Becker Field Day:

We are so excited for our field day!

Parents are welcomed to come watch all the fun, but all guests will need to check in at the front office.

If you're interested in being a volunteer, please sign up here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A084FAEAE2BA46-becker1

We recommend not signing up to volunteer when your child is participating just so you can see them throughout all the activities.

We also would love to borrow a couple of items if anyone is willing:

- Baby Pool

- 6 + Canopy Tents

- Ice Chests and Ice

- 5 Hawaiian Shirts

- 5 Bucket Hats

Please reach out to megan.vasquez@austinisd.org if you are able to donate!

Happy May Becker Families!

We cannot believe we are in the last month of school, time has been flying!

May is a busy month for us in the PE department and we wouldn't have it any other way! :)

Updates:

• National Bike, Walk & Roll to School Day is Wednesday, May 3, 2023
  For this National Bike, Walk & Roll to school day we will be raffling off 4 bikes courtesy of the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative.
  To keep congestion down, we will be in the back of the school. We are going to open up the back gate near the track, closest to the blacktop. We will be there starting from 7:10 am until 7:40 am. We have a class at 7:45 am so we'll have to run to get set up for our class.
  
  You do not have to walk/bike/roll from your house. You can always park and then walk/bike/roll the rest of the way.
  
  Each bike will have it's own raffle. Each participant will receive one ticket to submit for a particular bike.
  
  We are so excited and cannot wait for these bikes to find new homes this week.

• Marathon Kids + Brooks + Becker Collaboration
  Marathon Kids has a new partnership with Brooks running! MK reached out to us to see if we were interested in having our campus spotlighted and we said, "yes!"
  
  They are coming to film our Marathon Kids program + Becker Running Team after school program on May 18th and we couldn't be more psyched!

• Becker Bobcats Running Team swept the Cap10K
  Last year our Becker Bobcats Running Team brought home 3 trophies! The largest elementary team, fastest elementary team (girl's division) and fastest elementary team (boy's division). We were excited to defend these 3 titles, we never expected that we'd win those 3 categories again and then pick up a new category, our Becker parents won the "Largest Social Team."
  
  This year we had 98 members on our Becker Running Team that is reserved only for Becker students and staff. Our Becker Family and Friends social team had 66 members on it!
  
  We are all so proud of our Becker Cap10K participants! :)

• Let's move in May! May 1-7th is National PE and Sport Week!

• Ms. Vasquez was named the Elementary South TOY for Austin ISD. She is currently a finalist for Austin ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year! All Austin ISD TOY will be celebrated during the district's Salute Ceremony on May 10th!

Content we are getting into:

• We’ve started our last units of the year! Our skill unit is on soccer, here are our unit foot dribble unit objectives:

• Kinder: tap a ball using the inside of the foot while stationary

• First: tap or dribble a ball under control using the inside of the foot while walking

• Second: dribble a ball with control using both feet while walking

• Third: dribble a ball with control using both feet while jogging

• Fourth: dribble a ball with control while moving and changing speed and direction

• Fifth: dribble a ball with control while moving and changing speed and direction during dynamic activities and lead-up games

• Here our are kicking unit objectives:

• Kinder: demonstrate the proper cues for kicking a stationary ball from a stationary position

• First: approach and kick a stationary ball

• Second: kick a moving ball

• Third: kick a moving ball using a continuous running approach

• Fourth: kick a moving ball on the ground or in the air using a continuous running approach

• Fifth: kick a moving ball on the ground or in the air using a continuous running approach during dynamic activities and lead-up games

• For wellness, we're learning about all types of safety: emergency, water, sun, bike, pedestrian, and exercise.

We hope you have a wonderful first week of May! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions!

Becker PE Team

Happy April Becker Families!

April showers bring May flowers! We hope everyone enjoyed the three day weekend and found time to rest, relax and hangout with family!

Updates:

• Congratulations to the winners of the Staff Wellness Basket for the month of March…Janestteys Berrueta and Ashley Rockwood! Kindergarten did an incredible job putting the basket together! May’s Staff Wellness Basket is sponsored by Pre-K and the theme is Spa Wellness Basket.

• 2023 Marathon Kids Shoe Drive

• Who: Becker Elementary students & their families!

• What: Shoe collection drive April 10-21 (leading up to Earth Day)

• Why: By recycling shoes that are no longer being used, families can support our planet by recycling. In addition, our shoe drive will help support a local non-profit, Marathon Kids, on their mission to get our community healthy and active in 2023 and beyond!

• How:

• Step 1: Drop used (any condition) athletic shoes in our collection box - youth to adult sizes! Collection box is located inside the gym.

• Step 2: Spread the word! Our school is eligible for fun prizes for the # of boxes we fill up by April 21st!

• National Bike & Roll to School Day is May 3, 2023 - Strap on your helmet and lace up your shoes and get ready to walk, bike or roll to school. It’s fun! Remember the thrill of riding a bike for the first time or walking or rolling to school on the first day? There’s a feeling of joy and independence—a sense of adventure—that doesn’t fade. Of course, there are many other benefits to walking, biking or rolling to school, too

• Healthier Habits

• Cleaner Environment

• Promoting Safety

Content we are getting into:

• We’ve started our new skill unit on striking. Below are the goals for each grade level.

