Mrs. Patterson, Physical Educator at Longfellow School

Have a great summer!

2011-05-29T04:06:00.000-07:00

This summer try to limit your children's time on all screens. Instead encourage them to play outside, go to the pool, try out a new sport, play with friends and just have fun.
I wish all Longfellow families a wonderful, relaxing summer.

See you in the fall,
Mrs. Patterson

Fitness events in May

2011-05-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 4th: ACES
ACES stands for All Children Exercise Simultaneously. It is the world’s largest exercise class. At 10:00am all Longfellow students and staff will participate in this event along with people from many other countries in order to promote physical fitness and health.

Saturday, May 7th: Fun Run
8:00am at Lindberg Park, Oak Park.

Friday, May 20th: Olympic Day
Climbing wall, Tug’o’war, crab soccer, relay races and much more! Students in grades 1, 3 and 5 will participate in the morning and students in grades Kindergarten, 2 and 4 in the afternoon. Wear Longfellow Spirit wear and don't forget to wear gym shoes! Sun screen is also recomended.

APRIl FOCUS: HYDRATION

2011-04-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

This month all students will learn the importance of drinking plenty of water. In PE we play the game "Hydration Tag" and talk about what happens if you get dehydrated. When you are just a little bit dehydrated you are already not able to pay attention as well. Other problems besides thirst include headaches and lethargy.
Sometime during the month of April the "H2O squad" will show up in each classroom and check to see who brought their water bottle.

Gymnastics is coming!!

2011-03-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

From April 7 through 20 students will participate in gymnastics during PE. Students may participate in gym shoes or gripper socks, the kind of socks with rubbery paint on the bottom. Long hair must be tied back. Students need to still bring their gym shoes in case there is the need for a substitute teacher. We are looking forward to tumbling, rings, parallel bars, uneven bars and the balance beam!

March: FOCUS ON NUTRITION

2011-03-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

In March we have several activities planned that help our students understand the importance of healthy nutrition. The week of March 14 students were encouraged to wear a certain color every day and eat fruit or vegetables of that color. This way we "eat the rainbow", making sure we get all different vitamins. In PE students in grades Kindergarten, 1 and 2 played "Grab'n'Go" with fruit and were encouraged to eat more fruit and vegetables.

February focus: Exercise

2011-02-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

During the month of February we focus on exercise. All classes played a Valentine's Tag game and learned how aerobic exercise is good for your heart. On the days many of us eat extra treats such as on Valentine's Day it is especially important to get a little extra exercise. It is recommended that children get at least 60 minutes of exercise every or almost every day. For adults the recommended time is 30 minutes. At Longfellow School we will celebrate exercise this month by having an all school dance, the Cha-Cha slide, as well as morning announcements about the importance of exercising.

January focus: Sleep and Healthy Breakfast

2011-01-11T07:46:00.000-08:00

During the month of January Longfellow School's Wellness Committee is focusing on teaching the importance of getting enough sleep and having a healthy breakfast. We will have a poster contest and an All School pyjama party with a classroom breakfast. In PE students will learn about getting enough sleep with a fun, active game.
For more information on benefits of enough sleep click here.

January is a great time to start being extra healthy

2011-01-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

Now with the holidays and lots of extra food behind us, it is a good time to focus on being healthy. Children benefit from being healthy in so many ways, one of them being able to focus better in school.
A good way to get extra exercise is to keep walking to school every day if possible. Bundle of against the cold weather and walk with your child. If you must drive, consider dropping your child of a blog or two before school. In the cold weather it is also nice to join an indoor sport. Make sure to chose one that your child likes, it is important that it is fun for them. Another way to exercise together as a family is to get an exercise DVD from the library and try it out together.
Focus on eating five fruits and vegetables every day. One of them can be eaten at school daily during healthy snack time.
Have a happy and healthy New Year,
Mrs. Patterson

Longfellow's 8th Annual Turkey Trot

2010-11-12T01:10:00.000-08:00

At this year's turkey trot 132 students signed up, which is a new record. Every participant received three silly bands. The fastest boy and girl in each grade received a medal. Turkeys donated by local businesses were raffled off among all participants. More important than the prizes is that all students increased their stamina (the power to endure) by running, jogging or trotting five long laps around the field.
Thank you to the following companies for donating turkeys for this fun event:
Dominicks, Jewel-Osco, Ultra Foods and Whole Foods

The turkey trot is coming up!

2010-10-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

Calling all 3rd, 4th and 5th graders! The turkey trot is on Wednesday, November 10th, 2:00 pm.

Here is the information and the permission slip.

International Walk to School Day

2010-09-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

International Walk to School Day is on Wednesday, October 6th. Wouldn't it be great if there were no or very few cars around Longfellow that day?
In PE we were discussing the many benefits of walking to school. It is good for your body, your mind and the environment. It helps with getting the recommended amount of daily exercise. It is fun. The students were also thinking about their parents and said they would have more free time if they did not have to drive, as well as more money, since they saved on gas for the car if their child walked to school.

Welcome back to another year with fun and fitness!

2010-09-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

New this year is that we have three PE teachers. Mrs. Elisabeth Patterson teaches most classes including all third, fourth and fifth grades. Ms. Michelle Valentin teaches five classes and Mr. Tom Rocco teaches one class.
We are working together as a team to make sure your children get the best physical education program possible. Please make sure to find out who your child's PE teacher is and contact us should you have any questions, issues or compliments. To e-mail any of us type the first letter of the first name followed without space by the last name for example epatterson and add @op97.org.
Our first big event is on October 6th, National Walk to School Day. Please walk your child to school that day. We recommend walking to school every day. That helps your child sit still, it's fun, it's good for the environment, and with extra oxygen in their brains it even helps them learn better.

I am looking forward to a great year,
Elisabeth Patterson

Fun Pics

2008-06-24T11:42:00.000-07:00