Classes have been busy in P.E., working together, following rules of the game/activity, respecting others and the gym, and showing good sportsmanship. Pre-K and Kindergarten are getting acquainted with being in the gym, P.E. class routines and working together as a group. They have been practicing their listening skills: being able to follow more than one direction, knowing what one whistle and two whistles mean. They have also practiced their stop and freeze and we have gone through emergency drills. We will be doing surprise practice drills in the next month.
They now do a self evaluation at the end of class, the beginning of being self-managers, responsible for ourselves and our behavior.
Motor skills have been reviewed; walking/jogging backwards, galloping (both right and left leads), side slides, hopping both feet, hopping one foot, skipping and switching leads and now throwing and catching skills are being practiced.
Grades 1 through 3 have been practicing safe running skills; running without falling down or running into someone, being able to stop quickly, able to dodge or dart at will and running at a speed with control. Team games have stared for grades 1 and 2. They begin to think as a team and consider others before individual action. Grade 3 will start learning how to divide up into teams, fairly and quickly, as a group, with no team captain. They are encouraged to get creative in their methods of how they divide up.
Grades 4 through 8 have been doing fitness testing: flexibility, sit-ups and the mile run have been done. An optional splits challenge is g
oing on in 6th and 8th grade. A push-up test or modified pull-up test will be done next. These classes have fun during the first month revisiting games, some classes have gone back to 1st and 2nd grade games. It’s still fun to be a kid. Classes will continue to do more team games, 2, 4 or 5 team games, using good sportsmanship and team strategies with the goal of working together as one to complete the challenge. Before we leave for Christmas break, retesting will be done and each student will pick a component of fitness to work on and we will retest on that in March. I am sure we will celebrate our successes in some way.
Thank you for your support of your children!