• Kinder: strike a lightweight object upward using a hand or paddle

• First: strike a lightweight object upward continuously using a paddle

• Second: strike a lightweight object off the ground or a tee consecutively using a hand or paddle

• Third: strike a moving object over a low net or to a wall with a hand paddle

• Fourth: demonstrate correct technique when striking an object to a partner with a hand or paddle

• Fifth: demonstrate correct technique when striking an object with a hand or paddle during dynamic activities

• For wellness, we’re learning about personal hygiene. Our lessons are focused on the practices performed to care for one's bodily health and wellbeing through cleanliness including washing hands regularly, showering or bathing regularly, wearing clean clothing, and oral care.

We hope you have a wonderful week and please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions!

Happy March Becker Families!

Wow! Spring break flew by in a flash. We hope everyone found time to rest, relax and spend some quality time with friends/family. We cannot believe April is around the corner and will be here before we know it!

Updates:

• Congratulations to the winners of the Staff Wellness Basket for the month of February…Megan Vasquez and Saray Maldonado! The basket was sponsored by first grade and they did an amazing job! March’s Staff Wellness Basket is sponsored by Kindergarten and the theme is Game Night Wellness Basket.

• February was Healthy Heart Awareness Month and Becker participated in the Healthy Heart Challenge raising money for the American Heart Association and the Kid's Heart Challenge. Below are the results of our students' hard work that we can all be very proud of.

• Becker raised a remarkable $4,928.20 for the American Heart Association.

• Becker earned $450 in resources for our school’s PE program.

• Becker had 9 students learn about CPR and stroke warning signs by completing Finn’s Mission.

We far exceeded our goal of $750 and are super excited to have a special glow-in-the-dark party during PE for all of our students!

• Austin ISD School Breakfast Week is March 6-10. AISD will join districts across the country in encouraging students to Get Your Day in Gear with a Healthy School Breakfast in celebration of School Breakfast Week. Austin ISD provides healthy, tasty breakfast meals at all schools every day. Let's eat, learn and have fun by starting the day with grains, milk, lean protein, and fruit each morning.

Studies show that students who eat school breakfast are more likely to:

• Reach higher levels of achievement in reading and math.

• Score higher on standardized tests.

• Have better concentration and memory.

• Be more alert.

If you haven’t tried breakfast at school this year, School Breakfast Week is the perfect opportunity. Take a look below at the breakfast menu for School Breakfast Week!

• Monday, March 6: Strawberry chia oatmeal bar, baked locally at Lux Bakery in San Antonio, served with a breakfast chicken patty, or cereal, and your choice of fruit and milk

• Tuesday, March 7: Whole grain blueberry muffin, baked locally at New World Bakery in Kyle, or cereal, served with fruit and milk

• Wednesday, March 8: Mango smoothie, or cereal, served with fruit and milk

• Thursday, March 9: Whole wheat biscuit or bagel with egg and cheese or cereal, served with fruit and milk

• Friday, March 10: Friday’s breakfast menu features a one-time, special treat, a delicious chocolate chickpea spread served with a cinnamon twist dipper, or cereal, served with your choice of fruit and milk.

• The Austin Ed Fund, Austin ISD's nonprofit education foundation, participated in Amplify Austin last week on March 1–2. This has become the most impactful day of giving across Central Texas and we would like to thank everyone for all of your generous donations. We were able to raise $755 for the Austin Ed Fund and put Ms. Vasquez as the top peer-to-peer fundraiser!

Content we are getting into:

• For the first half of March, we will be continuing our skill unit on volleyball and our wellness unit on self-care: sleep (k-2) and stress management (3-5).

• After Spring Break, we will begin a new skill unit on outdoor recreation and a new wellness unit on clothing and equipment safety.

Important Dates:

• March 13-17: Spring Break

• March 31: Cesar Chavez/Dolores Huerta (Student/Staff Holiday)

• April 16: Cap 10k

Happy February!

What an eventful month so far. We hope y'all were able to stay safe and warm. We are excited to be back on campus and back to our normal routine. There is so much going on in the month of February!

Updates:

• We were just given clearance to use the track during PE for our Marathon Kids Program. Our kiddos love the program so we bet they will be so pumped to be able to get outside and run/walk.

• Our Becker Running Team's first practice was on February 6th! Our Becker Bobcats are so ready to train for the cap10k. The excitement even has some of our teachers asking if they can come too! If you're looking for more information, I have a special section below dedicated to the Cap10K. All staff and students can register as a "School Team Member" to help Becker win the Largest elementary school. Cap10k is doing a special right now, use the code: BEMINE for 14% off the registration fee. (Expires: 2/15)
• This month is Black History Month and we will be taking some time to celebrate Black Excellence. We will be learning more about Serena Williams and Lebron James during PE. *We'll have a special section below with more information.*
• February is also Healthy Heart Awareness Month and Becker will be participating in the Healthy Heart Challenge raising money for the American Heart Association and the Kid's Heart Challenge. Our Becker goal is to raise $750 but the ultimate goal is to just raise awareness of American Heart Month and spotlight the importance of taking care of our heart. If we do reach our goal, we will have a special glow in the dark party during PE. *Special section below with more information.*
• Second grade sponsored our Staff Wellness Basket for the month of January and the winner was Marcela Sanz Blanco! This month's Staff Wellness Basket is sponsored by first grade and the theme is Snack/Food Lovers/ Wellness Basket.

