Wes Jones

GYM CLIPS

Kindergarten and 1st grade worked all week on enhancing locomotor skills and throwing skills.  Mrs. Reeser and I have  seen much improvement in our throwing skills.  Students are working hard to step froward as you throw with the opposite foot, get your throwing arm into a "L"  shape behind your shoulder, point toward your target and grip the ball in your finger pads.  This week we will be playing a game working on catching and striking skills called "Hit & Run".

2nd - 5th grade have almost completed the running portion of their Fitness Test.  We will begin re-testing later on for those students who want to run again to improve their score.  We will begin the other items of the President's Challenge Fitness Test in a couple of weeks.  4th and 5th graders will also be participating in items of the Fitness Gram.  We will be playing a game called "Football Fakeout" which is a lot of fun.   The game works on teamwork and strategies, throwing and catching footballs.   

GYM CLIPS

Pin Guard, what a fun game!  The students enjoy playing Pin Guard as much as any game we play at Still.  What the students don't think about as they play the game is how much they are practicing their throwing skills.  When they are the pin guard person they are also enhancing their catching, striking and kicking skills.  The students also work on balance along with moving and thinking quickly.  There are also some simple strageties and teamwork that goes into the game.  All the grades played Pin Guard this week, K & 1st also began working on improving their locomotor skills during their Instant Activity.  2nd - 5th went to the track during their first part of class to begin training for the running portion of their Fitness Test.

We plan to begin Fitness Testing for grades 2 -5 on September 29th.  Beginning next week we will begin skills checks for grades K - 1st.  Please make sure your child has the appropriate athletic shoes for PE.  We do many fitness acitivities and games, I will not let a child participate if I feel the shoes they are wearing are unsafe.  Your child will never just sit, I will provide an alternative safe activity for them if they can not participate due to the shoes they are wearing.

Gym Clips

As the weather gets cooler all classes will be going out to the track to run as part of their PE class.  We are also waiting for cooler weather and all grades will begin a tennis unit.  This is the first year since I have been the PE Specialist at Still that we are teaching tennis.  Many students have seen the ball machines and other teaching aids in the gym, they are getting excited about tennis.  Students will need appropriate shoes for fitness and running activities, if students do not have tennis shoes for PE I will provide them an alternative activity, and it does affect their PE grade.

Grades 2 -5 will begin the running portion of their Fitness Test in several weeks.   We are waiting for the weather to get cooler before we test them on their runs.  We do not Fitness Test grades K - 2, but we let the students practice the 5 components of the test.  I will be testing grades K - 2 on locomotor and non-locomotor skills within the next several weeks.

Gym Clips

This week in physical education classes we have a special quest coming to present a great program to grades K - 2nd.  Master Jorgenson is our guest, he is an Instructor from Droege's ATA Black Belt Academy .  Droege's Karate school is a Partner In Education for Still.  Master Jorgenson will be leading the students in karate exercises and some basic moves while he presents the nationally recognized "Safety Net" program.  "Safety Net" teaches kids how to stay safe in situations when they may be alone, or when approached by a stranger.  The program is full of important information paired with movement, and the students enjoy being instructed by a Black Belt Master.  They also learn about respect for parents, teachers and their peers.

Grades 3 - 5 will be playing a game called Danish Rounders.  It a fun game that works on kicking, catching and throwing skills, alone with base running as in softball or baseball.  I plan to schedule  some dates with Master Jorgenson to meet with our students in grades 3 - 5 later this year. 

Remember the schedule rolls for Specials on Tuesday. If you are not sure if your child has PE or another Specials, put their tennis shoes in their backpack and they can change shoes when they come to PE.

Thanks,

Mr. Jones

Gym Clips

WOW! What a great first week of physical education.  Mrs. Reeser and I would like to welcome all the DHH students and their teachers / staff to our program.  We are looking forward to working with you all.

We began this year by going over class procedures and rules.  We also talked about student expectations and our expectations in physical education.  I had the students begin walking with friends around the gym, when the music stopped they stopped, and I gave them a stretch to perform for one of the 4 major muscle groups of the legs.  I then let the students work individually, or with partners, or in small groups using manipulative's.  Manipulative's are PE equipment that you can throw or catch, strike, kick, balance, or use in a variety of creative ways.  Examples of some manipulative's are: balls, bean bags, scarves, play hose, academic ropes, noodle bits, balance tubes, and much more!

Kindergarten and 1st grade worked on non-locomotor skills, and how to create body shapes at different levels.  Grades 2-5 had to organize themselves into groups of 5 and work on an activity called "group juggling".  Mrs. Reeser and I were very impressed and pleased with their efforts.

Please return your child's health form if you have not done so.  On Wednesday August 20, if your child does not have a health form on file, or does not have tennis shoes for PE I will  provide them with an alternative PE activity.  We are starting some fitness activities and playing some games that involve running. 

GYM CLIPS

Mrs. Reeser and I are happy you are back with us for a new school year in Physical Education.  We also want to welcome the new students and parents to your Physical Education program.  Throughout the school year you can view this blog and get information about upcoming events and  I will review activities we shared in the gym.

We like to think of the gym as being the "largest classroom in the school".  This is our philosophy I use when I create the curriculum that we teach each day your child comes to Physical Education.  I believe we educate the body and the mind through: fitness, sports, play, teamwork, and having fun!  We are always trying to create a bridge from what happens in the classroom to what we are doing in the gym.  This is my 30th year teaching physical education in Cobb County, 21 years as an Adapted Physical Educator, with the last 9 years as the Physical Education Specialist at Still. I am eager to begin working with our students.  This year we are adding tennis to our program.  I have ball machines, new racquets, and other teaching aids available to assist our students to learn a great "lifetime reacreational sport". The quality of our program is consistently recognized at the local level, and has also been selected as the program of Excellence in Cobb County, and statewide by the Georgia Association of Health, Physical Education, Reacreation and Dance.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns about your child's physical education program.  When you recieve the Health Forms please return them quickly so we can get this year off and running .