Soccer

Kendall F. was coach for the day last Monday. She helped us teach all of our classes and got to choose the activities as well. She was a bit shy at first, but once she got the hang of the whistle, it was boot camp central. She's has some serious management skills! Great job, Kendall!



Fourth grade students began their soccer unit by revisiting passing and trapping. Students were given the freedom to define their passing parameters with the stipulation that they were using proper technique and successful around 80% of the time. This teaching style empowers the students while enabling me time to assess individual skill level and the skill level for the group as a whole. This week students will be using their passing skills in small games and will work on thigh traps and chest traps.

Third grade students were given a similar task as the fourth graders to assess passing and trapping proficiency. They were also asked to juggle using one bounce between touches. They will work on trapping bouncing balls this week as well as shooting.

Second grade students worked on passing and trapping last week. This week they will use these skills in small games that combine, passing, trapping, and dribbling.

Kindergarten/First grade students will be focusing on dribbling, passing, and trapping.

Lacrosse

This week we are starting our lacrosse unit. Lacrosse is a very popular sport in the northeastern and western United States. It is increasingly gaining popularity here in Florida and has been offered as an after school activity here at Shorecrest for the past three years.

Fourth grade students will begin the unit reviewing the fundamental skills of catching, throwing, and scooping. Much of the time will be spent working on catching stick-side and with the backhand. Cradling will also be a priority - and is one the most difficult skills we address in the lower division.

Third graders will be introduced to cradling. Catching balls stick-side from passes and lobs will also be covered. Throwing the ball with a downward trajectory will mimic a low shot and give students practice receiving rolling/bouncing balls.



Second graders will work on throwing the ball down, out, and up. They will work on catching bouncing balls and will work on short distance passing.



First graders and kindergartners will work on catching self-tossed balls, scooping while moving, and passing the ball into open space and at targets.



Additionally, Second, Third, and Fourth graders will be running the mile this week to round out fitness testing.

Technology in PE

This year I have been using my iPhone and iPad quite a bit in the classroom. I have been using the notepad feature in iPad to take anecdotal records while watching students perform movements in tasks and games. Using a spreadsheet app, we have also tracked progress using checklists. These have been very helpful in keeping meaningful notes and have enabled me to very accurately assess student achievement and progress.

The iPhone has been most useful in giving students instant feedback with regard to form. When I give corrective feedback, students cannot always make the suggested changes easily. It is times like this that I ask the student if they mind if I record them performing the action. I then use this handy app that I downloaded to view my own golf swing. The app records a short ten-second video which can be played back in slow motion, paused, and reversed. Just today I used this to show a first grader how when he threw he held his elbow to his side instead of getting his arm up and back. When he saw it (he was super excited), he was able to see exactly what I was talking about. His subsequent throws looked much better as he was able to focus on keeping his elbow up. I reinforced his new found form by rerecording his movement and again showing it to him. It has been very effective.

I also recently downloaded an app that simulates a gadget that I used when I taught in Sweden years ago. I had been searching for something similar ever since I moved back, but to no avail - until now. During stations a lot of time is spent monitoring the time, for example: one minute of work and then 30 seconds to rest and move to the next station. The gadget I had in Sweden was hooked up to the stereo and would automatically mute the stereo on any preset interval. Students knew that while the music was playing, they were working, and when it was silent they had a bit of time to move to the next station and rest. This new app does just that with a few added bonuses. Each interval can be a different song and the end of each interval is preceded by a few short beeps.

A fast start

The past three weeks have been hectic to say the least. I was out for almost an entire week with my son, Elijah, who had the flu and a fever that just wouldn't subside. Thankfully, he is feeling better enabling all of us to get back into our daily routines.

I will be focusing on four major units of study: football, soccer, lacrosse, and track & field. Each day begins with a timed run where students are encouraged to find a pace that will enable them to complete the timed run without having to walk or stop. Once they have discovered this pace they are encouraged to use "baby steps" to increase the pace and subsequently their cardiovascular endurance. In conjunction with this, the Third and Fourth graders will attempt to earn the National and Presidential Fitness Awards this April.

Each unit begins with skill development and small games to reinforce these skills. Skill progressions are combined with cognitive strategies to build upon skills and concepts covered earlier. For the younger ones motor development and stations are used weekly to reinforce locomotor skills and fundamental skills like throwing and catching.

