Past projects 7
Slamming into Fitness
Funded Jan 17, 2024We used the fitness equipment at stations during Movement with Mathew. I taught them two acronyms before starting. EMOM - Every Minute On the Minute and AMRAP - As Many Reps As Possible. Students got an awesome fitness workout in with the new equipment as they were told to use AMRAP for one minute, jog one lap around the gym, and then whatever time was left before the next minute they used as their "rest" period. Each student is also tracking their scores for the 10 different activities on a fitness log I created. They worked on muscular strength and endurance, core, and cardio to help improve their own personal fitness levels! If only you could see how red their faces were when we finished!
Anything new is exciting to the students! Most of this equipment is really colorful and fun so that helps create a more fun learning atmosphere! Students have been awesome at putting forth effort during our fitness days and complain about being sore the next day or two. I love getting to work with them to help their form and/or encourage them to keep doing their best even though it may be challenging.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mathew
Pacers Practicing Yoga
Funded Jan 3, 2024I have now participated in yoga with my students several times. The mats are wonderful and the students really liked seeing the pictures on them! I started by teaching different yoga moves, letting the students see the pictures, me demonstrating, and then letting them try out each move for themselves.
The students were really excited about getting something new! I caught many checking out the poses that are labeled on the mats and trying them out before we got started. They were soft enough to protect us from the hardwoods in the gym, yet thin enough students could hold their balance and not fall.
I plan to teach some yoga sequences and have my students use the mats to create their own original yoga sequences. Many thought it was a nice and relaxing way to build strength and increase their flexibility in my basic skills class. I hope that yoga can help my students work on their breathing techniques, as well as, cope with the ongoing stress and anxiety they are experiencing.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mathew
How Do Chickens Stay Fit? They Eggs-ercise!
Funded Nov 30, 2022I couldn't have imagined a piece of equipment going over any better with my students than the rubber chickens did. My 8th grade students absolutely LOVE them! We use the chickens in place of different types of balls to spice up physical education games. For example, I taught the students how to play Flicker Chicken. It is very similar to Ultimate Frisbee, but the students are more successful because they have an easier time throwing and catching the chickens. Plus, they are just fun!
The bouncy, foam balls have also been a hit. Occasionally, we have some days where we don't have access to a gym and the weather has also been really cold or rainy. Therefore, we have to hold physical education class in a normal classroom. I made up a game called table 4-square and they had so much fun with it. Plus, we got in some activity and friendly competition. We also played desk-ball to work on their throwing and catching skills.
Not only have my physical education students benefited from these new pieces of equipment, but the staff's own children have as well! The chickens have been such a huge hit that many staff members' children come to my room to play with them after school. The children have made up games such as hide and go chick, chicken tag, and chicken baseball. It is so refreshing seeing students off of electronics and having fun socializing with each other during physical activities.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mathew
This classroom project was brought to life by Mission Tiger and 2 other donors.Hardworking Huskies
Funded Dec 16, 2019We used the poly spots several different days as "stations." Students got an awesome fitness workout in with the variety of poly spots we were able to purchase. They worked on strength, core, and cardio to help improve their own personal fitness levels! We used the scarves for a partner reaction game. If only you could hear the giggles and squeals that happened in the gym all day long!
Anything new is exciting to the students! Most of this equipment is really colorful and fun so that helps create a more fun learning atmosphere! They thought the pigs and fish were hilarious!
I have a really fun game called trashball to play with the students. The object of the game is to throw the most amount of "trash" into the bins located on your opponents' side! The softballs, fleece balls, fish, and pigs are perfect types of equipment we can use to throw around the gym for this game. This game will focus on underhand and overhand throwing for accuracy, as well as, good teamwork skills.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mathew
This classroom project was brought to life by Mission Tiger and one other donor.Scootin' and Shootin' Huskies!
Funded Dec 15, 2019We have used the new scooters throughout many PE classes, as well as, a school assembly! The scooters have been used in relays and during free time to ride around the gym. I created a Nutrition Jenga game and used the scooters as a way teams needed to ride out to the blocks to play Jenga. We just held a winter sports pep session where student and teacher teams used the scooters in Human Bowling!
The students could not get over how large the scooters were! We have never had any this big and they are perfect for middle school students. They can sit and lay down on them easily to work on their muscular strength.
As for the basketballs, they are getting used daily! All of our students in grades 6-8 now get recess for 15-20 minutes after their lunch. The basketball cart is their all-time favorite activity so I have it out most days each week. It just switches back and forth between our two gyms. Students love shooting around, playing knockout, and 3 on 3 or 5 on 5 games.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mathew
This classroom project was brought to life by Mission Tiger and one other donor.Husky Yogis
Funded Dec 12, 2019I have now participated in yoga with my students several times. We have used different yoga videos through BeachBody on Demand. The mats are fantastic and the students really liked them! I even had several boys tell me the next day they were sore from doing yoga with me!
The students were really excited about getting new equipment! I caught many checking out the poses that are labeled on the mats and trying them out before we got started. They were soft enough to protect us from the hardwoods in the gym, yet thin enough students could hold their balance and not fall. They also grip the floor nicely to prevent slipping.
I plan to have my students use the mats to create their own original yoga sequences. Many thought it was a nice and relaxing way to build strength and increase their flexibility in my PE class. I didn't even have to use my whistle once on yoga days! I hope that yoga can help my students cope with the ongoing stress and anxiety they are experiencing.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mathew
This classroom project was brought to life by Mission Tiger and one other donor.Heart Healthy Huskies!
Funded Dec 3, 2019Heart rate monitors for our physical education department have totally revolutionized our PE curriculum. They have helped to enhance student learning and student motivation by providing instant feedback to them throughout class. Students are constantly checking the giant projector screen to see how many steps they have taken and if they have increased their heart rate into the yellow or red zone. We recently completed a CrossFit unit where the students were in the vigorous (red) heart rate zone for the majority of class because they were working so hard.
My students were really excited and could not wait to use the new heart rate monitors for the first time. I had been talking about them to the students to help increase their curiosity and interest. Each student was able to receive their own heart rate monitor band so they do not have to share those. I have a class set of the actual monitors with numbers on them so each student has been assigned a particular number. This also helps protect the privacy of my students as the number is projected on the screen and not their names. They have been trained on how to get them, turn them on, use during class, and return to the appropriate place for the next class.
My next step is to use the reports from the heart rate monitors to grade my students on their effort and participation. I can get a report from each class and on each individual student every day they wear them. I plan to create a rubric in the future so I can look at how hard the students were working during class, how many steps they took, and how long they spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). If there is ever a question about a students' grade, I can look up and share the heart rate monitor report with them. I also may try an interdisciplinary lesson and have the students graph their heart rates to see the changes that occur during different physical activities.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mathew
This classroom project was brought to life by An anonymous classroom supporter and 3 other donors.