Winter Break

With one week left before break students will be working on cooperation through a couple of games and activities. Units for this trimester include pillow hockey, dance, cupstacking, bowling, and more, which we will start as we return from break.

Have a safe, enjoyable break and come back ready to go!

Character Counts!

As we finish up our kickball unit, we will be spending time discussing the Character Counts pillars and how we can relate them to both P.E. class and outside of the gym. Students will be discussing how they feel and how they think they should treat others. Time will be spent in stations this week as we review what we have learned this first trimester!

We also need to continue to dress warm as we expect snow over the next few weeks before break. Good Job so far!

Change of Schedule!

Kindergarten this week starts a new schedule. Please make sure your son or daughter has gym shoes for the correct day of the week.
Here is the schedule for the next trimester...
Mrs. Finn's class- Monday and Thursday
Mrs. Krep's class- Tuesday
Mrs. Mazurowski's class- Wednesday and Friday

Kindergarten will also be starting jump rope this week!

KICKBALL

As we approach the end of the trimester, students have finished the basketball unit and are moving onto another team sport. Kickball is a great sport for cooperation. Students will need to work together, while working on skills that can be applied to other sports such as baseball or softball. Rules will be covered this week and we will begin games when we get back from Thanksgiving break!

Scootin' along

Kindergarten is starting to learn safety rules for using the scooters as they learn various games. Students know how the scooters should be used and the consequences for not using the scooters safely.
The weather is changing very rapidly as we approach December. Please send your children to school with appropriate clothing, and remind them to wear their jackets when going to and from school.

Stay Healthy!

Please remember tips for staying healthy.
-Drink plenty of water
-Get proper rest
-Exercise everyday
-Wash hands often

While in the middle of the basketball unit, students are doing a fantastic job! More than just individual skills are stressed. In addition to staying healthy, students willing be learning team play and fairness as team sports are introduced. Enjoy the mid-week break!

There is no "I" in team!

I hope everyone had a safe, long, relaxing weekend! As we start this week, both first grade and second grade will be starting their basketball units. Emphasis will be put on individual skills and improving everyday. As we proceed emphasis will switch to team play and sportsmanship.
Kindergarten has done a great job with throwing and catching and will continue to work on several skills over the next couple of weeks!

Bus Safety

This Tuesday all grades will be spending gym times reviewing safety issues and the rules when on the bus. Students will also practice an evacuation drill at the end of class. Please review these rules with your children. The bus lanes are just for buses; please be sure to walk your children across to the sidewalk as buses can not always see everywhere around them.

Another note:
Halloween parties and parade around Elizabeth Ide will be this Thursday in the afternoon.

Get a grip!

Thanks to Mr. O' Shea, the rock wall was put up last year in the gym at Elizabeth Ide. Students will be practicing safe climbing techniques over the next week. Students were also able to access the wall and the climbing ropes during gym night! Gym night had over 100 students signed up and a record number of parents volunteer. Thank you to all who helped make it a success!

Gym Night

Gym Night will be this Friday (October 16th) from 5:45 until 8:00pm. Students will have an opportunity to go to each station, and show their skills in various activities. Some activities have been introduced during gym class while others have not yet. I am looking forward to seeing a lot of students having fun this Friday!

Fitness Fun

Fitness is a life long concept and good habits start early. Students are learning about the different types of fitness through games and fitness testing. First grade is learning how to take their heart rate and feel for a pulse. Students in first and second are able to experience the difference in their heart rate before and after exercising!

Four Square

Four square is a great game for students at the lower levels to play because it has so many aspects that students grasp as they learn how to play. Fair play, teamwork, communication, and taking turns are all part of this game. First grade will be learning how to play while second grade should improve upon their skills from last year. Ask your students about four square and how it is played.

Book Fair/Ice cream Social

It was great to see so many people at the Book fair Thursday night. Thank you to all who helped make it a success.

This week in PE...

Students in first grade will be introduced to juggling, starting with the very basics, while second grade will be working with the cascade pattern using juggling scarves which will improve their self confidence. Kindergarten has done a great job with their movement unit and will continue to learn locomotor skills as well as other movements in the gym.

Having a ball this fall

In PE this week students will demonstrate several ball exercises as a variety of skills are introduced and developed prior to our sport units. Skills such as dribbling, passing, hitting, will be worked on, and introduced at the lower grades. Kindergarten is spending time with movements both on the tumbling mats and off as they learn the expectations of gym class.

September 17th: This Thursday is the Ice Cream Social!

OPEN HOUSE

Open house is this Wednesday for 1st and 2nd grade parents. I will be in the gym for introductions, after that you can find me in the common area with the other specials' teachers. Feel to stop by. I look forward to seeing all of you!

Students have done a great job working with various movements before we get into our other units. All grades will spend time this week working on their balance and controlled movements throughout the gym. We will also try to maximize the number of days we can be outside barring rain or bad weather!

Rolling into our first unit

All grades at Ide will be in our movement unit, which includes tumbling and various locomotor skills. Students spent some time last week improving their balance. Safety will be stressed as we start using the mats for all of our movements.

Nestle water labels:
Last years Labels have been turned in and we are patiently awaiting our new gym equipment, however Nestle has decided not to continue the rewards program for the 2009/2010 school year. Thank you to everyone that has participated in the past!

Welcome back!

Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year! Students in first and second grade will have gym class every day. Kindergarten will have it either once or twice a week depending on the trimester. I look forward to seeing all returning students and meeting all new incoming students!

Zoo-rific Picnic Success!

The bad weather held out for a great day for the Elizabeth Ide Picnic. There were several stations for the students to choose from and I think all the students had a blast. Thank you to all the parents that made the event a success.

