spout the spirit - january 9, 2009

Developing Multiple Skills Makes You Better at All of Them

The description “Cross Training” is often associated closely with fitness and athlet-ics. Fitness experts and premier athletes realize the benefit of implementing a vari-ety of activities and exercises during train-ing. The linemen of the New York Giants will surely lift weights to build up muscle and strength, but in today’s fitness world it would not be rare to see these large, pow-erful athletes involved in yoga, Pilates or even ballet to enhance their flexibility, balance and endurance. This form of train-ing through multiple activities make these athletes more fit and better at all they do.

Cross training is good for much more than building muscles and getting fit. It also helps the brain find new pathways be-tween previously isolated regions. Doctors at Harvard Medical School have found

that if you practice multiple things, you actually get better at all of them. In its “Secrets of Greatness” series, Fortune magazine says science is proving what some have felt for a long time—the bene-fits of cross training.

To strengthen pathways that aid thinking, a person has to do something repeatedly. The more varied your skills, the more var-ied the pathways. This allows you to reach back for insights and apply them to some-thing totally dissimilar. The more reser-voirs of knowledge you have, the easier it can be to make decisions. For instance, if your primary skills are in a “typical” office job, you might consider taking up an ac-tivity involving a motor skill. University of Michigan researchers found that using joysticks effectively resulted in transferable knowledge in other areas. Playing video games may not be that bad after all?

Here at Sag Harbor Elementary we strive to provide and support a curriculum rich

Vol. 17 No. 6 SPOUT THE SPIRIT January 9, 2009

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in a variety of experiences. Embracing the value of cross training in all areas, we in-troduce the children to so many different activities. From the Language Arts to the Performing Arts, Math and Science to Physical Education, our children are cross training on a daily basis. Now your child may not be the next world renowned cello player YoYo Ma, or become the next swimming phenom Michael Phelps, but through their involvement in the variety of programs provided here at school and in the community they gain so much. And science is finding how this cross training approach strengthens pathways that aid thinking and increase reservoirs of knowledge making it easier to think creatively, solve problems and make im-portant decisions.

Cross training requires a willingness to at-tempt something new. Children can at times be reluctant to try new activities. There is a natural apprehension to some-thing we are unfamiliar with and this can be compounded by a fear of failing. As adults we need to support our children to continually accept these new challenges and “give it a try”. Impress upon them the benefits of learning new things and know-ing a variety of skills. Point out to them the many famous, successful people who have benefitted from cross training in their own lives. Examples of people with exper-tise in contrasting areas include Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (concert pian-ist) and Yankee outfielder Bernie Williams (recording jazz guitarist). Examples from history include Leonardo da Vinci (sculp-

tor, painter, inventor) and Thomas Jefferson (President, violinist, architect). Never for-get the power you possess as a model for your child. Point out for them how you cross train. Be sure to let them see you try-ing new things and being willing to at-tempt something that you may not be so good at or may even fail doing.

Adapted from information found in Cut & Paste Elemen-tary Edition

Coaches Corner By Mr. Crowley and Mr. Katz

Miler’s Club Update:The total mileage for the school is 4493 through December.Class : 2RK – 281 milesGrade: 2ND – 940 milesMiles are still being recorded even in bad weather. If it is an indoor day, the classes that use the gymnasium at recess are able to log miles. If we are outside on the multi-purpose court, the children can run or walk the court to log miles.

Physical EducationClasses are learning and playing “Pillow Polo” and Floor Hockey in the month of January.

Function, not Fashion for Phys. Ed.Fashionable footwear does not necessarily provide functional footwear for exercise.


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“Crocs” are not good for exercise. They provide no support. “UGGS”, the soft furry boots are arriving in class again. It is not just rubber soles that are needed, but support in the foot, heel, and ankle. If the weather requires boots, please have your children pack their sneakers and this will allow them to get exercise in P.E. and at lunch recess.

Strings by Mr. Fox

Happy New Year everyone! What an ex-citing new year ahead for strings. Mrs. Rice and the kindergarten violin players are already playing on 2 different strings (A and E) and they even know the notes on both of them! The kindergartners are great spellers and they use their letter prowess to understand all the patterns that you can form when they play songs on their fiddles. The first grade is now using

their violins to help them study geogra-phy- we are beginning an adventure in the Sahara desert. Ask a first grader what the word “Sahara” means in Bedouin- they will be glad to tell you all about it. The second grade is working on string crossing (the most difficult procedure on the violin) and they are very good, they have amaz-ing coordination. The third grade is work-ing on their new year’s resolutions with a twist on Beethoven’s fifth. The orchestra is already gearing up for the spring concert. We are sticking with the big classics. The orchestra will perform “Ode to Joy”, Pachelbel’s Canon, and a Mozart air. They are going to throw in a surprise piece to spice things up. I want to thank Tim Megna , Christopher Beroes (Pierson stu-dents) , Leo and Maxfield Panish (East Hampton students) for playing beautiful Holiday tunes at morning program. They will also be performing at Carnegie Hall this summer- Bravo! I hope to have more string performers at Morning Program soon.

