Welcome to the new school year!  It has been great to be back at school and see all of the kids in PE class.  Although we are two weeks in, I have only seen the students four times!  In that short amount of time, though I have seen many great things and we have set a solid foundation for our year in PE.

I wanted to put out a couple of reminders for you and your children on PE days.  Please encourage your children to wear tennis shoes (or bring a pair with them).  Sometimes it is possible that a student may still participate while wearing sandals or flip flops.  I have had to ask a couple of students to sit on the side because their shoes kept falling off or they were wearing heels and it just was not safe.  Our goal is for all students to participate each day!  Most students have done a great job of remembering tennis shoes, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to remind all.

My second reminder is in regards to dresses.  It is OK for your child to wear a dress to my class, please just remind them to wear shorts underneath.  We often sit on the floor, do activities the involve crawling, spinning, leaping, etc. and it is much better if we remember shorts.  Also, sometimes we use scooters.  In the past so kids have been unable to participate on these days when wearing dresses or skirts because they drag on the floor and get caught in the wheels.  I do not want to ruin the equipment or the clothing.  So it may be best to ask your child to save their dresses/skirts for non-PE days.

I am trying to post more on my blog and twitter this year.  Often I get wrapped up in and excited about the activity we are engaged in and take photos but forget to post them.  I try to get photos of each class, but I do not always do the best job.  But if you would like to follow me on twitter you are free to do so @Galbraith_PE.  It would be a great way to see what your child is doing in PE and a great conversation starter at dinner!

Again, welcome to the 2016-2017 school year and please feel free to contact me at any time!

Sorry for the late notice Parent/Teacher Conferences

I apologize for the late notice, but I will be unable to attend Parent/Teacher Conferences on Tuesday March 15, 2016.  I will be here tonight Monday March 14, so if you need to speak with me I am happy to meet with you.  If you will not be at conferences on Monday but would like to speak with me, please email me.  I am happy to set up a time where we can chat.

Thank you!

And the results are in...

After wrapping up a few last minute envelopes, we have the final total raised by Keystone Elementary students in our Jump Rope for Heart Fundraiser.  I had no idea what to expect this year as it was my first year participating in the Jump Rope for Heart activities.  In my mind, if we raised $500 I would have been really impressed.

Our students her at Keystone amazed me with their hard work and enthusiasm.  Together the students raised $4,846.87!  It is hard to come up with words that describe how proud we are of our students.  Jump Rope for Heart says that $50 will save a life.  That's almost 100 people effected by heart conditions that we have helped.  Through these efforts, we have received a $500 gift card for PE gear at US Games!

Thank you to our students, parents, and anyone who donated for making this possible!

Many students earned prizes by receiving donations.  The prizes have been ordered but I do not yet have a timeline when they will arrive.  The students have been very patiently waiting and I will let them know, when I know, when they will be in.  Thanks again to everyone who took part!

Gearing up for Jump Rope for Heart!

Over the next few weeks, we will be learning about how to take care of our hearts, spreading the message to friends and family, and helping others when we can!  Megan Dodd from the American Heart Association came to our school to share Heart Healthy messages to kick off our event.

The American Heart Association's goal is to improve the cardiovascular health of Americans.  They will challenge our kids to start living a healthy lifestyle now to prevent problems later; and give them an opportunity to participate in a service learning project that funds the fight against heart diseases and stroke - #1 and #5 cause of death in our country.

Your child will bring home some information for your review.  It includes a donation envelope as well as a parent letter detailing the Jump Rope for Heart information.  This fundraiser is not mandatory, but many students have been excited about the opportunity to help those (especially kids) with heart defects and 'sick' hearts.

The Keystone Elementary Jump Rope for Heart event days are February 10 (Day 1) and February 12 (Day 3).  All donations (cash, checks, and online) will be due to Mrs. Galbraith on February 10 at 3:00 pm.  Please join us in teaching our students the importance of being heart healthy for life!

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at agalbraith@benton.k12.ia.us.

Help your student become a Heart Hero!