Bowling

We concluded our bowling unit today and are eagerly awaiting next week when we get to try out our expertise at the AMF Lanes in Bolingbrook. That is always such a highlight for all students. All permission slips should be turned in. If not, a simple note with parent signature will do. Written test will be on Wed., 12/17.
The last day of school for our student teacher, Mr. Newquist is also 12/17. It was an excellent learning experience for students, Mr. Newquist and myself. We all wish him the best of luck as he graduates from Western Illinois University on Saturday, 12/20/08.
Have a wonderful holiday season and New Year. Be safe and stay active to stay healthy.

Thanksgiving

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. We all have so very much to be thankful for.

Mr. Newquist and I were at the IAHPERD (state p.e. ) convention last week. We were able to communicate with other teachers, learn new games and sports, view new equipment and get energized with fresh ideas. It was a wonderful opportunity.

Next week we will begin our bowling unit. To culminate the unit, we will be attending AMF Lanes in Bolingbrook. Please look out for permission slips that will be handed out to the students on Mon.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving.

From the Gym

Wow. Another week has gone by so quickly!
In P.E. class we played deck tennis. 5th gr. students took their underhand volleyball serve test. Most students were quite successful. All students had a written test. Again, most students were successful.
On Monday, the Darien/Woodridge Fire Department is supposed to come to PV to discuss fire safety with all our students. Following that, we will have a one week unit working on circuits (stations), which will include the climbing ropes.
Have a great weekend. Remember, stay active and stay healthy.

From the gym

This week we finished playing newcomb and look forward to deck tennis next week. The underhand volleyball serve test for 5th graders will also be completed next week. We ran out of time because the beautiful weather called to us and we had to go outdoors.
Remember - stay active and stay healthy.

Happy Halloween

We had a "spooktacular" week. Students played newcomb, which is a lead up game to volleyball. Next week we'll perfect our play and move on to deck tennis (another lead up to volleyball).
Mr. Newquist dressed up as Superman and that certainly added an extra element of fun to our classes.
Stay active, stay healthy.

Fun!

We do so many fun things in physical education class! This past week we were on the transverse climbing wall and had scooter races. Next week we'll begin net games which will include newcomb and deck tennis. Life sure is good!
Here's a great quote - "Challenges are what make life interesting: overcoming them is what makes life meaningful". - Joshua J. Marine
Stay active, stay healthy.

Fun!

From the Gym

On Monday, 10/19/08, Mr. Matt Newquist will begin his student teaching experience here at PV school. He has just completed 8 weeks at Waubonsie High School in Aurora, and is a student at Western Illinios University. Upon completion he hopes to become a physical education teacher. I'm sure his experience here will be positive for all.

Remember - stay active, stay healthy. Have a great weekend with your family.

From the Gym

Have a wonderful, active, long weekend!

Did you know?
That if you eat enough carrots your skin would have an orange tint.

Misc. from the gym

We have been playing soccer, lacrosse and running the 1/2 and mile this past week. Wow! Weather permitting, we have been outdoors. I wish it could be every day.

Just a word about grading: Since p.e. meets daily, students receive a daily grade. If they have their gym shoes, work their hardest and have appropriate behavior, they receive 2 points each day. Students also take written tests and skill tests. Pretty easy to be successful, isn't it?

Enjoy the lovely weather with your children.

Physical Education

We have been playing our versions of soccer and lacrosse (4th and 5th gr. only). It's so wonderful to be able to be outdoors this time of year.
Next week we plan on doing more of the same, and, hopefully running the mile (1/2 for 3rd gr.).

Have a wonderful weekend. Stay active with your children. It's healthy for all.

9/19/08

It took us forever to conduct fitness tests. We still need to run the mile (1/2 for 3rd gr.). We've had such perfect weather that we've been able to get outdoors almost daily. That's the best!
Next week we'll either be running the mile or beginning a soccer and lacrosse unit, depending on the weather of course.

Some more facts - did you know?
* The average human body contains enough
sulfur to kill all fleas on an average dog
carbon to make 900 pencils

From the gym

We've been working hard on physical fitness testing and hope to finish soon. As soon as the weather cools down, we'll "run the mile".

