4th Annual MLS Health Fair

Another year, another awesome health fair!  Our students were treated to some awesome information and great exercise from our local health, fitness, and nutrition professionals.  The day was divided into two sessions, 3rd-5th grades in the morning and K-2nd in the afternoon.  Each session had ten sessions that lasted fifteen minutes each.  We had so much fun and had so many parent volunteers who were awesome to donate their time!  Here is a brief summary of each station:

CHIROPRACTOR-Dr. Brycen Hudock of True Health Chiropractic was gracious enough to donate his time and teach our students about the importance of preventive maintenance.  Dr. B taught students about the nervous system and how stress can affect many aspects of our life, including immune function, fatigue, healing, etc.  Hopefully our students will take all the information they learned at the MLS Health Fair and give our bodies the best chance to keep us healthy!

WHOLE FOODS-Becca Cook from Whole Foods brought in some healthy snacks that included carrots, hummus, and edamame.  The edamame was a hit as many people, including teachers, had never tried it!  Becca shared the importance of eating a diet that consists of whole foods that are free of artificial ingredients.  Making these choices will keep our immune systems stronger so we can fight off any germs that may come into contact with our bodies.

HEALTHY FOODS OBSTACLE-Angie Hasemann and Sarah Horton from the UVA Children's Fitness Clinic provided a fun activity for our K-2nd students in which they were provided choices for various meals.  Each choice had a consequence, as the healthy choices led to quicker completion of the obstacle course.  If students chose the unhealthy meal, the obstacle course was much more time consuming, thus reinforcing the importance of making healthy choices.

KARATE-MLS parent Richard Rike led our 3rd-5th grade students in an awesome and active bout of martial arts!  The kids had a blast learning about the discipline and even practiced striking some targets.  Once again, the martial arts station was one of the favorite activities of the day!

EAT YOUR GREENS!-Vicki King, Albemarle County CNP Nutrition Specialist, showed our student some delicious and healthy greens and shared how these vegetables are vital for making our bodies healthy.  Students were informed how these nutrient-dense foods help us grow and stay healthy and the students received a healthy snack as well!

LABEL READING-Kris Bonham, Registered Dietician from ACAC, shared valuable information with our 3rd-5th grade students on the importance of knowing what is in your food.  Reading labels can be tricky for kids and adults, so Kris shed some light on the subject.

DRUMS ALIVE FITNESS-Mr. Wymer and Mr. Williams became Drums Alive instructors for one day as all K-5 students had a BLAST with this awesome activity that combines music, rhythm, exercise, and playing the exercise balls like a set of drums.  The students had a great time and the instructors definitely received their workout for the day.

DENTISTS-MLS parents Dr. Fraites, Dr. Krese, Dr. Crowder, and Dr. Brooks helped reinforce the importance of dental hygiene with the students as they shared information on brushing and flossing techniques.  They also discussed snacks that were healthier dental choices.

DISABILITY AWARENESS-Students were engaged in activities that helped them appreciate what it is like to have a disability.  They wore special goggles that simulated various vision problems, learned sign language, and breathed through a straw after two minutes of intense exercise to help them experience what asthma feels like.  Many students commented on the effectiveness of these activities.




LICE FACT AND FICTION-Students were taught what lice are, how they are spread, and the fact that they are not a big deal and we should not tease others who may have it. 

Hopefully this will help other PE teachers if they wish to start their own Health Fair.  It was a great collaboration between the school nurse, guidance counselor, cafeteria manager, health professionals in our community, and the PE Dept.  Everything was planned to include different fitness disciplines, provide moderate to vigorous exercise, the healthiest of snacks (no dairy or artificial ingredients), and interesting/informative topics that will help our students be healthy and stay healthy!
 

Camp4Real Winter Break Camp Jan. 2-4!

Come join Mr. Williams and Mr. Wymer for some awesome PE action and fun and healthy snacks over the break, January 2-4.  We will be offering a half day camp that runs from 8:30-12:00 each morning, with extended care (7:30-12:30) available.  Please visit Camp4Real.com for camp brochure, registration, and other pertinent information.  Thanks and have a happy and healthy holiday break!

