3rd/4th Grade: We Had a Guest Teacher When an 8th Grade Student Joined Us in PE!

The opportunity for peer teaching is something that can benefit all involved. From the students' being taught, to the student doing the teaching, and of course the PE staff ourselves. An opportunity to watch an 8th grade student rise to the occasion by preparing, planning, and teaching a PE lesson is always something special. A big shout out to Chloe Boliba (and her Dad, Jeff) for their involvement with our PE program. As part of her 8th grade challenge, Chloe wanted to spark some interest in the great, Vermont outdoor sport of snowboarding. Her lesson included cooperation/positive social interactions and balance. It was well received by our 3rd/4th grade students! Well done Chloe!! Enjoy some pictures of the action below.

Floor Hockey

Our 5th - 8th grade students are currently winding down our floor hockey unit. We begin with basic passing and receiving skills. Next, we move through some challenge activities that build these skills, and then transition into small sided gameplay. Small sided gameplay allows for more opportunities to participate and increase skill. The students really enjoy this!! We use two assessments within this unit. One assessment is skill related and is connected to successfully receiving and making a pass. The second assessment is connected to the concept of space. We ask the students to use space as a strategy within small sided gameplay. It has been a very successful unit!

3rd Grade: Catching!!!

Our 3rd grade students are currently working within our catching unit. Within this unit the manipulative skill of catching is reinforced, and students are provided with the opportunity to catch a variety of equipment. We begin the unit spending two days working through catching challenges using hula hoops and a variety of different equipment to catch! Students work their way through different equipment, and are given opportunities to choose the challenge level they are comfortable with. Providing this choice allows for maximum skill building, along with keeping this tricky skill successful for all students. We finish the unit applying our previously learned skill of "moving to open space" with our newly established skill of catching, within an activity called "Capturemania". Enjoy the pictures below!

Disc Golf!

Our 5th - 8th grade students are close to completing their current Lifetime Activity unit of Disc Golf. We begin this unit working on two important throws. The backhand and the forehand. Students are provided with an opportunity to practice these two skills, while throwing within an open field. Next, students are taught proper disc golf etiquette, and are shown a style of play called "best disc scramble". This style of play allows for students to move through the course at a faster speed, and to have the ability to take their throw from a more opportunistic spot on the course. The assessment used within this unit is connected to using positive social skills and using proper disc golf etiquette. Students play through our 12-hole course in groups of 3 or 4. Enjoy the pictures below!

3rd/4th Grade: Team Handball & Intro to Badminton Units!

Our 3rd and 4th grade students are in the middle of our first flip/flop unit. Our 3rd/4th grade students attend PE as a double class, meaning two classes come together. There are two PE teachers ready to teach when they arrive! We use both of our gyms, and split the classes into two groups. One class works with one of our PE teachers within our Team Handball unit and the other class works with the other PE teacher within our Intro to Badminton unit. After the students complete the unit, they flip/flop and switch units and PE teachers. We use this method for a variety of units as we move through the school year.

Below are some pictures of our Team Handball Unit. Within this unit students get to apply the skills of throwing and catching. It is the first time we ask students to think about moving to open space, and using space as a strategy. We discuss offense and defense.

Below are some pictures of our Into to Badminton unit. Students work on striking a shuttle with a modified racquet. This racquet, called a Racqualoon, allows for optimal success due to its design. Students work towards starting a rally using an underhand serve, and attempt to set a record as they rally with different partners over a badminton net!

Indoor Tennis

Our 5th - 8th grade students are currently participating within our indoor tennis unit. This unit begins with an introduction to basic striking skills using our indoor tennis racquets. We begin the unit with individual skill challenges that we call "ups", "downs", "flip/flops", and "rim". Students set individual records and attempt to break these records on a daily basis. Next, we introduce a great lead up activity called "rally ball". Rally ball is a game played on our indoor tennis courts, but is a combination of tennis and pickleball rules. We finish the unit with students using the regular rules to tennis, while playing doubles on our courts. The skill we assess within this unit is the forehand.

Sand Volleyball/Newcomb

Sand Volleyball/Newcomb is one of our first 5th-8th grade PE units offered this year. We are lucky enough to have four sand volleyball courts here at the school. What a great opportunity for our students! We design the unit to be a combination of both general volleyball rules and newcomb rules. Newcomb is a modified version of volleyball that follows many of the same rules, concepts, and strategies as general volleyball, however you are allowed to catch and throw the ball. We give students the choice, when the ball comes to them, to use a regular volleyball skill or to catch/throw. All students are asked to use an underhand serve to start any point within game play, as it is the assessed skill within this unit. Check out some action shots below!

5th - 8th Grade PE Warm-up!

On Tuesdays and Thursdays our 5th-8th grade PE students participate within our strength and balance warm-up. This warm-up was brought to our WCS PE teachers by two individuals who work for the University of Vermont. It was designed to improve strength and balance, through exercises that can be done without the need for specialized equipment or a specialized space. The number one piece of feedback we have received from our students is that they enjoy the fact that these exercises can be done anywhere, without any equipment! Take a look at the pictures below for a few examples.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back WCS students and families! Mrs. Kohlasch, Mrs. McClintock, and I (Mr. King) would like to welcome you back to a new school year. We are excited to welcome you into our new PE space, and know you will be amazed by what you see when you come down to PE for the first time.

We wanted to send you a few reminders!

5th-8th Grade PE - When you join us for your first 6-week rotation, please be ready with the following items.

• sneakers/shoes
• clothing, different from what you wear to school, that you will be comfortable moving in. 
• t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, sweatshirt, shorts, athletic pants, extra socks, etc. 
• a locker (with lock) will be signed out to you as a place to store your clothes, shoes, extra socks, etc. 

3rd/4th Grade PE - When you join us for your twice a week PE class, please be ready with the following items.

• sneakers/shoes
• wear clothes to school that you will be comfortable moving in

3rd/4th Grade Exploratory PE - When you join me, Mr. King, for your 8-week exploratory PE rotation you will need the following items. Sometimes, your exploratory PE class will be scheduled on a day you do not regularly have PE. Something to keep in mind!

• sneakers/shoes
• wear clothes to school that you will be comfortable moving in 

We leave you with one final thought! Come with an open, positive attitude. Be willing to try new things, and learn the importance of being active as you grow into what we hope are people who enjoy lifelong recreation and activity.

"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity." --- JFK

We look forward to seeing you!

Mr. King, Mrs. McClintock, & Mrs. Kohlasch