Welcome to the IES Physical Education webpage. My name is Vicki Parker and I am the PE teacher here at Ithica. My assistant is Amy Roach and we would like to say how very proud we are to be a part of the IES family. I would like to briefly describe the Physical Education Program here at IES.

I have broken our school year into 7 units. In these units we learn various motor skills and then we apply these skills into a variety of sports-related games. I am a strong believer in teaching the student life skills - things that they can use throughout their lives and help them to stay active and hopefully lead a healthier life. Below is a list of our units and the activities that we introduce.

We are also very proud of our running program. The students have ten minutes to run on the track during each class. For each lap completed they earn a stick (with four sticks equaling a mile). We chart their progress and award prizes after every five miles completed. At the end of the school year, the top runners and classes are recognized during Awards Day. During our first nine weeks, the 1-5th grade students traveled a total of 1200 miles!

My goal as your child’s Physical Educator is to teach them healthy lifestyle habits and skills. I want physical activity to be fun and exciting for them. As a teacher, I recognize that children are at different developmental levels, with a variety of needs and interests. For this reason, in every class I attempt to provide all of the children with teaming experiences that are both beneficial and enjoyable. Each lesson is also adjusted to take into account the wide range of skill and fitness levels that characterizes children in elementary school.

In closing, I want to invite you to come visit us in the gym any time. We can always use a “volunteer”.