Speed Stacks and MLS PE Apparel Orders! Only 2 days left!

It is the time of year again that is music to our ears:  SPEED STACKING!  Our students LOVE stacking and it is a wonderful opportunity to show their speed, quickness, and hand-eye coordination while having a blast and getting a great workout.  Click here for some of the awesome benefits of speed stacking.  The 3rd-5th graders who participated in the Stack Up! world record event last Thursday were totally exhausted after playing some of our favorite active stacking games:  King and Queen of Cups, Floor Tag, I Disappear Table Relay, and Table Tag.  We have not had that many water fountain visits in a long time.

As always, we have many students asking where they can purchase Speed Stacks equipment.  We are doing our annual group order again and it will run through December 5.  Please click here to visit the group order store.  Choose our school state and name, then you are in the group order store.  The benefits of purchasing your stacking equipment through a group order include free shipping, cheaper prices than the regular online store, and a 10% credit of the total order goes to MLS PE to buy new stacking stuff!  Since we have had many parents interested in buying equipment as holiday gifts, we have ensured the equipment will be shipped before the break.

Sticking with the holiday gift theme, MLS PE will be offering our first PE apparel order!  T-shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, and REVERSIBLE sweatshirts (adult sizes only) are available in our online store found here.  This order will run until December 4 to ensure adequate time for production and shipment before the break.  We will have samples available to view next week and you are sure to see one of your PE teachers sporting them at school!

Neither of these sales are fundraisers, so do not be pressured to buy.  Please try to purchase any items through the respective websites of both companies.  No cash or checks can be made out to the school.  Email or see Mr. Williams if you have any questions.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Our First MLS Wellness Week!

We are very excited to get our first MLS Wellness Week underway next week! We have so many exciting things planned for the week that we would like to share with you:

Early BIRD PE all week: Come in to the gym at 7:30 for some early exercise!

Teachers to Warm-Up Week: The kids love when their teachers join us for some fun PE movement!

PE Lunch for our 3rd-5th graders! Girls on Monday, boys on Friday.

Meriwether Mover videos created by our students all week long!

Water Wellness Wednesday:  Drink more water and cut out the sugary beverages, especially during the Halloween parties!

Daily goals encouraging our AWESOME classroom teachers to move more in the class as well as moving with our Book Buddies!

Nutrition-based games in PE.

Wellness activities by Ms. Bell in the classrooms

Healthier breakfast options by Ms. Tichner. (Check out the oatmeal bar on Monday. You get to choose your own healthy toppings!)

Informative wellness videos every morning before Meriwether Movers.

We look forward to a great week of wellness and hope you do too!

We are off to a great start this fall here at MLS. The 3-5 grades completed their soccer skills unit and are now beginning the Ultimate frisbee and handball units. The little guys have been working on cooperative skills along with learning fitness components and coordination activities. We also just finished an early EZone class called "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." We offered this class as a fundraiser for the PE department and had nearly seventy girls sign up. Everyone had a blast!

Fall MLS from andrew wymer on Vimeo.

Meriwether's Finest

We are so proud of our teachers who recently participated in the Charlottesville Women's four miler. They spent so much time working together to train for the race and they all did a fabulous job! Not only that they are a wonderful example to our students as they show how important it is to be physically active. Congratulations to all.

Rolling Along

The MLS PE Department is excited about the start of another year. One awesome aspect of teaching PE is that rather than starting over each year with new classes, we get to keep building on what kids have already experienced.  We are always looking for the latest, greatest and most fun games, dances, or technology to continue to keep the PE experience as awesome as possible. Check the schedule page to see when your child has PE so that they can come prepared ready to participate.

We are in the process of putting dates together for all of our events for the upcoming semester. Check back soon for those dates so you can mark them on your calendar.

Stop in and see us Monday, August 20 from 3:30-5:00 for Open House.