As a reminder - those students who have p.e. in the morning before 10:00, do have to contend with the dew on the grass. It is always permissable to have a spare pair of gym shoes and socks if necessary.

One more Olympic question - T/F
Only 8 sports are continuously in the program of the Summer Olympics from 1896.

True: Track and Field, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, weithtlifting, shooting, swimming and wrestling. Rowing would also be on theis list if it was not canceled in 1896 due to bad weather.

Misc.

Intramurals for 4/5 gr. boys and girls will be begin on Mon., 9/15. All students who are interested may participate. Mrs. Cushing is the teacher who will be conducting this wonderful activity. Permission slips have been handed out to those students interested. Mrs. Cushing would like them returned by Tues., 9/9.

This week we have been playing generic games both indoors and outdoors. A fun time was had by all.

Here's another Olympic trivia question -
T/F
During the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, the procession of athletes is always led in the alphabetical order starting with representatives of Abkhasia.
False - The procession of athletes is always led by the Greek team, followed by all the other teams in alphabetical order in the language of the hosting country, except for the last team which is always the team of the hosting country.
Interesting, isn't it?

Welcome back

We're off to a wonderful start of the school year. Students are most eager and have the best smiles!
Always be mindful of safety and please remind all students that they must be wearing appropriate gym shoes for p.e. class. Appropriate would mean that shoes have a front and back to them, stay on their feet, and are not balerina style (they need to have some support and thickness to them, so as not to get hurt out on our fields). Thanks.
Since we have just concluded the Olympics, I thought you might enjoy a trivia question to discuss with your children:
True/False -
Only men participated in first modern Olympic Games.
True: women were first allowed to participate in 1900 at the second modern Olympic Games.

Summer

Summer will be upon us before we realize it's here. Have some fun with your children participating in the many outdoor activities available. Just a few of them could be biking, hiking, walking, roller skating/blading, skate boarding, swimming, water skiing. Whatever you decide on, it'll provide healthful fun for all. Enjoy!

Summer

FYI

Center Cass School District #66 is in the process of implementing an Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) mandate, Response to Intervention (RTI). RTI is an array of procedures that can be used to determine if and how students respond to specific changes in instruction. RTI provides an improved process and structure for school teams in designing, implementing, and evaluating educational interventions.
Please look for the additional information on RTI, which will be included with your child’s end of the year Report Card.

Mother's Day

Unbelievable, but it's actually Mother's Day. Where did the school year go? Wow! It certainly passed by so quickly.
Since the school year is almost concluded, we have been working very diligently on fitness testing. At PV we test using Physical Best out of Cooper Institute for flexibility, aerobic capacity, upper arm strength and abdominal strength. Some students excel beyond belief!
After fitness testing and softball (wiffleball indoors), we will end up the year with a track and field unit.
Happy Mother's Day.
Stay fit. Stay active.

Wow!

Due to the inclement weather, we still haven't finished running the mile in our p.e. class. Some students hate to run, and others just love it. I always like to recognize our top times thus far -
5th gr. - Amanda Thate - 6min. 38 sec.

4th gr. - Peter Fish - 6 min. 28 sec.

Unbelievable, isn't it?
Congratulations to those students and all students for a great year in p.e. They truly are learning how to keep active, and that that will help them towards a lifetime of fitness.

Running the mile

We have started running the mile in our physical education classes. On days that it is weather appropriate and the fields are dry, we take advantage of our great outdoor area. Running the mile (5th and 4th gr.) is quite a challenge for our students. Our 3rd gr. students run 1/2 mile. After completion they are tired, sweaty and feel really good about their accomplishment. Please remind your child to wear gym shoes that have good support for this and other events.

Running the mile

Olympics

On Aug. 8 (08-08-08) of this year the Olympics will begin in Beijing. How fortunate we are to have the technology to be able to watch them and be a part of that great event. I can't wait for them to begin. Some of our students are great athletes and I certainly hope to be able to watch them perform in the Olympics some years from now!
Stay active. Stay healthy.

