Windham Mountain Ski Trip

The temperatures increased, the sun came out and our students geared up to ski for the first time this school year, thanks to a grant provided through the EDD Memorial Fund. Windham Mountain Ski Lodge and the Adaptive Sports Program welcomed us with their smiles, snow and ski equipment. One student had the pleasure of walking around the snowy mountain exploring. Other students went skiing for the time and learned the thrill of stepping outside their comfort zones.  A few students are more experienced at skiing and began learning how to shift their weight from one foot to another in order to change directions. The staff and facilities at Windham Mountain were fantastic and I cannot thank them enough for the wonderful experience we all had. Check back soon to see a video that contains pictures from the entire day.

Thank you Adaptive Sports Program and the EDD Memorial Fund,

Miss Shirey & Pathfinder Village School

Jump For Life

At Pathfinder School, we had a wonderful time celebrating our Jump Rope for Heart Event. This week marks the end of American Heart Month, but the students know that we must keep our heart healthy all year long.  On Monday and Tuesday the students practiced all the types of rope jumping that they have learned this month.

On Wednesday the students were able to show off all their skills to the staff and parents that came to our Jump Rope for Heart event. The students got “pumped up” for the event by entering the gym through a dark hallway with lit up glow sticks in balloons, with a heart pumping sound playing through a sound system. In the gym were stations that students were able to try out. The stations included:

                Monkey in the Middle
                Healthy snacks
                Jump/step over the ropes that are stretched between cones
                How high can you jump? – Mark it with a crayon
                Heart Tic-Tac-Toe
                Potato Sack Jumping
                Individual Jump Rope
                Hula Hoop Obstacle Course
After all of the stations were completed, the students were surprised with a reward that they had all earned from collecting at least $15.00 in donations for the American Heart Association.  This reward was to throw a whipped cream pie at a school staff member! As Mr. Adams, Mrs. Thompson and Miss Shirey were getting pied, the gymnasium was full of laughter and giggles. Together, as a school we raised: $860.08

Putting on this event as a first year teacher was very exciting. I am so proud of each of my students for everything that they have accomplished this month. Many students kept trying and trying until they were able to jump over the rope; others found ways to be creative with the jump rope (alphabet soup!), and each student asked for donations by themselves and always remembered to be polite.  I could not have done this without the help of my students and co-workers. And of course, thank you to all who donated to support this amazing cause. We are all heart heroes!

Keep Jumping,

Miss Shirey

WE ARE HEART HERO'S

Jump Rope for Heart is a fulfilling and exciting time for my students and me.  The students are learning about how their heart works, are being creative with the jump ropes and showing off their skills.

The students also get to learn about what it takes to be a heart hero. We need to keep ourselves healthy, but we need to help others be healthy too.  In some of the pictures, you will see our heart wall that includes the reasons why each individual student is a heart hero.  In P.E. class the students have been hula hoop jumping, playing artery avengers, “monkey in the middle” jumping and so much more!

Besides being heart heroes in class, the students are working hard outside of class too. Many students are raising donations from their families and friends to help other American youth have healthy hearts. Our school’s fundraising goal is $200.00. As of February 14, 2014 we have reached this goal!

 Our Wolverine heart heroes will not stop there -- we will continue fundraising until our finale event on February 26, 2014 at 1:00PM. If you would like to donate to our Jump Rope for Heart team or to a specific student, please contact me at mshirey@pathfindervillage.org To those that have already donated; thank you for your support and for being a heart hero!

 

Happy Valentine's Day, 

Miss Shirey 

Jump Rope For Heart - American Heart Association

CONTACT

Miss Shirey
mshirey@pathfindervillage.org

Pathfinder Village Students Jump For Their Heart and to Save Lives !!!!

Students at Pathfinder Village School are jumping at the chance to fight heart disease and stroke, our nation’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. On February 26, 2014 Pathfinder Village School will host its 1st annual Jump Rope for Heart event to raise money for the American Heart Association, which funds lifesaving heart and stroke research and community and educational programs.

Jump Rope For Heart teaches students how physical fitness benefits the heart and shows them that volunteering can be a fun and positive experience for the whole community. The need to educate children about the importance of physical activity couldn’t be timelier. According to recent studies, about one-third of children ages 2 to 19 are overweight and obese.

“By including physical activity into their daily routines, kids can significantly reduce the onset and burden of heart disease,“ said Tabitha Poplaski, spokesperson for the Greater Utica Chapter of the American Heart Association “By raising money through Jump Rope For Heart, we are preventing heart disease and obesity for the next generation of Americans. Kids are literally jumping into a heart healthier life while becoming passionate about raising money for other kids with sick hearts.”

For 35 years, Jump Rope For Heart has raised more than $818 million for the fight against heart disease and stroke. Millions of students have learned about heart health and how nutrition and physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke. Jump Rope For Heart is co-sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Please help our students help others by making a donation. If you would like to help more, email Miss Shirey, call your nearest American Heart Association office at 1-800-AHA-USA1 (1-800-242-8721). You can also visit us online at heart.org/jump.

Snowshoeing

The students at Pathfinder Village School are rock stars at snowshoeing. The weather has improved recently so that some of the students were able to try out snowshoes for the first time this year.

With concerns about wind-chill, our classes may have only been out for a few minutes, but some students were going on adventures. Many students created their own paths, walked around the playground, or went into the center of the bicycle path. Students even waved “hello” through the school windows to their classroom peers.  When the temperature was too low students stayed inside and learned about snowshoeing equipment and how to dress for the outdoors.  (Snowshoes, hats, gloves, jackets, snow pants, boots, scarves, poles for walking, etc.)

This week fitness was a focus of our P.E. classes. Students learned how to use the treadmills and stationary bicycles, and recorded their personal data, including:

- Date exercised

- Equipment used (bike or treadmill)

- Time (How long did you exercise for?)

- Distance (How far did you walk or bike?)

In the future I look forward to students graphing the distances that they walk and calculating how many miles the classes walk together.  Below you will see pictures of students using the treadmills, and even a fun kickball game from last week!

Keep active!

Miss Shirey