Maple Lake Elementary PE is on Twitter!

Interested in what is going on in PE class?  Follow MLE PE on twitter!!

@MLE_PE

This is one way I will try to share updates, important events, and the day to day activities of PE class. 

Summer is winding down...

Summer is coming to a close and we are all getting prepared for the upcoming school year.  At my house the list of things we need to do before school starts is loooooooong....  But some of the list includes:

• Haircuts
• New shoes
• School supplies
• Earlier bedtime :)
• Read before bed
• and the list goes on...

However, I think it is time to add one more thing to that list.  Check out this fitness calendar that provides a short workout or challenge on each day of the month of August.  I think it would be a great way to engage the muscles and brain to ensure for a great first day, week, and month of school.

http://www.ssww.com/blog/august-printable-fitness-challenge-calendar/

I am looking forward to seeing you all back at school!

Track and Field Day!!!

Track and Field day is tomorrow!!  This is a much anticipated day for a number of different reasons.  The Kindergarten group will kick off the track events by running of the 50 meter dash at approximately 8:30 a.m.  From there, we will see our primary grades participate in the 400, 200, and 100 meter dash.  The intermediate grades will begin the day at the field events.  Prior to lunch the primary grades will culminate their track events by running the 4 x 100 meter relay.

After lunch the groups will simply switch, the intermediate grades will be on the track and the primary grades at the field events.  More precise schedules will be posted on the concession stand.

Here are a few other reminders about the day...

***It is going to be HOT!!***  Please be sure to drink plenty of water.

1.  Water bottles are acceptable and should have a name on them.
2.  Wear your sunscreen!
3.   Be sure to wear your class color.

• Kindergarten--Purple
• First Grade--Yellow
• Second Grade--Blue
• Third Grade--Orange
• Fourth Grade--Red
• Fifth Grade--Green
• Sixth Grade--Tie dye

4.  Students will be eating lunch in there classrooms to provide some time for them out of the sun.  Parents are invited to join their child in the classroom if they would like to.

 5.  I have made an effort to talk about the competitive side of track and field day.  I enjoy the competitive nature of the day as long as we keep things in perspective and recognize a few things.
        a.  The competition helps us put forth our best effort.
        b.  We compete with others not against them.
        c.  The results of track and field day do not define any of our students. 

6.  The value of this day is far greater than the races being run.  Lessons in perseverance, integrity, respect, and responsibility take precedence over the race, results, and ribbons.  

Here is a sneak peek of the field events...

Nutrition!

I was recently contacted by Kennedy Haney, a Maple Lake graduate,who is currently in college studying to be a Registered Dietician (RD).  Miss Haney has was kind enough to put together a newsletter about the importance of nutrition and how we can start to make healthy changes with what we eat.  

Enjoy!

National Nutrition Month, a Month Late!

An “RD to be’s” suggestions…

Although we’re a month late, National Nutrition Month can be converted into any month we’d like it to be… it should be every month, in my opinion! This year’s theme is “Go Further with Food.” This month we’re promoting a healthy, waste-less lifestyle, highlighting that food decisions make an impact on our overall health and the generations to come.

This month I challenge you and your family to take your nutrition into your own hands, we all own the power to make small changes over time that will improve our health now and in the future. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, try some of my below tips to be active in your own and other’s nutrition:

• Volunteer at your local food-shelf (Waverly, MN), the WCCA in town (Maple Lake, MN) is always looking for volunteers and they’ll work around your schedule. Ask for Alivia Boddie.
• Plan your weekly meals in advance to help cut costs of unnecessary foods in your cart, this will save you time as well.
• Meal prep, this helps deplete the urge to snack and eat junk foods.
• Buy your produce from the Farmer’s Market, this benefits you and your local farmers. Plus, they really appreciate it, trust me.
• Increase the colors on your plate. Each week try a new fruit or vegetable. Mango’s are hot in season right now and so good!
• Include healthy fats into every meal; eggs, avocados, nuts, fish, chia seeds, full fat yogurts and whole milk.
• Incorporate more complex carbohydrates to keep your fuller longer;
• Nuts, Seeds, and Legumes:
• Lentils
• Kidney Beans
• Chick peas (HUMMUS)
• Soy beans
• Whole Grains:
• Brown Rice
• Corn
• Wheat
• Oats – oatmeal
• Quinoa
• Fruits and Vegetables:
• ALL OF THEM
• Substitutions:
• Instead of white breads or pastas, opt for whole grain breads and pastas
• Switch rice for beans
• Educate yourself on a new nutrition hot topic each week; Macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins), Conventional V. Organic produce, whole foods V. meal replacements, etc.
• Increase your water consumption 1-2 gallons per day (128-256oz/day). Benefits include: clearer skin, more water leads to more toxins being flushed out of your system, maintains regularity, promotes weight loss, prevents fatigue, and SO. MUCH. MORE!