Intramurals

During the spring, we conduct floor hockey intramurals for 3rd, 5th and 6th grade students (4th grade has concluded). Both boys and girls are participating and having a lot of fun. I learned how to play hockey out on the fields - field hockey. There is also street hockey, ice hockey. What a great sport - without the fighting that is!
Remember to get 30 min. of physical activity daily to stay healthy.

Week ending 4/4/08

We have just concluded our floor hockey unit in class. The students were amazed at how we reuse and recycle our equipment. When our hockey sticks break, we give them to our custodian, Alberto, who cuts them down. Since we play scooter hockey as well, we now have great sticks to use on the scooters. Students commented on how we are resourceful and reuse whatever we can!
Next week we will start our recreational games unit. This is another favorite of many students. Games such as 4 square, shuffleboard, hopscotch, eclipse ball, tetherball and others are played. This is an opportunity for students to learn new activities to do in their leisure time at camp, picnics, vacations, family reunions, etc.

Misc.

Sorry I missed writing last Friday. Since we only had school for 4 days, I lost track of when to blog.
Did you ever notice that physical activity can help to relieve stress? Way back in college, our professors taught us that this was so. Repeatedly I became witness this, as I could walk into a gym feeling tense with so much on my mind. After a good class of basketball, volleyball, fencing, tennis, field hockey, or almost anything, I felt refreshed and could think clearly once again. This was also evident with our students here at Prairieview.
Last week our students had ISAT tests. They walked into the gym with that intense look on their faces. Upon leaving their smiles were a sight to see.
Please encourage your children, and yourselves, to remain active. It's just great!
Happy March Madness. I hope your favorite teams are doing better than mine.

What a Busy Gym!

May I Have This Dance?

Oh, what fun we are having dancing! Thus far we have been learning "party dances" and mixers. Don't be surprised if your child comes home and wants to start dancing with you! Cha Cha Slide, Chicken Dance, Hokey Pokey, Electric Slide, Macarena are just some of the dances we've been working on. This week we also learned a dance from another country. It's called Tinikling. Since we cannot get bamboo easily, we have substituted PVC pipe. As an alternative, we also use elastic jump bands. My, how physical education has changed since our school days.
Next week we will be Square and Folk dancing. Another week of excitement!

Make up dates

Make up dates for intramurals that had to be canceled due to inclement weather have been distributed to the students. Hockey games will be played on 3/18 and 3/19. The basketball game for girls will be played on 3/20. It's hard to believe that these are the next available dates for play in the gym. We are very fortunate at District 66 to have such a fine athletic schedule, where the gym is utilized literally every day. It sure is fun to stay active and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Make-ups

Due to inclement weather, several intramurals had to be cancelled. These include 4th grade floor hockey, both boys and girls, 4/5th grade basketball for girls, and 3rd grade coed games. As soon as schedules can be coordinated, information will be distributed to the students and parents.

Let it Snow!

We had enough snow that most schools in the County needed to call a snow day. Hopefully, you and your families were able to take advantage of the snow - shovelling, sledding, snow boarding, skiing, etc. What a wonderful way to get exercise and have fun at the same time. It's just the best!

Let it Snow!

Intramurals

Intramurals have been ongoing since Sept. Currently we are conducting 4/5 grade basketball for girls and floor hockey for all 4th gr. - boys and girls. All intramurals are well attended. The cost is FREE and what a great way for students to get added exercise, learn a sport, and meet new friends. 3rd graders are currently playing games intramurals. This is their first opportunity for intramurals. Following games will be floor hockey for 3rd grade.
We certainly are fortunate in Dist. 66 to have such wonderful opportunities for our students!

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Thanks

Many thanks to those parents who are so kindly coming into our gym classes to help students tie their roller skates. We're off to a fine beginning. You wouldn't believe how much better the students skate each year! I just love to see their progress.
I hope you all had a wonderful break and took advantage of the cold and snow. My family was able to ice skate and sled. What fun we had. Remember, every one needs at least 30 min. of activity per day to keep healthy.