Get Fit Class Blog

Here is a link to all the blogs in our Get Fit class:

Get Fit Blogs

Read other peoples blogs in our class and comment!

Get Fit Fencing

It has been a fun few days watching Get Fit participate in a Intro to Fencing "field trip" at Sullivan.
Get Fit Girls - This would be a great time to reflect on your experience.  I will provide some guiding questions to help you with your post - your blog post should not be a list of answers to these questions - please write it in a paragraph that would stand alone (ie. Anyone who read it would understand the context)

Now, what should I write about...
What where your first impressions upon hearing about the opportunity to try fencing in our class?  Did those feelings change once you got started?
Have you tried fencing before?  How do you usually feel about trying new things?
What did you enjoy?  What would you change?
Did you put your best effort forth?  Why or why not?
What did you learn from this experience?

Midterm Reflection - SuperFit and GetFit

It is time to reflect on your progress so far in Super Fit and Get Fit.  Read over your first posts about why you have taken the course and what you were hoping to achieve.  Hopefully, since we are half-way through the course (!) you have seen some changes and improvements.  Your blog should be a journal of your progress, as the semester continues, you should be publishing posts on your own time providing evidence of things that are important to your journey in Super Fit/ Get Fit.  Less of a list of things we did and more of a reflection on what those things mean to you.

I came across this video from UBC admissions - it is about writing a personal profile as part of the admission process.  Academic achievement does not tell the whole story on who UBC wants to admit to their programs - They want to know: What have you learned about life? How have you grown?
Watch this short video:

Personal Profile

Now, write a post that is does more than list the activities that we have done as a class.  Reflect on your experiences both within and outside of class that relate to health, fitness, body image, self esteem, teamwork etc.  Find an experience that resonates with you and write about it.


As is required by the Ministry of Education, please suggest a letter grade and percent at the END of your blog post that best represents your journey in Super Fit / Get Fit so far this year.  This course is in progress, and their is room for improvement as the semester continues.  Provide an honest reflection!

I will be reading and commenting on your blog posts as you write them, and would like to have time to talk / interview you about your progress during class time at the end of this week and start of next week.  Please be prepared to talk about what is important to you in SuperFit and Get Fit.  Every interview will be different, depending on what you want me to know.

I am really looking forward to reading your posts.

Ms. Phillips

Field Trip Update - Get Fit and Superfit

I have updated the field trip calendar on the wiki with both classes field trips for the semester.  Get fit - you have done pretty well with the permission forms and $.  Super fit, you have not!  Please return permission forms and a cheque as soon as possible!

Here is the link to the field trip calendar:

Google calendar: field trips

Thanks!

More Inspiration

Get Fit - Inspiration Board

Your first post for today is to write a paragraph about your progress in Get Fit now that we are one month into the semester.  Did you enjoy the field trip to Panorama School of Dance? Why or why not?

What days have you worked your hardest and why?  What seems to motivate you to participate?  Have you seen any improvements in your fitness?

Your second post for today to browse the internet for inspiration.  Create an "inspiration board" of your goals, motivational pictures and sayings and even embed video clips from youtube that inspire you.  I am really looking forward to reading these posts!!!!  With that in mind, once you have created your second post, use the link provided in a previous post to see a page with everyone's blog - read and comment on other peoples blogs in the class - try and move outside of your grade level or friend group!

Here is an example of a video clip that I love & find very inspiring.

Superfit First Post

Welcome to blogging SuperFit!

Some of you are already experts at creating content and posting pictures, links and simply publishing on your blog.  If you know what you are doing, please help others in the class who haven't blogged before!

Please write a paragraph about why you have taken SuperFit and what you hope to achieve this semester.  Set a fitness goal for the semester that is measurable - for instance, beep test, community run time, vertical leap etc.  Your second paragraph should be about what fitness activities you have enjoyed so far - when did you do your very best, when did you push yourself, when were you really proud of your effort.

Once you have completed your first post, add my blog to your reading list and come and tell me your URL - that is what is in the address bar when you are viewing your blog.  I am compiling all of our blogs in one page, on the athletics wiki, so that you can find, read and comment on other blogs from our class.

When you have given me your URL, help others who need it, read and comment on other peoples blogs in our class who are done - you can find them here:

Super Fit Blogs

Get Fit First Post

Hello girls!

Hopefully you are able to get your blog up and running today.  We have some experts on blogging in the class already that should be able to help!

Please come to me with your URL (web address) so that I can add it to our class site on my wiki at:

Ms Phillips Wiki

I am creating this page that will link blogs from the entire class so that I can easily find them, and so can you when it comes time to comment on and encourage your classmates in their journey in Get Fit.

