We are ending our unit on Badminton with a tournament for our 4th - 6th graders.  This is a great way to put everything together that has been learned about the sport.  I am very pleased with the skill level the students have achieved in Badminton.  I have seen cooperation, team work and communication along with great serves and rallies.  We will be starting our unit on Volleyball this month along with starting our CPR and First Aid unit for our 4th - 6th graders.  I will post pictures of our Badminton winners when our tournament is complete.  Visit back soon for great pictures of our students in action in their tournament.

Badminton is coming to an end this month.  We are going to end the sport of the month with a badminton tournament for our 4th - 6th graders.  They have had plenty of practice with serving and rallying, now it is time to put it all together.  They have learned how to keep score and how to rotate when playing with partners.  I like ending the unit with a small tournament because it puts together all the pieces that we have learned.  Not just serving, hitting, keeping up with the scores, but also teamwork, using strategies, and problem solving.  The concepts we learn can also be applied to life, not just sports.  These are life skill that everyone needs to practice.  We are also doing our fitness checks this month.  1st - 6th graders will be tested on their: sit ups, push ups, shuttle run, and timed on 5-8 laps running.  We are looking to improve from our last test which was in October.  The students are tested 3 times during the school year so they can chart their improvements.  

Pre-K and Kindergarten have learned how to turn and jump a long jump rope.  Kindergarten will be demonstrating their talents with the jump rope at Grandparent's Day in February.  I am very proud of our Pre-K and Kindergarten classes, they are working hard and having fun learning how to jump.  The get so excited when they jump past their highest number. 

This month in P.E. we will be studying and playing the sport of Badminton.  Pre schoolers will be using paddles and balloons while 1st -6th graders will be using paddles/racquets and birdies. I like teaching the unit on Badminton because anyone can play this game.  You can purchase a whole set at Wal-Mart or Academy for a very reasonable price.  It can be played inside or outside.  It is a good and fun way to practice hand-eye coordination, focus, teamwork, and you even get some exercise in there too.  Enjoy the pictures of the students of their first week of Badminton!

We are almost finished with our unit on Basketball.  We have learned rules, how to pass, dribble, and shoot.  But Basketball is more than just a game, it is also a tool that we use to teach: teamwork, communication, cooperation, and perseverance.  These are just a few life skills we teach at St. James to all of our children.  Everyone has Physical Education everyday here and they love it!  Learning can be fun, even if you have struggles.  Some students had some struggles this month with Basketball because of their height, but it made them stronger.  They learned how to use their size to their advantage.  They learned that you don't have to be the one to shoot the ball into the net to score.  It takes teamwork to score points.  

If you haven't already picked up your registration form to join TISD Intramural basketball, I have some in my office. I handed some out in class for those students interested. This is for 3rd -6th grade.  Our school will be paired up with Nash to make the teams.  Each grade will have a boys team and a separate girls team.  Practices will be 2 days a week with games on Saturdays.  Once all the forms have been turned in a coach will be assigned to your team.  The coach will then contact you with practice times and location.  I am looking forward to seeing our students play. The cost of this program is only $10!  They will supply you a jersey to wear for the games.  Registrations are due to me by the morning of Thursday, November 16th.  If you have any questions you can call or email me.  

For the month of September, we made Flag Football the sport of the month for our 4th - 6th graders.  Everyone enjoyed getting to play.  We learned routes, positions, how to throw and catch, basic rules, and most important, how to work as a team.  The students had so much fun they want to continue to play even after the month is over.  So we are now adding Flag Football into the rotations of games played in P.E. Also pictured below are our Primary I and II class working on their Gross Motor skills and our 1st - 6th graders enjoying a nice game of Bean Bag Toss. Our sport of the month in October is Soccer, I will be posting Pictures of the students playing very soon.  

What a great start we have had at St. James! I was so excited to see everyone on that first day of school. I am amazed at how much your children have grown over the Summer break! I hope you enjoy the pictures of your children getting back into the routine of things. I have some new activities planned this year in the area of sports and games. I will be taking lots of pictures and posting them so make sure you stop by and check out my blog from time to time. You may catch your child on here having some fun!

Thanks a bunch for sharing your children with us,
Nicole Chatelain