|
|
School Wellness Weekly
June 11, 2021
|
|
Empowering Students Through PE and Health Education |
|
PE and Health Education, supported by School Wellness Councils, create safe, inclusive, and affirming school communities for our students. The skills students learn in PE and Health Education provide them with the knowledge and confidence to take care of themselves and the people around them. By building a foundation of learning that celebrates their unique identities and is grounded in culturally responsive-sustaining education practices, we can empower students to recognize and advocate for healthy, socially just schools and communities.
Acknowledging and learning about our country’s past is an important step in redirecting the course of history away from the injustice and discrimination we still witness and experience today. The Office of School Wellness Programs is committed to providing resources and support to educators to help them prioritize all students' well-being and ensure our schools are safe havens. Read below for:
- the story of a PE teacher who kept younger students moving this year with a unique bike education program;
- access to physical activity videos featuring the New York Rangers, Knicks, and Rockettes;
|
|
Header photo credit: Jeremy Alford on Unsplash.
|
|
PE Teacher Vincent Granice Gets Students Moving with Strider Bikes
In this issue of School Wellness Weekly, we highlight PE teacher Vincent Granice of P.S. 25 in Staten Island (75R025), who used a bike education program to provide quality PE and physical activity to younger students this year. Mr. Granice participated in Strider Education Foundation’s All Kids Bike initiative (opens in new window) to teach his pre-K through grade 2 students fundamental bike-riding skills. He was one of the first teachers in the City to deliver the Strider Learn-to-Ride bike unit and helped expand the program from five schools to the current 16 schools in Staten Island.
How are you using the Strider bikes to teach PE and physical activity skills? What do you hope students gain from the program?
We use the bikes both indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. As a District 75 teacher, it is important to focus on working toward independence with students with autism. The skill of riding a bike can one day provide my students with the independence of an exercise option, means of safe travel, or a fun social activity.
What physical education skills are your students learning when practicing how to ride a bike?
The Learn-to-Ride bike program is an excellent example of physical activity that is designed to incorporate all three elements of physical literacy. Students are practicing the psychomotor skills of balance, coordination, and reaction time while riding the bikes. They also have an opportunity to gain knowledge of the health benefits of riding a bike, and lastly, practice social skills such as encouraging their peers through a shared experience.
|
|
How has the Strider bike program helped your students during COVID-19?
The program allows me to teach a life-long skill while following all COVID-19 guidelines and protocols. I teach the Strider lessons four times a week per class. The program also made its way home with the students during blended learning, as parents and families are able to practice the skill of safely riding a bike at home. During the pandemic, lack of physical activity for students was a big concern, and this program is a great way to keep the whole school community active.
Is there is a lesson plan that you use with the bikes?
In 2018, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a pilot Strider program led by Office of School Wellness Programs staff and several other Staten Island physical education teachers. We collaborated to design a curriculum that met the focus of Strider’s Learn-to-Ride program and aligned with New York State physical education standards. Together we created a 7-week program with lesson plans that taught students everything from putting a helmet on, gliding, and riding a bike with pedals. If teachers are interested in the program but do not have access to Strider bikes, they can ask the school community to donate bikes for the students to use.
If you could share with your fellow teachers one instructional resource that has helped you most in the past year, what would it be?
OpenPhysEd.com. The website provides great activities to do both in person and remotely, as well as data tracking and worksheets. I'd also like to note the benefits of speaking with other physical education teachers and sharing ideas.
Photo credits: Vincent Granice, P.S. 25, Staten Island, 75R025.
|
|
School Wellness Programs Tip:
|
|
Next Week! Celebrate PE and Physical Activity During NYC’s Virtual Field Days, June 14 - 18
|
|
On Twitter? Let your school community know to use the following hashtags all next week during Virtual Field Days to show districts across the country what #PEinNYC looks like:
- Safe and inclusive Physical Education instruction in your school
- Physical activities at home with students and their families and caregivers
- Virtual National Field Day opening ceremony activities at school or at home
#NationalFieldDay #VirtualFieldDay #NYCSchoolWellness #MovetoImproveNYC
|
|
June 14 - 16: Connect with Your PE colleagues for the Last Professional Learning Communities This Year
Register to network with other PE teachers in your borough to share resources, ask questions, and get new ideas to plan for next year.
|
|
K-12 Educators: Virtual Professional Learning and Coaching from Advocates for Youth
|
|
Building the Wellness Community |
|
Exclusive DOE Access: Physical Activity Videos Featuring the New York Rangers, Knicks, and Rockettes
- highlight the power of sports and fitness activities infused with technology;
- are categorized by fitness skill (e.g., core, agility, strength training, flexibility and agility);
- can be easily streamed directly into your classrooms.
Use the all-access password for DOE only: msgpe2021
Photo credit: Kari-Shea-Qa, Unsplash.
|
|
Free Virtual and In-Person Basketball Clinics with the Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn Nets Basketball Academy is offering free virtual and in-person basketball clinics for students ages 6 to 17 in New York City schools, giving them the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of basketball directly from Nets Academy clinicians. Teachers and schools can register (opens in new window) for clinics for:
- the remainder of this school year
- summer 2021
- fall 2021
The virtual clinics require minimal space, and students can participate from their classroom or from home. A basketball is not required but recommended; dates and timing of the clinics are flexible. In-person clinics are typically done during the school’s PE periods, but plans are made based on what works best for each school. Questions? Email mwisniewski@bseglobal.net (opens in email window).
Photo credit: David Nemec, Barclays Center.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
