It's Spring...or at least that is what the calendar says!

As we look forward to sunshine, flowers and birds chirping we also think about how we are going to enjoy our outside times. Here are some things to consider this spring.

Your students have been introduced to many activities in the gym during physical education class this year, perhaps they found a new sport that they would like to investigate. Many offerings are available through our community and the surrounding area. If you are questioning some of these programs, please feel free to send me an email to ask for more details. I have experience with some programs and can give you insight on whether they are the best fit for your needs.

Physical fitness does not mean boring exercise. Plan activity time everyday that promotes fitness through fun. Walk together as a family around your neighborhood, take the dog too! Gather some kids together for kickball, tag, water balloon fights, a friendly game of basketball, or adults versus kids soccer. Our children are watching us, when we get up and move they are more likely to choose movement over video games to relieve the boredom.

Create a "Bored" board. Have thoughts out there for those moments that the kids declare their undying boredom with life. Our "Bored" board includes a lot of tasks/chores but also options for physical activity. Fitness isn't a punishment, but sometimes kids don't think "hey, I could go for a run" as the first option to end the doldrums.

Plan your garden. Have the kids plant vegetables and tend the garden. When they take ownership in growing the food, the kids are more likely to eat the food. It is a rewarding experience and teaches a life skill of self sufficiency while promoting a healthy lifestyle.

So what if it's raining...have any of us melted yet in the rain? Unless there are thunderstorms or tornados predicted, don't cancel your life due to a few rain drops. Grab your raincoat and get outside, some of my favorite memories are my kids dancing through mud puddles!

I hope you all enjoy the upcoming warmer weather!

Jump Rope Tips and Tricks

We have started our jump rope fun during PE class. As adults, we sometimes forget that what we used as play when we were young can be fantastic exercise now as adults. I thought I would share this link to a 10 minute Jump Rope Workout that you might like to add to your weekly routine.


https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/arms/express/jump-rope-workouts/

During class, the kids will work on long rope skills including jumping in which helps us apply rhythmic movements to our fitness activities. I also go through the basics of jumping rope to help those who are new or still honing their skills. For the more advanced students, many tricks can be practiced to enhance their basic knowledge and honestly just look pretty cool when mastered! I do not use jump rope as an assessment, but I do feel that the exercise and skills gained in this unit are valuable to an overall healthy lifestyle.

Here are a couple quick shots of some third grade students practicing with the long rope this week.

Jump Rope For Heart

It's that time of year, Jump Rope For Heart fundraiser is here! Please consider helping me raise money for the American Heart Association through this fun event. I have sent home two pieces of information for you to read through with your child. If you decide to help and gather donations, these will be very helpful in guiding you along the way. The easiest way is to setup an account online, and this year they have added an app that is interactive with the monster theme.

Please use the donation collection envelope to return all donated monies (in check or money order, cash is not preferred). Have the student information clearly written so I can get all thank you gifts ordered correctly and handed out as quickly as possible. All donations are due February 28, 2018.

Also, discuss donation goal setting by referring to the back of the envelope. 

I do not hand out any thank you gifts until students return the WHOLE envelope, so this page is a tear and throw away page. Plus, ALL students will participate in our jump rope activities this month regardless of their fundraising status so the permission slip is not necessary either. The website will tell you to contact your PE teacher to receive gifts immediately, please understand that this is a disruption to class time. My priority is to provide a quality physical education experience to ALL children first. I am sure you understand and will work with your child to help them understand patience with this process.

Thank you! Mrs. Dittrich

Balance Exercises

Often we walk into a situation and see children "playing" and think, "Wow, they are having fun!" What we fail to realize is that a great deal of that fun play is actually exercise. Exercise that we as adults should focus on as well.

This week and next, our younger students are focusing on multiple areas of play while in the gym. One of the featured areas is balance. The children have no idea that I actually designed this as a workout, all they know is they had fun balancing on different equipment.