• The Austin Ed Fund was established in 1993 and it's mission is to disburse grants for the support of education and educational projects for AISD. Ms. Vasquez was one of the recipients this year for the Becker Running Team. She was awarded $750 to use towards our Becker Running team program cost. Austin Ed Fund received 94 application for funding requests last summer and they were only able to fully/partially fund 52 projects at $300K. Ms. Vasquez would appreciate any help with trying to raise money for the Austin Ed Fund so that they can continue to support teachers and staff in taking care of our AISD students and providing a quality educational experience. Here is her specific link as an ambassador, please feel free to share on your socials. Sharing is super helpful and no donation is too small: https://www.amplifyatx.org/p2p/285588/megan-vasquez-1ad0846a-1276-411c-9c26-2b547cf0dae3

Content we are getting into:

• The freeze pushed us a back a week, so we will be doing gymnastics a little longer than expected. This week we used some of our PTA funds to get gymnastics rings, a climbing rope, resistance bands and ladders. We have already started using some of the equipment and the kiddos are having a blast.
• Towards mid February we will be getting into our new skill and health unit. Our skill unit will be on volleyball and our health unit will be on self-care: sleep (k-2) and stress management (3-5).

Important Dates:

• February 17th- Early Release Day
• February 23rd- is our rescheduled Family Learning Night! We will be organizing some physical activities in the gym and a health fair with resources and information. We hope to see you there!
• February 20th- President's Day (Student/ Staff Holiday)
• April 16th, 2023 - Cap 10k

We hope y'all have a wonderful week! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions.

Becker PE Team

Click below to get registered and help us start fundraising for the American Heart Association! Our campus goal is $750, and if we reach it, we'll have a glow in the dark party in PE!

We are sending these flyers home with the kiddos this week. This fundraiser is only through February, last day will be the 28th.

I'll link the video we showed in class explaining all the information.

Becker Bobcats, do you love walk /running? Come join our running team!

What? Come run the Capitol 10k with the Becker Bobcats Running Team!

When? April 16th, 2023

Why?

Running is great for cardiovascular endurance and overall health! Help us start a love for running & health/wellness in our Bobcats early! Last year was Becker’s first year competing at the Capitol 10k in the Elementary School Challenge and we left the event with three titles: Largest Elementary Team, Fastest Elementary Girl’s Division and Fastest Elementary Boy’s Division.

We are so excited to be going back again to defend our titles.

How?

The Becker running team is open to 3rd-5th graders but K-2nd can still register for the cap10k to be a part of our Becker team! Last year we had a couple of Becker families with K-2nd students run/walk with their kiddo and a stroller on standby at the event.

Practice will begin on February 6th and will continue twice weekly (calendar below). If your student has time conflicts and can’t make practice that is okay, as long as they are able to do their training on their own.

If they would prefer to train alone, we will be following this training plan:

https://www.cap10k.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/10_Week_Training_Guide_Public_23v2.pdf

Rewards?

We will be competing in the Elementary School Challenge to be the largest & fastest elementary school team again! Our team can be comprised of staff & students. Fastest team can win up to $600 for their school. Teams of more than 35 will have a table/umbrella provided for them at the finish line!

Volunteers?

Interested in volunteering? The more the merrier! We will need volunteers for every practice because students will run around the perimeter of the school for practice.

Also, we will need chaperone walk/runners for the race! Every time the kiddos come to practice we will be recording their times and with this data we will be putting them in a running group based on their pace. Each running/walking group will need a pacer/chaperones to make sure our bobcats are safe on the course. Our runners pace level varies so we'll need all pace chaperones from walk/talk pace, walk/jog pace to a push the limit/ run pace.

I’m ready! Sign me up:

To join our Becker Running Team please fill out the google form below. We will be using this form for attendance and to create Marathon Kids Badges for our runners. We will also be using the list of emails collected from this form to send Becker Running Team emails.

https://forms.gle/BGM36F6UqDKrerop9

Filling out the above form will also help give us an idea of how many students to expect on February 6th.

To register for the Cap 10k, please make sure to follow these instructions below:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FIt7tj6pHe4ly-QPt03gitdOAlJ5E0lr/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108203640264845818763&rtpof=true&sd=true

Becker Bobcats will have to register as a “school team member” and not just the regular registration.

https://venturesendurance.enmotive.com/events/register/2023-statesman-cap10k/

When it asks for race pace just select 7 minute miles, this will ensure that we will be placed in the "A" corral. Last year we started in the "C" corral and were having to weave and dodge and we're hoping to try to give our kiddos a safe starting position.

Make sure to select "Becker Elementary Running Team" as your team! This will help us win Largest Elementary team. The Elementary School Challenge is only open to staff and students but Cress Kwolek created a parent group that you can join through the normal registration, the group is called, "Becker Bobcat Parent Group."

Running is not required! We can run, jog, walk, or dance our way to the finish line!

Questions?

I’m here and happy to help, email me at megan.vasquez@austinisd.org

To stay updated on all things running team related join our GroupMe text group:

https://groupme.com/join_group/86445113/u0wXgLW8

Shoot me messages on the group thread and I'll answer as quick as I can.

This schedule follows the official Cap10k 10-week training guide which I'll attach below.

