Happy New Year Buker families!
I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday season and vacation week!
The week before Thanksgiving included some fun group dances as a warm-up. Students in all grades learned "The Turkey Tango" and "The Turkey Pokey". Kindergarten students danced with their 5th grade buddies. It is heartwarming to watch the kindness that older students show to the younger students. The excitement on the faces of the younger students with their "PE buddies" is priceless! I love to hear the adorable conversations that happen when grades are mixed. Possibly the cutest moment during the "Turkey Tango" was when a kindergarten boy looked up and told his very tall 5th grade buddy he needed his shoe tied - the 5th grader quickly bent down to tie his shoe so they wouldn't miss much of the dance. These are the sweet moments that make it all worthwhile. It is fascinating to see students in a different "light" and it adds a new dimension to PE. As a new teacher to Buker this year, it shows a strong sense of community and an abundance of kindness in our school. This dance activity turned out to be a nice way to kick-off Thanksgiving.
Students in grade K-2 continued with dance and creative movement warm-ups through the month of December. Grade 4 will be leading an all school morning of dance movement at a later date this winter.
December Physical Education was a month full of basketball skills and fun ball handling activities. This is a sport where students bring a range of experience and levels of abilities. My goal was to provide a variety of fun activities to meet the needs of all students. In trying to allow for the most success, students alway had a choice of types of balls to practice with - playground balls, mini basketballs or regular size basketballs. We talked about personal improvement and trying your best to improve individual skills regardless of their current skill level. Students participated in stations, tabata fitness circuits, and arcade-like basketball challenges and lessons. My goal in teaching any sports skill units is to encourage students and be confident enough to participate in lifetime activities. Dabbling in different sports and fitness activities will hopefully help them find areas of fitness that interest them in the future. All lessons are organized in age appropriate motor skill development according to the SHAPE America standards for P.E. I always try to add a fun twist with a culminating game or fun way to review skills. I love the enthusiasm that students have for PE! It makes my job even more fun!
I hope your children are enjoying PE this year! As always, please feel free to contact me with any issues or concerns.
Upcoming winter units:
- Pilo Polo (modified with floor hockey rules and skills)
- Educational Gymnastics and balance unit
- Cardiovascular group games and warm-ups
- Jump rope skills
- Cardio drumming