Fitness Frankie's Adventure in Mr. P's Class!

Hi everyone,
   I had a great time hanging out with Mr. P's class this week!  I had a busy and amazing week!  This picture is of me in Mr. P's classroom!  Do you see the racecar on the table!  I was excited to begin my adventure!  On Monday I took a math facts quiz; I got done quickly, but got a few wrong.  Mr. P told me to focus on being accurate and that I would get quicker the more I practiced.  At the end of the day I had a nice honey crisp apple for snack!
   On Tuesday I got to use a compound microscope.  I sketched out the leg of a housefly and the head of a spider!  Science is awesome, but a little gross......  Later in the day I got to listen to a few students whisper read; they were working on pausing at commas and stopping at periods.  One group was reading this book about these smart rats that had escaped from some place called NIMH!  At the end of the day I got to play a game called MUM Ball; the rules are simple, if you drop the ball or talk you're out of the game.
   On Wednesday morning I went to the gym to do 30 minutes of "cardio" (that's exercise that makes your heart and lungs get stronger) BEFORE school!  In the morning I worked on my December packet; my favorite page is the picture puzzles with holiday songs!  Later that morning Mrs. L's class came in for science.  We did an activity to emphasize the importance of giving clear, detailed directions.  I had some delicious trail mix for snack today!
   On Thursday I tried to solve a tangram puzzle; boy it was hard!  I wanted to quit, but everyone told me not to give up, so I kept at it.  It's great to have friends like that!  Recess was inside today so I watched some kids play a really cool Harry Potter card game.  In the afternoon we went down to the computer lab.  We got to play a bunch of games on AHA! Math.  I had a granola bar and some green tea for snack today!
   On Friday we went to technology and looked at good and bad websites.  Later that day I played kickball with some kids from class.  I also horsed around on the monkey bars, swings, and slide!  At the end of the day the class got to help Mrs. F's and Mrs. B's class shop at the Holiday Fair.  We all had a blast shopping for our family and friends!  I had a yogurt with strawberries for snack to end the day.  It was great hanging out with Mr. P's class!  I can't wait for the Brotherhood Pageant and the Winter Workshops this week!   I am going to be on vacation soon, so I guess I will have to wait to find out what my next adventure will be........I LOVE Healthy Highway!
Love, Fitness Frankie

Exercise Ernie's Adventure in Mrs. S's Class!

Hi Everyone,
    I spent the week in Mrs. S's class!  My friends fed me healthy snacks on Wellness Wednesday!  We age goldfish crackers, oranges, yogurt, pretzels, granola bars, and popcorn!  My friends and I exercised EVERYDAY!  Everyday we danced to the Cha Cha Slide, and the YMCA!  I even got to go to PE classes!  In PE we were learning about levels.  Did you know that there are three levels?  They are High, Medium, and Low.  The boys and girls used different levels to bounce balls, and play in four different station areas!  We moved in the "Zany Zoo", used a wooden board to launch a turtle (he didn't mind), crawled through a playhouse, and balanced another turtle on three different pieces of equipment that were different sizes!
One of the students asked if "PE Paddy" could play too, so he and I played in the "Zany Zoo" together!  It was great fun!  I am so proud of how smart the boys and girls are!  They learned those levels quickly!  You can view more pictures of my adventure by visiting Fitness Frankie's and my slideshow on the PE Website.  One day this week I went to Planet Fitness with Mrs. D!   That's actually not another planet.....at first I was worried that I was going to travel in space!  Then Mrs. D explained that Planet Fitness is a place where adults go to exercise!  Whew!  I am glad to stay right here on Earth!  I LOVE Healthy Highway!  This is going to be an exciting week full of Holiday fun at North Park so I am going to spend some time in the office and and I am also going to some different events!  Next week I am on vacation just like the boys and girls so my next adventure will be in 2012!  I can't wait!

Love, Exercise Ernie

Exercise Ernie's Week in Mrs. G's Class!

Hi everyone,
     I got to spend a terrific week in Mrs. G's class!  All of the boys and girls took great care of me and I learned so much!  I went to PE with the class and we had some wonderful adventures!  I got to play with noodle bits!  These are tiny pieces of noodles and the boys and girls learned how to pop them!  It was a great way to work on our (well their) hand muscles!  Hand muscles are important for climbing the rock wall!  We got to do that next!  The boys and girls climbed the rock wall with Mrs. R's help and they found letters that they knew on the rock wall!




That's me in the picture next to the letter "E" for "Ernie"!



I also got to play on the parachute!  The boys and girls were very careful with me, but they gave me a great ride on the parachute!  I was actually doing flips!!! We got so much exercise in PE this week!  I LOVE Healthy Highway!
Love, Exercise Ernie

Fitness Frankie's Week in Mrs. M's Class!

Hi everyone,

     I spent the week in Mrs. M's class!  My friends fed me healthy snacks on Wellness Wednesday!  We ate apples, clementines, goldfish crackers, carrots, celery and turnip with hummus.  Yummy!  My friends exercised with me on Fitness Friday!  We played Monkey in the Middle.  Most of our leaders did lots of jumping jacks.  My heart was really beating fast when we were done!  I sure strengthened my heart!  I also got to go to PE two days in a row!  I got to play Junk Relay, try out a heart rate monitor, and help my friends build towers with bricks!  I was proud of how hard the boys and girls are working to learn how to cooperate and help each other!  You can look at some pictures of me at North Park by clicking here .  Mrs. M's students got lots of exercise this week!  Maybe Exercise Ernie will be jealous that he wasn't with these excellent exercisers, but I have a feeling he had a great adventure of his own this week.  One day I peeked in the gymnasium while he was with Mrs. G's class and he was climbing on the rock wall!  I hope I get to do that someday!  I LOVE Healthy Highway!  Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie Dance at the Sock Hop!

