Connor Jason Brooks Born December 8, 2008

Physical Education Classes for the Week of December 1, 2008

We are finished with our soccer unit, and are moving into basketball. This unit will cover the fundamentals that are required to play the sport. These include basic skills like dribbling, passing, shooting, and also basic rules. This unit usually runs between three to four weeks. This week the students will learn about some basic rules and practice their dribbling skills. They will work individually on using their dominant hand, then their opposite, finishing up with the cross-over or V-dribble. We will finish class off with some dribbling activities/games to incorporate their skills into a game like situation. It should be a fun unit!

Week of November 17, 2008

BRRRR!!!! Winter is definitely on its way. Make sure to dress your child in layers, so they will be comfortable throughout the day. This week we will be playing a variety of activities related to Thanksgiving. We will start of with Turkey Hunting, which is a derivative of bowling. In this game, each student is given a bowling pin with a turkey on it. The class is split into two teams and the object is to protect your turkey, while rolling the balls at the other teams turkeys. When your turkey gets knocked down, you are out of the game. We will follow this up with "Stuff the Turkey." This is a tag game that also incorporates tossing. I will pick two taggers from each class. When someone gets tagged, they must go to the side and try to toss a bean bag into a turkey (milk crate). Once they "stuff the turkey" they are free to return to the game. I will be out of the school on Thursday and Friday attending the NHAHPERD conference in Waterville Valley. This conference is for health, physical educators, recreational directors, and dance instructors to get together and share new activities and teaching strategies. These two days are filled with non-stop action and information. It should be an exciting conference this year!

Physical Education Classes for the Week of November 10, 2008

This week we will be finishing up our soccer unit. Over the past couple of weeks the students have been focusing on different key factors related to soccer. These include some basic rules, dribbling, passing, and trapping. This week the students will combine the skills that they have learned over the last few weeks into a combination of soccer related games and activities. Each class will play a couple of different games that tie all three of the previously mentioned skills. We will be playing sharks and minnows, tunnel run, and a dribbling activity. Please remember that there is no school on November 11, 2008! Thank you Veterans for all of your service.

Bartlett Elementary School November 6th

In Physical Education classes today, the students will be playing a variety of soccer activities. These activities will focus on the different aspects of the game that have been covered over the last couple of weeks. These aspects include kicking, trapping, dribbling, moving to get open, etc.. The activities will include a dribbling game called "Sharks and Minnows", a passing and then moving to get open activity, and then a kicking/moving game called "Tunnel Run". These activities are designed to get the students interested and having fun with soccer, while working on basic skills in a non-competitive environment. We will be moving into basketball next week, so keep looking for updates on what is happening in the gym!

Physical Education Classes for the Week of November 3, 2008

This week in Physical Education classes at Maple Avenue, we are focusing on passing and trapping the soccer balls.  During these lessons the students are taught how to strike the ball with the inside part of the their kicking foot.  Their opposite foot (planting foot) is also stepping and pointing at their target.  When they are about to receive the pass form their partner, they need to trap the ball.  This means they are using their body to stop and control the ball.  The students are mainly using their feet and lower legs to do this currently.  After practicing passing and trapping for a while with a partner, we moved into Tunnel Run.  This is an exciting activity that uses the passing and trapping skills that are introduced during the class.

Soccer Unit Starts October 27th!

This week we are beginning our soccer unit at Maple Avenue.  This unit is a three class unit that focuses on all different aspects of soccer.  This week our focus will be on discussing different pieces of equipment that are required to play the sport.  During this part of the class we will talk about shin guards, mouth guards, proper footwear, uniforms, and the balls.  After discussing equipment needs, the class is introduced to dribbling the soccer ball.  Here the students are shown how to make little touches on the ball.  These touches move the ball, but at a slow enough pace that keeps the ball within reach of the player at all times.  Each student is given a ball to use for the remainder of the class.  We will play numerous activities that focus on dribbling during the remainder of class.  This should be a fun filled unit!

Bartlett October 23, 2008

BRRR!!!! Winter is definitely on its way.   Remember to dress your children in layers this time of the year.  By doing this it allows them to be warm in the morning when it is cold out, but have appropriate clothing on in the afternoon when it has warmed up a bit.  This week we are working on soccer with the students.  This is the number one played sport in the world, and continues to grow rapidly in the United States.  Today the students will be practicing dribbling the soccer ball around the gym.  This is when they move with the ball at their feet, keeping it close to them and under control.  The students will be practicing some basic moves with this as well, and these include pullbacks (dragbacks), step-overs, inside turns, outside turns, and a few others.  It should be an exciting unit and I know the kids are looking forward to it.

Physical Education Classes for the Week of October 20th

This week the students are going to be doing scooter board activities.  These activities are based around the use of scooter boards in the gym.  These are boards that the students sit on using their feet to push, pull, stop, and turn themselves.  We will play a variety of games like Grinches which is a tag type of game to scooter soccer.  All of these games are very physically active and promote good sportsmanship.  Please feel free to stop in and visit the gym where you can be an observer or an active participant!

Bartlett October 16, 2008

This week the students played a game called team bowling.  During this activity the class was divided into two equal teams.  Each team was given 20 bowling pins to set up and protect on their side of the gym.  A bunch of balls were place in the playing area, which the students used to role and try to knock the other teams pins down.  This game is a very high paced action packed activity that allows for teamwork, strategizing, and physical activity.   Next week we plan on beginning our soccer unit which will focus on basic rules and fundamentals of the game.  

What's Happening in October

October is an excellent month to be outside and active. The weather offers an ideal climate to get out and play.  In physical education classes we are finishing our cooperative games unit with the second through fourth grades.  These activities are designed to build a stronger community in the classroom by getting the students to work together and communicate.  I give the class a challenge that requires total cooperation and communication to beat.  When this is done, their is great pride in their work and community involvement.  The first graders are finishing up their gross motor skill unit.  Here the kids learned about different movements they can do and control with their bodies.  These movements include running, jogging, skipping, hopping, galloping, etc..  All grades will be moving into a soccer unit.  Here we will learn basic rules and fundamentals related to this wonderful sport.