For our primary physical education program known as "Team PE," we paired up our older grade students with a student in a younger grade. This gave our older students an opportunity to become leaders to their younger brothers and have the activities become student-led.
Coach Ryak Finch paired our fourth graders with students in Pre-K. Coach Finch prepped the fourth grade students earlier in the week and explained to them their responsibilities. Our Pre-K students were very excited that they were going to get to play with the older Holy Cross boys!
Coach Finch laid out the format for the hour. The first few minutes, the Pre-K students would be paired up with a fourth grader and take some time to learn about one another. Questions and conversations included learning about each other's interests. Following the meet and greet, each pair walked together outside to the field to begin stretches.
The fourth graders were responsible for their little buddy and made sure they were doing the stretch appropriately and listening to their coaches.
Next was the fun part! Each pair was given a ball. The older students spent the next 20 minutes teaching their younger brothers a new skill. Some were tossing and catching. Others were practicing kicking a soccer ball back and forth.
Soon it was time to head inside. Fourth grade assisted pre-K back into the school building and prepared for snack time. The students asked if they could eat snack together, and we said “Absolutely!”
The fourth graders and pre-k students enjoyed Team PE so much, that when it came time for prayer service at the end of the day, fourth grade asked if they could sit with their little buddy in church. We all agreed this was a wonderful idea and another exciting opportunity for our students to show our youngest tigers the importance of prayer, respect, quiet calm bodies, and singing the Alma Mater while in a holy place. This time also served as an opportunity for our oldest friends to remember important values such as patience, understanding, gentleness, acceptance and love.
Our youngest students are learning so much of what it means to be a Holy Cross man, and each day they are becoming stronger and more capable individuals. They serve the entire student body and remind us all to slow down, listen and understand. They are a constant reminder to all that we need to embrace important values and lead with them in our personal lives and community.
We are so excited to witness their bond become stronger throughout the remainder of the school year!
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