Our preschool class continues to grow and have a blast in physical education! This energetic group is always excited to move and eager to follow instructions. We are so lucky to have them in our class and can’t wait to see their growth over the years at BES!
Our students have been busy with a fun and festive holiday challenge! They completed a holiday shopping list, selecting physical education equipment and learning about the cost of each item through various exercises. Once the store closed for shopping, it was time to get creative! Students used the equipment they collected to design the best snowperson.
Here are the amazing results from students across all grade levels – showcasing their creativity, teamwork, and holiday spirit. Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season! 🎄⛄
The video can also be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Gm3Llfc2cmeGfncnsI9CLkYp6fZImDu4/view?usp=sharing
Build a Turkey
Turkey Trot
Turkey Trot
Build a Turkey
Kindergarten is working on NitroBall skills
Students are practing their bumping and setting skills.
We’re thrilled to have kicked off another year filled with fun activities and exciting challenges! The students dove right into our programs, and we’ve already completed the the first pacer test and jump rope ninja challenge. It was a great start, with everyone eager to set new goals and achieve great accomplishments this year.
In our health units, we’ve focused on safety for all grades, reinforcing that safety never goes out of style. We also wrapped up our bus safety and evacuation training with all students.
Now, we’re moving on to some Thanksgiving-themed games that will bring fun and teamwork to the forefront, as well as introducing Nitroball—an exciting new activity that will challenge and engage everyone. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead in physical education!
The Pacer, also known as the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER), is a common fitness assessment used to measure aerobic capacity and endurance. It involves running back and forth across a designated distance, 20 meters, within a set time frame. As the test progresses, the time intervals between runs decrease, requiring participants to increase their speed to keep up.
In our classroom, we have established three tiers based on the number of laps completed during the Pacer Test: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Students who achieve 51 laps are awarded the Bronze tier, those reaching 72 laps attain the Silver tier, and students who complete 94 laps earn the Gold tier. Any students surpassing the Gold tier will be recognized separately in the gymnasium, near the tier posters, acknowledging their exceptional achievement.
Opportunities to earn each tier are presented once a month, providing students with regular chances to improve their endurance and strive for higher levels of fitness. This structure encourages participation, effort, and continual improvement in aerobic capacity among students.
If you want to practice at home, here is the link we use in class: https://youtu.be/aMcfIkW7kkM?si=r5WVOlbKcryvlP1Y
Remember, anything you do that involves moving your body will help increase your endurance! Whether it's going for a walk, walking the dog, playing outside, or participating in any physical activity, each effort contributes to building your stamina and improving your performance during the Pacer Test. So keep moving and stay active to reach your fitness goals!
The Jump Rope Ninja challenge at BES offers students the opportunity to progress through different tiers/belts based on their grade level. Unlike the pacer, which has a set number of laps regardless of grade, the jump rope challenge tiers vary based on the student's grade level. In this challenge, students work in pairs with one counting jumps while the other jumps. Successful completion of the required number of jumps earns them a signature from their teacher on their tracker paper, as well as the poster in the gym and allows them to advance to the next tier. If a student makes a mistake, they must restart from zero and can try again for the same belt. They have unlimited attempts, but the rope must continuously move for jumps to count.
Additionally, jumps only count towards the challenge when designated as "ninja time." Students are encouraged to practice during recess, where jump ropes are provided outside, as well as at home. This activity is low-cost and can be done almost anywhere. Happy jumping!
View Tiers Here: http://tinyurl.com/3zsv576u
Congratulations to our five students who achieved the Jump Rope Ninja Black Belt—an incredible accomplishment! Their dedication and perseverance have truly paid off. Many other students are also working hard and reaching this milestone and we couldn’t be prouder. Keep up the great work!
Who is Mr. Palanca?
Hello everyone!
I am happy to beginning my second year back at BES! My name is Jordan Palanca and I am one of the Health and Physical Education teachers at BES. As a new teacher at BES, this school is quite familiar to me. I attended BES and graduated from here in 2006. It is an exciting new chapter for me to come back to a school where I was once a student, but now a teacher. I am excited to start this school year off and give our students a awesome experience throughout the year! If you have any questions for me, my email is palanca@blairstownelem.net, school number is (908-362-6111 ext. 242), and cell (973-670-3725). Happy 2023-2024 school year!