We've worked on a lot during these first weeks as you can see by the photos below. The kindergartners have learned the proper football grip for passing and tucking the ball. They worked on tossing and self catching based on their own ability focusing on catching with the hands. The parachute has been used, as well as scarves in cooperative games. They have also practiced leaping, jumping, and hopping for height.




The first graders have taken the football skills to another level with passing and catching with partners. They have also practiced using the tuck in small game situations that focus on footwork.


The second graders are preparing for ultimate football. They have worked extensively on catching with their hands and throwing with the proper grip. Movement off of the ball has been critical in our tasks as well as defensive strategies.

The third graders have started keep-away and have done a great job of maximizing their size by using their hands to catch. They will be moving to ultimate football this week. They have also been getting ready for the track meet. We've announced the events and will be practicing them more this week.



The fourth graders have finished up with ultimate football and will be moving into flag football. Pass patterns will initiate this next step as we focus on the nuances of running crisp sharp routes. They, too, have been working on track events and will work on them more as the big meet approaches.

Track and Field

This year, Shorecrest will be hosting an independent school track meet on March 23. We have invited schools from all over the area to compete in ten different events. This has traditionally been a student favorite and we can't wait to host this year's event.

The new track is so soft and supportive. The long jump pits have been extended and reversed making it easier for fans to watch the action. We spent a few days up on the track this week working on the long jump.



Younger students focused on taking off from one foot and landing on two feet. Students in grades one and two added the approach run with a vertical component to the jump. 3rd and 4th graders focused on piking and extending the feet for landing to maximize distance.



Students also participated in sprints. For the younger ones just staying in the lanes was the objective. 1st and second graders focused on a point straight ahead to minimize looking from side to side at challengers. The oldest students worked on maximizing arm movement and tested running on the balls of their feet.

Mid-year Fitness Testing

This past week was spent doing mid-year fitness testing for grades two through four. Sit and reach, the shuttle run, sit-ups, and pull-ups were all tested to evaluate student progress. In April, the official test will be administered for students in grades three and four. Students who score in the top 85th percentile on all tests for their age and gender will earn the Presidential award. Students earning scores in the top 50th percentile will earn the national award.

Students in Alpha played Who Let the Dogs Out. In this game students, move about the gym using different locomotor skills. Some are designated to be squirrels and others, branches. When they hear the music, students must work cooperatively to build a tree for each squirrel.

Students in grades, K and 1 played New Jersey Coneball, Nine Ball soccer, and danced the Macarena and Cha Cha Slide.

Welcome back! A reminder that this Friday is Free Friday at the varsity basketball game. Students get in free and get a free snack. 4th graders can compete in a game of Knockout for a chance to earn a trophy and the title Knockout King or Queen.


It was fun getting to see all of the students again after Winter Break. The two weeks felt so long that I actually started a discussion with Ms. Lemon about how year-round school might not be a bad idea - 9 weeks on and 3 weeks off. Call me crazy, but I think it might be a nice change.

This past week we started our soccer unit. All students began the week with station day. A dribbling, passing, shooting, and free choice station were set up. As students moved freely from station to station, I was able to observe areas of strength and weakness.

Based on what I observed, students in grades k/1 worked on dribbling without using their toe. Using the inside and the outside of the foot was modeled and practiced. "NO TOE!" was the slogan of the week as students worked to keep the ball close and under control while moving in open space.

Students in grades 2/3 worked on passing and trapping. Again, "NO TOE!" was repeated. Instead, the plant foot points towards the target, kicking foot turns outward, knee is slightly bent, leg swings back and through were the keys. For trapping, move to the ball, turn foot outward, lift off of the ground a couple inches, give with the ball.

Fourth graders worked on dribbling, passing, trapping. They did very well demonstrating these skills and were able to play a small game of crab soccer to emphasize dribbling in tight spaces.

We were also forced to be inside one day because of the weather. On this day, students in the younger grades did stations that included the rock wall, the mini-trampolines, and a tossing game. The fourth grade girls completed their mid-year sit-up test and got to workout to an early '90s Jane Fonda aerobics tape. It was awesome! A lot of groaning at first, but a lot of laughter by the end. Most importantly, everyone was sweating up a storm by the end - including me!