This winter has been packed with much activity inside the West Side gym with PE classes, Intramurals, Box Tops Reward Times, indoor recess days, but also outside the school doors with all of this snow and West Side's infamous sledding hill!
The students at West Side in grades K-2 have been developing their hand-eye coordination skills through the use of speed (cup) stacking and hand dribbling/ball units. We were even able to use our brand new junior size basketball hoops! It is important to remember that each day is a day to build a stronger foundation for future skills, but also to develop the important skills of teamwork, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking- a question I ask each day is: how will I get these students to use their bodies in a creative, new way?
The third grade students have a very unique transition year. We focus intensely on communication, teamwork, and collaboration WHILE practicing foundational movement skills/pre-sports skills. Most of our activities cannot be done working alone, and they can't be done without solving problems in a positive way. This has definitely been a challenge for students who are great listeners and love to be told what to do so that they can do it well! It is a joy to see them light up when they come up with the solution, or they create new ways to be active and complete the mission of our weekly activities.
The fourth and fifth graders are eagerly working on their basketball ball control, dribbling, passing, and shooting skills, and will once again be divided into teams using the sport education model, where they will practice ownership, creativity, and leadership while working in a set team and tournament play.
The middle school students were introduced to a brand new Rhythm Unit after Christmas break that includes Stomp, Line Dancing, Tinikling, and Gymnastics (Tumbling, Balance Beam, and Mini Trampoline). After I taught an introduction of each part, students could perform a short stomp routine, the cotton eye joe line dance, basic gymnastic skills, and basic tinikling steps (a Philippine dance with bamboo poles tapped on the ground). Every student was then able to rank the four activities. Then, I divided them into teams where they get to work with others to create two separate routines of their two favorite rhythm activities. If we ever stop having snow days, these students will perform their routines in front of adult judges and their peers. We are excited for this new opportunity- it is always rewarding to see my students brave enough to try something new and have it end up being something they PREFER to the traditional sports they know well.
On Thursday, the middle school Fuel Up to Play 60 team was able to give a presentation during Chapel. I am the Program Advisor for this fun program and you can learn more at: www.fueluptoplay60.com Their presentation included what FUP60 is, why it's important, how WSCS is incorporating it into our school day, and how every student could help contribute to the program's success. Students were also given the opportunity to make a pledge to be healthier and active every day by signing a large FUP60 banner. This banner will hang near our gym for the remainder of the year as a daily reminder. Some thoughts the team shared were from this devotional by Rick Warren:
"Your physical health is an important part of making your life count. I want to look at the right motivation for getting healthy – what God’s says about the importance of your body in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (NIV).
- God expects me to manage my body. “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. …I will not be mastered by anything …” (verse 12). Your body is a gift from God. He loans it to you and it’s your responsibility to manage it well. What are you doing with what He’s given you?
- My body is God’s property. “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord …” (verse 13). Our culture teaches us that we can do whatever we want with our bodies. But God created our bodies, so we don’t have a right to share them with anybody we want.
- My body will be resurrected after I die. “ … God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also” (verse 14). God never wastes anything. One day he’s going to resurrect a new version of your body.
- My body is connected to the body of Christ. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?” (verse 15). God considers sins against the body to be in a special class because your body is connected to the body of Christ.
- The Holy Spirit lives in my body. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit … ?” (verse 19). Your body is God’s temple. If you were walking down the street and saw some gang vandalizing a church, you’d do something about it, right? When you don’t take care of your body, you are vandalizing God’s temple.
- Jesus bought my body on the cross. “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (verse 20). If you want to know how much you’re worth, look at the cross. Jesus with his hands outstretched says, “This is how much you’re worth to me. You’re worth dying for.” You are infinitely valuable.
-Rick Warren
What great reminders for all of us as we start 2014 and work to worship God in every part of our lives.
Looking ahead- we also have Jump Rope for Heart coming up for Grades 1-5, an opportunity for students to participate in a service project through the American Heart Association. Students learn fun jump roping skills, learn about heart health, and raise money for kids in their area that suffer from heart problems.
Stay warm!