¡Feliz año nuevo!

We had such a great first week back from winter break. In PE last week we focused on routines and procedures to make sure our learning environment and class management systems are all reaffirmed to have an awesome second semester!

Updates:

• We just want to thank y'all for all the love and generosity y'all showered us with right before winter break. We were so speechless and appreciative for the notes, cards, and gifts. Mr. Garcia and Ms. Vasquez have worked at other campuses previous to Becker and neither of us have ever experienced this level of thoughtfulness. Y'all go above and beyond! Thanks for being the best! 💙
• The track is almost done! The last update we received from Mr. Barrett was that the track's estimated completion date would most likely be mid January. We are hoping that we'll be able to use the track this week or next! Check out all the progress...

• As we approach February, another winter month, the chilly weather continues. Please remind your kiddos to bring appropriate clothes to stay warm on the days we go out to the blacktop and track (once it's finished.)

• The theme of the January Staff Wellness Raffle basket is Book + Coffee/Tea Lover basket and we are so pumped! This basket will be sponsored by the 2nd grade parents. Special shout out to our local bookstore BookPeople, they donated a $25 gift card and books to the cause.
• Last year, our Becker Running team won largest and fastest elementary team in the Elementary School Challenge. Our first practice will be on February 6th! There is lots to share on this topic so there will be a special section below dedicated solely to run team information.
• Last but not least, Ms. Vasquez was nominated and won Becker Teacher of the Year!

Content we are getting into next week:

• Ms. Vasquez will be starting the gymnastics unit in the gym and Mr. Garcia will be focusing more on flexibility, weight training, and resistance band training activities in the cafeteria.
• Our health unit for the next month will be on the muscular system. The amount of muscles each grade level has to know builds on the previous year:
  

• Kinder (2): Abdominals & Pectorals

• First (4): Abdominals, Pectorals, Quadriceps, & Biceps

• Second (6): Abdominals, Pectorals, Quadriceps, Biceps, Hamstrings, & Triceps

• Third (7): Abdominals, Pectorals, Quadriceps, Biceps, Hamstrings, Triceps, & Gluteus Maximus

• Fourth (9): Abdominals, Pectorals, Quadriceps, Biceps, Hamstrings, Triceps, Gluteus Maximus, Deltoids, & Gastrocnemius

• Fifth (11): Abdominals, Pectorals, Quadriceps, Biceps, Hamstrings, Triceps, Gluteus Maximus, Deltoids, Gastrocnemius, Latisimus Dorsi, & Trapezius

• Our drumfit lessons have all been implemented! Shout out to Maggie Savage who pumped 40 drumfit balls for our Becker Bobcats! If you're interested in helping deflate that would be super helpful and appreciated! Reach out to megan.vasquez@austinisd.org if you'd like to help.
• This semester we are planning to split the grade levels into three to alleviate large class sizes. Ms. Grimaldo will be the teacher responsible for implementing the Marathon Kids program. We are waiting for the completion of the track before we make this change.
• We'd love to make sure Natalie has everything she needs for good and bad weather days so we added some new stuff to our wish list! Even just sharing the link is super helpful and second hand items are also great! 💙
  Becker Physical Education Wish List
  

Important Dates:

• January 16, 2023 - MLK Jr. March meet at Becker at 8:00 am to ride the bus and make signs!
• February 1, 2023- Family Learning Night + CATCH Night (5:00 pm - 6:30 pm)
  - We'll be providing family fitness & health related activities in the gym!
• February 6, 2023 - First Running Team Practice (full calendar below, subject to change)
• April 16th, 2023- Cap 10K

We hope y'all have a wonderful week! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions.

Becker PE Team

Happy Monday Families!

Updates:

• Congratulations to Jody Hopson! The November Staff Wellness Challenge Winner! She received her Movie Night Basket of goodies last week. December’s basket is sponsored by 3rd grade and the theme is Warm & Cozy Wellness.

• The track renovation has started…Woohoo! We’re super excited about it and can’t wait to start running laps when it’s completed in mid-January. Until then, we will not be able to run our Marathon kids laps, but instead will use the blacktop for other fun activities.
  
  The track will be gravel with a concrete perimeter curb and the inside will be grass when it's completed! We are so excited for this change.
  
  The kiddos had a hard time seeing the outline of the track so having it being clearly defined will be a game changer, especially for our littles.

• As winter approaches, the chilly weather continues. Please remind your kiddos to bring appropriate clothes to stay warm on the days we go out to the blacktop.

Content we are getting into:

• We will be starting our new health unit on Nutrition. Below are the goals for each grade level.

• Kinder: Identify the effects on the body when eating healthy vs. less healthy foods

• First: Identify healthy foods that provide energy

• Second: Identify healthy foods from all food groups that provide energy

• Third: Identify healthy vs. less healthy foods in all food groups

• Fourth: Identify the nutrients associated with each of the food groups and the benefits to the body

• Fifth: Identify the nutrients found in a variety of foods within each of the food groups and the benefits to the body

• Mr. Garcia will continue with the basketball dribbling unit in the gym.

