"A daily hit of athletic-induced endorphins gives you the power to make better decisions, helps you be at peace with yourself, and offsets stress."

Posted by: Meagan Harrington

Incorporating DANCE In A Cross Curricular Way!

Hello fellow teachers!
Have you ever wrestled with the idea of how to teach DANCE in a cross curricular way? Are you interested in linking dance to math, social studies and science activities? Well, fear no more, here are some AMAZING Video clips that demonstrate just how to do that!!!
“Music is the arithmetic of the soul, which counts without being aware of it” Leibnitz

Social Studies: The Suitcase Dance

This Video shows students using dance to express their interpretation of the emotions and feelings immigrants/refugees feel as they leave their own country to come to a new one.

Science: Moving like Magnets

This Video demonstrates students imitating the dynamics of Magnets through dance. This topic is explored in Grade 3 science.  

Math: Four body Shapes

This Video demonstrates students taking basic shapes and forms found in Math/geometry and composing a dance based on those specific shapes.

All videos courtesy of TeachersTV : http://www.teachers.tv

Posted by: Charlotte Blahut

Kicks For Kids!

Teachers! Finished math 15 minutes early? Need to get some students caught up on work while others have free time? Can’t get any gym time today? Indoor recess and you don’t know what to do with the kids? DPA is the way! It’s as simple and easy as popping in a DVD! No, it’s not time to pop some pop corn and turn out the lights; it’s time to get fit, burn calories and sweat with Billy Blanks Tae Bo Kicks for kids! You can do this with your students to model a healthy lifestyle that involves vigorous physical activity. In this video Billy Blanks shows kids easy moves that they can do, while the music is pumping in the background. The best part? All of this can be done behind their desks! Just make sure chairs are pushed in and the kids are spread out enough that they can lie down without other kids touching them. Maybe have a few kids move to different areas of the classroom, but a large space is not required for this activity. This video works every inch of your body, you AND your students will be sweating by the time you’ve finished a ten or fifteen minute session. That’s the best part; you can stop and start at any time during the video. Do as much or as little as you’d like.

Parents! Instead of having the kids play Nintendo when they get home, pop on Billy Blanks Tae Bo Kicks when the kids come home for school for 15-20 minutes, by then they should be good and ready for a healthy snack, and they will have gotten the wiggles out so they can get some of their homework done before turning on the video games. Just these 15-20 minutes can make a huge difference in their health and physical activity. And the best part is, it can ALL be done right in your living room, it doesn’t matter if it’s -40 or +40 outside, they can be in the comfort of their own home and work out using just their own bodies, no weights or extra equipment required!

The video sells for anywhere between $15.00 - $25.00, check out sites like amazon.ca or your local video store for copies. You will see that every penny is worth it when you see your kids burning calories and enjoying themselves with Billy Blanks fun and instructional videos. He teaches kids how to work out properly while making it fun and keeping them engaged!

In the words of Billy himself - “The body only profits a little from exercising but the spirit profits a lot.” – So get your child’s mind and body healthy by working out with this great video!

Blog by: Jennifer Thomas

Random Acts of DPA!

Surprise your students and randomly incorporate some physical activity into the school day! Be sure to participate in the activities along with the students to model the performance you would like to see from them.


1. Have a CD player prepared beforehand with fun song that students will likely know the dance moves to. Over the course of the day find a perfect moment to flick the switch and allow your students to dance away! You could also teach students simple dance moves to different songs as part of gym class and then have them use the moves when you put on the song at any point in a day. Lastly, you could just put on music and let the kids let loose dance for 1-2 minutes.

Examples: “The Chicken Dance”, “Hokey Pokey”, “The Macarena”, “Cha Cha Slide”, “Twist and Shout”, “YMCA”, “Walking on Sunshine”, “Monster Mash”, “Hot, hot, hot”

Check out how these students are staying active at school!

2.  Make physical activity a typical routine in your classroom! Post a chart with various movements students must do before completing a task.

·      Do 3 jumping jacks before handing in a test

·      Do 2 “burpies” when you enter the classroom after going to the washroom

·      Run on the spot for 10 seconds when you finish reading a book

   3. During morning announcements, have the students do a stretching routine. Each stretch should last for 10 seconds. Try to stretch 5 different parts of the body each day working down from head to toe. Create a routine as a class for each day of the week or have a different student lead the stretch each day. 
   
4. When students are lined up outside after recess, have them engage in one last bout of physical activity before leading them back inside.
Examples:

·      10 jumping jacks

·      Run on the spot for 10 seconds

·      Run to the playground and back

·      Jump rope for 1 minute

   5. Practice directionality with your students by getting them to actively move in the direction you have called out.

Examples:

·      Jump to the east

·      March to the west

·      Swim to the north

·      Walk backwards to the west

Posted by Alison McIntyre

***Dont forget to click on "OLDER POSTS" in the bottom right hand corner to read more posts for the blog!!!!*** 

Happy Valentine's Day

from your DPA blogging friends!

Valentine's Day is all about love, hugs, and poems... so here's one for you!

V – Volleyball
A – Abdominal Exercises
L – Loads of resources (see blogs - Feb. 6 & 12)
E – Exercise balls (see Feb. 7th blog)
N – Necessary
T – Toe taps
I – Involvement (see Feb. 9th blog and get involved in Jump Rope for Heart!)
N – No time like the present
E – Energy
S – Safety (see Feb. 3rd blog)

D – Daily Physical Activity!!! (For more info scroll down to our very first blog!)
A – Athletic (see Feb. 2nd blog)
Y – Yoga (see blogs - Feb. 1 & 2)

We hope your day is wonderful ♥