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Ryan Cherry » Mr. Cherry Bio

Mr. Cherry Bio

Ryan Cherry is from Brooklyn, Michigan and attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He is a highly qualified educator who spent the last 15 years working in various educational settings around the Midwest.  After seeing his high school soccer coach be an influential role model in the lives of his elementary students, he studied elementary education in college as he sought to also positively impact the lives of students. This is his 8th year at Decatur. He did his student teaching in 5th grade at Cleveland School in Chicago.  He taught Language Arts and Math in a 5th grade classroom in Brookfield, IL,  all subjects in a 4th through 6th grade room at a public Montessori school in Indiana and at Hibbard Elementary in CPS before coming to Decatur in 2017.

Mr. Cherry is inquisitive and curious about the people and world around him. He enjoys reading as it a great avenue to better understand people and our world. He agrees with Dr. Seuss that "the more you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go." Mr. Cherry is filled with immense excitement about the chance to teach physical education, as it combines his passion for physical activity and sports with the joy of engaging with students and supporting them enthusiastically. He is fascinated by neuroscience and its intersection with physical activity and is grateful for the chance to have students four days each week to encourage their physical activity.

 

He is passionate about seeing students gain confidence in their abilities to be successful in both the classroom and the world and become well rounded individuals who care for others as they care for themselves.  In his free time, Mr. Cherry enjoys playing sports, spending time with friends and family and enjoying a delicious slice of pie with some strong coffee.

 
 

Posts

Sideline Soccer

Students played a game called sideline soccer where a few students are in the middle playing soccer against a few other players from the other team. The remaining players guard their respective sideline and try to keep the ball from going over the sideline. The students in the center and on the side are constantly changing every minute or so.

Cone Flip Challenge PE Aug 28- September 1st, 2023

Students engaged in a cone flipping activity (think the popular bottle flipping activity so many kids love doing). Students compete with a series of new partners trying to see who can land the cone first. Then both parties high five, fist pump or shake hands and say good game when they are done and they move on to a new partner. Practicing these skills in a low stakes environment helps students build up the skill set to be good sports when stakes are raised.

Hula Hut Relays with Jr. High

Students worked with collaborative teams to solve a series of challenges with hula hoops involving making hula huts. They practiced communication, problem solving and strategy.

Non touching forces Lab- 3rd Grade SY22-23

Students investigated non-touching forces through exploring a series of materials from magnets to paper clips, balloons to clothespins. They analyzed what evidence they could find for a force that acted without objects touching. This helps them build evidence to answer the chapter question “Why might the train rise without anything touching it?”

ComEd Smart Energy Hub Field Trip 4th SY22-23

Students had the chance to go to the ComEd Smart Energy Hub where students got to see what is required to get electrical power from an energy source through the electrical grid to a home or business. Students considered different energy sources and ways to conserve energy. They also got to experiment with the materials electricians need to use in order to keep power lines working.

4th grade Solar Panel/Buzzer Systems

Students worked on building another simple system with the solar panel, wire clips, motor and buzzer. This lab helped them to understand that if one part of a system fails then the whole system fails to function as designed.

Chain Reaction Lab-3rd grade Science

We learned about chain reactions and the transfer of force from one object to the next. They worked with partners to build a simple chain reaction to experience and analyze this phenomena.

Title IX (OSP Sexual Misconduct Training Friday, March 31st

The Office of Student Protection and Title IX (OSP) Sexual Misconduct, Title IX and Bias-based Behavior Student Training covers the following five learning objectives using developmentally appropriate language:

  1. Students will understand CPS Title IX Policy and Discrimination Statement

  2. Students will know who the Title IX Coordinator is, what OSP does, and how to get in touch with OSP

  3. Students will understand what constitutes sexual harassment and bias-based harm

  4. Students will be aware of the resources available to students who report sexual harassment, retaliation, or bias-based harm, including supportive measures pending an investigation

  5. Students will know what to do if they believe they or other students have been subjected to sexual harassment or bias-based harm

Important details: 

  • The sessions have been broken down by grade and are all around 30-45 minutes. 

  • Parents have the right to opt-out. If you choose to opt your child out please email your teacher. 

  • If you wish to teach your child this material yourself, you can access the videos to the sessions on the OSP website at www.cps.edu/osp. 

  • For questions about course content, please submit them here, and the OSP Training Team will get back to you.

3rd grade moving block lab

Students were given a series of materials and came up with creative ways to make wood blocks move to help them begin to think about force and motion that will be the focus of our new unit

4th grade Simple Systems Lab

Students created their own simple systems using solar panels, alligator clips, a motor and fan and a light source to make the fan turn.

Science 4th Grade Vision and Light Models

Students have been working throughout this unit to understand how animal vision works and this week they started creating their models to show their understanding and explain the process through which animals see and light moves from a source to the brain.
Background image Ryan Cherry`s profile picture
Name
Ryan Cherry
Position
Physical Education
Email
rrcherry@cps.edu