• Ms. Vasquez will continue with the jump rope unit and begin the rhythms unit in the cafeteria. Ms. Vasquez will be starting drum fit next week and would love some assistance with pumping up the drum fit balls! If you're interested and available to help you can contact her at: megan.vasquez@austinisd.org

• In the second semester we are hoping to split our grade levels into three to alleviate large class sizes. Ms. Grimaldo will be the teacher responsible for implementing the marathon kids program. We'd love to make sure she has everything she needs for good and bad weather days so we added some new stuff to our wish list! Even just sharing the link is super helpful and second hand items are also great! 💙

Becker Physical Education Wish List

We hope you have a wonderful week! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions.

Becker PE Team

Happy Monday Families!

Updates:

• Congratulations to Laura Clay! The October Staff Wellness Challenge Winner! She received her Gratefall basket full of goodies last week. November’s basket is sponsored by 4th grade and the theme is Movie Night Wellness.

• We are getting some very chilly fall weather this week, make sure kiddos bring appropriate clothes to stay warm during their Marathon Kids day.
  

Content we are getting into next week:

• We are continuing our health unit on the Skeletal System this week. The amount of bones each grade level has to know, builds on the previous year:
  
  

Kinder (3): Cranium, Ribs, Patella

First(5): Cranium, Ribs, Patella, Humerus & Femur

Second (7): Cranium, Ribs, Patella, Humerus, Femur, Tibia & Fibula

Third: (9): Cranium, Ribs, Patella, Humerus, Femur, Tibia, Fibula, Sternum, & Pelvis

Fourth (11): Cranium, Ribs, Patella, Humerus, Femur, Tibia, Fibula, Sternum, Pelvis, Vertebra & Phalanges

Fifth (14): Cranium, Ribs, Patella, Humerus, Femur, Tibia, Fibula, Sternum, Pelvis, Vertebrae , Phalanges, Radius, Ulna, & Clavicle

Mr. Garcia will continue with the basketball dribbling unit in the gym.

Ms. Vasquez will continue with the jump rope unit in the cafeteria.

We hope you have a joy filled month with your family! Let us know if there is anything we can do, we are always just one email away.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or suggestions.

Becker PE Team

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3IO9ECXPF3IS0?ref_=wl_share

Happy Monday Becker Families,

Updates:

• Our Staff Wellness Challenge is underway! It's been so exciting reading all the great way our Becker staff takes care of their mental/physical health. Thank you so much to all the 5th grade parents who have contributed to our Gratefall Raffle Basket for this month.
• Ms. Vasquez was invited to an "Inspire the Future: Austin Ed Fund Luncheon" on Tuesday for the grant she won for the Becker Running Team!
• We are getting chilly weather this week, make sure kiddos bring appropriate clothes to stay warm during their Marathon Kids day.

Content we are getting into next week:

• We have started our new health unit on the Skeletal System. The amount of bones each grade level has to know, builds on the previous year:
  Kinder (3): Cranium, Ribs, Patella
  First(5): Cranium, Ribs, Patella, Humerus & Femur
  Second (7): Cranium, Ribs, Patella, Humerus, Femur, Tibia & Fibula
  Third: (9): Cranium, Ribs, Patella, Humerus, Femur, Tibia, Fibula, Sternum, & Pelvis
  Fourth (11): Cranium, Ribs, Patella, Humerus, Femur, Tibia, Fibula, Sternum, Pelvis, Vertebra & Phalanges
  Fifth (14): Cranium, Ribs, Patella, Humerus, Femur, Tibia, Fibula, Sternum, Pelvis, Vertebrae , Phalanges, Radius, Ulna, & Clavicle

• Mr. Garcia has started the basketball dribbling unit in the gym.

• Ms. Vasquez will start the jump rope unit on Monday.
  

We hope you have a joy filled weekend with your family! Let us know if there is anything we can do, we are always just one email away.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or suggestions.

Becker PE Team

Happy Monday Becker Families,

Updates:

• October 12th, was our Walk/Roll to School Day. We had 143 students and 71 grown-ups for a grand total of 214 participants! It made our day to see so many families participate in this event.
• Marathon Kids visited on October 12th as well. They are in the process of writing a story about our Becker Running Team and our Marathon Kids Program. We will share the link when's its published.
• This school year we have two PE teachers, Ms. Vasquez & Mr. Garcia. Ms. Vasquez started the school year in the gym and Mr. Garcia was in the cafeteria, now that we are 9 weeks into the school year we will be switching places. On Wednesday, Ms. Vasquez will be in the cafeteria and Mr. Garcia will be in the gym.
• Ms. Vasquez sent an email about the Staff Wellness Challenge this week! The Staff at Becker loved this challenge last year so we are organizing round two! If you'd like more information, please see the special section just below.
• The Cap10K sent some updates this week, the updates include a sneak peak of the race shirts this year and some free social runs. I'll include more information below!
• We are getting chilly weather this week, make sure kiddos bring appropriate clothes to stay warm during their Marathon Kids day.

Content we are getting into next week:

• We are still in our throwing and catching unit. We have been getting into stations and games to work on our skills!

• Our health unit is on the cardiovascular system + components of fitness! This week we were learning about our heart, lungs, and our circulatory system (the blood mobile).

• We will be starting our basketball unit soon and we are in need of more basketballs. Best practices for PE is a 1 to 1 ratio of equipment to student. We have 80+ students in kinder, first, and second and we would love to implement a lesson where all our students have access to a basketball. We unfortunately do not have enough storage space to store that many basketballs, so if you'd like send a basketball for us to borrow for the next month we'd be so grateful, just make sure your child's name is on the ball. We also put some basketballs on our wishlist, if you'd like to buy one for us to use during the unit, we can send it home at the end of the unit. Click here to view our PE wishlist.

