Physical Education at Dows Lane

Tiffany Flynn
Tiffany.Flynn@irvingtonschools.org

Marisa Stracuzzi
Marisa.Stracuzzi@irvingtonschools.org 

Overview of Physical Education at Dows Lane:
Our goal in the Physical Education Department at Dows Lane is to teach children that moving and being active can be fun! We hope to help children learn to enjoy physical activity while they are young, so that they strive to make physical activity an integral part of their life as they get older. Through a wide variety of games and activities, students will learn the importance of physical activity. We differentiate our teaching and offer modified and adapted instruction to best meet the needs of all students.

Kindergarten & 1st  Grade:
Kindergarten and First Grade students will participate in a movement education program, where they will learn a wide variety of basic skills.    Students will learn the basic locomotor movements of hopping, jumping, skipping and galloping. In addition, a wide variety of basic manipulative skills will be introduced, including throwing/catching, kicking, rolling, and striking. In addition to these basic skills, students will also participate in dance and other movement activities.    

Along with the movement education program, a main focus during the entire school year is on Fitness Education. Students will learn about the basic components of fitness and the effects of exercise on the body.   

2nd & 3rd  Grade:
In Second and Third Grade, students begin learning the skills and rules associated with different sports while building on the basic skills learned in Kindergarten and First Grade. Students participate in a soccer, basketball and volleyball unit. In addition, students will continue to learn dance and movement.

As in the earlier grades, a main focus is on fitness education. Students will build on their knowledge of the basic components of fitness and learn about different ways to be active outside of school. 

Bulldog Day:
A highlight of each school year is our annual Bulldog Day event, which is held in the spring.  Bulldog Day is a half-day event in which all students in the school participate in a variety of games and activities, including relay races, tug of war and the parachute!