Lunch Time Poll

This week's question - What are you most looking forward to over Winter Break? Here's how you answered . . .

Getting my staples out :) - 1

Spending time with Friends - 6

No School - 6

Family Coming to Visit - 11

Holiday Gifts/Celebration - 27

Taking a Trip - 27

Sounds like you all are going to have a fabulous time - thanks for sharing your exciting plans with me! I wish you all a safe and happy vacation and a healthy new year! See you in 2012 :) Coach Pope

Frisbee Golf and Holiday Fun!

This week, classes will be finishing off our Frisbee unit with a round of Frisbee Golf. Students will not only be shooting for the lowest score, but learning etiquette, score keeping, and fair play as well.

The rest of the week will be devoted to Holiday Games to help celebrate the upcoming winter break. Some of our favorites from previous years are Fitness Dreidels, Kinaras and Mishumaas, Snow Ball Fight, and The Grinch. Be sure to ask which ones we played this year!

3rd Grade Lunch time poll!

These results are from last weeks poll - 11/29/11 - busy week, didn't get them posted :) The question was What pets do you have at home? We did have to make sure to only include living pets and clarify that siblings don't count as pets! Here's how you answered:

1 Vote - Bearded Dragon, Chameleon, Snake, Bird

2 Votes - Frogs, Guinea Pig

3 Votes - Gecko, Turtle/Tortoise

5 Votes - Hamster

10 Votes - No Pets

11 Votes - Hermit Crab

36 Votes - Cat

70 Votes - Dog

96 Votes - Fish

Frisbee Fun!

This week we will be introducing the frisbee to all grade levels. Did you know that the wind really is not a factor in good frisbee throwing? Its all about technique and taking your time! You may hear a funny little chant coming home - FLAT FRISBEES FLY FARTHER - a silly tongue twister designed to help us all remember to keep our frisbees flat. Another crazy thought - almost everything about throwing a frisbee is opposite what we know about throwing a ball! Stay low, keep your same foot forward, and always keep the frisbee FLAT! We should be ready for some ultimate frisbee very soon!

Bocce anyone?

This week students will be introduced to the game of Bocce Ball. Bocce is a relatively simple game that involves rolling a ball - the bocce - as close as possible to the target - the pallino. Through Bocce students are working on hand-eye coordination, judgement, sportsmanship, fair play, and score keeping. Another great benefit - its pretty easy to be good! Fun for all on the field this week!

Lunch Time Poll

This week's question was What is your favorite sport? Here's how you answered:

1 vote for: Archery, Dodgeball, PingPong, Volleyball, Golf, Water Skiing, BMX, Triathlons, Karate, Speed Skating, and 4-square

2 Votes for: Hockey, Bowling, and Cheer Leading

3 Votes for Football

5 Votes for: Basketball, Lacrosse, and Gymnastics

7 Votes for Tennis

9 Votes for Swimming

10 Votes for Baseball

17 Votes for Soccer

Welcome to 2nd Trimester!

This week we will begin working with our new groups for the rest of the second trimester. I will have Ms. Conroy's class, Mrs. Owen's group, Mrs. McKenzie's group, Ms. LaDuke's group, and the boys from Ms. Telemachos and Mr. Hughes' classes.

The first unit for all grade levels will be Burnball - a Swedish version of baseball. Many of the rules of the game are very similar to American baseball but there is one VERY important difference, there are NO outs! Burnball enables students to not only improve their hand-eye coordination and running skills, but critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well. We'll even throw in a little math! Its great fun - ask your child to compare and contrast Burnball and American baseball. Ask which one they prefer!

Lunch Time Poll

In honor of Halloween, this week's question was What is your favorite candy? Here's how you answered:

1 Vote - Dark Chocolate, Butterfinger, Skittles, Bottlecaps, Twizzlers, Reese's Pieces, Whoppers, Godiva Chocolate, Fun Dip, Gobstoppers, Lemonheads, Jaw Breakers, Kitchen Sink, Junior Mints

2 Votes - Dots, Tootsie Rolls, M&M's, Nerds, Crunch Bar, Starburst, Jolly Ranchers

3 Votes - Gum, Snickers

4 Votes - Milkey Way, 3 Muscateers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

5 Votes - Twix

6 Votes - Kit Kat

7 Votes - Candy Corn

13 Votes - Hershey Bar

Are you hungry now :)

What a racket!

This week our classes will be enjoying the new athletic center to try out some different games and skills using rackets. The youngest classes will be using balloons to help practice tracking, and will use lollipop rackets to practice striking. Older students will have the opportunity to participate in Badminton. We are so fortunate to have a facility in which we can all have enough space to safely cover these units - something we've been missing in the past years! It is sure to be a wonderful week!