• Ms. Vasquez will be teaching basketball in the cafeteria where there are not any basketball hoops. We'd love to borrow an outdoor hoop or mini hoop if anyone is able to transport to Becker. Reach out to Ms. Vasquez if you're interested and able!

We hope you have a joy filled weekend with your family! Let us know if there is anything we can do, we are always just one email away.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or suggestions.

Becker PE Team

Last year was the first year of our Staff Wellness Challenge and it was a huge success thanks to our Becker Community! We loved it so much that we will continue the tradition this year too!

For the staff wellness challenge, staff will be encouraged to prioritize self-care for raffle entries to win prizes. We gave away some incredible incentives last year, from face masks, candles, coupons, gift cards, Austin FC tickets to even a trip! If you want to see the winners and prizes from last year please see below!

Last year all our prizes were generously donated items from the community and local businesses. This year we are doing the same thing, but this year we will be organizing the raffle baskets by grade level.

The goal is to encourage and acknowledge our amazing staff for taking care of their well-being!

Here are the months and grade level baskets if you're interested in participating. If you'd like to donate an item to another grade levels basket, that works too! Please send items to the front desk for the Staff Wellness Challenge and I can pick up and organize into baskets. If any parents would like to assist, I would appreciate any help!

The raffle prizes will be gifted to a staff raffle winner on the first of every month.

Month/ Grade Level Baskets:

5th Grade- Gratefall Basket (fall themed items) for October (donation date by Oct. 28th, gifted on Nov. 1st)

4th Grade- Movie Night Basket for November (donation date by Nov. 18th, gifted on Dec. 1st)

3rd Grade- Warm & Cozy Winter Basket for December (donation date by Dec.16th, gifted on Dec. 21st.)

2nd Grade- Book + Coffee/ Tea Basket for January (donation date by January 20th, gifted on Feb. 1st)

1st Grade- Food Lovers Basket for February (donation date by February 17th, gifted on Mar. 1st)

Kindergarten- Game Night Basket for March (donation date by March 24th, gifted on April 3rd)

PK- Spa Basket for April (donation date by April 21st, gifted on May 1st)

PK3- Summer Basket (donation date by May 19th, gifted on May 25th)

Let me know if you have any questions you can reach me at megan.vasquez@austinisd.org

Our Becker Bobcats love practicing healthy habits. At our walk/bike/roll to school day last year, it was so highly participated that our prize line was impacting car drop off!

This year to keep everyone safe, our walk/bike/roll to school day table will be in the back of the school.

Our PE team will open the back gate so that you can access our incentive table.

Here is a picture of some of the incentives we will be passing out on Wednesday along with a map of where we will be!

Happy Friday Families!

We are almost 1/4 of the way through the school year!

Updates:

• October 12th, will be our walk/bike to school day! Safe Routes to School dropped off some incentives for all students who walk/bike/roll to school on Wednesday.
  (See below for more information.)
• Marathon Kids will be visiting Ms. Vasquez' 3rd and 4th grade classes on October 12th.

Content we are getting into next week:

• We have started our new skill unit, throwing and catching. We are working on underhand throw, overhand throw, roll and catching.

• Our new health unit is on the cardiovascular system + components of fitness! We will start this unit by talking about the heart and lungs.

We hope you have a joy filled weekend with your family! Let us know if there is anything we can do, we are always just one email away.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or suggestions.

Becker PE Team

Happy Friday Families!

We are starting two new units this week during PE and having so much fun!

Updates:

• We have been celebrating Latinx & Hispanic Heritage month in PE! We have been learning about Marta Vieira da Silva & Mariana Pajón.
• Becker will have a running team for 3rd-5th graders again this year! See more information below. Registration costs are going up on October 2nd, so get registered today!
• October 3rd & 4th, we will have Safe Routes to School coming to our PE classes to teach our kiddos about pedestrian and bike safety.
• October 12th, will be our walk/bike to school day! Safe Routes to School dropped off some incentives for all students who walk/bike/roll to school on Wednesday. (See below for more information.
• Marathon Kids reached out this week and asked if they could do a story on Becker's Marathon Kid's program and their running team. Of course, we said, "yes!" They will be coming also on October 12th to visit our PE classes implementing Marathon Kids

Content we are getting into next week:

• We have started our new skill unit, throwing and catching. We are working on underhand throw, overhand throw, roll and catching. The kids are more than ready to bypass practice activities and head straight to the games! 😜

• Our new health unit is on the cardiovascular system + components of fitness! We will start this unit by talking about the heart and lungs.

We hope you have a joy filled weekend with your family! Let us know if there is anything we can do, we are always just one email away.

I'll always try to share some lesson slides, photos and videos during PE so you can see our learning in action.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or suggestions.

Becker PE Team

Last year the Becker Running Team competed in the Cap 10k"s Elementary School Challenge and won largest and fastest elementary school!

While we are excited to keep practicing healthy habits and finding joy, we are also super excited to defend our titles!

On October 2nd, the price for registration for the Cap10k will increase so register today!

