L’épreuve de la poutre pendant Sports Week.
Nearly breathless voices chattering excitedly in French and little feet running on the hardwood floor were the sounds in the gym at LFNY this week. From March 14 to the 21st, elementary school students participated in Sports Week to promote teamwork and team building through physical fitness and cooperative learning.
Student academic achievement isn’t the sole focus of the elementary school curriculum. Their emotional, social, and physical health development is a priority as well. Sports Week fosters a collaborative, encouraging learning environment and has been a part of the elementary school tradition for the past seven years. It is directly aligned with the school’s dedication to helping students develop social and emotional intelligence because students can develop empathy and learn to support each other through teamwork.
Brimming with energy
During a visit to the CE1 gym class on Friday afternoon, the big, bright gym was arranged in stations and the students were brimming with energy and enthusiasm as the teachers explained the obstacle course before them. It was a pleasure to see and hear the students cheering their classmates on as they ran laps. They slapped fives as they passed the mark for laps completed.
While completing the obstacle course, students shouted words of encouragement and support while their classmates made their way through the different activities so as to prevent them from making a mistake and being disqualified. Sports week was definitely a high-energy send off for Spring break.
Not about the competition
Free from the pressures of individual competition, students can enjoy and engage in athletic activities while bonding with their classmates. Ms. Kaston, Assistant Director of the elementary school, explained that “children need to be active. They need to move and learn the fun of sports. We want to deemphasize the competitive aspect of the week. Sports week also lays the foundation for healthy competition and good sportsmanship in the secondary school”.
During Sports Week, physical education classes have a different configuration. The period starts with a free run. Students from each team run laps around the gym during a designated amount of time in order to collectively earn points for the team per lap completed. Next, teams break into smaller groups to complete a variety of activity stations set up around the gym. Activities include Chamboule-Tout, long jump, or target throw. This year, third graders were off site at Lenox Pool for their Sports Week activities. They swam laps, then played games like water polo or treasure hunt relay.
To view more videos of Sports Week by grade, go to the Primary Blog.
All videos by Sebastien Freland and Emmanuel Rouy.
About the Author :
Janelle Charles is Director of Admissions and Enrollment. She holds an MA in French Linguistics & Pedagogy from Middlebury College. She was a Teaching Fellow in NYC public schools and was previously a French and Spanish teacher at Greenwich Country Day, then Assistant Director of Admissions. She joined the Lycée in 2021.