Teamwork at its Best!

Grade 1 learners started their day thinking about why is important to play cooperation games and together we created the success criteria for the lesson.

Below you can see what they came up with.

They did a fabulous job working as a team, cheering on their friends, and supporting each other.
Creating success criteria with students makes a big difference in your lesson as learners are aware of what they are expected to be doing and try harder.

They felt so good about working well with their teams that they ended up doing a little "chant" at the end of the lesson.

Click on the link below to see your child in action

Ms Amy's Class
Ms Brittney's Class
Ms Kelly's Class

Kindergarten Imagination Yoga Stories in PE

During this unit  in PE we have been integrating with the homeroom ‘How We Express Ourselves’ unit on imagination and the arts. Students have be participating in a variety of dance and yoga activities that require them to use their imagination.

Over the last few weeks of this  integrated unit,  students have used their imagination to develop a yoga story on a storyboard and then add yoga poses to illustrate it, based on the cosmic kids yoga stories that we have participated in. We finished the unit by filming the students performing their story in front of the green screen. We could then add a background to the story to help transport them to where their imagination story was based.

These type of activities can help children to:

• develop large muscles, strength and balance
• develop flexibility and coordination
• develop their ideas in their own ways
• learn to solve problems, plan and remember
• express feelings through their body
• be creative by making up their own stories
• gain confidence
• practice problem solving

Photos of students in Action

Throughout the year we place photographs of the students performing in PE classes in a class specific google album. The links to the albums can be found on the PE Photo page on this blog. These photos make great starting points with your child to help get them explain what has been happening in PE.

Grade 3 Teaching Games for Understanding

Grade 3 is about to wrap up their "Invasion Games" unit.

Learners played a variety of small sided games to develop an understanding of teamwork by moving into space, sending and receiving the ball, and figuring out different strategies to keep or regain the possession of the ball.

While playing these games, learners were able to practice their ball skills and think of strategies to support their team to be successful.

Some of the small games we have played were benchball, matball, and hoopball. These games helped learners to be aware of the importance of running into an open space and to make quick decisions to pass the ball to their team members and eventually score by receiving the ball on the bench, matt, or hoop.

In addition to those activities, we played modified basketball games.

By doing this kind of activities players learn the difference between attacking, moving forward, maintaining the possession of the ball and eventually scoring, and defending by regaining the possession of the ball. They had to talk to their teams and figure out the best strategies in attack and defence.

This week we will be playing some small sided football games on the field.

G1 Cooperation Games

Grade 1 learners have been inquiring on cooperation games.
Students are understanding there are different ways to interact with others and that is important to make good choices for themselves and others.

During this unit we played various games and students got exposed to different ways on working with their peers, as a whole class and in small groups.

After playing those games, G1 learners started to get a deeper understanding of the importance of being good listeners, working together as a team, and being principled, respecting each other and taking turns.

Ask your child what was their favorite game in this unit.

Being Inquirers, Risk Takers, and Communicators

Grade 5 students were playing small sided games today in PE.

Learners were divided into five of groups of 4 players and played various handball games with modified rules that they agreed upon.

While two games were running at the time in two different courts one team was in charge of timing and observing the players in the different teams. After a couple of minutes of playing they swap so they all got time to play and observe each other and therefore learn by practicing and watching others.

They looked at the fundamental movements that players were using to create space in the small sided games as well as different techniques used to keep and regain the possession of the ball.

Before each game, teams talked about what strategy they would use to attack the other team, and what they would do when they had to defend.

Throughout their practice and observation of other teams students are starting to get a better understanding of how to play different invasion games.

We talked about the importance of being inquirers and to have enthusiasm to learn independently and with others.

Learners said that they would be risk takers by creating spaces to receive the ball and by trying new strategies out to support their teams during the games. This is not always easy when you don't have developed the skills yet. That's why it's so important to be positive about it and give it a try!

As we reflected on the games, students mentioned the importance of being communicators to support their teams, collaborate, and listen to others.

Firefighters, Mermaids and Super Heros

Firefighters, Mermaids and Super Heros have all featured heavily in PE for the younger students this week.
Early Years students have enjoyed being outside in PE time and we put up ladders for the students to climb up as they pretended to be a firefighters. They also enjoyed climbing up the ladder to take a look inside some bird nests.

Kindergarten students are participating in an integrated How We Express Ourselves unit that is looking at imagination and the arts. In PE we have been dancing and and participating in yoga stories. We are now starting to create our own yoga stories and are putting ideas onto storyboards.