In order to win the largest elementary school, all students & staff must register as a "school team member." When you register it is the last option, picture below for reference.

10k converts to 6.2 miles which is quite the challenge for our elementary aged kiddos. The running team is recommended for students only in grade 3rd-5th. Students who are not 3rd-5th are welcomed to register for the race and walk/roll with their family! We can all meet at the finish line for a picture once the event is done.

Students once you register as a school team member in the registration process it'll ask you to join a team, please join the Becker Elementary Running Team.

When it asks for race pace, please enter 7:00 minute miles. This will ensure that we are all placed in the same corral, corral A. You can always start at a later corral but sometimes they are strict about joining an earlier corral.

We will need Becker pacers, chaperones. If you would like to be a pacer/chaperone please register as an adult entry and join our parent team named, "Becker Bobcat Parents." Shout out to Cress Kwolek who organized our team for our Becker grown ups.

We won't start training until the spring but just wanted to share the registration process for anyone that would like to register while the fees are at it's lowest.

Click here to register for the race.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Ms. Vasquez at megan.vasquez@austinisd.org.

We also have a GroupMe chat for our running team that you can join here:

https://web.groupme.com/join_group/86445113/u0wXgLW8

Happy Friday Families!

It's the seventh week of school and we are finally feeling like we have got our groove with this everyday PE! Woo hoo!

Updates:

• We have been celebrating Latinx & Hispanic Heritage month in PE! We have been learning about Marta Vieira da Silva & Mariana Pajón.
• Becker will have a running team for 3rd-5th graders again this year! See more information below. Registration costs are going up on October 2nd.
• We have also started implementing more behavior management systems:

- The PE Golden Ticket (K-2): Celebrating and spotlighting all of our Becker students. Each PE class we will pick either one or two students. If there are two classes in the gym, we'll pick two. The goal is that all of our students will be acknowledged and celebrated this school year!

- Reflection Sheets: We want to make sure that we are always learning in PE. If a student isn't ready for the planned activity, we will provide an alternate activity so that our lessons can be implemented as planned. The reflection sheet will also serve as a restorative practice for student and teacher.

Content we are getting into next week:

• We are starting our new skill unit, throwing and catching. We will be working on underhand throw, overhand throw, roll and catching. There are so many fun activities and games that involve throwing and catching. We are so pumped to start this unit.

• Our new health unit is on the cardiovascular system! We will start this unit by talking about the heart and lungs.

We hope you have a joy filled weekend with your family! Let us know if there is anything we can do, we are always just one email away.

I'll always try to share some lesson slides, photos and videos during PE so you can see our learning in action.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or suggestions.

Becker PE Team

Ms. Vasquez and her mom spent some quality time last weekend decorating the gym doors in celebration for this month!

We have had so much fun implementing the Marathon Kids program! The kiddos seem to enjoy either pushing themselves to the limit or just walking and talking with their friends around the track, either way we've enjoyed basking in this joy!

Happy Friday Families!

We can't believe we are already on our sixth week of school, the time has been flying by!

Updates:

• To make everyday PE as safe and successful as possible, we have made some changes to our campus schedule.

• In this new schedule, all students will partake in PE in the gym and cafeteria.

• We'll be enacting new seating charts and a new behavior management system to help the transition flow as smooth as possible.

• We had our Marathon Kids Kick off in PE on Thursday and Friday! Grades K-5 participated by running laps! :) Make sure your kiddos brings their water bottle everyday so they can have easy access to water while at the track.

• The GLAM and PE team will be offering sessions for Back to School Night, join us for a session in the gym!
  
  

We will attach a picture of this new schedule for your convenience below.

Content we are getting into next week:

• Finishing up on our cooperation and zones of regulation unit.

• Getting ready to start our new skill unit: throwing and catching & health unit: cardiovascular systems.

We hope you have a joy filled weekend with your family! Let us know if there is anything we can do to support or help the next week go smoothly.

I'll always try to share some photos and videos during PE so you can see our learning in action.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or suggestions.

Becker PE Team

Blindfolded communication teamwork activity.

Kiddos have their own QR code to keep track of their laps run during PE. Their coil bracelet is their grade level color and their QR code is protected in a clear badge. The badge also has a color coded paw print that coincides with what iPad they are delegated to scan at. (Pink, green, orange, or red) We are still missing some coil bracelets so if you ordered from our wish list, please send them with a kiddos this week! Thanks so much for your support and helping us give our bobcats a high quality PE experience.

The PE team is now implementing a PE behavior traffic light. When students are on task and following PE expectations the light is green! If behavior starts to impact the lesson the color will change to yellow and then red. If students are on the green light when the class ends they get to get a class paw print sticker on their chart. When they have 12 paw prints they get a class wide reward. For 2nd-5th it is free centers and for K-1st we are hoping to have a bubble party. We just added bubbles to our PE wish list if anyone feels inclined to helping us bring this bubble party to life. Our wishlist is linked below. 💙

The skill unit for the beginning of the year is cooperation.

The health unit for beginning of the year is zones of regulation.

It is Coordinated School Health Kickoff Week in AISD this week! The purpose of Coordinated School Health Kickoff Week is to remind the school community that Coordinated School Health (CSH) is a system that works to improve and support health, which includes the mind, body, and environment.

