Weekly Updates- Decatur PE
October 23-27, 2023
We had a short week due to Parent teacher conferences and a School Improvement Day. Students in primary grades continued to work to refine their underhand throwing skills and were introduced to the cues for the overhand throw. In the intermediate grades, we worked on utilizing our overhand throwing skills in a game called Monster ball where there is a large ball in the middle of a square and students are split into 2 teams and they work to throw smaller dodgeballs at the “Monster Ball” to move it towards the opponents side. Each time it goes out of the area the opposite team gets a point. In the Jr. High students are building towards a team handball tournament by playing related games like Prairie Dog Pick Off that incorporates concepts of team handball to prepare them for playing handball. Please consider coming out this weekend to support our 5th/6th grade boys soccer and girls volleyball teams playing games at 9 am at Winnemac Park (Soccer) and Senn HS (volleyball)!
October 16-20, 2023
In the primary grades we continued to work on our underhand throwing through stations where students practiced the skill in various ways from bucket toss to bocce ball. Students were assessed on their underhand throwing skills based on the SHAPE national standards. They practiced these skills in a great game called Cleanest Yard where students need to throw dodgeballs that represent “trash” in their yard over an imaginary wall in the center of the gym using their underhand and overhand throwing skills. Whatever side is the cleanest at the end of 5 minutes is crowned the Cleanest Yard.
In the intermediate grades, we completed a throwing assessment for overhand throws and incorporated different activities to practice those skills in stations like bucket slam. Students also watched part of an Olympic Handball Match to observe how the game is played and the unique rules.
In Jr. High students worked on their overhand throwing assessment focusing on form and accuracy to a target. They were also introduced to a noodle and hula hoop game called Prairie Dog Pickoff that requires collaboration and strategy to create colonies and compete to be the last colony standing.
We wrapped up the week with our amazing Jogathon! Thanks to all the parent volunteers who helped make this a great event! We had great weather and so countless smiles from our kids. Please check out the posts section for a video from Jogathon.
October 9-13, 2023
This week students in the primary grades worked on throwing stations for underhand throws and completed an assessment about locomotor and non locomotor movements that we learned about the previous week. We wrapped up the week with the game Fire and Ice with an added variation to incorporate underhand throws using bean bags. Check out the video in my posts section.
The intermediate grades worked on overhand throws by reviewing our cues of “Side, Upper Case L, Step, Twist and Throw” and utilized these skills in the game Win the Pin where they had to use overhand throws to knock down bowling pins to bring back to their side of the playing area. Later in the week students ran a timed mile around our turf field to have a baseline of their endurance and stamina. We will run it again later in the year.
The Jr.. High students continued on their throwing and catching unit through working with partners to practice throwing and catching while providing feedback to each other. Students also ran a timed mile to set a baseline to compare to later in the year. They wrapped up the week playing a game called Hula Hut Throw Down where students get hula hoops for throwing dodgeballs into a target and then work to build as many hula huts as possible in the time frame given while the other team tries to knock down their hula huts. It is really a blast! Check out the video in my posts section.
October 2-6, 2023
This week students finished up their soccer tournaments and started the throwing and catching unit with a game called Win the Pin where students needed to use overhand or underhand throws to knock over bowling pins and then run them back to their side of the playing area. The team with the most pins standing at the end of the time limit won the match. In our soccer tournaments we are focusing on being great teammates and exhibiting good sportsmanship with their opponents. Students in primary grades continued working on locomotor skills like walking, jogging, hoping, leaping, jumping, sliding, galloping and skipping. They reviewed the cues for performing each activity and then practiced them through a series of tag games. Be sure to ask your kindergartener for the jingle and motions for locomotor. You can also check out a video this weeks’ activities in my posts section
Good luck to our boys 7th/8th grade soccer team and girls 7th/8th grade volleyball teams at their network tournaments on Saturday!
September 25-29, 2023
This week students continued in their soccer unit and took a kicking assessment in the primary grades and a passing assessment in the upper grades. Students participated in stations around the gym or our turf field on several days practicing various soccer skills. Students started their soccer tournaments in the 3rd-8th grades and we discussed seven critical characteristics of being a good teammate- humility, unselfishness, relentless effort, trustworthiness, being accountable and willing to improve, and optimism. Students worked on completing an exit ticket about these different characteristics. Primary students also were introduced to various locomotor skills and reviewed the difference between locomotor and non locomotor skills. Check out the video in my posts section about the locomotor skills and tournament games.
September 18-22, 2023
This week students continued in their soccer unit focusing on kicking skills in the primary grades. Students in the intermediate grades played Soccer Spot Shot to practice their shooting and passing skills and also began playing friendly small soccer games with 4-5 players on each side. The Jr. High students started their soccer friendly games and next week will have a tournament. Check out the video of some of the games in my posts section. Students also participated in a fitness day where they practiced different aerobic exercises and learned about the benefits of cardio activity.
We will continue our fall sports season tomorrow with Girls Volleyball and Boys Soccer Games. The Volleyball team is at Senn HS at 9 am and the Soccer Team is at Winnemac Park on the north end at 9 am. Next week, our Cross Country teams will have a meet at Montrose Beach with races startings at 4:45. Hope you can make it out to support our teams!
September 11-15, 2023
Physical Education
This week students continued in their soccer unit focusing on dribbling and passing. Students had their first assessment on meeting each of their grade specific SHAPE standards for dribbling. We began drafting teams for our soccer games and our tournament next week.
Our Fall Sports programs started this week with practices for Girls Volleyball, Boys Soccer and Boys/Girls Cross Country. We also had our parents fall sports orientation meeting on Thursday September 14, 2023. If you were unable to attend, you can reach out to me for the recording and the slide deck is available on my webpage.
September 5-8, 2023
Physical Education
This week students began our soccer unit focusing on dribbling and ball control. Students in the primary grades K-2 worked on trapping the ball and walking while carefully touching the ball with the inside part of their feet. The intermediate students worked on controlling their dribbling through “Meg Challenge” where they needed to dribble the ball through the legs of multiple classmates spread out over the playing area. The middle school students worked on more advanced dribbling such as changing directions and speed. Students wrapped up their week by playing sideline soccer. Check out the video in my posts section.
August 28-Sept 1, 2023
Physical Education
Students continued different team building activities this week as one of my main focuses in PE is winning and losing with class. 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. Check the video of the cone flipping in my posts section.
August 21-25, 2023
Physical Education
In PE this week students worked on various team building activities as well as setting expectations and reviewing procedures to help students be successful in a movement space. In the primary grades and intermediate grades, we learned a new freeze tag game called Everyone’s It frozen tag that has a series of levels that added complexity and new problem solving dilemmas. The Jr. High students worked through a series of challenges connected to hula hoops called Hula Hut Relays. They did a great job showing sportsmanship and collaborating with one another. Check out my posts section for a video of their work on the Hula Hut Relays.
For parents in grades 5-8, please be on the lookout for registration and waiver forms for Fall sports. We will be offering Boys and Girls Cross Country, Girls Volleyball and Boys Soccer. If you have any questions, please contact me via email at [email protected]