Media Center By Ms. McGuirk

The New Year is off to a very busy start with many classroom requests. We are de-


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lighted to see many students doing re-search and spending time finding that just right reading book! There’s nothing like a good book after all! We expect to see this trend continue throughout the remainder of the year.

Our kindergarten students are now check-ing out books to bring home. They are so excited. Look inside their backpacks, there’s probably a picture book there! Books are to be returned each week on library day.

Thank you to all our school family mem-bers who purchased books from the PTA Book Fair and donated them to the Media Center. We are grateful for these new ad-ditions to our collection.

On a final note, if you wish to access the virtual reference collection from home, the web address is: h"p://xaaa.calypso.scoolaid.net/bin/vrc/vrcList All 5th graders have been encouraged to bring the website home with the pass-words. Information about their wax mu-seum subjects can be researched on this site. The passwords are available to all students.

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Health Hints

By Ms. Pulkingham R.N.

Last November vision screenings were conducted at the elementary school. In November or December I contacted fami-lies of those students who needed to see an eye specialist for further evaluation. I have seen a couple of children with new spectacles. How handsome they look! I was surprised to find out that several of the children who had been prescribed glasses in previous years were not wearing them at school. This amazed me because when I was their age I wanted to get a less than perfect score on my screening so I could wear glasses. I thought they were so cool. Things change. The primary reason the children gave was concern that other children would make fun of them for wearing glasses. I acknowledged their feelings and explored the issue with them. In many situations I think the children were afraid of being made fun of rather than actually experiencing ridicule from other students. Students in the 3rd through 5th grades seemed more worried about this issue than the younger students. I stressed that wearing the corrective lenses is important to their health and educa-tional needs. One set of eyes is all we get and it is so crucial that we take good care of them. Eyestrain can also lead to head-aches, which can affect mood, learning


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http://xaaa.calypso.scoolaid.net/bin/vrc/vrcList

http://xaaa.calypso.scoolaid.net/bin/vrc/vrcList

and school attendance. We also spoke of how trendy glasses are these days and what amazing colors and styles of glasses are available.

This month in Morning Program the qual-ity of respect will be the theme. Mrs. Grant, others and myself will be present-ing on the topic in different ways. We will touch on the idea that our personal style and beauty shine through us independent of wearing glasses, braces, having birth-marks, growing faster or slower than oth-ers, etc. Noticing that something is differ-ent about a friend (such as wearing glasses) can be dealt with sensitively without offending another’s self esteem. These issues may seem small but can be a challenge to young hearts and minds. Join us in supporting healthy differences.

GREEN MINUTE

DID YOU KNOW?

•As much fun as wrapping paper can be during the holiday season, it is also a wasteful part of gift-giving.

•As much as half of the 85 million tons of paper products Americans con-sume each year goes towards packaging, wrapping and decorating.

•Wrapping paper and shopping bags alone account for about four million tons of trash each year.

•It is difficult to find a place to re-cycle wrapping paper because of the ma-terials used to make it. It is often dyed and laminated, and contains things like glitter and plastic that are not recyclable.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

•We can use other materials to wrap our gifts, like paper grocery bags, comics from the newspaper and kid’s art.

•You could also buy recycled and recyclable gift wrap. When paper is made from recycled materials, it results in 74% less air pollution than paper made from new materials.

•If every American family wrapped just three presents in reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields!


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Thanks to all who contributed to our Mitten Line. It was a great success thanks to you! You truly made a difference in a child’s life.

SHES has installed Hand Sani-tizers in all classrooms without sinks. The foam used in the sani-tizers is alcohol free. We are en-couraging the students at Morn-ing Program to use the sanitizers whenever needed. If you have any questions regarding the new sanitizers, please don’t hesitate to call the school.

AWARDS

BLUE WHALE AWARD

Week of December 12th

Mr. Reed’s Class

Mrs. Sloane/Mrs. Landry’s class

Jan. 9th PTA Bingo Night 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 12th-16th NYS ELA Test for

3rd, 4th & 5th grades

Jan. 12th-16th Hearing Screenings

Jan. 15th PTA Meeting 3:30 p.m.

Jan. 19th NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday

Community Bulletin Board

CMEE

What Are Your “Hopes & Dreams” For the New Year?

CMEE invites you to put your hopes and dreams on paper (18x24 to be exact!) but the skies the limit in terms of medium - crayon, pen, marker, paint, watercolor or collage - let your dreams take flight! Judging will be done by age category:

3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10

A fun project for the winter break! Feel free to pick up 18x24 sheets of paper at CMEE to use.

All entries will be displayed at a special exhibi-tion at CMEE.

All submissions must be delivered to CMEE no later than January 15th. Judging and opening Friday, January 23rd, 4-5 p.m. For more info please call 537-8250.

The John Jermain Library Presents

Parent/Child Breakfast Book Club the third Satur-day of each month from 9:30 to 10:30. January 17th City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau; February 21, Skellig by David Almond. Ages 8 and up. Please call 725-0049 x2 for more information, to reserve the book, and to register for the program.


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spout the spirit - january 9, 2009

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