February Finish

In PK this week the children once again got to play in the auxiliary gym for our gymnastics unit. The children did an obstacle course including tunnels, animals spots to jump on, stepping stones, the vault, beams, bars, and much more. We also played our favorite PK game, "I See" and the children are getting more and more imaginative with their movements. They are also improving on their locomotor movements such as skipping, galloping, jumping, hopping, and sliding. Ask your children to show you these things at home. Skipping is a skill that develops right and left brain coordination and can actually improve reading skills.
This week in JK Physical Education the children worked at three stations: the beams, bars, and the big blue mat. I encouraged the children to try walking on our lower blue beam backwards by themselves. Many children were excited about that new challenge. Some children even tried walking backwards on our higher brown beam with a hand. Wow! Many children are getting really good at rolling over a low bar. They also like to hang sideways and climb along the bar. On the floor we continue to work on balancing, rolling, and locomotor movements.
This week in 1st and second grade we started basketball. The skill I focus on the most is dribbling. Ask your child what they need to do to dribble with correct form. The children love to try dribbling tricks like the yo-yo dribble, dribbling under the legs, dribbling really low, dribbling with one finger at a time, and so many more! If you have a ball at home, ask the children to show you some of the tricks they have learned.
The third and fourth graders are working on two units: gymnastics and the PE Central Challenge. PE Central is a website that I use as a resource for my PE curriculum. The site sponsors a challenge that Jane Keily and I have done for many years with our 3rd and 4th graders. There are 6 challenges that the children can attempt to complete to earn a pin from PE Central. Visit pecentral.com to see the challenges!
The third graders have started an exciting project in class. Hopefully your child have brought home his or her Flat Stanley Fitness Adventure. Your child will be taking his or her own Flat Person Fitness Adventure. Your child's Flat Person, 6 stamps, and address of the person they are sending their Flat Person to are due Wednesday, March 4. Your child should have brought the complete directions home on Monday. If you have any questions, please give me a jingle at school.
In addition to the above units the fourth graders have started a health unit dealing with alcohol and other drugs. The focuses of the unit are having a basic understanding of the harmful effects of illegal drug use, and resisting peer pressure. The children took a short "quiz" to see what they know about drug use. We went through the answers and talked about many reasons why drug use can be harmful to our bodies and our minds. We do not get into specifics about each and every drug, although I do explain how alcohol and tobacco can be harmful our bodies. I have encouraged the children to talk to you if they have any questions or concerns. We have spent two days going over the 12 questions quiz and I bet we could spend 4 more days if I let the children talk as much as they want to. The children have so many questions, stories, and examples! The fourth graders agreed that they are at a good age to start learning about this topic because as they get a little older they might encounter situations where they will need to know facts about drugs, and they will need to have practiced saying no so they are not put on the spot. In my next lesson with the children they will be learning how to "say no" while keeping their friends and maintaining their dignity. They will role play how to say no to a number of situations where they might feel pressured to do something they know is wrong. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call or email. Many times children will not understand certain topics regarding drug use, and when they ask a question at home, it might come across in an unusual way. Plus, many children have questions about things they have seen on television or things other children have brought up in class. Rest assured I steer the topics towards ideas and concepts the children can comprehend. I hope you will share your family values regarding drug use with your child.