Starting the Year with Fitness, Fun and Games
This year’s PE classes are off to a joyful start as students celebrate their reunion with fellow classmates! Getting to know all of the children as they eagerly catch up with one other after an extended time apart has been a wonderful way to mark my arrival on-island.
In a most fitting manner, we kicked off this joyful beginning with a Games Unit for our Elementary classes. Over the past four weeks, our Lower and Upper Elementary students have been getting back in the groove of PE with friendly, cooperative games to support teamwork and fitness. Students have challenged themselves by engaging in relay races, tag games, as well as team games. It has been amazing to see their willingness and effort to work together toward a common goal, all while having a ton of fun!
In Casa we have carried over the Games theme while also concentrating on building routine, listening skills, spatial awareness, and body control. In some lessons we have been working through circuits, which have students practicing balance, skipping, galloping, and hopping. Other lessons offer Casa children the opportunity to take part in listening and tag games. No matter the focus of the lesson, the children always come to class ready to learn, have fun, and support one another!
The third week of school kicked off our very first Toddler PE session of the year and it has been an exciting ride so far! The Toddler group is learning to interact with a wide variety of PE equipment including hoops, different sized balls, bean bags, and buckets; they are practicing sharing and being kind to others, as well as with the equipment. The Toddlers are also building routine and body awareness.
This week we are wrapping up our Games Unit and getting ready to move into Football. This is especially timely as it coincides with the kick-off of the Primary Football League season! Montessori students from both Lower and Upper Elementary will be competing alongside teammates from First Baptist School to form a united South Sounds Schools football team. Both our U9 and U11 teams are looking forward to an exciting season ahead. Be sure to wish them good luck in their upcoming games!
It has been a great first month at Montessori By The Sea! I feel grateful to work with all of the students. There is so much potential in each PE group, and I am so excited to see where the year will take us!