Welcome Back PE will begin Monday Audust 13!!

Week 22 & 23: Fitness Testing


This next two weeks we are doing fitness testing during PE. All students 2nd grade thru 5th will participate in a national fitness test called the FitnessGram (for more information on the FitnessGram you can visit their website at http://www.fitnessgram.net/home/. I have chosen 6 different FitnessGram tests that the students will record. These tests seek to measure four different areas of physical fitness which include flexibility, cardiovascular strength, muscular endurance and muscular strength. The primary goals of these tests are to promote enjoyable regular physical activity as well as educate students on the importance of regular physical activity. This test does not seek to attain extremely high levels of physical fitness but rather the help a majority of students to be successful at a good level of physical fitness. All students are encouraged to do their best and to stop when any test is too much. I am excited to see our wonderful Osuna students succeed these next couple weeks. New Mexico State Standard four is being met during the FitnessGram.

FITNESSGRAM TESTS:
1. Pacer Test (Aerobic Capacity)
2. Back Saver Sit and Reach (Flexibility)
3. Shoulder Stretch (Flexibility)
4. Push-ups (Muscular Strength and Endurance)
5. Curl-ups (Muscular Strength and Endurance)

Week 20 & 21: Cup Stacking


This week in PE we are doing Cup Stacking for the first time at Osuna Elementary! Cup stacking is team as well as individual sport. When I first discovered cup stacking I had some doubts to the benefits but as I have witnessed fellow colleagues present this unit I have seen the great results to this activity. So what is cup stacking? The name says it all it is stacking cups in certain patterns. Some of the basic stacks include the 3-3-3 stack, the 3-6-3, the 6-6 and the 1-10-1. Students are introduced to these various stacks and then given practice time. After practice they can pair and compete against their classmates. This activity helps students to use both their dominant and non-dominant hand, as well as improve hand-eye coordination. It helps students to cross the mid-line of their brain and increase brain activity. I also intend to use this activity for rainy days, indoor recess, and other unpredicted events. Right now we are borrowing cups from another school but are looking to buy our own if we can get the funding. For more information about cup stacking visit their website at http://www.speedstacks.com/. This week I am looking to meet New Mexico State Standard number 2.

Week 19: Team Juggling!

Welcome back! It was a very restful break and my elbow surgery went well and recovery is also coming along. This week we are doing a cooperative game called team juggling. This is a great unit that helps students work together and realize the importance of a team. It differs from regular juggling because 10-12 students are placed in a circle and given one ball to start. They proceed to toss it to the person across from them, then that student tosses it to a different person across from them, this continues until all players on the team have caught and thrown the ball. The pattern stays the same for the rest of the game. It continues to get harder because different equipment is added to the pattern so as many as 4 objects are going at once. When they have practiced for some time, then I time each team to see who has the least amount of drops in 1 minute. Last year we only had two teams in the whole school that didn’t drop a ball for the whole minute. I also include a 5 minute session where teams can give suggestions on what they can do better and come up with strategies to help them be successful. The standard I am looking to meet is New Mexico State Standard # 5 (Check out all our standards under the Great PE Links section).