Why should we add balance exercises to our regular workouts? Injury prevention! As I get older I begin to have a better understanding of why my mom complained of aches and pains, some days I honestly feel like I am slowly falling apart! Adding the focus of balance training to your workout will strengthen the ankle, knee and hip joints as well as strengthen your core muscles. Good balance is the key to functional movement (that is the fancy term for how we move throughout the day). Without a strong core and sense of balance, we fail to regain our center when we twist or turn and this results in possible falls. So back to my beginning statement...we need balance exercises to help prevent injury!

I hope you all have a great weekend. I'm going to head out and balance on a couple of ski's while burning calories to keep warm!

Happy Winter! This is a picture of my shoe rack in the gym. As a parent, I know what your mornings are like and most of the time I think we should all get a medal for just getting the kids out the door! Parenting is a challenge. The addition of our rotating schedule this year has not made our lives any easier when working to remember if athletic shoes are needed for the day. This is why I have a shoe rack. 

I strongly believe that all children should be moving when they come to the gym, no child will ever sit out because they have the wrong type of shoes. This has always been my policy, so when I saw this idea from another teacher I immediately added it here at Webber. Some kids take advantage of the shoe rack, some choose to stay in whatever shoes/boots they have on that day. I will always encourage students to have appropriate foot wear, and bringing their own to school is really the best plan. Classroom teachers do not mind if your child leaves a pair of shoes in their locker all winter long, that is usually the easiest method for remembering. 

If you look closely, most of the shoes I have to offer are boys (actually, they belonged to my two boys). If you happen to have a pair of athletic shoes that are in good condition that you would like to donate to the cause I am happy to receive. Those pink ones are a hot commodity...so girls shoes would be fantastic. Thanks in advance!

Wow, it has been two months since my last post! Many fun things have been happening in the gym, here are some of the highlights.

Third through Fifth grade students participated in a Pillo Polo tournament which was completed in a Round Robin style format. Students learned how to play the game, work with teammates, the importance of proper scoring, record keeping and most importantly good sportsmanship. Our younger students are still developing their skills with this activity. If you are unfamiliar with Pillo Polo, the game is a spin off from Broom Ball. The kids like to say we play with big q-tips, and I think they are pretty accurate with that description!

Goal Keeping and Shooting Skills

 Stick Handling Skills

Game Time

We ended 2017 with The Grinch Games. Fun before the holidays!

As we begin 2018, the older students are revisiting their fitness skills and discussing goal setting in order to increase or maintain their current levels. The younger students continue to work on the skills for moving while increasing their flexibility and aerobic fitness through play.

I will end todays post with a reminder; we live in a beautiful state that offers many opportunities to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Although you may feel like winter has us cooped up inside our homes, I encourage you to get out with your kiddos and enjoy all that winter has to offer.

A few of our Webber Warriors at the Snow Dash hosted by the Orion Center

 Boyne Mountain over new years

...I promise we were smiling!!

Only -15 degrees outside on our way to the Mountain! 

Happy 2018!

Holidays are HERE!!!

Oh my, what to buy? If your child's list looks anything like mine your choices revolve around two things...video games and something that will trash my house with small parts that will eventually get sucked up into the vacuum.

I wanted to share an idea with you about a family activity game that the 3rd-5th grade students have had an opportunity to use recently during Physical Education class. (Disclaimer, I do not work for the company that sells this, nor do they provide me with any monetary kickback.)

Spikeball is a game that is played 2vs2, no boundaries, no sidelines and it is crazy fun once you get the hang of it. The skills involved are similar to some found in volleyball. The setup is much smaller which increases the portability and flexibility to fit any space.

Students began our unit learning the techniques for volleyball. When we began practicing spiking, Spikeball was a logical transition. You will see in the following picture that the class started with a hula hoop on the floor. This accommodation allowed them to get the concept of three hits prior to the challenge of spiking hard enough to get a good bounce off the net.

We then moved to the nets, where our practice of the three hits continued. Not worrying about scoring made our activity less stressful, errors were laughed off and do overs became the norm!

Many stores are currently stocking this game on their shelves. So if you are looking for good family fun that will keep you active, consider asking your child if they would be interested in having their own Spikeball set (not all of the students loved it, since it is around $60 you should probably make sure they are interested!).