Mr. Mouratidis

September 27, 2013

Hello Parents and students,

Welcome to my first blog!

My students ( gr. 4 & 5 )  are currently working through the handball unit.  We will be evaluating their throwing and catching skills in the near future.

My grade 1 students ( Ms. Mabey class & Ms. Karavidas' class)  are working on safety in the gymnasium, and locomotion/travelling skills.  Students will be evaluated shortly in this area.

Looking forward -  our next unit of study will be Health.

The grade 1's will be :1.  identifying the four food groups and give examples of foods in each group
                                  2. describe ways to care for their teeth

The grade 4's will be examining the curriculum expectations below :

– identify people (e.g., parents, guardians, neighbors, teachers) and community agencies (e.g., Kids’ Help Phone) that can

assist with injury prevention, emergency situations, and violence prevention;

Substance Use and Abuse

– identify the major harmful substances found in tobacco and explain the term addiction;

– describe the short- and long-term effects of first- and second-hand smoke, and identify the advantages of being smoke free;

– apply decision-making and assertiveness skills to make and maintain healthy choices related to tobacco use, and recognize

factors that can influence decisions to smoke or to abstain from smoking (e.g., the media, family members, friends, laws).

The grade 5's will be examining the curriculum expectations below:

– explain how people’s actions (e.g., bullying, excluding others) can affect the feelings and reactions of others;

– apply strategies (e.g., anger management, assertiveness, conflict resolution) to deal with personal-safety and injury-prevention situations (e.g., swarming, threatening, harassment);

Evaluation on these Health units is being planned for the week of October 21-25.

If you have any questions, please contact me through the school at 416 396-2460. Leave a message with the office staff and I will contact you shortly afterwards. You can also send a note with your child to school.

I look forward to a great year of fun and learning in my classroom(the gymnasium) with the kids!

Angelo Mouratidis

Health & Physical Education

Thorncliffe Park P.S.

Mr. Couch - Welcome Information (Gr. 1/2, 2, 3)

Hi!

We have almost completed an entire month of school here at Thorncliffe and I thought I would take a moment to provide a few reminders for Gym and provide an overview for what's coming up next.

Clean Indoor Running Shoes

When participating in Gym, students are required to wear clean, safe running shoes.  They should have one pair of shoes/boots for outside and one pair of shoes for inside the gym and their classroom.

Running shoes should have a rubber sole and should fit your child.  Shoes that are too big or too small are extremely uncomfortable and are a safety issue.  Ensure that if your child cannot tie their laces, that you help them with this at home.  Until they are comfortable tying their own shoes, I would recommend purchasing velcro shoes.

Sandals, dress shoes, shoes with hard soles, boots and soccer cleats, are not permitted in the gym and are not safe for participating in Gym class.  Soccer cleats in particular, should not be purchased as everyday shoes as they are unsafe on hard surfaces and are not built for long wear.

Doing Well in Gym

There are a number of fundamental movement strategies and physical skills that students learn in Gym, however the key elements listed below, will ensure your child's success in class.

-Listening and Following Instructions
-Participating Positively and Cooperating
-Always Being Safe
-Always Trying Their Best

Reminding your child of these things, will ensure their success in all classes at school.

Current Skills and Games

Currently in Gym, we are focusing on Cooperative Games, Moving Safely in the Gym and Following Instructions.  We play a number of games to reinforce these important skills, including Tag Games, Relays, Movement Games and Problem Solving.  Each month, we will begin a new unit and focus for our students, stay tuned to see what we are working on, and feel free to review with your student the same skills.

Health Education

Throughout the year, we will be learning about a variety of Health topics that range from Healthy Eating and Nutrition, Safety, Substances and Safety and Growth and Development.  Stay tuned for links to important information regarding these topics

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please contact me at kevin.couch@tdsb.on.ca

Mr. Offutt

Mr. Dodds

Mr. Mouratidis

Ms. Minutillo

Mr. Couch