10th Annual Physical Education Summer Symposium

 Date:          Wednesday August 23, 2023

Time:         9:00am – 12:00pm 

Location:    FFCA SWE Campus – 898 Sylvester Cres. S.W. Calgary

Agenda:     8:45-9:00am arrival

                  Session 1: 9:00am-9:55am

                  Session 2: 10:00am-10:55am

                  Session 3: 11:00am-11:55am

Session Block #1 – 9:00am – 9:55am

	SESSION # / TITLE	PRESENTER	ROOM
1.	Escape Rooms Physical Education Style	Sonia Sheehan, FFCA SWE Campus	Gymnasium (indoor)
2.	Curling (A Target Game)	Brian Broad, FFCA NWE Campus	Gymnasium (indoor)

Session Block #2 – 10:00am – 10:55am

	SESSION # / TITLE	PRESENTER	ROOM
3.	Introducing Parkour with Simple Equipment and Your Playground	Chris Shaw, FFCA South Middle School Campus	Meet in Gymnasium, be prepared to go outside once the session starts
4.	Teaching Nutrition in an Active Way	Melissa Brooks, FFCA NEE Campus	Gymnasium (indoor)

Session Blook #3 – 11:00am – 11:55am

	SESSION # / TITLE	PRESENTER	ROOM
5.	Share Your Favorite Game or Activity	All FFCA Physical Education Specialists and you too!	Gymnasium (indoor) Possible Outdoor activities

Please join us for this excellent physical education professional development opportunity on Wednesday August 23 at FFCA SWE Campus, 898 Sylvester Cres. S.W.  There is no cost to participate in this event.  Please complete your registration through the google link:

Registration Link:

https://forms.gle/XvXtDzxovV3XnbWj9

.**In registering for this workshop you are voluntarily providing your personal information and consenting to its collection, use and disclosure for all purposes connected with our participation as a member of the workshop. **

Session Descriptions:

1	Session Block #1: 9:00am- 9:55am Session Title: Escape Rooms Physical Education Style Presenter:  Sonia Sheehan, FFCA Southwest Elementary Campus Physical Education Specialist, HPEC Vice President Communications Description: This session will show you how to bring the concept of escape rooms or breakout boxes to your physical education class. Using teamwork, communication, problem-solving, critical thinking while incorporating physical activity, a series of locks will need to be cracked to reveal the treasure inside the breakout box. Come prepared to try your hand at escaping and breaking out of the box. Learn how you can set up your own breakout boxes to enhance your physical education program. Grade Level Focus: Grade 3 to Grade 12   (indoor session)
2	Session Block #1: 9:00am- 9:55am Session Title: Curling (A Target Game) Presenter: Brian Broad, FFCA Northwest Elementary Physical Education Specialist Description: This session will show you how to introduce curling, a target game that is quickly growing in popularity. It will keep your students active in winter months. Learn the terms, skills and scoring while playing a fun social game. This can be taught in the gym with limited equipment and expense, or students can use specialized equipment and play it in alternative facilities.  Grade Level Focus: K-4   (indoor session)
3	Session Block #2: 10:00am – 10:55am Session Title: Introducing Parkour with Simple Equipment and Your Playground Presenter: Chris Shaw, FFCA South Middle School Physical Education Specialist Description: Parkour is currently a very popular activity for youth.  It is a great application for your everyday gymnastics unit!  Using your everyday gymnasium equipment and your playground, teachers can offer students an exciting and challenging parkour experience.   Grade level Focus: Grade 3 - 8   (meet indoor for this session and some activity will take place outdoors)

4

Session Block #2: 10:00am – 10:55am Session Title: Teaching Nutrition in an Active Way Presenter: Melissa Brooks, FFCA Northeast Elementary Physical Education Specialist Description:  This session gives teachers ideas of how to address the nutritional outcomes of the new PEW curriculum in an active way.  Grade Level: K - Grade 4   (indoor session)

5

Session Block #3: 11:00-11:55am Session Title:  Share Your Favorite Game or Activity Presenter: All FFCA Physical Education Specialists and anyone attending the session can share Description: This session will give us the opportunity to share some of our favorite games and activities with each other. The FFCA specialists will share the games and activities that the students ask for year after year. You will also have the opportunity to share your favorites as well. We have most equipment you will need, if you require specialized equipment, feel free to bring it. We look forward to learning from everyone! Grade Level: K-12   (indoor session, but if you have a great outdoor game or activity to share, we can go outdoors)

Teach Sexual Health with Confidence this Spring!