In accompaniment to my suggestions, www.eatright.org has tools, tips, and games for National Nutrition Month to help you all Go Further With Food.

Dazzling DAVE!!! National Yo-Yo Master

At the beginning of March we invited Dazzling Dave, National Yo-Yo Master to our school to teach us about the Science of Spin and Yo-Yo fun in PE classes.  Dave dazzled us with a "freestyle" and spent two days in PE teaching students how to use Yo-Yo's.  I was a blast and kids learned a lot about hand-eye coordination, perseverance, and the importance of listening and responsibility. 

Check out this link to learn more about Dazzling Dave...

https://www.youtube.com/user/dazzlingdaveyoyo

Here is a link to his website if you are interested in purchasing a Yo-Yo as a gift for your son or daughter..

http://www.dazzlingdave.com/

Not to mention a couple of pictures of his time here at Maple Lake Elementary!!

Team Building

We are currently in the heart of our team building unit.  Team building provides an awesome opportunity to talk about teamwork, communication, problem solving, positive encouragement/energy, and the importance of process over outcome. 

The intermediate grades are taking on challenges like...

• Ants on a log
• Pass it on
• The ball challenge
• Minefield
• Survival Island

The primary grades are attempting other challenges like....

• The numbers game
• Human Alphabet
• Team memory 
• Parachute activities

Here are few pics to check out!

Stay warm, Stay active!

Morning Movers

Since 2010, Maple Lake Elementary has been out walking around the playground from 7:45 - 8:00 a.m.  It is a program designed to provide more movement opportunities for students throughout the school day.  It has been a simple, yet effective initiative.

The rules are...

1.  Walk or Jog.
2.  On the path.
3.  Without touching others.

The benefits are numerous...
1.  Jumpstart the brain and body for the day ahead.
2.  Great way to connect our older students with our younger students and create a sense of pride and belonging.
3.  Students are who are active tend to have more focus following activity.

And the list could go on.

That said here is a short You Tube video of what it looks like...

Now the sun rise is not always this spectacular, but it is nice benefit on a cold day...

Please dress for the weather, it is getting cold outside.  Morning Movers will take place outside unless it is raining or below zero!  

Have a great week!!

Soccer fun!

I am so sorry for the late blog post on soccer...  I am attempting to post some videos of our time in PE and struggling, but it will work out.  Until then...


Primary grades worked on kicking, passing, trapping, and even goal tending.  We have spent time working on understanding our right from our left and figuring out which side we prefer to use.  Intermediate grades are expanding on their skills with fun lead up games like "Endline soccer" and "Solf"!  We culminated our soccer unit with small sided games. at the end of September

Here are some of the pics from the end of September.

Back in the swing of things.

Life at school is almost business as usual.  Learning the expectations, routines, lunch and recess times, what days do I have P.E, etc...

Before I get to too carried away I want to say welcome back!  Summer was awesome, but I was super excited to come back to school on the 5th.  The energy is so positive and contagious it is hard to not want to be around it.  Summer at my house was very memorable from basketball camps and tournaments to lake days/nights to emergency rooms to carpentry and even the state fair! we had the pleasure of seeing it all.  Here are a couple of pics...

The start of the school year has been great!  Irish Pride is on display daily, morning movers is functional, and we have begun soccer in P.E class--dribble, pass, trap, and goal keeping.

Volunteer orientation is coming up on September 18th at 6 p.m in the elementary media center.  This is important for any parent or guardian who is considering chaperoning the annual sixth grade ski trip to powder ridge.  Ski trip is planned for Friday, January 19th.