I would like your first post to be a paragraph (or more) about why you chose to take Get Fit and what you hope to achieve in this class.  Once you have created and published your post, please find, read a follow a few other people's blogs in the class - add a few blogs from girls who may be outside of your grade level and friendship circle.  Building community!

If you have more time, please post your thoughts about the activities that we have completed so far, including about your baseline fitness tests and where you would like to go from there.

Get Fit Course Outline

I will send a copy of the course outline home with you today for your parents, but I am encouraging you and your parents to keeping checking my Get Fit / Super Fit blog to see our class progress.

Sullivan Heights Get Fit

Course Outline – 2013/2014

Welcome to Get Fit!  This is a fitness based PE class in which you will push yourself to increase your cardiovascular endurance, strength, flexibility, agility and power.   You will have the opportunity to participate in many different fitness activities both at school and in the community, such as aquafit, spin class, hot yoga, sun run, skating, tae kwon do, dance, zumba, snowshoeing and hiking the grouse grind.

You will be creating a blog in this class as an online journal to reflect on & track your progress, act as evidence of learning, interact with your peers in the class and find inspiration & motivation.  My blog can be found at:

phillipsgetfit.blogspot.ca

I encourage your parents to check on my blog (and yours) to get updates on class events.

You will be completing written blog reflections and we will be conducting interviews to discuss your progress as the semester continues (at least one interview at midterm and one exit interview) where we will discuss your blog posts & you will show evidence of your learning/effort/progress.  Together we will construct a grade that best represents your progress in the course.

Field trip information (including dates & associated costs) to follow – if you have any suggestions or concerns about going off campus,  please let me know.

Feel free to email me with any questions or concerns.

I’m looking forward to an amazing semester!

Kerri Phillips

phillips_k@surreyschools.ca

GROUSE GRIND

Remember that you are invited to hike the Grouse Grind TOMORROW - bring a note from your parents (permission) and meet at the school at 8:45, ready to board the bus.
Bring water, wear gym strip, bring a phone in case of emergency.
It will be so fun!  Come if you can.

Investing in yourself

I find myself thinking about the concept of investing in yourself as we are working on improving our fitness in our Get Fit class.  Investing time and energy into improving your fitness takes courage - you have to work hard and believe in yourself.  We just watched the Dove True Beauty sketches in class, where women judged their own appearances very harshly - people who they had just met described their appearance in much more flattering terms.  I think that the same thing happens for many of us when we consider our physical abilities - we judge ourselves too harshly. Sometimes others can see your potential more clearly than you can.  

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? - Marianne Williamson

How about changing your mindset and investing some time and energy into yourself? Maybe it will help you see yourself in a different way. Maybe you will find that you are worth the effort.

Active Learning Blog Examples

Here are some examples of student blogs that I would like you to read before you make your next post...

Abby Active Learning

Ashly Active Learning

Danielle Active Learning

Shiho Active Learning

Here is a get fit blog from a previous semester to have a look at too...
Hiroka Get Fit

Start here..

Zumba field trip is rescheduled

Get fit - tomorrow's Zumba class has been rescheduled for next Wednesday May 15, same time, same place...
Whoohoo.  It will be so fun!

Football

On Saturdays, I play football in a women's flag football league in Vancouver. I grew up playing team sports and still really enjoy playing as part of a team.  Part of what makes this football league special is that none of us have played in an organized football league as kids, or in high school or in university.  We are all relatively new to playing football, even though lots of the women who play are great athletes and were fairly accomplished in other sports - bringing a competitive nature and love of team sports to the game.

I am very competitive, which drives me to improve on my own fitness, but there is another feeling playing a sport where you compete against another team that I really enjoy.  It's the personal challenge to try to do better than your opponent.  It's the responsibility that you feel to do your best for your teammates, and the reciprocal support that you get from them during a game.  I have known most of my teammates for 8 years, and one for about 20.  I think that you know people in a different, closer way when you work together, run together, sweat together.

I also think that it's so great to be part of an all women's league with about 20 teams, about 250 women all playing football.  Empowering?  Girl power for sure, which is another thing I'm a big fan of.  Maybe all the reasons that we should keep girls in sports never goes away, even in adulthood.

Fencing

Last week we had three days of training in fencing in the small gym. It was great to see you all having fun and getting more comfortable with being aggressive and really getting after each other by the end of it. It can be intimidating to try something new, but hopefully it was worth it. Now you cross fencing off your bucket list! Whoop!