 Submitted by Christine McKernan, Health Promotion Facilitator, Alberta Health Services

The birds are chirping, the bees are buzzing, the snow is melting. Spring has arrived, which can only mean one thing: it’s time to teach sexual health!

 

Let’s be clear—you don’t have to wait till the spring to teach sexual health. We hope you’re talking about healthy relationships, consent, and using respectful, inclusive language all year round! But we know that many teachers choose to tackle the formal sexual health curriculum for grades 4-12 closer to the end of the school year.

 

That’s why we are excited to announce that registration is now open for our FREE online webinars. This series supports Alberta teachers in teaching the human sexuality outcomes and improves knowledge, skills, and comfort in the classroom.  

 

Choose from 8 sessions in April and May 2023. The webinars are on Zoom from 4:00-5:30 pm and are hosted by Alberta Health Services – Sexual and Reproductive Health Promotion. There is no obligation to attend every session – just pick the ones that are relevant to you!  

 

·   Comprehensive Sexual Health Education: What It Is and Why It Matters – Tuesday, April 18 

·   Funny, Awkward, Shocking? How to Answer Questions in Sexual Health Class – Thursday, April 20 

·   Teaching with Confidence: The New Grade 4 and 5 Sexual Health Curricula – Monday, April 24 

·   Teaching Junior High Sexual Health: The Good, the Bad and the Oily – Wednesday, April 26 

·   Teaching the New Grade 6 Sexual Health Curriculum Like a Rockstar! – Monday, May 1 

·   How to Stay Calm Teaching Sexual Health in High School CALM – Wednesday, May 3 

·   Beyond the Banana: Info, Tools, and Resources to Teach About Birth Control and STBBIs – Tuesday, May 9 

·   Porn, Sexting and Consent: Sex Ed for Today’s Classrooms – Thursday, May 11 

 

Register here: https://teachingsexualhealth.ca/teachers/sexual-health-education/teacher-workshops/  

 

If you prefer to learn in person, you’re in luck! Join us at the HPEC Conference in Lethbridge this May:

·       Teaching Alberta’s NEW Human Sexuality Curriculum for Grades 4, 5 and 6

o   11:15-12:15 pm on Friday, May 5 (Sunflower Room TE202)

·       Sex Ed: How to Answer Student Questions

o   1:30-2:30 pm on Friday, May 5 (Richardson Room, CE1305)

 

If you have any questions, please email us at tsh@ahs.ca. We can’t wait to see you this spring! 

 

Compassion, Resilience, and the Gymnasium

 

Author: Astrid Kendrick, EdD

As a former physical educator, I know that students might need an additional push to try something difficult or a gentle pull to help them through it. Deciding whether to focus on resilience (the push) or compassion (the pull) – or both – was a key pedagogical decision for me.

Resilience, in its truest sense, is developed through an individual’s response to a traumatic or difficult event. Rather than waiting for post-traumatic growth, an everyday resiliency can be crafted every time a student tries a new skill, succeeds in lifting heavier weights, runs a faster time, or beats a personal goal. These daily wins can positively impact an individual’s willingness and ability to push through more difficult experiences, but, some challenges can really challenge an individual’s fortitude.

These harder challenges may need the physical education teacher or coach to be compassionate - to notice, feel, and act to relieve the suffering of their students and athletes. Words of encouragement, well-timed skills coaching, or encouraging physical rest or nourishment can be the pull that gets an individual through a difficult task or activity.  

So, how can teachers use compassion to build resilience? Each part of compassion – noticing, feeling, and acting can be a part of building positive relationships with students. The below scenarios are simplified illustrations of the relationship between compassion, resilience, and the gymnasium.

Scenario A: Student Refusal to Engage in Class

Compassion: In the past, if I’ve noticed that a student is disengaged, I’ve had to check my feelings of frustration, and ask the student “What do you need to participate?”.

