Frisbee Fun!

Finishing off another successful bike week! Thanks to Local Motion for providing a trailer full of 40+ bikes!

Winners from our Jump Rope for Heart Jumptastic Competition!

March Newsletter

 Dear Parents and Guardians,

Union Elementary School is hosting Jump Rope For Heart from March 9^th through 27^th.  Jump Rope For Heart is a community service-learning program of the American Heart Association.  It teaches kids:

•            The importance of developing heart-healthy habits
•           Being physically active can be fun
•            Raising funds to support research and education they help save lives across the country and in their community

 Please keep in mind these event dates:

Kickoff Assembly: Week of March 5^th

Envelopes passed out: March 5^th (Grades 2-5 Only!)

Envelopes Due: March 27^th

Thank you!

Marie “MJ” Jennings and Emmanuel Riby-Williams

February Newsletter

Dear Families,

In Physical Education class, your son/daughter have just completed kicking and trapping grades (k-2) and juggling grades (3-5).  The culminating events for both units were soccer team bowling for the lower grades. This is to afford them the opportunity to apply their kicking and trapping skills in a game situation.  The upper grades had to choose one juggling equipment out of many, and create a juggling routine themselves, with a partner, or in a small group.  They performed their routines in front of their peers.

            

Beginning this month, grades (k-5) will start an outdoor winter unit with a focus on character development based on the school-wide expectations of C.A.R.E.S (cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control).  These are skills that will allow them to be successful in school and in life. 

           

Please have your son/daughter prepare to spend PE class outdoors for the next two to three weeks.  Don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions and/or concerns.

In health,

Emmanuel Riby-Williams and Marie “MJ” Jennings

Winter Obstacle Course!

Students working as a team and showing cooperation!

Running through the obstacle course

January Newsletter

Dear Families,

We welcome your son/daughter back to Physical Education class, and we wish you all a Happy New Year!  Before we went on the holidays, the upper grades completed a unit on basketball, and the lower grades finished a gymnastics unit. The focus of the  Basketball unit  included passing, dribbling and shooting. The students excelled at these skills as well as building eye-hand coordination, working together and learning lifelong skills. The lower grades enjoyed learning a wide-variety of gymnastic skills such as: tumbling, balancing and stunts! Classes were combined in the big gym where your son/daughter explored challenging gymnastics stations. For the culminating activity, students created a routine based on skills they had been working on throughout the unit. It was exciting to see their creativity and personalities shine through!

Beginning this month we will start a kicking and trapping unit for the lower grades while the upper grades begin a juggling unit.

Lower grades (K-2) will be focusing on the development of foot-striking skills such as dribbling, passing and kicking a ball. Students will learn how to pass, trap and control a ball in different ways. The physical skill is important along with the student having time to learn through exploration, experimentation, cooperating with others and having fun. This unit is a great way for students to develop fundamental skills which could be used during future sports that include soccer and football as well as kickball.

Upper grades (3-5) will be exploring a variety of juggling activities. Juggling is part art and part science. It is a challenging activity which offers both physical and mental benefits. In fact, studies have shown that learning to juggle can produce changes in the structure of the brain. There are many other benefits including: stress relief, focus retention, coordination, entertainment, and improved learning. During the unit students will learn to juggle one, two and three bean bags, scarves, rings and also explore other forms including: devil sticks, peacock feathers and stilts. The culminating event will have students choose a juggling skill and develop a routine which they will perform in front of their peers.

Thank you for your continued support!

In health,

Emmanuel Riby-Williams and Marie “MJ” Jennings

Peacock Feather Balancing!