700 Gold Medals, 26 World Records, 95 Years Old & still competing...

Some of my students have been or will be watching this video in PE class as we prepare for fitness tests.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Sc1eqjqms

Their reactions have been fantastic!  The students have some amazing insights, thoughts, and questions.  She is one of my new favorite athletes!

Watch it as a family and see where the discussion leads!

What do you feel after watching the video?

Did the choices she make when she was 5, 15, 25, and so on influence what she is doing now?  How?

What can we do NOW to help make sure we live, long healthy lives?

Is physical literacy just as important as reading literacy, math literacy, writing literacy, etc.?

What Makes Olga Run? The Mystery of the Ninety-Something Track Star and What She Can Teach Us About Living, Longer Happier Lives by Bruce Grierson

Teammates & Books & Fitness Tests

Spring!

This season reminds me sun, green grass, warmer weather, rain, and playing catch.

This month, all P.E. students are working on improving their throwing and catching skills.  They work on this in individual drills and as part of a team in games and activities.

Many of our students are also working on these skills while they play baseball, fastpitch, or T-ball this season.  Also, many of our students work on other skills while they play on sports teams in the Spring.

During these activities, one thing I like to praise is players who work hard at improving their skills AND also support and work with their teammates during the game.  This tends to encourage and remind those "silent" hard workers to remember they are part of a team and that means something.

A few "choice" tidbits heard in our gym when teamwork and sportsmanship is discussed:

Players who use TEAMWORK...
- work with others
- often think of teammates first
- make sure all actions help the team
- try their best or give their best effort

Players who use SPORTSMANSHIP...
- cheer for others
- support and help others
- are fun to play with
- follow game rules

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Two books I highly recommend:

What Makes Olga Run?  The Mystery of the Ninety-Something Track Star and What She Can Teach Us About Living, Longer Happier Lives by Bruce Grierson
She has 26 track and field world records.  She started participating in track and field when she retired.  What has Olga done to age so well?  Can we learn from her and apply to our own lives?  Great discussion about unlocking the mysteries of again.  Fascinating!  I have learned a lot.




In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Eat food.  Not too Much.  Mostly Plants.  This easy to read book is not preachy, but poses many questions to think about concerning eating lifestyles.







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Fitness Tests are coming soon for 3rd through 5th graders.  Our focus is for students to see how their body is doing.  How fit is it?  Which areas are doing well?  Which areas could use some work?  They are not graded on how many tests they pass.  Rather, you could say this is their yearly check-up.

Lately, we have been practicing the tests.  Feel free to practice together as a family.

Strength
PACER/Run (cardio strength)
Push-ups (upper body strength)
Sit-ups (core strength)
50 Yard Dash (lower body strength)

Flexibility
Shoulder Stretch (upper body flexibility)
Trunk Lift (core flexibility)
Sit and Reach (lower body flexibility)

Gym Shorts - April

Helloooooo, Spring!

• Report Cards went home on March 21.  Take a look at those PE grades!  See the prior post about PE Grades for more info.

• The annual BSD P.E. Showcase was on March 20 at Sunset HS.  Our twenty 4th & 5th graders were fantastic!  They played "Battleship", a teamwork/throwing/lower body fitness game, in front of crowd of over 1,000 people.  We were one of 18 Beaverton K-8 schools to demonstrate to the community what goes on in today's P.E. classes.  After the show, a Sexton parent sent me this note - 

"The showcase provided us as parents, an opportunity to see some of the great activities in our different schools gym classes.  It demonstrated that fitness can be fun and beneficial at the same time and it brought awareness to funding levels.

More importantly for (my child) however, I think the opportunity included her in a group that emphasized health and fun encouraging her to make a "choice" to join that lifestyle."

• On the horizon for PE this Spring - throwing, catching, fitness tests (grades 3-5), wall ball masters, and going outside!
• Field Day is Friday, June 6!  More details to come.  We will again be looking for as many parent volunteers that we can get!