In Albemarle County, we are fortunate to have some wonderful colleagues who run awesome physical education programs.  We collaborate quite often via email, Twitter, “PE Meet-ups” in person, and even Google Chats.  This school year, we took our collaboration one step further and officially created the FAST (Fun, Active, Social, Teamwork) Times program.  This program is designed to provide opportunities for our students to move, have fun, and meet new students from around the county.   It is our goal to be diverse in our activity offerings, and we have been successful thus far as our FAST Times events have been as follows: Capture the Flag Day, Speed Stacking, and Dance.  

Each day has brought so many great memories for our kids and for myself especially.  (My memories mainly consist of “Why am I running this station?  I would much rather be out there playing!”)  The Capture the Flag event was intense!  We were able to reserve the Albemarle High turf field, so the kids were immediately pumped when they heard the news.  When pairing that excitement with that of playing three versions of CTF with and against students from around Albemarle County, we knew we were in for a great day.  The day was fantastic, from the weather, to the organization, to the healthy snacks afterwards (fruit and water; NO GATORADE or CHOCOLATE MILK HERE!).   With over 120 participants, we were really excited about the start of the program.  

The Speed Stacking event was held at Hollymead and we had a blast!  The MLS kids showed their skills as we are definitely a stacking school!  We were sure to get their heart rates up with very active stacking stations, but we didn’t forget about the goofy stuff as the “Cup City” station provided plenty of laughs and many awesome creations.  This station also provided some collaboration time among the group members, which often represented 3-4 schools.  Our culminating event was an optional head-to-head tournament, which was an awesome way to end our day.

The final event was held last Friday at Stone Robinson and couldn’t have been more fun!  The MLS group (40 kids strong!) was lead by our 4th graders, who came dancing in to “Harlem Shake.”   They were eventually joined by the rest of the crew who came running in from different entrances in the gym!  It set the tone for a great 90 minutes of dance as the SRES kids showed their “Happy” dance creation on the projector.  The Agnor Hurt teachers led some wonderful international dances which was great for the MLS teachers, as we need to (and will) develop that area of our dance program.  The MLS kids then led a few Meriwether Mover dances.  I was so impressed with our kids, not because of their moves but because of their willingness to get up on the stage and lead the dances!  I had to tell kids to get of the stage as all 40+ wanted to get up there!  After that we had some Hip Hop Battles and a big Dance Off before we taught the crew our halftime show performance from last year.  The end result?  Sweaty, happy, tired kids and teachers alike! 

What a joy is to be a physical education teacher!  I was able to see some of my favorite camp kids from Hollymead, ones that have been to every Camp4Real (my summer camp business) at HMES.  The bus ride with my kids was a blast as I was able to sit and talk with some of my kids at length.  I don’t have that wonderful opportunity very often.  Singing (clean) Miley Cyrus songs, reciting (clean) movie quotes from Batman and Gladiator with one of my 4th graders (your parents let you watch those movies?!?!), and making up goofy names for everyone (I am now Dr. Velcro) on the bus may be the things I remember most from this recent trip!

Scott Williams

We recently held our annual health fair at MLS. It was a great day as we had many local health professionals come in to educate our students on the benefits of healthy living. Topics ranged from skin care, yoga, portion control, food choices, dental hygiene and more. Read more to learn about all of the sessions students attended. 

Susan from Rebecca’s Natural Food came to our heath fair and taught our students about the wonders of quinoa!  It is a grain that is a complete protein, is a good source of magnesium and iron, and also contains calcium.  It is very simple to prepare and takes little time, so try it instead of rice sometime!

Former MLS parent Dr. Bart Weis from Charlottesville Orthodontics spoke in detail about common problems that may require orthodontic treatment.  The students were amazed by the awesome visual aids and information shared by Dr. Weis.

Germ Wars-This action-packed cooperative station gave our students some much-needed movement and illustrated how the more healthy choices we make, the stronger our immune systems will be in the “battle against bugs” inside our bodies!   As soon as the powerhouse healthy choices of sleep, eating veggies and fruit (at least 5/day), eating REAL food (no artificial ingredients) exercise at least 60 minutes a day, and drinking water combined forces, that bacteria didn’t stand a chance!  Thanks to Chad Triolet for the great game idea!

MLS parent and Holistic Health Coach Tricia Lucas shared the importance of drinking water.  Ms. Lucas shared ideas on how to flavor water naturally and even shared some ice cubes with fruit frozen on the inside.  The students really loved the bright colors and were taught about ingredients in other drinks that are not so healthy.  These harmful ingredients included artificial dyes and sweeteners, preservatives, and other common additives.  Ms. Lucas also shared that when exercising or playing a sport, water and a piece of fruit is a much better choice than sports drinks such as Gatorade.

Portion Control was lead by MLS parents Jeni Galvin and Katie Sears.  Think that bowl of cereal is one serving?  Think again!  Many of us pour way too much into our bowl when eating cereal and other foods as well.  This station brought awareness to how many servings we are actually consuming and it was a real eye-opener!  Unfortunately many cereals contain unhealthy amounts of added sugar (as well as GROSS artificial colors!), so the more aware we are of actual serving size the healthier we will be.

Skin Care-Former MLS parent Lisa Laurence from Family Dermatology of Albemarle came in to teach our students about taking care of our largest organ in the body, our skin!  Lisa spoke about sun protection and other ways of protecting the skin, including various skin care products.  Be careful though, our skin is porous and absorbs whatever we put on it!  Try to use products with no (or very few) artificial ingredients!  Check out the wonderful EWG website for more info on CLEAN skin care products!

Super Kicks Karate was an amazing station!  Students learned various self-defense tactics and were taught how to avoid conflict by being very direct and confident.  The highlight of the station was the game Snake.  Students had to avoid the snake pad by using their quickness, reaction time, and balance as Mr. Tim and Mr. Bandon were very tricky when operating the snake! 

MLS Super Moms Shannon Burns and Meg Janucik led our students in some great yoga poses that relaxed, refreshed, and calmed our minds and muscles.  We love yoga at MLS because it helps us with our balance, strength, flexibility, body awareness, and coordination.  All of our Meriwether athletes will definitely experience more success in their various sports when improving those skills through consistent yoga practice!

DRUMS ALIVE FITNESS-Mr. Wymer became a Drums Alive instructor for one day as all 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 instructor definitely received his workout for the day. 

Meriwether Lewis Elementary School PE teacher, Scott Williams, was recently recognized by the Virginia Alliance for Health, PE, Recreation and Dance (VAHPERD) as the 2013 Elementary PE teacher of the year!

We recently held our first two "Early Bird PE" weeks of the school year. During these weeks we open the gym at our school at 7:30am. Both weeks were heavily attended by students who are excited to get some time in the morning before school to play. An added bonus is always the emails from parents who talk about how easy it to get their kids up and out the door in the morning during these weeks. We will hold our next Early Bird weeks in the early and late Spring when the weather turns warm again. Thanks to all those who got up early and joined in with us! 

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.