3rd Grade Lunch time poll!

This week's question - What is your favorite fruit? So interesting to see how many different choices they came up with! Here are the results:

Apples - 5
Bananas - 1
Blueberries - 2
Cherries - 1
Dragon Fruit - 1
Grapes - 7
Kiwi - 3
Lemons - 1
Mango - 3
Oranges - 6
Peaches - 3
Pears - 3
Pineapple - 7
Pomegranate - 2
Raspberries - 2
Star Fruit - 1
Strawberries - 13
Water Melon - 19

The New AC!

What an exciting time to be a Shorecrest student (and coach too!) with the opening of our brand new Athletic Center. This space allows us the opportunity to develop skills in an environment that is safe, secure, and beautiful.

This week we will be having a "Gym Fun Week" to celebrate this opening. Games like Junk in the Trunk, The Magic Disk, Treasure Island, and Smash the Pumpkin will be used to reinforce teamwork and cooperation. Overhand throwing, kicking, and locomotor skills will also be a major focus this week.

Given our amazing new facility, we ask that all students come to school in athletic shoes with non-marking soles on the days that they have PE. This way we will be able to keep the floors in perfect condition for many years to come!

Bocce anyone?

This week students will be introduced to the game of Bocce Ball. Bocce is a relatively simple game that involves rolling a ball - the bocce - as close as possible to the target - the pallino. Through Bocce students are working on hand-eye coordination, judgement, sportsmanship, fair play, and score keeping. Another great benefit - its pretty easy to be good! Fun for all on the field this week!

The fourth grade girls will also have the opportunity to participate in the Punt, Pass and Kick competition. Each will have a chance to give their best throw, punt, and kick off of a tee. The two with the highest yardage total will be invited to the PPK finals during half time of the Varsity Football game on October 27th. More details to come. Good luck girls!

Lunch Time Poll

The 3rd grade lunch time poll is back! Each week that I have lunch duty, I will present a question to the 3rd graders. The results will be posted here on the blog. This week's question - When did you start at Shorecrest? Here's how the 3rd graders answered:

Alpha - 25
JK - 15
K - 9
1st - 8
2nd - 9
3rd - 11

Rolling into action. . .

This week's focus for Coach Pope's classes will be rolling. Using the proper technique when rolling helps to improve accuracy and also reinforces the proper form for throwing overhand and tossing. Games that incorporate rolling include 10-pin, Bowling and Bocce. All age levels will be introduced to this important skill and will have the opportunity to practice it in a variety of ways. Happy rolling everyone!

Frisbee Fun!

This week we will be introducing the frisbee to all grade levels. Did you know that the wind really is not a factor in good frisbee throwing? Its all about technique and taking your time! You may hear a funny little chant coming home - FLAT FRISBEES FLY FARTHER - a silly tongue twister designed to help us all remember to keep our frisbees flat. Another crazy thought - almost everything about throwing a frisbee is opposite what we know about throwing a ball! Stay low, keep your same foot forward, and always keep the frisbee FLAT! We should be ready for some ultimate frisbee very soon!

JK and Alpha classes will be working on Motor Development in the mini-gym. Stations include a curvy snake balance beam, rocket launching boards, the rebound net and hopscotch. Fun, Fun, Fun!

Rain, rain, go away. . .

and don't come back until we need you! What a couple of weeks - I really can't remember a time when our campus has been quite so wet - and I've had LOTS of years to compare! This week we are struggling to find dry spots to have class and keep things lively. Hopefully we will be able to begin our Frisbee unit soon. Until then we are fortunate to have Just Dance, Four Square, and Knock Out. Let's all hope for some dry skies soon!

Burnball and Flexibility

This week we will continue our Burnball unit, playing some different variations of the original game. We may have timed innings, we may have never ending runners, or we may introduce the bonus hit! All are sure to provide many opportunities for skill practice, critical thinking, and the demonstration of good sportsmanship.

Additionally, this week we will spend some time focusing on improving flexibility. Stretching, yoga, and pilates are three ways that we will practice this important component of fitness.

Learning Burnball!

This week all grade levels will be introduced to Burnball - a Swedish version of baseball. Many of the rules of the game are very similar to American baseball but there is one VERY important difference, there are NO outs! Burnball enables students to not only improve their hand-eye coordination and running skills, but critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well. We'll even throw in a little math! Its great fun - ask your child to compare and contrast Burnball and American baseball. Ask which one they prefer!

