PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS

It has been an educational and enjoyable winter in our physical education program.  Throughout all levels, our students have continued working on both their stationary and fitness warm-up activities.  As students begin physical education class, they perform warm-up activities in their spots, followed by fitness warm-up activities around the gymnasium.  Currently, students in the second, third, fourth, and fifth grades are leading the stationary warm-up activities, as each student chooses and leads an activity twice per week.  Leading the warm-up activities has helped the students develop leadership skills, as well as the proper verbal terminology corresponding to these activities.  Students in the first grade will also inherit these leadership activities soon.  Some fitness activities for the older students, such as “crazy cones”, “wasps”, and rope jumping, increase our student’s cardiovascular endurance.  Younger students continue to perform jogging activities, “scrambled eggs”, and an activity entitled “group statues”, in which students must develop cooperation skills with a designated group.  

Our third, fourth, and fifth grade students have completed our second unit, which was the football unit, our third unit, which was the bowling unit, and have started our fourth unit, which is the hockey unit.  Throughout the football unit, students learned and practiced passing, catching, running, kicking, and defense. These skills were performed with partners, small groups, and the entire class.  Students in the bowling unit learned how to grip a bowling ball and take the proper steps to roll it.  The students participated in several activities, including a “lazer light” bowling activity using lights and music. Throughout the hockey unit, students will learn and practice hockey stick handling, carrying, passing, shooting, defense, and goaltending.  These skills will be performed with partners, small groups, and the entire class.   

Students in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade have developed their fine motor skills with the use of several pieces of equipment, including bean-bags, hula-hoops, lummi sticks (small wooden sticks), small scoops, and jump ropes.  They also enjoyed Thanksgiving activities in late November and holiday activities right before the holiday break.  All of these activities focused on musical movements, fleeing, tagging, imagination, and of course, fun!  In January, younger students are developing their leg strength, arm strength, and cardiovascular endurance with the use of scooters.  I would like to thank our students for a wonderful first half of the year, as we look forward to many exciting and educational activities in the upcoming months!