The answers I have gotten to this question include: better shoes because a student had to wear hand-me-downs that were a size too big; a tampon because the student just got her period and was embarrassed; new clothes because the student had outgrown their gym strip; and a life jacket because the student didn’t know how to swim.

The action I took was to have a stash of clothes, menstrual products, and gear to provide to students as needed.

Resilience: By removing the student’s real reason for refusal, the student no longer has barriers to participation, and they may attempt, and actually enjoy, the activity.

Scenario B: Student does not enjoy the planned activity

Compassion: If I’ve heard a student complaining about the activity, I’ve considered how I felt the last time I tried the activity, and asked the question, “What don’t you like about this activity?”.

 My former students have said that they didn’t want to get sweaty because they didn’t have a change of clothes; they didn’t feel confident because they lacked the requisite skills; the activity was too easy and therefore boring; or it was too hard (usually related to own cardiovascular fitness or muscular strength).

My action was to design skills-based activities in every lesson to review the fundamental skills including upskill opportunities related to the activity and to have a stash of extra shirts so students could change for class (gross, but effective).

Resilience: If a student admits they genuinely do not enjoy the planned activity, resilience built when they at least attempt the activity. Finding a way through unpleasant games or activities in PE can help them face other physical tasks in the future.

Scenario C: Student lacks the skills or competencies to enjoy the activity.

Compassion: If I’ve noticed that fundamental skills are lacking, I can remember feeling inadequate when I’ve tried something new, so I have asked “How can I help you learn?”.

Students have asked for tips and tricks to improve; private time to practice specialized skills; and opportunities to build their cardiovascular fitness and endurance.

Resilience: The student gains confidence to try new activities after improving their fundamental movement skills and overall physical health.

A fine line exists between pushing a student through difficulty to build their resilience and pulling a student over the finish line by being compassionate. An individual’s resilience generates the will to grind through difficult times, and compassion is the outstretched hand that helps them out. Both can be built and diminished through seemingly small actions in the gymnasium.

Want to learn more? Check out these resources:

PHE Canada Teach Resiliency: https://phecanada.ca/programs/teach-resiliency/home

Centre for Compassionate Leadership: https://www.centerforcompassionateleadership.org/

Compassion Research Lab: https://www.drshanesinclair.com/

HEARTcare Planning for Educators: https://heartcareeducators.ca/

Coaching with Compassion: https://www.executivecoachcollege.com/research-and-publications/how-to-coach-for-compassion.php

Winter Holiday Games

Submitted by: Sonia Sheehan, HPEC Vice President Communications 

Looking for some ways to get your students active that promotes aspects of the upcoming winter holidays?  Try out some of these games that have been tried and tested with K-4 students.

1.     Holiday Winter Guess:

Create 4 choices of holiday winter actions (snow angel – lay on the ground and perform snow angels, candy cane – stand with arms curled forward, reindeer – gallop in a circle with hands overhead as antlers, snowflake – stand with arms and legs stretched out wide and sway from side to side).  Create a slide show with a random order of the 4 holiday winter actions or have the 4 holiday winter actions written in large letters on separate pieces of paper. Have students perform a movement or fitness activity (jumping jacks, squats, lunges, running on the spot, side sliding, bicep curls, etc…). When students hear “Freeze”, they must stop the movement or fitness activity.  When students hear “Make your Holiday Winter Guess”, they must choose one of the holiday winter actions to perform.  Provide students with a 5 second count down to complete their choice.  Teacher will reveal either the slide with one of the holiday winter actions or randomly show one of the pieces of paper with the holiday winter action.  The object of the game is to match the holiday winter action the teacher shows.

If you match the activity = complete a holiday dance celebration move and earn 1 point

If you do not match the activity = complete 1 lap skipping around the gym

2.     Reindeer Switch:

Set up hula hoops or poly spots (reindeer homes) for all students to stand in, except 3-4 students of the class.  The students without a hula hoop/poly spot/ reindeer home are the lost reindeer. When the teacher calls “Reindeer Switch” all the reindeer need to move and stand in a new reindeer home.  Any students without a reindeer home are the lost reindeer for that round.  Challenge students to try to find a reindeer home quickly and safely each time the teacher says “Reindeer Switch”.  To add a cooperative twist, remove some reindeer homes to have two reindeer in each home.  When students hear “Reindeer Switch” they need to find a new home and each home can have 2 reindeer before it is full. 