Please encourage your children to stay active and healthy this summer, as we will be talking about ways to do that this last week of school in P.E.

Double the Fun!

For the last two weeks of school all the grades will double up their music and gym time in the gym for two classes with MR. K. and Ms. Wyse. This will be for this Tuesday and Wednesday as well as the same two days next week.

Staley the Bear!

This past week Staley the Bear (Chicago Bears' Mascot) and the First and Goal Program visited Elizabeth Ide. Students at all levels learned about the four phases that are important to living a healthy life. Quiz your children to see if they know that Eating Healthy, Drinking Water, Getting Proper Rest, and Exercise are all four important parts of leading a healthy life.

One Goal

As we are in the countdown first and second grades are working on improving our fitness level as we move into the warmer days. Each day students try to do one more than the previous day! This week students are doing Jump Rope Day and Kickball Day.

More Letters!

Last week students in second and first grade were read to for "B" day. This week students will be reviewing dances learned throughout the year for "D" day. Students have finished their teamwork units and have done a great job working with others and understanding the importance of helping each other.

Back to the ABC's

Students this week will begin their countdown towards the end of school starting with A on Thursday. In the gym we will take part in different activities for different letters such as "J" day we will be Jump Roping. On "K" day we will be playing kickball, and "D" day we will spend reviewing our dances!

Balancing Act

Kindergarten will spend some time this week working on balancing. Students will understand the importance of balance and being able to stay on their feet to keep them safe! First and Second grade have started their teamwork unit and are understanding what it takes to be part of a team!

Teamwork

There is no I in team but each person is an important part of it. Students will be taking advantage of the nice weather and finish their soccer unit this week. We will continue to stress the importance of teamwork and helping others to achieve a goal over the next couple of weeks. Activities students will be participating in will only be completed if everyone on the team do their part!

Cooperation!

While the weather is not cooperating we will continue with our soccer unit, stressing team play as all levels begin soccer games this week! Students will continue to improve their fitness levels through various warm-ups, and other activities during the next couple of weeks.

Kickin' it into break!

Students of all age levels at Elizabeth Ide are beginning their soccer unit this Monday. All aspects will be covered from fundamentals, to basic positions, and especially teamwork. This unit will be just getting underway before we leave for break. This gives students an opportunity to practice some of these simple skills prior to returning after break, where we will continue are unit for another two weeks!

Nestle Labels

Last year students brought in just about 2,000 Labels for Nestle points which is turned in for new gym equipment. Previously, we brought in enough for 25 new jump ropes in addition to a few other pieces of equipment to use in the gym and at recess. This year the students and teachers at Elizabeth Ide brought in over 4,200 labels. Thank you for all the work, and continue to bring in the labels as we will save for next year!

Juggling the Food Groups!

Over the next two weeks students will be doing a variety of juggling activities in addition to learning about the food groups. Students will be aware of what they are eating and where it fits in the food pyramid. Students will work individually and as a team as group work is stressed! Kindergarten will be finishing kickball as we approach better weather and hopefully take advantage of the days that we can go outside.

Kindergarten Kickball

Kindergarten has started a kickball unit and will continue to work on concepts and skills involved with the sport. They are already doing a fantastic job! Last week students spent time running the bases and kicking. This week, they will be working on fielding and team work.

The final count is in for Jump Rope for Heart! Elizabeth Ide students as a whole raised $5,225. Thank you to everyone to make the event a success!

Jump Rope Donations

After the first count, Elizabeth Ide has done a fantastic job raising donations for the American Heart Association. The students raised a total of 5,047 dollars. I will continue to collect donations until Tuesday (February 24th). Thank you to all the students for participating in Jump Rope for Heart!

Jumping into this week!

First and second grade students have just finished their kickball unit. They did a great job working well as a team and learned to play different positions. All three grades this week will be preparing for Jump Rope for Heart on Friday. Kindergarten will be celebrating this event on different days because they do not have gym everyday. Mrs. Finn's class will be on Thursday(19th), Mrs. Kreps' class will be on the following Tuesday(24th), and Mrs. Mazurowski's class will be on the 20th, same as first and second grade. Students this week will be learning a little more about heart disease as well as participating in various jumping activities.

Jump Rope for Heart

Questions about Jump Rope for Heart are coming in. The money is being collected and will continue to be until after the event is over on February 20th. If your child has raised more than $50 I encourage them to bring it in prior to the event because students who raise $50 will receive a life saver to put up on the wall in the gym. The day of the event students will be participating in several jumping activities to celebrate their hard work!

Skating skills!

Roller skating is off to a great start. Students in both first and second grade are showing drastic improvements. Students are able to get up skate and fall safely all on their own. Students are also practicing safe stops while remembering to follow the rules to skating safely. Thanks again to all the parents who have come in to help with roller skating!

Quick Notes

There is a lot going on in the gym at Elizabeth Ide over the next few weeks.

-Roller skating starts this week and will continue for the next two weeks. Thank you to all the parents that signed up to help throughout the unit.

-Jump Rope for Heart is back and will culminate on February 20th. The two weeks prior students in all grades will be participating in jump rope activities while raising money for the American Heart Association.

Staying in shape with square dancing!

Second grade is finishing their dance unit this week with very basic square dance moves. Kindergarten will be doing a few dances as well, and first grade is finishing up with the Limbo and the YMCA. Skating safety will be covered at the end of this week prior to starting.

Parents please look for reminders from gym class this week about roller skating and Jump Rope for Heart which will be coming up!

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone had a good winter break and the students are coming back refreshed. All three grades will be beginning their dance units but learning different ones as well as practicing some others they have learned previously.
I would like to apologize again for the mix-up with rollerskating dates but we will be beginning that in two weeks. I look forward to seeing the first and second graders up on skates!