Welcome to another wonderful year! Are you ready to MOVE? Movement helps us learn, so tie your shoes and be ready to go! See my Boost-Up ppt. on this page!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
2009 College Research and Writing Project
In the Spring of 2009, the third and fourth grade students at Valley Springs Elementary learned about college athletics. They used the links on this blog to research conferences and colleges. They each selected a college and used the college website to answer questions. They composed a letter on Word and I emailed it to the athletic director.
Upon returning from summer break, several students had letters and packages waiting for them! We now have several pennants and posters to hang in the gym, as well as a map to locate the schools. Hopefully the students will continue to follow college athletics and nurture the "seeds" planted in the Spring of 2009!
Upon returning from summer break, several students had letters and packages waiting for them! We now have several pennants and posters to hang in the gym, as well as a map to locate the schools. Hopefully the students will continue to follow college athletics and nurture the "seeds" planted in the Spring of 2009!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Austin Hansen Visits VSE
On Monday, May 4, 2009, former SDSU and Brandon Valley basketball standout,as well as former Valley Springs Elementary student Austin Hansen visited Valley Springs Elementary. Austin spoke to the VSE 3-5th grade students about college.
Austin is now an assistant basketball coach for the SDSU Jackrabbits. His duties off the court include recruiting future players for the Jacks. Austin explained some of the responsibilities he has in this role with the students. He also spoke about the difference in divisions in college athletics and what the move to Division 1 has meant for the Jackrabbits and South Dakota State University.
As an elementary student, Austin didn't know very much about college. Because of his talents on the basketball court, he was recruited by several colleges to play basketball. His love of the game and his dedication to both basketball and academics earned him the opportunity to attend college. To learn more about Austin Hansen, go to the link "Austin Hansen Bio" in the upper right corner of this blog.
Friday, March 6, 2009
2009 Writing Project
This year we are going to learn about the NCAA, conferences and divisions. This can be a very confusing subject, to say the least! Hopefully, by exploring the NCAA and learning about athletic conferences, students will have a better understanding of how colleges classified.
Friday, October 17, 2008
From Elementary Physical Education to College?
Why would an elementary PE teacher have her students writing to colleges? Good question.
I grew up in a college town and always knew I would go to college. My family didn't have much money, but a college education was still an expectation. I graduated from South Dakota State with a BS in HPER and began teaching at Brandon Valley.
A few years ago, I realized that the expectation of college is not necessarily present in every home. I wanted to create an awareness of college to all my elementary students. My oldest son was looking at colleges and I realized he didn't know as much about colleges as my younger son. My younger son is an ESPN addict. He has learned about colleges through college athletics, so shazzam!-why not try that in PE!
Two years ago, I assigned each of my 3rd-5th grade students a NCAA D1 college that had a chance to make it into the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. They each wrote a letter to the athletic director (which meant they had to find an address, use correct letter-writing skills, address an envelope...) asking for a pennant to hang in the gymn. I added a cover letter explaining the project. Throughout the last quarter of the year, the students received not only pennants, but posters, a jersey, team pictures, view books and letters! Our walls lit up! The students saw results, learned about colleges and practiced some letter-writing skills to boot!
Last year, I decided to teach an Olympic unit, as most of these children were too young to remember the 2004 Olympics. I know a bit about the USA National Swim Team, so I assigned each student an Olympic Swimming hopeful. We sent all the letters to the US Olympic Committee, who forwarded them to the athletes. This delayed the process a bit, but we were fortunate enough to receive five responses. We will contine with the Olympic theme this year and invite our athletes to this site, where they will have the opportunity to respond to this blog.
I grew up in a college town and always knew I would go to college. My family didn't have much money, but a college education was still an expectation. I graduated from South Dakota State with a BS in HPER and began teaching at Brandon Valley.
A few years ago, I realized that the expectation of college is not necessarily present in every home. I wanted to create an awareness of college to all my elementary students. My oldest son was looking at colleges and I realized he didn't know as much about colleges as my younger son. My younger son is an ESPN addict. He has learned about colleges through college athletics, so shazzam!-why not try that in PE!
Two years ago, I assigned each of my 3rd-5th grade students a NCAA D1 college that had a chance to make it into the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. They each wrote a letter to the athletic director (which meant they had to find an address, use correct letter-writing skills, address an envelope...) asking for a pennant to hang in the gymn. I added a cover letter explaining the project. Throughout the last quarter of the year, the students received not only pennants, but posters, a jersey, team pictures, view books and letters! Our walls lit up! The students saw results, learned about colleges and practiced some letter-writing skills to boot!
Last year, I decided to teach an Olympic unit, as most of these children were too young to remember the 2004 Olympics. I know a bit about the USA National Swim Team, so I assigned each student an Olympic Swimming hopeful. We sent all the letters to the US Olympic Committee, who forwarded them to the athletes. This delayed the process a bit, but we were fortunate enough to receive five responses. We will contine with the Olympic theme this year and invite our athletes to this site, where they will have the opportunity to respond to this blog.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
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