Welcome back to school! This year we are looking forward to a great year in PE Here are some of the new things in the gym:
1. Mrs. Ganger will be helping out with double classes on Mondays and on Friday aftternoons. He was my student teacher in the gym two years ago, and I am excited to have him back at May Watts.
2. Thanks to the Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser, we were able to replace a lot of worn out equipment, and purchase a few new things as well.
We will be starting this year with a Track and Field unit for 3rd-5th graders, and a locomotor and low organized games unit for K-2.
3rd-5th Track and field will include:
Running events(cardio) Throwing events(strength) Specialty Events(flexibility/coordination)
50 yd. dash Shot put Running long jump
1/4 mile (400m.) Discus Hurdles
1/2 mile (800 m.) Javelin High jump
1 mile (1600 m.)
1/4 mile relay (400 m. relay)
These events allow practice of fitness, coordination, and introduce a wide variety of new skills to students. This allows them to find an area in which they enjoy participating. It also opens up great opportunities for them to practice sportsmanship and strategize as a class to create the strongest plan for their team. I will be asking for parent helpers in September for a special fourth and fifth grade Track and Field day competition.
K-2 will include:
Locomotors: These skills are the building blocks for all future sports and movement activities
run jump hop gallop skip slide leap
Low organized games:
Games that require careful listening, following directions, applying safety rules, and using equipment that is new to them.
The new Fitnessgram is here! We piloted the fitnessgram fitness testing three years ago, and now it has been fully implemented across the district and in most schools across the nation. It takes the best parts of the Presidential Fitness testing and replaces some of the tests that were not valid and reliable.
Running- we used to do a timed test for a set distance. In this old format, everyone started at the same time and ran until they completed the entire distance. This left children who have a hard time with running struggling out on the field while the rest of their class was finished. It was always run outside, so wetaher was a huge factor in the testing. We will still do some running on the field with modifications, but our main test is done in the gym with the PACER. We run short timed laps across the gym and back, and stop when they can't maintain the pace.
Curl-ups- This exercise is a more safe and valid test of abdominal strength and endurance than the full sit-ups. Sit-ups work the back and hip flexors, and do not isolate the abdominals. We do this in a timed cadence for safety and proper form.
Push-ups- This upper body strength exercise allows children to progress throughout the year. In the old test of pull-ups, most kids could not even complete one. Push-ups can be practiced every day, and can be done with a whole group instead of one at a time.
Sit and Reach- This one leg at a time test is safer on the back and measures the flexibility of both legs.
We will need a lot of parent help in the gym during fitness testing! We are scheduled to start September 26th!
