21!! Wow!!

We have been very busy in PE in the past month!!  First, some announcements and information:  

1.  PE report cards:  PE reports went to all students in lower elementary (young fives through second grade).  FitnessGram fitness testing reports will be sent home in June for grades 3-5.  I was involved in a committee of PE teachers who worked to revise the PE report card.  I appreciate all feedback on the report card (format, length, information included, etc.)!!  Please let me know if you have thoughts or suggestions on our PE report cards.

2.  Jump Rope for Heart wrap-up:  Haisley's Jump Rope for Heart event occurred during regularly schedule PE classes in February, and we raised over $4,000 for the American Heart Association!  Bravo, Haisley!  We helped many people with special hearts with our efforts, and learned how to take care of our own hearts, too!  Our efforts also earned Haisley a $300 US Games (PE supply vendor) gift certificate, which purchased new scooters and scooter storage poles.

Upper elementary students enjoyed more time with long jump ropes, and lower elementary students participated in more center-based activities, including more time with rope shapes (see attached pictures!).

3.  Thank you, Haisley PTO!!   PTO classroom grant funds purchased new coated foam frisbees, and 24" hula hoops.  These smaller hoops are SO FUN (and so much easier for younger students to manage than our larger hoops)!!  We used the frisbees and hula hoops this week, and loved them!!  Thank you PTO!!

And now, the pictures!!  Here are some snapshots of what we've been up to in the past month!

First grade: rope shapes

These first graders have heart. :)  

Cutting and pasting our germs craftivity booklet during first grade health.  

Cutting and pasting our germs craftivity booklet during first grade health.  

First graders:  it takes heart to be a hero!  <3

These creative first graders made a portrait of me with their ropes on the floor.  Notice my ponytail!  =)  

Learning about muscles and bones during first grade health.  

Driving hula hoop "cars" around on the "roads" (lines on the floor).  

Upper elementary students work on long jump rope skills:  turning the rope and jumping.  

Upper el: long ropes

Upper el: long ropes

Lower el:  dice warm up.  Roll the die, do the exercise that matches.  

Lower el dice warm-up

Lower el dice warm-up

Frisbees!  Thank you PTO!  

Upper el dice warm-up

Lower el centers:  dice (same as warm-up, but each student had their own die) and bowling

Lower el centers:  hula hoop, bean bag toss, and toss/catch the giant jack

Upper el: frisbee toss through the hoop

Upper el:  Ultimate Frisbee pass/catch practice

Upper el:  toss through the hoop

Upper el:  toss/catch practice with partner - forehand and backhand throwing

Upper el:  Toss through a hoop

Dice Exercise warm-up:  purchased from TeachersPayTeachers.  Click here to view.  

Week of 1/25/2016

Health: First Grade
In health this week, we learned about how germs spread, how we can prevent germs from spreading, and the importance of washing our hands.

PE:  SXI and ASD
Our SXI classroom continued to enjoy Tball, and worked on locomotor/manipulative skills individually selected based on student interest and skill level!  Our ASD classrooms practiced locomotor skills during our warm up, improve flexibility during stretches, game skills and kicking during kickball, and making active choices during choice time.

PE:  Young Fives, 1st, and 2nd Grades
Lower elementary students participated in an interval warm-up, and then reviewing the steps to the overhand throw (T, Muscle, Step, Throw).  Next, students reviewed the rules of the game "Clean Out Your Backyard" (Young fives and K) or "Guard the Pin" (1st and 2nd grades).  These games use the overhand throw, so students have practice using their skills in a dynamic setting.

Mrs. Strohl's class 

PE:  3rd through 5th Grades
After an interval warmup, upper elementary students continued work with paddles, learning the game of Pickleball!  Pickleball is very similar to tennis, but played with a short wooden paddle and a small wiffle ball.  In past weeks, we have learned how to strike the ball using the paddle, and this week, we are enjoyed a game with that skill.  Students had a brief introduction to basic, modified Pickleball rules, and then we played King/Queen of the court style.  One side of the court is the King or Queen.  The other side is the challenger.  If the challenger loses the point, they go to the back of the line and the next challenger tries to win a point.  If a challenger wins the point, they take the Queen/King's spot and the Queen/King goes to the end of the challenger line.  It's a fast moving way to have students enjoy using our nets and paddles safely, and allowing many chances to have contact with the ball.  Students of all ability levels enjoyed this game, and the friendly competition was quite exciting!

Fifth grade Pickleball setup.  King/Queen of the courts are on the right side.  Challengers are on the left.  

