From calisthenics to gymnastics, to running and fancy footwork to sports activities such as basketball, dodgeball, softball, and soccer, prekindergarten through fifth grade students learn many physical education foundation skills from Coach Lemire. There is no sitting around or wasted time in PE class. Students are engaged—-stretching, jumping, hopping, leaping, skipping, running, tumbling and loving every minute. The students get quite a workout with the high level of fitness activities offered as part of the SPARK Physical Education Curriculum.

Coach Lemire’s  tumbling lessons include work on hand stands, cartwheels, bridges, and rolls in every direction which  builds upper body strength because the children are moving through space in multiple planes and different body positions.

Even teaching assistants sometimes get in the act!  Mrs. Overbeek helps a student by demonstrating proper technique.

Third through fifth graders always start out stretching, then move on to form running and dynamic stretching. The dynamic stretches used are high knees, tail gates, power skips, Carioca, Tapioca, and fall forwards.  Correct form running and keeping the body parts in a line versus turning is emphasized. After warm ups, students participate in a sports activity.  Students shown in photos run so fast it is difficult to capture and appear as a blur!

 Coach Springer and other Varsity coaches often visit the Lower School to help teach the students so they can be well prepared for the sport they decide to play in sixth grade. 

We appreciate Coach Lemire for sharing his expertise through his teaching and for his help with technical terminology in this BLOG!