Welcome Back PE will begin Monday Audust 13!!

Week 19: Heart Beat!

This week in PE we are talking about heart rate. We are discussing how to find out heart rate, what our resting heart rate is and what our max heart rate is (220 - your age = your max heart rate). We are then participating in a series of tag games and measuring how our heart rate goes up and down with activity and rest.

Tag Games
1. Tangle Tag- A group of three students join hands and move in a circle in order to protect one student from the tagger who is the fourth person in the group. The tagger has to go around right or left in order to tag a designated student.
2. Pac Man- This an Osuna favorite. It is basically modified line tag. Students can only move on the lines inside the gym using different locomotor patterns (walking, galloping, hopping, skipping etc.). There are three taggers (pac-man) who hold power balls and attempt to tag other students. If you are tagged you must do 10 jumping jacks and then you can re-enter.
3. Hoop Tag- This is good old fashion tag with one big twist, you play with a partner and you must only move within the confines of a hula hoop that is on the ground. You must tag your partners hoop with your own. If tagged you must do three hula hoops and then you can try to tag your partner.

During this series of tag games we stop and check our heart rate and discuss what is taking place inside of our bodies. It is a great opportunity to talk about the benefits of staying physically fit and the importance of exercise. It is going to be a great week!!

Week 11: Karate and Crab Soccer!!


This week in PE is very unique. We have the owners of Mountain Eagle Karate coming to teach our Kindergarteners and 1st graders all about karate. Many of you may remember them from last year when they came for the older grades.

Mountain Eagle Karate Children’s Program reinforces family values such as honesty, loyalty, integrity, and responsibility, and good manners; and introduces goal-setting. Mountain Eagle Karate Academy children are empowered with greater self-control, discipline, and self-esteem, which are tremendous assets to posses in life and transfer to all areas of life. Mountain Eagle Karate Academy children develop an improved attention span, focus, strength, coordination, and flexibility.

You will be receiving the opportunity to sign your son or daughter up for this wonderful program this week. We will be sending home sign up forms that are due back no later than November 9th as the classes will start November 10th in the gym after school. They will go for two week in the gym and end with a graduation at Mountain Eagle Karate. For more information do hesitate to call or email me. And if you would like more information about Mountain Eagle Karate you can visit their website at www.mountaineaglekarate.com It’s going to be a great week!!

For 2nd- 5th grade we will be playing an old PE favorite crab soccer. This game works on muscular strength and endurance as well as teaching students how to work on a team. All students in class will be in crab position and must try to kick a giant omnikin ball to the other sides of the gym. A team is awarded a point each time they can successfully kick it over the other teams head. It’s going to be great FUN!

Week 9: Team Juggling!

This week we are doing a cooperative game called team juggling. This comes on the heals of our underhand throwing unit for all grades. 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 underhand 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).

Week 8 :Bowling

This week in PE we are turning the gym into a bowling alley. All students will get the opportunity to bowl at Tiger Lanes. Before we get to rolling we will warm up with jump rope to get our heart rates up as we jump for 10 minutes.

After our warm-up I will be explaining the importance of a proper grip, stepping with the opposite foot, and releasing the ball low in order to get a nice roll. This will be building on our previous unit in which we covered underhand throwing. The rolling technique is very similar and we even use the same cues of facing your target, stepping in opposition, and “tick tock.” Older students will keep track of their games and have their own score card while the younger students will just be introduced to the basics. We have different size bowling balls and equipment in order to modify for all ages and skill levels. It’s going to be a great week!!

Week 7: Throwing and catching

This week in PE we are working on throwing and catching. For the younger grades we will focus on the underhand throw and catching with two hands. The main cues for the under hand throw are “Tick Tock.” We will start by throwing to a target and move on to partners and then put it into a small game called Oscar’s garbage can. During this game students must use an underhand throw to the garbage can (mats that are standing up) while two students are in the garbage can throwing is back out.

For the older grades we will be outside if the weather permits and working on the overhand throw. We will have all different kinds of equipment to throw, things ranging from a football to a yarn ball. The main cues for the overhand throw are
1. Side to target
2. Step with the opposite foot
3. Make an L- Shape with the arm you are throwing with
4. Follow through

After throwing to one another for a while we will work on throwing to a moving target and then put it all into a game called ultimate football. I am more focused on the throwing this week and less concerned about the catching however next week we will primarily focus on the catch side of things.

