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!!!!