Eat THIS, not THAT!!


As part of their personal fitness unit, my 7/8th grade classes are designing their own "Eat THIS, not THAT" nutrition diagrams.  This is the sample that I've designed:


As you can see, the students are performing comparative analyses between nutritional content, taste, and price while "shopping" for a product that they themselves could potentially buy.  

It was a great exercise, as it gave the students a chance to discover new food items, shop within a budget, and understand that the further you get away from the earth, the more artificial and worthless your food becomes.


Other food for thought (pun intended).. 

While visiting the market with my students, 
I found the 8 super foods you should be eating EVERY DAY!









STAY HAPPY AND HEALTHY!

paz.amor.felicidad siempre <3



Birthday Reflections and Greetings from Sanya, China

My birthday is Valentine's Day, and I love having my birthday on this special day, because everyone is in a great mood, and most of the time love is in the air.

Some people get grouchy about Valentine's Day, but I think it's a great day to give thanks, appreciation and love to those we hold near and dear to our hearts (much better than Thanksgiving--none of that senseless killing of millions of turkeys is involved!).

Today is a day I look back and feel proud of everything I have accomplished, all of the people I have met, and all of the places I have been to, all of the experiences that have taught me so much about myself, people, and the world I want to protect and live in.

My map from Facebook.. Dr. Seuss was right..
 "The more you read, the more you know.  The more you know, the more places you'll go!"
But as they say... there's no place like home!
Thank you to my older sister,  Karen, who sent me this really cute T-shirt.
I wear it with NY pride! :)

I felt so blessed and loved, waking up to birthday greetings from almost every continent of the globe.  Days like these make me realize my gypsy, traveling ways are not in vain.  Days like these make me realize im not so alone... every single person i've met along the way has influenced me, cared for me, inspired me in some way, so for that, i want to say THANK YOU for making my 28 years rich with happiness, jokes and funny memories.

Sanya was wonderful!  Please email me if you'd like some travel tips.  I was treated to a DELICIOUS birthday cake, fresh tropical fruit and veggies, clear sea, soft sand and warm sunshine!  What more could a gal want for her birthday??

Peace, love and happiness to you, today and always!






GETTING RESULTS... one step at a time!

I think I've earned my bragging rights...

If you've been reading my blog, you already know that I have done A LOT of work this year, in the incorporation of iPod technology into every PE class, at each of the grade levels I teach (5-8).

One of the fitness applications I use on a daily basis is "Footsteps". Initially I only subscribed to the free version of the app, but then quickly realized that I needed the paid version, since the maximum number of steps it will calculate on a daily basis is only 3,000.

Each student has a class goal of 3,000 steps during their 45 minute PE period.  For those of you who don't already know, 10,000 daily steps is the general goal in order to achieve a healthy, active lifestyle.

As you can see in the screenshot above, my students are staying ACTIVE, running FAST, and keeping FIT!  So happy to have the technology to track their progress and distance scores!  It has really enhanced the student learning experience.

So what are you waiting for today?? START STEPPING!! ;)

KWL chart with ballet/modern elective course

I've been a bit behind with posting, but here's a KWL chart my students completed this past semester.  Since this was a new elective for the high school, it was important to me to stimulate discussion about course goals, motivate student interest and monitor progress of my students.  This is my second year of using visual organization as a helpful way to stay on track and complete the semester successfully.  It's always fun to see what the students put down for the "learned" category, as it's a great feeling of achievement to know how far they've come in a short amount of time.

A happy and healthy Monday to you and yours!








My visit to Harbin, in Heilongjiang, China

First, check out the wild dancing animals of Harbin! You've never really been cold until you've been to Harbin!  If -20*C temperatures, snow sculptures and ice castles appeal to you, be sure to check out this frozen tundra of a city!  It was great!

My recommendation would be to stay at a hotel located on Central Street, check out the Zhaolin Park sculptures before you head over to the Snow and Ice World, and LAYER UP!  

I actually was a little worried that I didn't buy super-duper professional cold weather gear, but my layering of clothing I already owned worked out fine.  I wore two pairs of stockings, two pairs of leggings, and jeans on my legs, with a tank top, tee-shirt, long sleeve shirt, sweater, sweatshirt and jacket on top, two wool hats on my head, plus my jacket's hood, two pairs of gloves, four pairs of socks, and a BIG SMILE to keep my spirits high.  Oh, and don't forget to cover your mouth with your scarf at ALL times!  Something I didn't personally do, but saw people doing; carry a thermos with your hot beverage of choice.

Here's some highlights of my trip!  Hope you're toasty warm wherever you are in this great big world!