3.     Tree Topple:

Equipment: bowling pins (or an item that can be knocked over) to represent holiday trees and bean bags

Set up: 2 equal teams on each side of the activity area, 10 holiday trees/bowling pins on each side of the gym, bean bags randomly scattered throughout the area to chop down the holiday trees

Objective: With each team staying on their own side, students will slide the bean bag along the ground to the other side of the gym to try to “topple” the trees over.  Try to be the first team to topple all the trees on the other side.  

Extension: If a student topples a tree over with a bean bag, the student will run over to the other side, pick up the tree that was toppled over, bring it back to their side and add it to the standing trees on their side.  Try to be the team with the most trees on their side.

 

4.     Winter Would You Rather:

Create a list of two winter items/activities for students to choose from.  Teacher will call out the two items/activities and students need to choose which item/activity they prefer.  Have students move to the corresponding side of your activity area based on the item/activity they choose.  Reveal what activity will be performed based on the item/activity chosen by the student.

Item/Activity Choice #1	Item/Activity Choice #2
Ski = 10 jumping jacks	Snowboard = 10 chicken jacks
Play snow soccer = 10 squats	Play on the playground = 10 lunges
Ice skate = 10 raise the roofs	Sled/toboggan = 10 flosses
Play ice hockey = 10 air punches	Play ringette = 10 high kicks
Build a snowman = run around in a circle 5 times	Build a snow fort = 5 squat jumps
Open presents = do your favourite dance move	Give presents = run on the spot with fast feet
Snowshoe = side slide across the activity area	Cross Country Ski = spin 3 times each way
Sing holiday songs = 10 arm curls	Watch holiday movies = 10 lunges
Bake holiday cookies = 10 jumping jacks	Eat holiday cookies = 4 air punches and 4 high kicks
Run = touch your toes and reach up 5 times	Walk = show your best robot moves
Sleep in an igloo = 5 squat jumps	Sleep in a tent = 10 high kicks
Play video games = run across the activity area	Play outside in the snow = play an imaginary musical instrument
Eat a candy cane = 10 skier jumps	Eat a gingerbread cookie = 6 squat jumps

 

5.      2 Sided Santa Says:

Similar to Simon Says.  Try to include winter or holiday type activities.  Choose 2 students to be “Santa” on opposite sides of the playing area.  Have half the class face each of the 2 Santas.  Students need to complete an activity if “Santa Says” to do the activity.  Students are not to complete the activity if Santa does not say.  If a student does an activity that Santa did not say, that student would leave the game they are part of and join the Santa on the other side of the activity area.  Students will continue to move from game to game as the Santas try to trick the students into doing an activity that Santa did not say.  Switch the student Santas throughout the game.

6.     Snow Run:

This activity needs to take place outside. Students challenge a partner or group to see who can run the fastest to a certain part of the field or outdoor area while running through the snow. Take a little rest and then snow run to a new location in the field or challenge a new partner or group to a snow run.

 

7.     Pass the Present:

Equipment: a variety of tossable items that can represent presents (examples include: a variety of balls, bean bags, deck rings, pool noodles, etc…)

Set up: Students in groups of 3-4 with a winter holiday team name (example team names: candy canes, elves, snowflakes, snowballs, toys, reindeer, gingerbread, etc…) and some type of holiday winter celebration move (the celebration move can be a dance move or a fitness move)

Challenge: groups work together to complete the designated number of passes of their present in the designated way (if the present is dropped the counting starts again from zero), once the group completes the designated number of passes with their present, complete a holiday winter celebration move and then change the present used for passing and move onto the next round featuring a different way to pass the present

Recommended Designated number of passes by grade level:

Grade 1: 10 passes

Grade 2: 15 passes

Grade 3: 20 passes

Grade 4: 25 passes

Suggested Rounds of Designated types of Passes:

Round #1: Underhand pass

Round #2: One bounce pass

Round #3: Jump up and down before pass

Round #4: Under the leg pass

Round #5: Spin in a circle and then pass

Round #6: Moving while passing

 

8.     Snowball Target Practice:

Equipment: gator balls to represent multi coloured snowballs or crunched up pieces of recycling paper to represent snowballs, a variety of buckets or baskets for targets, bowling pins as targets

Set up: place the buckets, baskets, and bowling pins around the activity area as targets and each student has their own snowball (gator ball or crunched up piece of paper)

Objective: Challenge students to see how many targets they can knock over (bowling pins) or get their snowball in (buckets or baskets)

Additional Challenges:

·       Throw your snowball from further away from the target

·       Alternate between underhand throw and overhand throw to the target

·       Try a trick shot throw to the target (under a leg throw, over the shoulder throw, backwards throw, etc…)

·       Set a time limit: how many targets can you hit in 1 minute time, 2 minute time, 3 minute time

 

9.     Protect the Snowmen:

Equipment: gator balls to represent multi coloured snowballs, bowling pins to represent the snowmen and if available, build large snowmen by putting one exercise ball on top of another exercise ball with some type of stand or base at the bottom of the snowman and inbetween the two balls of the snowman

Set up: Divide the class into two teams with one team on each side of the activity area, 6 – 8 snowmen at the back of each side, a centre line dividing the two teams and snowballs (gator balls) scattered throughout the playing area

Objective: Work as a team to throw the snowballs at the other team’s snowmen and knock over all the snowmen on the other side.  Continue until one team has no snowmen left standing

Modification: If a snowman is knocked over, the team that knocked it over can run and get the snowman and stand it up on their side.  See which team has the most snowmen at the end of the game.

Modification: Add a snowman rebuilding process.  If a snowman is knocked over, a student can pick up the snowman, run one lap around the gym while holding the snowman, and then put the snowman back up on their side to continue in the game.

 

10.  The Great Toy Hunt:

Equipment: wide range of random PE equipment, scooters, mats, list of toys for groups to find in The Great Toy Hunt, hula hoop for each groups toy chest

Set up: Scatter random PE equipment on one side of the activity area, students in groups of 3 with a winter sleigh (made of 3 scooters under one folding gymnastic mat), each group with a list for the Great Toy Hunt (See a sample list below) and a hula hoop for their toy chest

Objective: Work as a team to gather all the items from Toy Hunt List.  Toys can only be gathered one at a time.  To gather an item, one group member must ride on the sleigh, one group member must safely push the sleigh and one group member holds the Toy Hunt List and indicates which toy to find and bring back to the team toy chest.  Once an item is gathered, the group members switch jobs.  Challenge your group to gather as many toys as they can on the toy hunt list.

THE GREAT TOY HUNT

Toy Hunt List:

Collect one of each item

Bowling Pin

Gator Ball

Table Tennis Paddle

Poly Spot

Bean Bag

Frisbee

Scoop

Tennis Ball

Pool Noodle

Pylon

Whiffle Ball

Scarf

Juggling Club

Cylinder

Ring

Rubber Chicken

Cup Stilt

Fluff Ball

 

HPEC Conference 2023 News, Lethbridge May 4-6, 2023:

 

HPEC Conference 2023 News, Lethbridge May 4-6, 2023:

Do you want your conference fee covered by HPEC? 

Apply for a grant to have the chance of winning a free HPEC conference registration.

Apply Here:

HPEC Membership Conference Grant - deadline to apply is January 15: http://www.hpec.ab.ca/hpec-membership-conference-grant17

HPEC Pre-Service Teacher Grant - deadline to apply to January 15:

http://www.hpec.ab.ca/hpec-pre-service-teacher-grant17

Conference Keynote:   Laval St. Germain

Pre-Conference Sessions: Thursday, May 4, 2023

Conference Sessions: More details to come!

Conference Registration: Coming Soon!

Conference Socials:

Thursday May 4, 2023 Evening HPEC Past President Reception

Friday May 5, 2023 HPEC Conference Friday Evening Social

Theme: Beach party

For all HPEC Conference 2023 Details visit:

https://www.hpec.ab.ca/hpec-2023-conference