It’s lights out for this physical education class

During the fall festival, teachers found creative ways to combine physical education classes with the fall season.

By: Donna Lukiw
   Hillsborough Elementary School’s physical education classes went dark this week, but it’s part of an innovative plan to combine several lesson goals.
   As part of the school’s annual fall festival, the physical education teachers found some creative ways to combine physical education classes with the fall season.
   "I think my physical education teachers are doing a lot of innovative things," Principal Mike Volpe said.
   Different stations are currently set up in the gym where children rotate during their class and participate in each of 12 activities.
   Laura Wynkoop and Sarina Rutz, physical education teachers, were hoping to create a different — maybe even eerie — environment for the students by turning down the lights in the gym and filling it with artificial smoke from a smoke machine.
   "It’s dark to make it more fun," Ms. Wynkoop said. "How often are we allowed to play in the dark?"
   The students have been venturing into a man-made bat cave where they have to find and spot different bats. The team that finds the most bats wins.
   They also have been challenged to push a yarn ball with a broom through a maze without touching the borders and have worked together in a memory game while searching for pairs.
   "They’re working in a small group," Ms. Wynkoop said. "It’s a team effort."
   Team projects included an activity for two-student teams. The students had to ride a scooter together, through the smoke, and get through a maze without touching the borders.
   Besides being physically active, the students are reinforcing their math skills in the bat cave, working on their coordination and stressing their memory in "monster match."
   "They’re also learning responsibility," Ms. Wynkoop said. "They need to put everything back the way they found it for the next class."
   The students will be participating in the fall festival during their physical education classes until tomorrow (Friday).