With the summer olympic games right around the corner, the teachers thought it would be a great idea to turn sports week into a week full of olympic games. We also had a wonderful visit from Coach Brandon from Hero Kids Sports and we could not speak more highly of this program! Brandon was phenomenal! Thank you Coach Brandon for such a fun sports session!
To kick off SEE's olympic games, the children began the week discussing the symbolism of the olympic rings. The five rings were originally designed in 1912, first used in the 1914 games and officially debuted at the 1920 games in Belgium. The five rings symbolized the five inhibited countries of the world: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania (present day Australia and nearby islands). The colors are also significant, the symbol has five colored rings on a white background. Including the background, all six colors can be found among every national flag at the time of design. The children designed their own olympic rings using their fine motor skills and glue!
Tuesday was the day Coach Brandon came to visit. He began the session with a quick stretch and warmup before hitting the playground for an exciting obstacle course incorporating soccer, baseball and relay races. The children sat in the shade while they cheered on their buddies and waited for a turn.
As the week progressed, the children designed their own flags incorporating the colors red, white and blue. Lots of fine motor skills were practiced this week in addition to all of those gross motor skills out on the playground! The week was, as Boston would call it, a scorcher, and we made sure to head outside early in the morning and late in the afternoon. On Thursday, the olympic games were brought indoors. The children played pool noodle relay races and had a blast racing with their friends. Although competition is huge during the olympic games, we focused on teamwork and encouragement!
To wrap up the week, the children designed gold and silver medals for the closing ceremonies. The children brought their muscles this week and really enjoyed challenging their bodies!
What's Next:
Well because my post is unusually late this week, the children already dove into science week! The mad scientists came to our school to mix up some some cool concoctions. Stay tuned for many more experiments, explosions and fun as the week progresses!
Upcoming Dates and Reminders:
August 1: August tuition due
August 15: All updated paperwork is due for the 2016/2017 school year
August 26: Last day of the summer program
August 29-31: SEE closed to prepare for the new school year
September 1: First day of school! Tuition is also due!
September 5: SEE closed in observance of Labor Day
Pictures from the week:
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| Creating the Olympic Rings! |
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| Proudly carrying the torch! |
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| Navigating the obstacle course with stealth! |
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| Using the iconic olympic rings as inspiration at the easels |
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| Designing our very own flags for the games |
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| Everyone deserved a medal! |
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| Ending the games on a high note! Congratulations to all of the participants of the 2016 SEE olympic games! You are all winners in my book! |
Have a great week!
Joanna
