Mrs. Lori Stevens » Introduction

Introduction

Growing up as I child, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher.  It was not until I began running in fifth grade that I found my passion for physical activity.  When I took my first steps on the sidewalk, I was instantly hooked. The joy I felt was indescribable and I knew I wanted others to experience that same joy.  As I grew older, I found that the healthier I ate, the better I felt. I then developed my addiction to nutrition. This passion led me to become a physical education and health teacher. I graduated from Northeastern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and continued at the American College of Education with a Master of Health and Wellness. The most important lessons I would like my students to learn are the ones that will develop their attitudes, values, and skills to lead physically, socially, mentally, and emotionally healthy lives. Please take a look at a webpage I created, which explains the reason why I have chosen to implement this new PE curriculum at St. Juliana.
 

Posts

Week of 10/19-10/23 PE Award Winners

 
  1st-3rd Grades 4th-5th Grades 6th-8th Grades
Leadership Grayson Zaccone Henry Nowak Anthony Oswald
Attitude Franky Demonte Maggie McGrath Sedona Yerke
Sportsmanship Vivian Rimski Mia Qorri Anna Bigos
Effort Jaxson White Conor Byrne Frances Sas
Respect George Newman Mackenzie Schippers Mason Wertepny

Week of 10/5-10/9 PE Award Winners

 
  1st-3rd Grades 4th-5th Grades 6th-8th Grades
Leadership Grace Kieres Nuala Heneghan Lucy O'Donoghue
Attitude Maggie Daliege Eviana Velez Melina Tsagaris
Sportsmanship Charlie Hohenadel Eddie Tuttle Izel Munoz
Effort Lucy Manning Jesse Noel Guin Peters
Respect Teddy Farley Adam Mazur Daniel Schmidt

Week of 9/28-10/2 PE Award Winners

 
  1st-3rd Grades 4th-5th Grades 6th-8th Grades
Leadership Maeve Mohr Piper Rasso Emerald Vergara
Attitude Theo Antonik Conor Delaney Jack Ernat
Sportsmanship Oliver Thompson Charlie Farley Charlotte Powers
Effort Briella Gimino Oliver Sherpinskas Sadie Butler
Respect Alexander Zien Juan Hernandez Carolina McKenna

Night Time Stretches

Nighttime stretches are a simple way to help your body relax before bed while also improving flexibility. Gentle stretches can loosen tight muscles after a busy day, helping you feel more comfortable and ready for sleep. Over time, stretching regularly can improve your range of motion, making activities like sports, exercise, and everyday movement easier. Taking just a few minutes to stretch before bedtime can also be a calming part of your nighttime routine, helping your mind and body slow down so you can get a good night’s sleep. There are many apps and videos to choose from. Here are three options to get you started.

Fitness Gram Fitness Tests

The FitnessGram Fitness Test is a group of activities designed to help middle school students learn about different parts of physical fitness. It includes several components: the PACER test, which measures cardiorespiratory endurance by having students run back and forth at increasing speeds; curl-ups, which measure abdominal strength and endurance; push-ups, which measure upper-body strength and endurance; and the sit-and-reach, which measures flexibility in the lower back and hamstrings. The goal of FitnessGram is not to compete against classmates but to help students understand their fitness levels, set healthy goals, and track their progress over time. I have highlighted the top performers for each test to demonstrate to students that, with dedication and consistent effort, higher scores are achievable. The students test in September and May. In between, they participate in various strength, endurance, and flexibility exercises to help improve their scores.
 
 
  6th-Grade 7th-Grade 8th-Grade
Sit-Ups Marty Diskin (57) Liam Hennessey (47) Anthony Oswald (56)
Push-Ups Emmet Hehir (38) Madeline Moon (50) Jake Davidson (40)
PACER Logan Utz (74) Colm Heneghan & Brendan O'Brien (90) Emily McNamara (68)
Sit & Reach Evelyn Burzic (14) Evie Pelka (13) Sophie Papanicolaou (17)

Week of 9/14-9/18 PE Award Winners

 
  1st-3rd Grades 4th-5th Grades 6th-8th Grades
Leadership Gavin Richards Autumn Mathieu Colm Heneghan
Attitude Camryn Krass Brooklyn Boyer Brody O'Brien
Sportsmanship Conor Lynch Henry Thomas Liam Hennessey
Effort Ella Tuttle Jimmy Peters Emily Cochran
Respect Camden Smith Helena Erlicher Madeline Moon

Week of 9/7-9/11 PE Award Winners

 
  1st-3rd Grades 4th-5th Grades 6th-8th Grades
Leadership JP Ade Liam Lynch Sophia Papanicolaou
Attitude Ryan Raith Cece Scott Charlie Carman
Sportsmanship Ava Lau Caden Hammersmith Eamonn Shevlin
Effort Piper Hilton Julia Jebson Madeline Moon
Respect Daniella Hernandez Landon McLemore Daphne Kono

Week of 8/31-9/4 PE Award Winners

 
  1st-3rd Grades 4th-5th Grades 6th-8th Grades
Leadership Alex  Chmielewski Ben Moran Jake Davidson
Attitude Mary Tracy Aine Mendez Kiera Schmidt
Sportsmanship Shane Kinsella Michael Stevens John Shea
Effort Hannah Bowery Kendall Caster Charlie McNaughton
Respect Nathaniel Kowalski Camille George Callee Dodovich

PE Awards

In addition to developing students’ knowledge and skills in fitness and sports, the Physical Education curriculum at St. Juliana is designed to foster five key principles that are valued by coaches, educators, and employers alike. These principles are leadership, attitude, sportsmanship, effort, and respect. Definitions and examples are listed below:

 

Leadership is the ability to guide, encourage, and help others work together toward a common goal.

A leader doesn’t always have to be the person “in charge.” A good leader:

  • Listens to others
  • Makes responsible choices
  • Helps solve problems
  • Encourages and supports people
  • Sets a good example

A good attitude means choosing a positive, respectful, and helpful way of thinking and acting, even when things are difficult.

A person with a good attitude:

  • Stays positive when facing challenges
  • Treats others with respect
  • Is willing to learn and improve
  • Tries their best instead of giving up
  • Looks for solutions instead of only focusing on problems

Sportsmanship means playing fairly, respecting others, and showing a positive attitude whether you win or lose.

A person who shows good sportsmanship:

  • Follows the rules and plays fairly
  • Respects teammates, opponents, coaches, and officials
  • Encourages others
  • Handles winning without bragging
  • Handles losing without blaming or making excuses
  • Congratulates others on a good game or effort

Effort means how hard you try to do something, even when it is difficult or you might make mistakes.

A person who shows effort:

  • Gives their best
  • Keeps trying when things get challenging
  • Stays focused
  • Learns from mistakes
  • Doesn’t give up easily

Respect means treating yourself and other people with kindness, fairness, and consideration.

A person who shows respect:

  • Listens when others are speaking
  • Uses kind and appropriate words
  • Follows rules and directions
  • Accepts that people may have different opinions
  • Takes care of people, places, and belongings

 

Each week, the students at St. Juliana are asked to demonstrate these principles during class. Students who can demonstrate these principles are put on our “PE Awards” board to not only highlight their achievements, but to help motivate students throughout the school. I will post the students each week as well.