Introduction to FItness Testing

Each fall, one of the first units we like to cover is fitness testing. Students are introduced to the tests in the Presidential Fitness Challenge. Each of these tests is designed to measure a different component of physical fitness. The mile run measures cardiovascular endurance, the sit and reach measures flexibility, the sit-ups measure muscular endurance, the arm hang/pull-ups measure muscular strength, and the shuttle run measures speed and agility.

Students are encouraged to do their best with each of the tests, however, results are not our main focus. Our primary objective is to help them understand that the fall scores give us a baseline with which we will plan out the fitness curriculum for the entire year. If a child is unhappy with his or her score in a particular event, not to worry - we will have two more chances this year to do them all! Often the idea of fitness testing causes the students to feel anxiety. It is our sincere hope to alleviate this fear and help them to all realize that fitness testing is a great opportunity for self-improvement. Please help us to stress this idea to your child! We're looking forward to a great week!

Happy New School Year!

Hi everyone and welcome to the start of the 2011/12 school year. I am so excited to be here this year, in the lower division, enjoying the best job in the world! I realized this summer just how much I adore teaching the youngest of Shorecrest's community and it is truly my pleasure to be here with your children each day!

This trimester the classes that I will be working with primarily are: Mrs. Vigue's, Mrs. Whitecage's group, Ms. O'Mullane's group, Ms. Mitchell's group, and the 4th grade girls. On long days each PE coach will have the opportunity to work with all of the different groups.

This week the JK, kindergarten and 1st graders will be working on basic listening skills, positions, locomotor skills, and cooperation. 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders will be participating in some team building activities.

On Friday evening, August 26th, the Varsity Football season opener takes place on Haskell Field at 7:30PM. Half time will feature the first annual Charger Bolt - a race to the end zone for all the kids in the Lower Division and ECC. Participating families will be admitted for free. It's sure to be a fun event and we hope you'll all be able to join us!

Happy Summer!

It is hard to believe that another year is coming to a close, but here we are, in our final full week of school. The year has been filled with numerous challenges and successes for all of our students, and it an absolute gift to have the opportunity to experience these with your children. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the families in the Lower Division for allowing us to be a part of raising these amazing youngsters! As we round out the year, we will continue to review the units that have been covered throughout the year, and give the students a chance to choose some of their favorite activities as well. May your summer be filled with many happy memories, safe travels, and good health. All the best, Coach Pope

Splash Day and review!

The highlight of this week is sure to be Splash Day. All classes will have the opportunity to experience all the water fun during their regular PE class. Students who do not wish to get wet will have other dry options as well. Please be sure to send a towel and sunscreen!

The rest of the week will consist of review of previous units, including Frisbee, Burnball, Bocce, and Speed Minton. Should be a great week for all!

Frisbee and Horseshoes!

This week students will be finishing up our Frisbee unit with Frisbee Golf and Ultimate Frisbee. The students have learned to throw the frisbee accurately, even when its windy! Horseshoes give the students the opportunity to work on tossing, understanding rules, and score keeping - plus its loads of FUN! Wonder who will get a ringer this week!

Welcome Coach Kendall!

This Monday marks a special day for the Shorecrest Community, our first student "Coach for the Day!" Coach Kendall F. spent the day leading classes with our team and was a great addition to the crew - wish we could have her all the time!

This week we'll be introducing Frisbee, first learning the proper technique for throwing, then using our skills in several different games. The unit will culminate with a round of Frisbee Golf, taking us all around the field. Remember - FLAT FRISBEES FLY FARTHER!

Speed Minton Tournaments, Mile Runs, and Regional Track!

What a busy week we have in store! We'll start our week with our Speed Minton Tournaments for 1st through 4th graders. Using an advancement technique I learned from friends who played handball in New York City, students will have the opportunity to play in the class "championship" of Speed Minton. In this system winning individuals move up the ladder to the coveted "A" court, which has to be won to be kept. It is an exciting way to allow the students to experience competition without elimination! Ask your child who spent the most time on "A" court in his or her class!

We will also be completing the mile run this week for grades 2 and 4, since we were displaced last week by the District Track meet on our Track! On Thursday, I will be traveling to Naples with 23 of our Varsity Track athletes for the Regional Track meet. Our girls team were District runners-up and we hope to see great success both on the track and in the field on Thursday! Go Chargers!

As for the remainder of the week - ECC will continue to work on balance through the use of stations in the mini-gym. Kindergarteners will be treated to both group cooperative games and individual class activities. Make-ups for the Presidential Fitness Test will also be completed for 3rd and 4th graders.

Celebrate the Arts!

This week, with Celebrate the Arts, some of our classes will be affected. Therefore, we'll use the week to finish up several units. First, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders will be completing their fitness testing - including running the mile. Third graders will run on Tuesday, second and fourth on Thursday.