For the 2022-2023 Coordinated School Health Kickoff Week, we will focus on identifying the 10 focus areas and the people from the school and community who support each of the areas. Our students will learn about two new areas of CSH each day in PE this week.

Thank you for your support and flexibility as we continue to navigate creating a safe and active PE environment for our students!

Ms. Vasquez took video of us learning, take a look below! :)

Students will be attending Physical Education (PE) everyday this year! Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle to PE class. Please label the water bottles. Students will be participating in a variety of physical activities and learning health and wellness topics in accordance with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and the National Standards for Physical Education (NASPE).

1st Nine Weeks Units:
Cooperation, Locomotor/Non-Locomotor, Throwing and Catching, Self Care, Zones of Regulation and Components of Health Related Fitness.

This month we will learn the rules, safety, and procedures of PE. We will practice team-building, cooperative activities, and locomotor/non-locomotor skills. Students will grow in character traits including respect, teamwork, sportsmanship, responsibility, and kindness. Our wellness topics will include self care: emotions, zones of regulation, self management & components of health related fitness: cardiovascular system.

PE Expectations

• Closed toe shoes for safety. Feel free to pack tennis shoes to change into if your student prefers to wear other shoe styles.
• Water bottle with name on it.

Physical Education Department Mission Statement: To provide our students with the knowledge, resources, and skills to be healthy and active for a lifetime!

Grading: K-2 Skill/Wellness Knowledge
4-Mastery
3- Proficient
2-Emerging Understanding
1-Needs Improvement

Grading: 3-5 Skill/Wellness Knowledge
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
69 and below- Failing

Grading: K-5 Personal Development (CITZ)
Behaves appropriate in PE:
4-Consistently
3 Frequently
2- Occasionally
1-Rarely

In order for everyday PE to be as safe as possible, we have our three member PE team teaching in three separate spaces. This year PE will be happening:

• In the gym
• In the cafeteria
• In a portable
• On our blacktop
• On our track.

Becker Bobcats will be learning all health and skill TEKS with Coach Vasquez & Garcia, and will be doing W.O.W. (Working out for Wellness) & Marathon Kids with Coach Grimaldo.

Here is the ABC schedule we will be following to keep track!

Get to know Ms. Vasquez

My name is Megan Vasquez and I am one of the PE Teachers at Becker Elementary. I was born and raised in Austin. I am a product of Austin ISD and I went to Patton Elementary, Small Middle School and Austin High School. I graduated from UT Austin in 2011 with a major in Applied Movement Science with a minor in Curriculum and Instruction. I have been teaching PE for 12 years, outdoor education (camp counselor) for 10 years, and I also babysit on the side!

Favorites:

Team: Longhorns

Color: Rainbow!

Drink: Iced Chai, Horchata or a Honey Beary from Juiceland

Restaurant: Soup Peddler and Sweet Green

Hobbies: Running, watching live music (My fave artist Harry Styles is coming to Austin 6 days this year!), traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Store: Target, Amazon, Trader Joe’s & Etsy

Currently Reading: Love that Story- Jonathan Van Ness

Currently Listening: Late Night Talking- Harry Styles

Birthday: December 30th

Ms. Vasquez was selected as a grant winner for an Austin Ed Grant for the Becker Running Team.

Get to know Ms. Grimaldo

My name is Natalie Grimaldo and I am the PE TA. I was born and raised in Austin. I graduated high school in 2019 at Cedar Creek High School in Cedar Creek, TX. I like to learn about different cultures and I am currently studying Italian. I am interested in learning more about real estate and anesthesiology. I am excited to be here at Becker and get to know the community!

Favorites:

Team: C.D. Guadalajara (Chivas)

Color: Navy Blue or Pink

Drink: Horchata

Restaurant: Cheddar’s

Hobbies: Horseback riding, going out dancing, traveling, shopping, and hanging out with friends and family.

Store: Target and Barton Creek Mall

Currently Listening: Ojitos Lindos- Bad Bunny

Birthday: June 1st

Last year all team expenses were covered by the generosity of our running team parents, this year we will have $750 to cover running team costs thanks to the Austin Ed Fund!

This is super exciting!

Becker's Running team was the largest and fastest elementary school at the 2022 Cap 10K. We will be competing again in the spring to defend our titles.

Austin Ed Fund will be coming to Becker on Wednesday, August 31st to congratulate Principal Barrett and Ms. Vasquez. If your bobcat was on the running team and would like to make a card sharing their experience with the running team and thank the Austin Ed Fund for funding our running team that would be super helpful! Ms. Vasquez will be collecting any and all cards.

*Our running team will start in the spring semester.*

Make sure kiddos are bringing a water bottle everyday, along with tennis shoes.

We will be need help with cutting and assembling all the Marathon Kids QR Codes Coil bracelets for Marathon Kids for all K-5th grade students next week! If you'd like to help, please send Ms. Vasquez an email.

The PE team also has a Amazon Wishlist:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3IO9ECXPF3IS0?ref_=wl_share

Ms. Vasquez shared the PE wishlist already on our Becker FB page and the community discourse page and was blown away by all the support. Major thank you to everyone who continues to shower us with so much love and support. Y'all are the best and we are so grateful!

Coach Vasquez- megan.vasquez@austinisd.org

Coach Garcia- normando.garcia@austinisd.org

Coach Grimaldo- natalie.grimaldomaldonado@austinisd.org