Week 2 in Review

Hurrah for another beautifully sunny day! We warmed up, then tested our flexibility and agility on "Six Lines". We drew 6 lines on the sidewalk with about a foot between each of them. Then we jumped forward and backward, hopped on one foot, and bear-walked from line to line. We put our left foot on the first line and tested how far we could streeeeeeettttccccchhhhh our right foot forward. We stood on the first line and tested how far we could JUMP forward. They had a great time with a little friendly competition.

Next, we tried to play "Ants on a Log", lining up on the curb and trying to move one student from one end of the line to the other without knocking each other off. This turned out to be harder than any of us thought it would be! Huge shout out to Sadie and Sydney who were the only two who successfully switched places without any help! :)

With our last 10 minutes, we played a keep-it-from-touching-the-ground ball game (difficult with a beach ball and a breeze!) and "Octopus" again (back by popular demand).

Thank you, parents, for helping to make sure everyone had appropriate footwear! See you next week!

Week 1 in Review

What an awesome first week! I am so excited to be teaching PE this semester. We will be starting off each class with "The Warm-Up Wheel". Last week, after we were all limber, we played a game called "Switch Sides If..." to get to know each other better. The kids stood on two lines facing each other, and I called out things like "switch sides if you have a dog" or "switch sides if you like chocolate ice cream better than vanilla." If it applied to them, they would race to the other side. Next, we played a game called "Octopus" where one child was the Octopus, and s/he would try to tag other kids as they ran from one end of the play area to the other. Anyone s/he tags became seaweed, and while planted on the spot, the seaweed reached out and tried to tag kids as well. They had a blast with this game! 

With all that running around though, you can see how wearing flip flops would be a problem. Please make sure your kids wear good shoes every week and bring a jacket if it's chilly outside. Unless it's raining or terribly cold, I would like to have them outside getting some fresh air. 

Thanks for reading! It's going to be a fun semester!

week 6 review

The weather cooperated with us today and we were able to play outside.  Typically, we begin our class with some light stretching, and then some cardio work.  When we have the opportunity for sunshine, we end the class with free play.  The kids love it!

This week does not look so promising - so instead we will be doing yoga inside.  This means some tumbling, bending and of course stretching.  Please be sure your student is dressed appropriately for this activity.  If you have a yoga mat, please bring it.  Thank you!
And don't forget...Water Bottles!

thank you,
Teachers Mary and Kellie

week 4 review

Hello again.  Wow, we have some great students in this class.  This week we did a variation to our usual circuit and had some fun switching activities together.  I love watching the kids progress one step at a time.  And they are having fun while we are doing it.
This coming week is ball week..... at this time, I'm not sure what I will plan exactly.  The creative juices are not moving.  We will work on team work, I know.  and it will involve balls.  :)

Remember, athletic shoes!  Water bottles!  once the weather turns nice, we do this class outside in the grassy area of the parking lot.  There is not an outside water faucet available.  Water bottles are important.
Thank you,
Teachers Mary and Kellie

week 3 review

Ok, what a great class we have.  Last week we started with some simple yoga moves and poses.
As an adult, this may sound simple to you.  For a wiggly little body, yoga can be very difficult!
I encourage you to practice this at home - the more in-tune we are with our bodies, the better we will take care of it.  Teaching kids these skills at a young age, sets them up for a lifetime of health benefits.
This week is our circuit week.  I love this class!  We will be active and busy the entire time.  Please be sure to have appropriate clothing and shoes.  Last week there were rain boots, dress boots and a pair of athletic shoes that kept falling off - it is hard to be safe when you are ill-equipped.
And of course, remember your water bottles.
Thanks,
Teachers Mary and Kellie

any questions, concerns or comments? please, feel free to email either one of us! :)

week2 review

What a fun class!  To some it may have looked like we were just tossing a ball around in a circle, but really there was a lot more to the lesson than accuracy.  One of the biggest things we talked about was the difference between throwing something to someone versus throwing something at someone.
Talk to your student, see if they can tell you the difference.

Next week is yoga week.  If you have a mat from home, great! Please bring it.  As the class size has doubled, I do not have enough for every one.  we will work on stretching and flexibility as well as core strength.
Don't forget:  water bottles and proper PE clothing

Thanks,
Teachers Mary and Kellie

week 1 review

Wow, our class has grown this semester - doubled!  And it was a pleasure to meet our newest members.
Today we talked about our bodies and why physical activity is important. We talked about the appropriate clothes and shoes for PE and why we need to bring water to class. 
The water faucet in the basement does not work.  There are no cups in the bathrooms and we do not have enough mentors to take everyone upstairs for a water break.  Water bottles are essential!
We talked about team work and it's importance so we played a name memory game to help reinforce that idea. Then we broke into two teams and ran a few races, just for fun!

This week is all about ball play - catching, throwing with accuracy, maybe some kicking....we'll see what I can come up with!
See you on Thursday!
Teachers Mary and Kellie