Personal Bests

Since Friday, I have posted 2 personal bests in fitness.  On Friday in our beep test, I ran a 13.9 for the first time.  My next closest beep had been 13.4 which I had done once this year and before that it was when I was teaching the first year of Super Fit in the fall of 2010.  I have run a ton of beep tests since then, so I'm sure some of the improvement is due to more efficient technique.  I had also taken the day before off of running entirely, so my legs felt great.  It feels good to see improvements, because I know that at some point, I won't be able to do as well as I used to.  It won't be for lack of effort or training - fitness is very important to me - but because I am 37 and the time will come when I will run into physical constraints that will be limiting.  Oh, life.

My second personal best came at the Sun Run on Sunday.  I have been putting in lots of kilometers of running & training, not necessarily for the Sun Run, but just because I like doing it.  The process of training itself makes me feel happy.  My chip time for the 10 k was 44:55.  Two years ago my Sun Run time was 49 min, so I am pretty stoked about that improvement.

Get Fit Reminder!

Tuesday is our first day of  FENCING in the small gym - please change into gym strip and report right to the small gym!

GET FIT - Midterm Reflection - By Friday

We are almost at the midway point of the semester (!) so it is time for you to write a blog post reflecting on your progress so far in Get Fit.  Please reflect on and write about the following themes:

Participation - What have been some of your best days? When have you felt that you are working your hardest?  Is something standing in the way of giving your best every day?  What motivates you to participate & why?

Field Trips - What have been the most enjoyable - why?  Any new experiences?  Anything you might try again?

Fitness - Are you seeing any improvements in fitness? Be specific.  What would you like to continue to improve upon?

Important Moments - Do you have any defining moments in Get Fit so far?  Is there something that you are especially proud of?  Please feel free to write about anything either within or outside of the class that you are proud of or that causes you to feel positive & confident about yourself.

At the end of your post please suggest a grade (letter & percent) that best represents your progress in Get Fit so far.

I would still like the chance to sit down for interview with each of you to discuss your blog posts and progress so far - let's make time for that starting next week.

Complete this blog post by Friday.  I'm really looking forward to reading and commenting.

GET FIT - Buddy Fitness Blog Posts

This week our class was able to participate in an amazing day - leading 2 classes of grade 1 students from Sullivan Elementary through fitness activities in their gym.  I saw so many positive things happening - the little kids were having a blast - showing us push ups, dancing, playing, smiling, getting rosy cheeks, needing water breaks, high fiving - the list goes on and on.  In fact, the teachers are hoping that we will come back to do it again - they were so impressed with how organized and prepared you all were in your stations.  They also thought you did a great job of improving your stations as you learned what was and wasn't working as each group moved through your area.  I was very proud of all of you in how engaged & invested you were in making it fun for the kids, how your confidence increased with your experience, how you showed leadership, maturity & kindness in your interactions with the kids.

Please write a blog post about the experience - firstly about your involvement in the day, whether you ran a station or travelled in the groups with the kids - what worked with the stations, what improvements you made, what you would change for next time.  Secondly, write about how it felt to be part of the day - thoughts on your leadership, confidence & personal highlights.



Dance Finale:

Active Learning - Grade 8/9 - Post by Friday

For all my Grade 8 & 9 Active Learning Students -

I talked to you all in class today (or will talk to you Thursday) about writing a blog post by Friday about your progress up to this point...  Please provide specific examples of your best participation.  Think about what your best participation looks like and how that makes you feel.  Take some time to think about specific events & actions that you have taken instead of writing in general terms in this blog post.  Why did these events or activities stand out for you?  In what cases are you doing your best?  How can you make that happen more?

Please add pictures or other evidence to your post - this can include activities from the community, at home, with friends - any kind of physical activity evidence that you would like me to know about.

Suggest your letter grade for the term based on your progress and the important aspects of what you have written about in your blog post, as well as thoughts on how & where you can make improvements.

Complete your posts on your own time by Friday, so that I can read them over and we can talk if we need to before the marks need to be submitted to the office.

Panorama School of Dance

Last week our Get fit class had two days of Dance Fitness and learned a combo at Panorama School of Dance. The fitness section was great - lots of focus on shoulders, abs & legs - definitely got us sweating. I have a huge amount if respect for dancers for their fitness, body control and coordination. It takes a lot if brain power to learn and remember a combo & requires lots of confidence to dance in a room full of mirrors!
Even with our varied levels if dance experience, we managed to get through the dance and have fun trying something new (for some if us). Thanks for all the effort girls - and for not laughing too hard at my pose, pose, pose, pose. Yay log roll!!!!