5th grade Kings/Queens =)

4th graders play Pickleball King/Queen of the court

Third graders

Third graders

Third graders

Third and fourth graders:  Ms. Hahn's class.

Fifth graders

Bam!  5th graders enjoying pickleball.

Mr. Carnegie's class

Week of 12/14

Y5-2:  Students will work on the overhand throw!  We work on four steps for throwing:

• T:  point to target, body shaped like a T, opposite hand pointing at target
• Muscle:  Bend arm with ball/beanbag up, showing your muscle
• Step:  Step with opposite foot, transferring weight from back to front
• Throw:  Let the ball/beanbag go, end pointing toward target

During our first class of the week, students are assessed before instruction on the overhand throw.  Then, we do instruction on the keywords -- with teacher demonstration, student practice without a beanbag, and then practice at individual mid-level targets with a beanbag.  I circulate during this practice time and give students feedback on their form.  I have them say the keywords while they're moving their bodies for each step of throwing.  This is to help them remember each step.  

Students then practice with a low target (a foam cylinder shaped pin).  Then we move to partners (throwing at two pins, trying to knock both down at once), and then larger groups as time permits.  

3rd-4th, and Carnegie (5th):  These classes experienced basketball dribbling last week, so they are moving on to do basic jump rope activities.  These activities are adapted from Landy and Landy, Ready to Use PE Activities for Grades 3-4.  Activities include: 

• Rope patterns: stretch rope along the floor for these activities  (speed jump rope)
• jump zig zag from one end to the other end, facing forward, sideways
• hop back and forth across your rope, move from end to end
• straddle your rope, and jump this way (one foot each side of the rope)
• jump straddle-cross, so your rope is between your feet each jump.  
• keep hands on the floor while you jump your feet back and forth, while you move along the rope.  
• what are other ways you can move on or over your rope?  

• Circle patterns:  (speed jump rope)
• make your rope into a circle
• make a tall statue inside your circle
• make yourself as small as you can, as big as you can
• make a bridge with X parts inside the circle, X parts outside the circle (tried several of these!)
• put your hand in the center of the circle, legs straight out.  Walk legs around your hand like a grinder (coffee grinder),  switching hands and directions after two times around. 
• leave your circle and do different locomotor patterns to the music.  When the music stops, find an open circle and listen for directions (make a statue, bridge, balance, do an exercise, etc.).  
• Shapes:  For these next activities, students switched to a beaded jump rope.  
• make a shape with your rope -- any shape - circle, triangle, rectangle, hexagon, pentagon, parallelogram, etc.  
• make letters and or numbers with your rope
• with a partner (or small group), make some new shapes.  you now have twice the rope to work with!  
• For our second lesson of the week, grades 3 and 4 start out with a brainstorm of shapes they could make with jump ropes.  Some ideas include:  a house, igloo, sailboat, sunshine, clouds, flower, name(s) in cursive, letters, numbers, words, Nike logo, Under Armor logo, mitten, New Hampshire (!!  a second grade student did this last week, unprompted!), any state....and more. :)  

5th graders enjoying our jump rope lesson

5th grade rope shapes

Michigan!   

5th graders:  GO BLUE!   

Fourth graders at work

4th graders transfer the Scream painting (below) to our gym floor

Fourth graders:  ice cream cone!

3rd and 4th graders make cupcakes!

3rd and 4th graders make cupcakes!

Weindorf/Schafer:  Basketball dribbling activities, or fitness testing as needed!  See previous posts for upper elementary basketball/fitness testing activities. 

First grade health:  This week, we learned how and why to call 911.  Then, we started a craftivity (craft + activity!) to review fire safety.  This craftivity will take several weeks to complete, and we'll send home the final products in January.   

SXI:  The SXI class continues to work on t-ball, bowling, and moving, moving, moving during our PE time.  We adapt tasks as needed to allow for maximum participation and success.  For example, we have a ramp to use for bowling.  Each student has different needs and abilities, and we aim to have all students having fun, moving, and learning!  

ASD:  Both ASD classes have similar PE routines.  Students walk around cones in the gym, and then participate in a locomotor skill warm-up (gallop, skip, sideways slide-step, and run).  During some classes, we practice throwing/kicking/catching.  Next, we play kickball or t-ball, followed by choice time.  We have a large therapy ball they enjoy, scooters, hula hoops, playground balls are some options during choice time.  In January, students will add some stretching activities following our locomotor skill warm-up.  These activities work on following directions, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, listening skills, taking turns, and basic locomotor/manipulative skills.  Basic locomotor and manipulative skills serve as the basis for all sports and activities.