GYM SHORTS    Vol. #1
Inside this Newsletter: 
 
                                                           What We Do...
                                                Program Goals
                                                Excuse Notes
                                                Getting Ready to Play 
                                                Grading
                                                Heart Awareness and Heart Monitors
                                                1st Gym Show -Off a Success !!
                                                Family and P.E.

 

What We Do In Gym Class

        Fun is our main mission in class. It’s human nature that people will continue to do things which they enjoy many more times than things which they do not. With this point in mind we try to target individual levels for success. Fitness can be fun and we want the kids to know it !! Each student is given the opportunity to experience a variety of activities, including traditional sport skills as well as more learner-centered skills and games.  Cooperative learning and team building classes are included to mirror necessary life skills.
 
 

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Program Goals

1) Target individual success by offering a variety of levels, options and choices.
2)  Communicate the need for regular exercise and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
3) Teach the cognitive and affective along with the physical student.  Through the use of integration, classroom topics can be reinforced using a physical approach.
4)  Develop a positive self-concept, while enhancing appropriate social and emotional behavior.  In addition, learn appreciation for individual differences.
5)   Understand the rules, principles, skills and strategies of games, movement and dance.
 
 
 

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Excuse Notes

 In the event of sickness or illness, students should bring in a note.  If the child has been to a doctor and will miss more than one class, a copy of the doctor note should be sent.  When possible, the note should detail the situation and when feasible, estimate the return date.  A student who becomes sick and is not under the care of a doctor can bring a note from their parent/guardian.
 
 
 

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    Getting Ready for Play

  W hat should your student wear?
  > Pennsbury requires students wear sneakers for physical education.
  > Tie and velcro sneakers are  better than the slip-on style for safety.
  >  Sandals, “jellies,” boots and and shoes with hiking boot-type bottoms are not acceptable.
  >  Dresses and skirts should not be worn on gym day even with shorts underneath; they can cause safety problems.
  >  Remember that you child will be playing in whatever clothes they wear.
  > PLEASE NOTE: During the gymnastics/tumbling unit, students may not wear jeans or corduroy pants.
 
 

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  Grading

 There are two different report cards in physical education: one covers first, second, and third grades and the other is for fourth and fifth.  All students earn grades based on similar criteria: respect for the teacher and other students, playing fairly, sportsmanship, teamwork, cooperation, effort, being prepared for activity, and following directions. Students in third, fourth, and fifth grades receive a daily grade of between five and ten points each class period. The number value is  based on the previous criteria. In addition to the daily scores, home activities, testing, and any in class work is compiled.
 

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Heart Awareness and Heart Monitors

Thanks to the P.T.O. and several parent donations, we are fortunate to have a number of heart monitors for the students to use. These tools can help the children to see a direct correlation to the level of activity and their heart rate.  The monitors will be used in a variety of lessons primarily in the third, fourth and fifth grade classes.  As part of our heart awareness unit, you may talk with your students about the Exercise Pyramid.   This model uses a similar concept as the Food Pyramid, with which most of us are familiar. The Exercise Pyramid focuses on the level and amount of exercise which an individual performs.  Similar to the Food Pyramid, requirements gradually decrease as you go up the levels. Ask your student more about it as the school year progresses.  Students in kindergarten, first and second grade are introduced to the concept of the heart as a muscle.  During the year, students learn the approximate size of their heart, what it does, why we perform a warm up/cool down during class, how they can keep their heart healthy, and a variety of other concepts.
 
 
 

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1st Gym Show Off

 

  Last spring, Edgewood hosted its first Gym Show Off for kids and parents in the third and fourth grade.  The turn-out and the effort of all who attended was great!!  Between sixty and seventy students and more than thirty parents attended.  Both parents and students had a chance try out some of the games we play.  These activities included topics which the classroom teachers and myself have begun to integrate into the physical education class.  The games represent a variety of approaches to many traditional skills.  We look forward to giving it a try again sometime this year!
 
 
 

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    Family and P.E.

                Time is a valuable commodity to all families.  Balancing academic, social, and personal needs is difficult.  Use of a physical family activity can be a rewarding and fun!  Try to get out and exercise with your student, go for a walk when you review vocabulary and spelling.  Invent new ways to study math or science while using a ball.  For example, ask your child to throw and catch 3 “times” 2  in a row, or score a basket by six instead of two to practice multiplication tables. Good Luck, have fun and stay heallthy. Please read the monthly Edgewood newsletter for upcoming events, activities and more Gym Shorts!!
 
 
 

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