Happy fall and greeting parents,
First, I wanted to say hello and a sincere thank you to everyone
for the warm welcome to the Manchester Memorial community. The parents,
administration, colleagues and students have been amazing in welcoming me to
this wonderful community. Three years ago, I was concluding my student teaching
at Manchester-Essex High School. In good faith, my life has brought me back to
Manchester with this amazing opportunity to teach elementary physical
education/wellness to a familiar, and valued community.
I wanted to start a blog to help keep the community stay informed
on the current skills and activities we are incorporating into our daily
classrooms. I have the privilege to work beside Tammy Mentus, who many already
know in this district. She has provided me with an excellent insight and a
great outlook on how to keep our students physically active.
I will be providing blog posts that include our unit-by-unit
breakdowns, some helpful information and announcements, as well as anything
that I feel would help keep our community further engaged. Developing the blog
took a bit longer than expected, but the wellness program here at Memorial is now
available, and reflects our current wellness goals and future direction.
September came along and we strived to get our students into a
daily routine including a comprehensive warm-up and stretching routine. Every
day, we include a new stretch and exercise that students can incorporate into
their daily lives. Our main unit for September was soccer for the third through
fifth grade classes. Elements of passing, dribbling, shooting, throw-ins, and
team play were incorporated. I was extremely pleased with how the students
responded to my teaching methods, the level of skill already in place, and the
skill that was further developed. Along with the “fun” and educational activities,
I strive to make my classroom a safe and comfortable learning environment and
believe each student has become accustomed to the structure and expected goal
of every lesson.
The kindergarten through second grade students have been working
on basic locomotor skills including hopping, skipping, jumping, galloping,
leaping and sliding. These skills have been taught through numerous exercises
including fitness stations, tag games and other activities that have stressed
the importance of each particular locomotor skill. The students have been
extremely welcoming and receptive to new skill acquisition, and I have enjoyed the
effort each student has displayed in class.
Now, on to October!
The third through fifth grade students have transitioned to different
activities that can relate to the game of football. Proper mechanics for
overhand throwing and catching have been a staple over the past several weeks.
Team games such as ‘eraser football’ and ‘capture the football’ have been
played to reinforce aspects of throwing, catching, teamwork and sportsmanship.
The kindergarten through second grade students were introduced
to soccer and the related techniques and skills. Students were taught correct
dribbling techniques, passing, shooting, teamwork, communication and effort in
a variety of ways. Students seemed to particularly love a game called ‘hotspot
soccer,’ which reinforced these techniques. Every student has made tremendous
gains in their soccer skills, as well as their overall attitudes towards
teamwork and communication throughout the month of October.
I apologize for a somewhat lengthy newsletter; I wanted the
community to be introduced and involved in the wellness goals and initiatives
we are aiming to accomplish in our wellness classes this year. The past several
weeks have truly passed quickly, and I am trying to capture every moment for my
students, to monitor their progress, and to more effectively inform the community,
as well as my own teaching practices. I could not have asked for a more
welcoming and productive start to an already promising school year.
Regards,
-Mr.
Boria