First through fourth graders will also be completing their Speed Minton unit. Students will learn to play games and each class will participate in a tournament to find the champions for each grade level. Its sure to be a fun week for all!

Field Day and Speed Minton!

On Tuesday, April 5th, the Lower Division students will participate in Field Day from 10-11:30 on the Football field. We are excited to be bringing back some of our favorite games, including at least one that should be new for everyone - can't tell you what it is, you'll have to be surprised tomorrow! We will also be allowing those students who were not able to run the mile at the track meet to run in front of this large crowd. It is sure to be an action packed day!

This week we will also be introducing Speed Minton, a net-less variation of Badminton. Students will have the opportunity to build upon racquet skills from previous units - this is a test, do you know which unit? As always, fitness and sportsmanship will continue to guide our discussions, warm-ups, and influence our daily lessons.

Spring Fitness Testing!

Spring is in the air, so that means time for fitness testing again! This week we will begin our Spring Fitness Testing for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders. All students will have the opportunity to participate in the 5 events - sit-ups, sit & reach, shuttle run, arm hang/pull ups, and mile run. Often times fitness testing causes GREAT anxiety in the students, however, it is our sincere hope to minimize this trend! Please help us to remind them of the importance of overall fitness, not necessarily an award. If we can help the students understand the benefit of the test in showing us where and how they've improved throughout the year, then the testing process itself is most beneficial! Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns related to the Fitness Testing. Enjoy the beautiful weather! Happy Spring!

Welcome back!

Spring Break sure was great, wasn't it? Did you get to rest or did you come back to school to recover from your vacation :-) Either way, I hope you and your families had a wonderful time. Now, lucky for us, we're back to reality - which really isn't so bad either!

This week, on Wednesday, the 3rd and 4th graders will participate in the long awaited Track Meet. Field events will begin at 9, running events at 10. Come out and cheer on the students when you can.

We'll also be participating in Relay for Life on Friday. All classes will walk the track during their PE time to show our support to all those who have battled cancer. Don't forget to wear PURPLE!! Have a great week!

Spring Break, Here we come!

As we prepare for Spring Vacation, we'll be having some Spring-time fun in PE! Games this week will include Massachusetts Cone Ball, Burn Ball, and Cross Fire! Additionally, 3rd and 4th graders will have an opportunity to practice their events for the Track Meet. Relay teams will work on hand-offs, runners will practice running events, and field events will be given more specific instruction. We'll be busy, but having FUN just the same! Enjoy the week, and enjoy your vacations!

Getting ready for the track meet and Bocce!

This week student will be introduced to the game of Bocce Ball. Bocce is a relatively simple game that involves rolling a ball - the bocce - as close as possible to the target - the pallino. Through Bocce students are working on hand-eye coordination, judgement, sportsmanship, fair play, and score keeping. Another great benefit - its pretty easy to be good! Fun for all on the field this week!

This week we'll also be helping the 3rd and 4th graders choose the events in which they'll participate for the upcoming track meet. We are very excited to be hosting the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade meet on March 23rd!

Our final week together!

This week is the last week of the 1st trimester, and therefore my last week with Ms. Conroy's, Mrs. Densa's, Ms. O'Mullane's, and Ms. LaDuke's groups. It is also my final week with the Ms. Tucker's and Mr. Hughes' boys! While, I'll admit, I am a little sad to see you all moving on, I know that you'll have a great time with Coach D and Coach Every - AND I'm VERY excited to get to work with another new group of students! So many faces I feel like I haven't seen much this year!

For our last week together we'll be revisiting some of our previous units - Cone Ball, Rock Wall, and Burn Ball. We'll also have a chance to try out one more backyard game. Its sure to be a fun week for all!

Speed Minton!

This week we will be introducing Speed Minton, a netless variation of Badminton. Students will have the opportunity to build upon racquet skills from previous units - this is a test, do you know which unit? As always, fitness and sportsmanship will continue to guide our discussions, warm-ups, and influence our daily lessons. We look forward to enjoying one of our last units together, as the groups will be changing after next week.

Welcome back to Fitness!

Has anybody else noticed how crowded it is at the gym this week! I love January because it brings a renewed sense of awareness to many of us - especially in the area of fitness! In honor of this time of year, we thought it would be an appropriate time to do our mid-year fitness assessment. Each time we do any fitness testing with the students, we stress that each individual should only compare his or her own scores, with the goal of constant improvement. Unfortunately, the kids often see the events as a competition. We will continue to maintain our focus on individuality and self-improvement, and we hope you'll help us to convey this message as well!