KINDERGARTEN:
These students were so excited to have their first visit to the High Meadows pool!  They arrived full of questions, ideas and lots of energy.  After taking a quick swimming test to assess their abilities and going over pool safety rules, they were ready to go.  The pool is such an exciting way to make new friends and enjoy old ones.  As fall approaches the water will cool down and P.E. will return to the meadow.  The kindergarteners will demonstrate their gross motor skills and begin to learn about good sportsmanship through big group games such as “bears in the cave” and “1-2-3 octopus” and relay races.

ONE-TWO:
Peace is a tough accomplishment in PE, but we are managing to explore this idea at the pool.  The students have been discovering peace underwater and through floating on their backs.  They have been enjoying the pool during these muggy afternoons.  They are playing tagging games, jumping through hula hoops, and trying out dodge ball in the water!  When we have finished swimming, we will begin our regular PE routine on the meadow.  These students will demonstrate sportsmanship and teamwork through big group games, relays and a variety of kickball games.

THIRD:
These students are building new friendships and rekindling old ones at our wonderful pool!  Through teacher guidance they are playing games and swimming relays, as well as discussing water safety.  During free swim they have been spending much of their time teaching each other tricks, such as back dives and cannon balls.  This is a great time of bonding for all of them.  As the weather cools, we will be back on the meadow moving into big group games.  They will demonstrate sportsmanship and teamwork, as well as gross motor skills, through games like “capture the flag”, “manhunt” and “kickball”.

FOUR-FIVE:
Canoeing in the pool??  Yes, that is what is going on with the 4-5 students at the pool.  They will be taking a trip down the Chattahoochee and are practicing their canoeing skills in the pool.  We are going over the basics:  wearing a PFD, entering and exiting the canoe without capsizing, and how to hold the paddle.  Besides canoeing, they are enjoying being together and playing games in the pool.  Fall will bring and end to swimming and we will return to the meadow for some familiar fun and games.  We will begin with big group games and move to the basics of kickball and whiffleball.  I will be looking for them to demonstrate knowledge of the games, show an ability to use teamwork, good sportsmanship and develop strategies.

MIDDLE YEARS:
Middle Years students are having an exceptional time bonding at the pool.  It is astonishing to observe their growth both physically and emotionally!  (I have been teaching many of these kids since they were in kindergarten)  This time at the pool is a wonderful opportunity for each of these groups to make new friends, enjoy old one and rekindle forgotten ones.  The girls enjoy relays, games like alligator, sharks and minnows, and STAR, as well as choreographing water dances and synchronized jumps and dives.  They are especially fond of posing for the camera!  The boys are enjoying relays, water basketball and dodge ball.  These students alternate between swimming and study skills for the first six weeks of school then move on to other mini-courses.