Spring Break 3/24-3/28

HOW ABOUT SOME WARM WEATHER!!!  This winter has been brutal!  Lets hope for some nice warm weather for spring break so we can get outside and start exercising!!  Remember to stay active and don't forget to sign up for the ABC/25  Just Move It challenge on April 12th.
Spring break will be from 3/24 to 3/28.
Because of the snow days, we will have school with kids on Thursday and Friday 3/20 and 3/21.

Gymnastics

The last couple of week we have been working on BASIC gymnastics moves and mainly focusing on BALANCE.  This is really the only time of the year where we really focus on this area.  Kids are able to tumble, work on the wedges, balance beam (low), climbing wall, parallel bars, the climbing rope, and the vault.

Thanks Coach D!!!

Thank you Coach D for all your work at Westgate!!  Coach now is at South Middle School and should graduate in late May from Illinois State University! 

Dance City!!

This week and next we will work on some groovy dance moves!  Younger kids will work on the hokey pokey, tooth-ta and bunny hop while older kids will do some cool line dances like the cha-cha slide and cupid shuffle.  Next week we will build on these songs and work with ribbons and do a little square dancing with the older kids (3,4,5th grade).

Fastest hands in the West!!

After some practice with the speed stacks…kids were turning some REALLY good times with the 3-3-3, 3-6-3, and 6-6.  The fastest times are listed below for grade levels:

1st grade:
3-3-3 Alyssa D. 6.813 seconds

2nd grade:
3-3-3 Kyle T. 5.248 sec
3-6-3 Kyle T. 6.657 sec
6-6 Kyle T. 9.034 sec

3rd grade:
3-3-3 Samantha M. 4.493 sec
3-6-3 Grace F. 7.589 sec
6-6 Samantha M. 10.368

4th grade:
3-3-3 Vasi UJ 4.501 sec
3-6-3 Vasi UJ 6.654 sec
6-6 Vasi UJ 7.753 sec

5th grade:
3-3-3 Max C. 3.753 sec
3-6-3 Max C. 4.520 sec
6-6 Max C. 4.543 sec
Cycle Max C. 15.156

Coach K -
as hard as I tried, I could not beat Max C!!
Way to go MAX!!!!
3-3-3 3.883 sec
3-6-3 5.277 sec
6-6 5.859
cycle 27.024 sec

Stack Em Up!!

This week the kids had a great time working with the "Speed Stacks" cups.  Kids were expected to work on their 3-3-3, 3-6-3, 6-6, and cycle times on the floor, and then even had a chance to use the "official" timer they use at tournaments!!

PARACHUTE!!!!

This week kids are working as a team to manipulate the BIG parachute in PE class.  We are switching positions, making mushrooms, launching balls (some even hit the ceiling and got stuck!!), and playing "lifeguard" if time allows.

Fun Fair this Friday!!!

Westgate PTA will host the fun fair this Friday 2/7/2014.
Hope to see everyone there, it is always such a good time with games, face painting, a DJ playing music and food.  Make sure you pre-order tickets to save $.
The event will run from 6:30-8:30.

Westgate Welcomes Coach D!!

This Spring I will have a student teacher Ms. DiGregorio or "Coach D" from Illinois State University help out in the gym!!  Coach D is very excited to be at Westgate Elementary before she moves on to South Middle School in 8 weeks.  Coach D. also enjoys working out, movies, and playing with her black lab puppy.  During the summers she runs a day camp and enjoys working with kids!

Bowling at Westgate!!

Students just finished up our traveling bowling unit!  The equipment goes to each school and students learn the history, proper grip, stance and delivery to try and get strikes and spares.  If they do get a strike or spare, they are allowed to sign a large sheet and keep track of their progress.  The second week of bowling we did "cosmic" bowling and "wacky pins."  Cosmic bowling has laser lights and LED's while wacky pins allows students to setup the 10 lane pins in combinations like letters, numbers, or shapes!

Indiana Jones Part 1

As Indiana Jones makes his way into the temple to steal the gold statue...he notices pressure plates in the floor...he/she then has to navigate darts to make it to the gold...grab it, AND make it back!!  For "darts" we use rolling hula hoops, and a gold dodgeball for a statue...kids love trying to make it back without getting "hit."  We then did some "team" runs with 2 people at once!!

Pacer Test!!

In order to test student cardio levels during the colder months, we run the "pacer" test where kids run from line to line before a bell sounds.  If they get 2 misses - they are out.  At the end of each round, the CD speaks and tells them what their score is.  Students work on improving their score each time, and setting goals.  Some of the highest scores are:
3rd grade: Jimmy 60, Tyler 60
4th grade: Bernie 61, Ethan 85
5th Grade: Alex 82, Aidan 84, Wade 62, Ethan K. 93
Great job everyone!!  Keep up the good work!!

Fitness Stations

Recently, the kids worked in fitness stations...just like "Club K" in PE class.  Stations included jogging, weightlifting (light weights), dance, steps, exercise bands, climbing wall, jump rope and boxing.  This year I left out the fitness balls because I am working on a video to properly instruct them on use!!  More to come on that in the new year!

Basketball Skills

We worked on some basketball skills including dribbling, passing, and shooting.  Because of the wide range of abilities the baskets were lowered to heights from 7 feet to 10 feet.  Kids enjoyed playing "knockout" or "lightning" and younger kids played 4 team shootout where each team would work together to make baskets.  Remember when shooting to spring load your wrist, arm and legs...then release.

Fall Conferences

If you would like a conference with me (Coach Helmann will be at Greenbrier, we can setup a phone conference) please contact me at ekirschner@sd25.org to schedule an appointment.  I will be available:
Monday 25th-
8am-noon
1pm-5pm
6pm-8pm
Tuesday 26th-
8am-noon
Thanks, Coach K