Congratulations Bell School Second and Third Grade!

Dino-Sauring

Bell School Winter Musical 2014

Francesca Simone, Music Director

Tammy Nohelty, Artistic Director

Amie James, Choreographer

Congratulations to the second and third graders of Bell School on their fantastic performance of the 2014 Winter Musical, Dino-Sauring.  The show incorporated various styles of music, which told the stories and presented educational facts about specific dinosaurs.  The third grade students acted as the narrators for the show.  Students’ “Dino-Party” artwork was showcased via a slide show throughout the performance and the auditorium was decorated with six-foot reproductions of a few selected pieces from this artwork.  Each class had a moment to shine as they performed choreographed dances center stage.  Students wore coordinating t-shirts and headpieces that they created in the art classroom.  Both shows were well attended and enjoyed a great success.  

Thank you to our principal, Mrs. Zaeske, Mrs. Louisos, the 2nd and 3rd Grade General Ed teachers, our Access team, Bell School PTO and all of the friends and family of the Bell School. 

Physical Education Fall Review 2013

     It is hard to believe the school year is 1/3 of the way over. We have gotten off to a great start this year. All the classes have learned about locomotor movements, personal space, fitness and RESPECT AND SAFETY FOR ALL. Ask your child to tell and show you what a locomotor movement is. We also practiced our daily routines to make the year a success. While getting to know our new and old friends, we played games such as Friendship Tag and Compliment Tag.

     The students are placed in squads. This is the place where we start each class, settle in for directions and take attendance. Spatial awareness is an important concept for all children to learn. Although sometimes challenging to comprehend, we have many activities to help us practice. We practice moving in all directions, pathways and on different levels without touching one another.

     Concepts like sportsmanship, teamwork, displaying a positive attitude, playing by the rules, and goal setting are stressed to all students. Each grade level builds upon the one before so that the students learn movement and skills sequentially.

     Fitness is a lifelong activity that is one of the most important things we develop in PE. The goal is to get students to understand the basics in a safe and fun environment, so that as they get older it becomes a natural part of their daily life.

     Grades K-2 has also been working on basic skills and various manipulatives. Skills include throwing catching (hand-eye coordination), tossing/catching, foot skills (foot-eye coordination), jump ropes and hula hoops. Also we have been playing several low organizational games such as What Time Is It Mr. Fox and Marching Ponies. Have your child teach you the rules to a game and play as a family. All the students are working really hard and improving each day.

     The third grade classes completed a football unit where they learned such skills as throwing/catching,

punting, centering and handoffs. Positions were discussed and each student participated in mini-formations to understand game play. Each student was given a post exam to test their knowledge about football. We are currently working on a soccer unit and will be finishing up soon.

     Practicing at home through play with parents and siblings is a great way to help students reinforce the skills they are practicing in class. If your child shows an interest in a sport or if he/she is excelling in a skill, you can build that interest by enrolling him/her in activities that focus on these skills. The more activity your child gets, the more comfortable they will feel to be active.

Ultimate Goal of Physical Education

Physical activity is critical to the development and maintenance of good health. The goal of Physical Education is to develop physically educated individuals who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity.

A physically educated person:
-Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities.
-Demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities.
-Participates regularly in physical activity.
-Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.
-Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings.
-Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction.

(Moving into the Future: National Standards for Physical Education, 2nd Edition 2004)

Fitness Testing

     This year, elementary schools across the district are piloting the Physical Best program as well as the Fitnessgram fitness test (second & third grade only). Physical Best is a program that will become integrated into our already existing Physical Education classes. Physical Best activities help children learn about physical fitness and understand the importance of being healthy and leading physically active lives. Physical Best goes hand in hand with Fitnessgram.

     Many of you may remember the President’s challenge for physical fitness testing. The Fitnessgram will be replacing that assessment tool. Fitnessgram is designed by the Cooper Institute and is a comprehensive fitness assessment battery for youth. It includes a variety of health-related physical fitness tests designed to assess cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility. For information about the Physical Best Program, please visit www.humankinetics.com/physicalbest. For more information on Fitnessgram, visit www.Fitnessgram.net. Results from this assessment are not part of your child’s Physical Education report card grade.

     All second and third grade students have completed the fall portion of testing. In the spring, students will be retested. Soon, students will be reviewing their scores and set a specific goal for improvement in the spring. Your child’s results will be coming home shortly. Be on the lookout for the results. Help your child be successful by working on their individual goal as a family.