This is a picture of National Physical Education Standards printed on the wall of the gym. They are prominently displayed because these 5 overarching concepts set the purpose for everything we do in the gym. At the beginning of each class we discuss the standards and skills we will be focusing on for the day. The goal of these National Physical Education Standards are to develop us into physically literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity. The first few weeks we have focused on Standard 1 which focuses on motor skills and movement patterns. The patterns and skills taught and practiced in class are ones that are utilized in the games played out at recess. Students have worked on kicking, striking, dodging, and throwing so they can feel more confident when joining one of the many games of GaGa, kickball, or four square played outside.
The next few weeks I will be posting videos of the students preparing for Field Day. You will see videos of the students performing feats agility, muscular endurance, healthy eating and drinking, speed and style. You will also see students practicing Teamwork, Hustle, and Encouragement. This is how we prepare to be a Burr Ninja Warrior.
..To celebrate May 4th students played Star Wars in the Gym. Rebel forces had to evade the empire and deliver top secret information to Rebel bases. Both sides played valiantly, both sides, strategized, both sides enjoyed themselves, the universe was saved... The Cougar Cubs continued to work with their striking patterns this week. Grade four students played a game called Volleybag which reinforced the importance of positioning during team games. Grade 3 played Clean Your Court which required them to bump and set the ball over a net into the other team's area. Grades K-2 explored striking balls over a net. All grade levels exhibited Teamwork, Hustle, and Encouragement which are our core leadership values in the gym. Please, ask them about their class. Students worked with striking patterns this week. Grades K-1 explored striking toward a target. Grades 2-4 employed postioning while using striking patterns during a progression from individual striking, to partner striking, to finally team striking. Please, ask them about their class. Students focused on Standard 2 this week. They worked with their team to strategize the best motor patterns to use to achive their goal during a game called Easter Eggs. They were able to employ a variety of patterns aand then shared their findings with teamates during a quick break before resuming the game. Students also completed a circuit with new exercises that focus on strengthening their core. Please, aske the about their class. Students in grades 2-4 tested their upper and middle-body muscular endurance by participating in the Push-up and Curl-up assessments this week. This allowed students to not only to assess their muscular endurance, but also, appreciate any gains they have made. Grade one explored the tests this week and got a feel for what their older brothers and sisters have been doing. K classes worked on displaying teamwork, hustle and encouragement while working together during exercise and games. All students warmed up with different versions of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Please, ask them about their class. THe Cougar Cubs did an incredible job this past week. Students exercised vigorously during their Jump Rope For Heart event. Students made their hearts healthier in the process and helped others through their generosity. Presently, Burr students have collected $4,438.50 in donations for the American Heart Association. What a fantastic job! Thank you gifts have been ordered and should be here in 2-4 weeks.
This week we talked about how to maintain a healthy heart. Students now know that getting exercise, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables and drinking lots of water will help them to keep their heart healthy. Students also know that they should stay away from sugary drinks, too much salt, and tabacco. Jump Rope For Heart will take place March 14th, 16th, and 17th during P.E. Class. This week students worked on cardio, balance, and weight transfer using basketballs. Students increased their heart rates using dribbling patterns and worked on transfering their weight using basketball shooting patterns. Please, ask them about their class. Cardio-dribbling. Kindergarten working on shooting patterns. Chest...knees...spring...are the cues they are following.
Students have been working with basketballs to improve their patterning and share space effectively. Grades 2-4 are concentrating on dribbling through shared space while making sure to keep on the lookout for other's doing the same thing. "Our goal is control" can be heard coming out of the gym during k-1 classes, as they work to maintain control of a bouncing ball. Students are improving their body control, pattern-integration and hand-eye coordination by maintaining awareness of so many things at once. Please, ask them about their class. Scarf Dribbling helps students to practice dribbling without looking at the ball. 4th grade delivering Valentines and dribbling at different levels. Kindergartners ice skating in the gym. Getting a workout while concentrating on moving their bodies a little differently.
Catching is the best example of teamwork in P.E. For a catch to be made a person must really focus on the person they are throwing to and make sure they use the right speed and distance. The catcher must focus on the person throwing and move their body in position to catch the ball. When the catch is made, both kids feel great about it and encourage each other to do it again. We worked on throwing at targets in PK-1st grade, and worked throwing to a target in grades 2-4. Students really exhibited Standard 4 by putting in a great deal of effort to work with their teammates and be as accurate as possible. Please, ask them about their class. Below students play a game called Human Football to build their catching and throwing patterns. Students play a game called Grab It! to build upper-body muscular endurance. Students got back to work this week. We learned new exercises and worked on our throwing skills using footballs. Grades 2-4 worked on strategy while throwing a football at stationary targets. K-1 explored the differences between throwing a football and a round ball. Many targets were hit, please, ask them about their class. The following is a video we watched to prepare ourselves for this type of skill development. The second video is of a class playing Target Toss. Students this week put their brains to work in the gym. Grades 2-4 worked out using stack relays, some classes even got to design them. All grades combuined our stacking skills and problem-solving prowess while playing Angry Birds. Please, ask your child about their class. Students continue to build bilateral integration through the use of stacking cups. This week grades 2-4 further developed their patterning and problem solving skills while paying games like Flippers and Copy Cups. We also used timers to help us see exactly how much quicker we are while stacking certain patterns. Grades PK-1 continued to explore with cups and develop basic patterns while building. Please ask your child about their class. The following is a video of an expert cupstacker, notice the alternating hand-pattern. This should be us by next week. This week students will focus on building their brains. Students will be building their bodies and brains by performing exercises in which they need to move trans-laterally and cross the midline of their bodies. Students will also continue to work to build muscle-memory and bi-lateral integration. Students understand that their brains learn through patterning so students will use stacking cups to perform a varitey of patterns. Students will play Stack Stealers and participate in stack relays which will build teamwork skills as well. Please ask them about their class.
I am very thankful for the opportunity to attend the CTAHPERD Fall Conference Thursday and Friday. The students that I will see over the next two weeks will prepare themselves for Thanksgiving Day by reflecting on how thankful they are for their healthy bodies. We will discuss the importance of a healthy diet and exercise to our health. Each class will play turkey games to reinforce these concepts. K-2 will feed our turkeys fruits and vegetables and get plenty of exercise while doing it. Grades 3 and 4 will teach their turkeys to exercise and explore the concept of them being not only what they eat, but what they eat... eats. Please ask your children what they learned and have a fantastic holiday!
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AuthorTony Bergantino Archives
September 2017
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