Week 4 & 5: Rock Climbing!


This week in PE we are warming up with jump rope and climbing the rock wall. This is the first time we will have used the rock wall this year and hope to get everyone involved and having a great time. Our rock wall at Osuna is a traverse wall which means the main focus is getting across not going up the wall. All students have the protection of a crash mat below if they have to come off the wall. Rock climbing is great for upper body strength and endurance.

For the primary grades, students will be challenged to make it across the entire wall without coming off. This is a difficult task because are rock wall spans the length of the gym and gets more difficult as you go down the wall. Older students will be given a similar challenge however it will be taken a step further as students will be challenged to only use certain colors of rocks as they make their way across the wall. Another challenge to be given will be to make it through a series of obstacles that will be placed on the wall. This week all students will be assessed on effort and NM state standard # 3 and 4.

Week 3: Pacer!


This week in PE we are running the Pacer. The pacer is a cardiovascular endurance test that takes place in the gym. Students run across the gym to a prerecorded CD that beeps every 30 seconds. The beeps get faster as times goes on. If you do not make it to the other side of the gym before the CD beeps then you get a “Mistake,” you are allowed two mistakes and then your test is over. The Osuna pacer record was set last year by a 5th grader with 110 laps.

This year I will be doing the pacer two times, once in the fall and once in the spring to measure fitness and also possible improvement throughout the year. Students are encouraged to go as long as they can within their limit. We discuss cardiovascular endurance and pacing themselves prior to the test.

If any time remains at the end of class students will be allowed to jump rope or play helicopter. For more info about the pacer check out these links:

http://www.fitnessgram.net/protocols/pacer.pdf
http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/pacer-test.htm

Week 2: Battleship!

Students are participating in a PE favorite called battleship this week. It works on both the overhand and underhand throw. It also works on teamwork and game strategy. The object of the game is to sink everyone’s battleship before your own battleship is sunk. Ships are sunk when all their pins, lined up on the corners of the ship, are knocked down. Students must stay on their mat (battleship) unless they are the team’s dolphin, in which case they are on a scooter and retrieving balls (cannons) for their team. This game is very fast pasted and games only last 3-5 minutes. New dolphins are selected each time and strategy time is given to teams to discuss ways to protect their battleship while trying to sink others ships. Grades K-2 are assessed on underhand throwing and teamwork. Grades 3-5 are assessed on overhand throwing and teamwork. PE standards covered this week include standard 1 and standard 5.

Welcome Back!!!!

Welcome back everyone!! I hope everyone had an active summer and you are energized for another great year at Osuna. I enjoyed my summer at the Albuquerque Academy and making many changes to our new home. I am really excited to introduce some new activities and of course re-teach some of our favorites.

Our first week of PE will consist of reviewing all of our PE rules and guidelines. We will warm our brains and bodies up with some fun warm-up games. We will also cover playground games and the proper way to use all equipment. Don’t forget to check the website to see what your child is doing in PE each week.

Remember to take note of your child’s PE day so they have the proper clothing and tennis shoes.

Week 29 & 30: Frisbee Frenzy


These next two weeks we will be starting our Frisbee unit. Our first class will be devoted to learning the basics of throwing and catching a Frisbee. As their skill level goes up we will be playing target games, as well as small sided ultimate Frisbee games for our 3rd through 5th graders.

Basics throwing techniques that will be stressed:
1. Stepping with the same foot as you throw
2. Pointing to target
3. Flicking the wrist
4. Keep the Frisbee level upon release

We will focus on three basic catches that will include:
1. Alligator catch
2. Two handed catch
3. One handed catch

Week 2, we will be playing the Frisbee golf out on the grass field. This will stress a variety of skills that include long and short distance throwing as well as accuracy when throwing a Frisbee. Older kids will be keeping a score card while K- 2nd will just be learning the course and the basics.

I will be looking to meet NM State Standard # 1, and students will be assessed on how well they complete all four basic throwing techniques.

Week 27: Fitness Stations


This week in PE we have 12 fitness stations that will keep everyone moving and breathing hard.

