Softball

The Peirce Panthers Softball team had an excellent season.  I had 17 boys out for the team and all worked extremely hard, were focused, and practiced hard to improve each day.

We had games multiple were Joselito and Luis hit home-runs into the street, which was amazing! It was exciting for them and exciting for me to coach them and see them grow.  We finished the season 3-3, although we lost those 3 games by 1 run, two of which were in extra innings.  Boys 16" softball usually means there will be tons of runs scored and the games can go either way.  I preached ball first and to not make mistakes.  I look forward to coaching again next season.

Great action shots of Aureliano and Manuel hitting the ball while in mid-air!!  Great photography by the Yearbook staff at Peirce.

Springfield Trip

We went to Springfield as part of class trip for 7th Grade students.  I tried to get them up to speed on the history of Lincoln and the Civil War before we arrived as it is not something we have covered directly in class.  The students had tons of questions, which is what learning about history is all about!  We visited the state capital building, Lincoln's home, the presidential library, and Lincoln's tomb.  We enjoyed lunch in the Union Park and overall had a fun time.  It was a long day to say the least, but the kids had energy and were active with no complaints!

Yearbook Dance

Peirce wanted a yearbook created this so I graciously agreed to lead a group of 15 students.  One way to reduce costs was to create fundraisers.  We had a dress down day where students came in sports gear and could wear their favorite team apparel.  We also held a middle school dance to raise money for the book.  Overall we raised close to $700 and reduced the cost of each book around $3-4.00.  Below are some pics of the dance with 8th graders.

 

Yearbook Club

This was the first year our school had a yearbook.  I recall doing this in high school and enjoyed working with my friends and classmates.  What I soon began to realize though was that in high school this was a daily class we had.  My current club only meets once a week but works extremely hard and are a highly focused, committed group.  We use an online program through Treering and many pages are pre-made.  We simply tweak it to our needs, change colors, add descriptions, and put in our own photos.

The twenty 8th grade students did a fabulous job.  The book is now complete and consists of 80 overall pages.  They should arrive at school around June 1st.  The preview copy I received looked amazing!

Phobias & Disorders

The Middle School Health classes recently finished a unit on "Understanding Your Mental Health".  During this unit they learned about many of the common mental/emotional disorders and phobias that exist today.  Students were required to research in class and at home on the various mental health issues.  They came up with some information and then made a project for the class.  Many chose to make posters or displays.  Some offered up PowerPoint presentations as well making their own videos at home.  Other groups chose to do skits.  Below you will find some examples of the students work.  Students had to write down 3 new ideas they learned.  Later they turned these into their own exam.  Talk about taking ownership for your learning time!

New Game?

I took the rules of a few different games in P.E. class and came up a with a game that my classes really enjoyed.  It is a modified Speedball game with a few added rules.  You use an indoor soccer ball for starters and each team is 6 on 6, including a goalie.  The rules are pretty simple.  The ball stays on the ground and must be kicked.  If the ball is kicked in the air or bounces off of a wall you can catch it.  Once caught, you can take one step and have three different options.  You can throw it into the goal (LaCrosse/Dodgeball style), pass it to a teammate or shoot a basket.  The nets extend from the bottom of the basketball hoop to the floor (although they were added later than pictures show) and are as wide as the lane or paint area of the basketball court.  Goalies can move around anywhere and pick the ball up with their hands at anytime.  Sort of arena style soccer meets some football meets some basketball.

All I can say is the games were intense and almost all of my students participated.  They enjoyed the healthy competition, were fired up, and had plenty of exercise.  Many realized that there was strategy to the game and learned quickly that short passes moved the ball up the court and kept the defense on their toes.  Overall, I enjoyed teaching new rules to the students and they enjoyed a new game that allowed many different types of student athletes a chance to use multiple skills in class.