Fitness and Fun in Physical Education!
P.E. is off to a great year so far.
Toddler students have had a wonderful transition into school life. As such, they have already started attending PE classes. Our main focus for September was to get the children comfortable leaving their classroom teachers to come to the multi-purpose court to get to know and play with us. At this time we bring lots of equipment such as bean bags, hoops, balls, balance beams and wobble boards into the court. We encourage the children to play freely, and we interact with them as well. Once we feel they are ready, we will slowly introduce more structure into the class in the form of a quick circle time at first, some stretching through song, and eventually a circuit that will develop balance, climbing and jumping.
Our focus for the Casa and Kindergarten program this September has been establishing a routine; promptly getting from their classroom to the multi-purpose court with their water bottles while staying in line can be quiet a big task for three and four-year-olds. Listening skills, the ability to freeze immediately on command (for safety reasons), and space awareness have been the focus of their fun games. Once these skills are mastered, we will have a safe class and the children will be ready for all the fun work we have planned for the year ahead.
Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary & Middle Years Program students spent the first two weeks enjoying a games unit wherein children learned how to interact, communicate, problem-solve and play nicely together after the long summer break. They did this by participating in tag, relay, team and co-operative games in each session. We also discussed how to demonstrate sportsmanship and fair play in each class.
We have now moved on to our next unit for the school year: Movement. Movement is a combination of sports acrobatics, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, inclusive of dance. The children will learn gymnastic tumbling, jumps turns and leaps, individual balances, and basic partner acrobatic balances. They will be given the opportunity to express themselves through dance while demonstrating an understanding of levels, tempo and pathways. Students will also have the opportunity to manipulate ribbons and hoops while incorporating other aspects of class. Older children will work individually on putting a mini routine together to demonstrate the skills learned in the unit, and will also spend time working on manipulative skills such as kicking, throwing, bouncing etc.
Should you have any questions about MBTS’ Physical Education program, please email Ms. Michelle at pe@mbts.ky or ms.karen@mbts.ky. Kindly note that Ms. Karen will begin her maternity leave on Friday, September 29th.