As usual get in touch with me for anything that you may need and I will do my best to get the answer ASAP.

Have a great school year!
~Mr. Ronnenberg

Track and Field Day is Friday, May 26th!!

Track and Field day is almost upon us.  This is a much anticipated day for a number of different reasons.  The Kindergarten group will kick off the track events by running of the 50 meter dash at approximately 8:30 a.m.  From there, we will see our primary grades participate in the 100, 200, and 400 meter dash.  The intermediate grades will begin the day at the field events.  Prior to lunch the primary grades will culminate their track events by running the 4 x 100 meter relay.

After lunch the groups will simply switch, the intermediate grades will be on the track and the primary grades at the field events.  More precise schedules will be posted on the concession stand.  Or you can contact me, the office, or the classroom teacher with questions.

Here are a few other reminders about the day...

1.  Water bottles are acceptable and should have a name on them.
2.  Wear your sunscreen!
3.   Be sure to wear your class color.

• KG - purple
• 1st - yellow
• 2nd - blue
• 3rd - orange
• 4th - red
• 5th - green
• 6th - tie dye

4.   I have made an effort to talk about the competitive side of track and field day.  I enjoy the competitive nature of the day as long as we keep things in perspective and recognize a few things.
        a.  The competition helps us put forth our best effort.
        b.  We compete with others not against them.
        c.  The results of track and field day do not define any of our students.
        d.  It is rare when people remember the results, but people will remember how others treated them.  

Keeping my fingers crossed for a dry day on Friday!

Fitness testing is wrapping up...

Typically, the month of April is consumed by testing...  MCA tests in the computer lab and fitness testing in the gym.  In the gym we talk often about doing your best and focusing less on the outcome of the tests.  Fitness tests are not designed to define any of our students.  They are a measure of flexibility (v-sit), muscular strength (pull-ups), agility (shuttle run), muscular endurance (sit-ups), and cardiorespiratory-endurance (half mile and mile run).  I remind students that these particular tests are not a measure of character, intelligence, or even how great they are as a brother, sister, son or daughter.

Here are a few pics of the equipment we use for each test.

V-sit:

Pull-ups:

Shuttle Run:

Sit-ups: 

1/2 mile and mile run:  

Fun in March

March has been a great month at MLE!  We hosted our second annual arts and academics night and it was a huge success🎨🙌.  We wrapped up our bowling unit and even learned how to keep score 🎳... We even challenged ourselves with some exergaming (exercise with video games) by playing "Just Dance 4"🎮🎶🎭! Needless to say it has been quite exciting in the hallways and gymnasium.  The common denominator is they are all lifetime recreation activities that can be done at home with friends and family.  Recreation or "play" can take place anywhere, but school has been, and will continue to be, a great place to be introduced to such activities.  Not only are the activities active and fun, they are also a great way to gain and enhance social/interpersonal skills.  Here are a few pics of the fun that has been taking place.

A pin's eye view...

Happy bowler!

Strike!

Just Dance!

Following the steps...

Spring break is nearly upon us and it is a great time to recharge the batteries for the stretch run of the school year.  Play some cards, visit friends and family, and be active for 60 minutes a day!  Have a great break!!

Jump Rope for Heart

We are officially wrapping up our Jump Rope for Heart campaign and it has been another productive year to say the least.  From talking about how the heart works, to identifying ways we can reduce heart disease, and recognizing signs and symptoms of a heart attack; we covered a ton of material that can lead us down the heart healthy path.  In addition to learning, we also collected over $3,500 in donations for the American Heart Association.  A huge "Thank you" to all the students who participated (approximately 40) and the families and friends who donated.

A couple of quick pics of the our jump rope fun...

6th grade ski trip!!

Friday, January 20th the sixth graders took off for the annual ski trip to Powder Ridge.  Conditions were not ideal, but that certainly didn't slow us down.  Take aways from the day included

• Foggy
• Hard work
• Determination
• Coordination
• Positive attitude
• Friendship
• Camaraderie
• Responsibility 
• Respect
• Safety
• Empathy

The lessons of this day are endless!  Here are few pics from the trip...