The key to keeping our epidemic child obesity rate down is regular physical activity. Unfortunately not all of our students get the recommended exercise that they need per week. (The CDC recommends vigorous activity 3 to 5 times a week for at least 20 minutes) With only 1 to 2 PE classes per week this does not give everyone adequate exercise for the week and therefore we will be focused on ways we can exercise outside of school.

11 FITNESS IS FUN STATIONS:

1. Penny Stackers
2. Jumping Jacks
3. Big Hops
4. Basketball fitness
5. Sit-ups
6. Balance Machine
7. Hoop Run-Thru
8. Jump Rope
9. Gym Laps
10. Flexibility Central
11. Shuttle Run
12. Balance Beam


Each Student will have a partner and go through all stations twice. Each station will be one minute long with a 10 second rest between each station. During this week I will be looking to meet NM State Standard number 4.

Week 23-25: Basketball


During week 1 of basketball we will be learning one of the essential skills of the game and that is dribbling. We will discuss ball control and discuss the different cues for being a successful dribbler.
1. Use finger pads
2. Bend knees and keep ball below waist
3. Use non dribbling hand to guard ball
4. Keep head up
These basic cues will be covered while we play games like, rings of fire, berry monster, and dribble take away. We will end each class with a shooting game and this week it will be around the world.

During week 2 we will cover passing. We will discuss the importance of passing in basketball and cover the three basic passes in basketball, the chest pass, bounce pass and over head pass. We will have a triangle passing activity, monkey in the middle passing, and over the hill passing activity. We will again end the day with a shooting game and this week it will be H.O.R.S.E. Shooting cues that will be emphasized will be a simple acronym call B.E.E.F.

B-bend- bend you knees and shooting elbow.
E-elbow in-make sure your elbow is in line with the basketball hoop.
E- extend- extend elbow as you shoot the ball
F-follow through- Make sure you follow through when releasing your shot. (Finish with your hand in the cookie jar)

During the 3rd and final week the older kids will be starting small 3v3 games in a format I like to call king of the court. First to 3 points and then teams switch. This keeps games moving and many students involved. For the younger grades we will play a shooting game called HOT SHOT which has become an Osuna favorite. We will also have some free shooting and students will have the option to play other shooting games learned. We are just going to have to much fun these next couple weeks while I will look to align all classes with standard number 1 (The student demonstrates competency in many movement forms and proficiency in few).

AT END OF THE BASKETBALL UNIT WE WILL HAVE OUR SECOND ANNUL MARCH MADNESS 3 ON 3 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TO BE HELD IN THE GYM AT RECESS FOR ALL 4TH & 5TH GRADERS. WINNERS WIN SPECIAL PRIZES TBA!!!

Week 21: Jump Rope for Heart!!


Jump Rope for heart kicks off this week!! We will be raising money as a school for the American heart association as we jump during all of our PE classes. Did you know that heart disease is the number one killer in America? All the money raised will be donated to help fund heart research, help kids and adults with heart complications, and help save lives. During class we will start with a free jump followed by the introduction of some partner tricks. One of the things that makes jump rope so great is that you can work with a team and you have to use cooperation in order to accomplish a trick or task. The day will end with four fun long rope stations!
1. Long rope/ Double Dutch
2. Mouse Trap
3. Snake
4. School
Thanks to the community I know our event will be a huge success. Track our progress or get more information online at http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2360

Week 20: Battleship

Students are participating in a PE favorite called battleship this week. It works on both the overhand and underhand throw. It also works on teamwork and game strategy. The object of the game is to sink everyone’s battleship before your own battleship is sunk. Ships are sunk when all their pins, lined up on the corners of the ship, are knocked down. Students must stay on their mat (battleship) unless they are the team’s dolphin, in which case they are on a scooter and retrieving balls (cannons) for their team. This game is very fast pasted and games only last 3-5 minutes. New dolphins are selected each time and strategy time is given to teams to discuss ways to protect their battleship while trying to sink others ships. Grades K-2 are assessed on underhand throwing and teamwork. Grades 3-5 are assessed on overhand throwing and teamwork. PE standards covered this week include standard 1 and standard 5.

Week 18 & 19: 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 17: Team Juggling!!

Welcome back! It was a very restful break and happy new year to all! 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).