NEW FIELD TRIP

We have a new Field trip planned for Get Fit -

ZUMBA at Woo Kim 

Whoohoo!

Date: Wednesday, May 8 from 1-2pm.

Put it on your calendars!

Active Learning - Interim Report

I would like your blog to become more that a place that you are writing about the mark or work habit that you deserve.  We are working towards creating honest reflections on your struggles, your triumphs, and thinking about the place that physical activity can have in your life outside of the gymnasium, outside of your AL block.

Mr. Neufeld has written 2 posts that provide great examples of what I mean.  Please read them before writing your reflection today.

Neufeld's Blog

For your active learning interim report, I would like you to post about one of three topics -

A.  All about me.  Write about your personality, what you like to do in your spare time, what your favorite classes are etc.  How does living actively fit into your life?

B.  Goals.  What are some short and long term physical activity goals you have (both inside and outside of PE)?  How are you planning on getting there?

C.  Healthy Living - What does that mean to you?  Talk about your level of activity and your nutrition, and any other components of healthy living that are important to you.

Lastly, write about the connections you are forming within our Active Learning class.  Do you feel safe and supported by your peers?  How are you working to create a positive environment for yourself and others.  Active learning is a very social class, where interactions with others are an important part of your experience.

Snowshoeing

Great day on Seymour yesterday. Lots of rosy cheeks and smiles! And our guide taught us all sorts of gross winter survival tips - so are we supposed to drink our urine or not? I'll go with not.

Skating Field Trip

Really missing the double blocks we used to have at Sulli today! Great time on the ice at Newton, it was just too short. A few girls were skating for the first time. How cool is that? Expanding our horizons even more tomorrow at snowshoeing. Post to come!

Interim Reports - Get Fit

I would like to see you up and using your blogs to post about your experiences so far in Get Fit.  With our busy week of field trips (Today, Monday and Tuesday), I would like you to post at least once during that time about our field trips on your own time (include pictures?).
I will book the library or iPad cart for Wednesday next week so that we can blog as a class as a formal report of your work habits.  This will serve as your interim report, as digital evidence of your journey and provide a platform for an ongoing conversation that your parents can read about and become a part of throughout this semester.  I will post guiding questions & themes next week.

Get Fit Field Trips

Hi Get Fit Girls!

Please return your field trip permission forms asap - I need your parents permission before we go to Woo Kim on Thursday (yahoo!).  I would like the fees to be given to me all at once as either cash or cheque to Sullivan Heights (so that I am not collecting money all semester long).
If you have any questions or concerns, please come and talk to me and we can work something out.

Field Trip Location:                          Woo Kim Surrey (on 64 and 148)

Date:                                                 Thursday Feb 28 & Thursday APRIL 25 NEW DATE!!!!

Transportation:                                  Walking

Time:                                                 During period 4 only (1-2)

Cost:                                                  $9.00 for both days

Field Trip Location:                          Newton Arena – Ice Skating

Date:                                                 Monday, March 4

Transportation:                                  City Bus – bring bus fare (1.75 each way in change)

Time:                                                 12:45 – 2:15

Cost:                                                  Helmets are required – can be rented for $1.50

                                                          Skate rental - $3

Field Trip Location:                          Mount Seymour - Snowshoeing

Date:                                                 Tuesday, March 5

Transportation:                                  School Bus

Time:                                                 Leave school at start of lunch, snowshoe from 12:30 – 2:30 and return to school between 3:30 and 4pm.  Students will miss periods 3, 4 & 5.

Cost:                                                 $19

Field Trip Location:                          Panorama School of Dance

Dates:                                               Wednesday, April 3 and Thursday, April 4

Transportation:                                  Walking

Time:                                                 1-2 (period 4 only)

Cost:                                                  $7

Field Trip Location:                          Sullivan Heights - Fencing

Dates:                                               Tues, April 16, Wed, April 17 and Thurs, April 18

Transportation:                                  n/a

Time:                                                 During class time

Cost:                                                  $12 for all three sessions

Field Trip Location:                          YMCA pool – Aqua Fit

Date:                                                 Thursday, May 16

Transportation:                                  Walking or parent drivers

Time:                                                 12:40 -2:25

Cost:                                                  $1

Field Trip Location:                          Grouse Grind

Date:                                                 To be determined

Transportation:                                  School Bus

Time:                                                 Leaving at 11am, returning by 3:30pm

Cost:                                                  To be determined