Hi everyone,
    It was a short week last week but it sure was a fun one!  Monday was the 50th Day of School!  Some of the primary classes celebrated by dressing up as if they were living in the 1950's and Mrs. R invited everyone to the gymnasium for a "Sock  Hop"!  We did not know what a "Sock Hop" was so Mrs. R explained that it is a dance!  In the 50's, boys and girls would go to the gymnasium for a dance, but they had to take off their shoes so that they would not scratch the floor.....so that's why it's called a "Sock Hop"!  We left our shoes on......wait.....we don't have any shoes so I guess we don't have to worry!  Mrs. R taught us to do the Hand Jive, The Stroll, and the Twist!  Everyone looked great and we met Sandy!  Sandy is Mrs. R's 1950's bear.  She wears a poodle skirt and sings too!
All of the classes earned a mile for Healthy Highway because dancing is great exercise!
We've said it before but we will say it again......
WE LOVE HEALTHY HIGHWAY!
Love, Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie

Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie Attend the NYS AHPERD Conference!

Hi everyone,

We have been with Mrs. R. lately going to some different Physical Education Conferences!  We had a great time and met so many new friends!  The biggest one we went to was the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance annual conference!  There were so many people there!  Most of them were PE teachers just like Mrs. R.  Guess what? Mrs. C. from Healthy Highway was there too and she brought Baking Bella with her!  Mrs. R. and Mrs. C. presented a session together about Healthy Highway and she introduced us!  We spent some time with Baking Bella at the Healthy Highway booth and many people came by to learn

about the program.  We were happy to help!
Mrs. R. also took us to some of the activity sessions!  You see, at this conference, teachers come together to share ideas so that they can become better teachers!  I guess adults learn even when they are finished with school!  We learned some new parachute ideas, some new dance steps, and even a few new games!  You'll never believe who else was at the conference!  Peter and Paul from Homespun Dance!  George was busy so there was another terrific musician playing the banjo instead!  They were happy to see us at their session!  They actually remembered us!

On Friday morning, we went to a special Jump Rope for Heart meeting. It was a very important meeting and we got to be "Heart Ambassadors"!  "Heart Ambassadors" help others learn about how to have healthy hearts and how to participate in Jump Rope for Heart!  I think we are up to the task!  

Friday night was VERY special because we got to go to the Jay B. Nash Awards dinner.  Mrs. R.'s family and friends were there to help her celebrate an award that she was getting!  We had silver ribbons on to celebrate!  We had a great time!  You can view a slideshow of our adventure by clicking here.  
We are ready to get back to North Park and continue along the Healthy Highway!  We are having just one terrific adventure after another!

We LOVE Healthy Highway!  

Love, Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie

Fitness Frankie's Week in Mrs. F's and Mrs. B's Class!

Hi everyone,
     I spent the week in Mrs. B's and Mrs. F's class.  My friends fed me healthy snacks on Wellness Wednesday!  We ate pretzels, applesauce, carrots, mandarin oranges, cheese, crackers, and goldfish.  We also drank water and juice!  My friends and I exercised on Fitness Friday!  We danced with Mrs. S-J to a fun Kidz Bob CD.  It was silly and fun!  It was a crazy week and I met a lot of new adults because Mrs. B and Mrs. F were out learning about new things for the classroom  We also had our first snow delay - YIKES!  I was nervous because there were no lights and the building was chilly!  Thank goodness I have my fur to keep me warm!  I LOVE Healthy Highway!  I am going to be spending some time going to conferences with Exercise Ernie and Mrs. R.  I think that we are going to have a great adventure!
Love, Fitness Frankie

Exercise Ernie's Week in Miss V's Class!

Hi everyone,

I met some new friends in Miss V's class last week! They were so kind to me and took great care of me! My friends fed me healthy snacks on Wellness Wednesday! I am learning all about healthy snacks! We ate apples, carrots, crackers, and other vegetables at snack AND at lunch! I learned that these are "Green Light Foods"! My friends and I exercised this week too! We played Peek-A-Who in PE class. We had to figure out who was missing! It was a great way to get to know each other! That's me in the picture!
We did jumping jacks last week too and one day during a game in PE class I got to be a Wizard! In Music class, I saw my friends exercise their lungs and play the recorder! What a great week!
Fitness Frankie and I are taking two weeks off from being in the classroom. I will miss my new friends, but Mrs. R. is taking us on an adventure to some PE conferences! We are going to get to meet some other PE teachers and Mrs. R. is going to teach them about us! Can you believe it!
I LOVE Healthy Highway!
Love, Exercise Ernie

Fitness Frankie's Week in Mrs. S's Class!

Hi everyone,

I spent the week in Mrs. S's class! We had a great time together! Many of my friends were happy to see me back in their classroom! My friends fed me healthy snacks for Wellness Wednesday! We ate pumpkin muffins and apples! Yummy! It was double miles week so we earned more miles for Healthy Highway! I exercised with my friends too! One day, two of my friends took me out for recess. We ran and played on the monkey bars!  During PE we learned about cooperation and played "Scrunchie Tag." It was fun helping classmates get free! We had to donate - that means give away - one of our scrunchies to our friends who did not have any! I am wearing a scrunchie in the picture that one of my friends gave to me!  The best part of the week was the snow over the weekend! It was a surprise because it was still October! I got to go outside and build a snowman!
I LOVE Healthy Highway!
I am spending this week in Mrs. F's and Mrs. B's class!
Love, Fitness Frankie

Exercise Ernie's Adventure in Mrs. B's Class!

Hi everyone,

After my fun and exciting field trip to the Walkway Over the Hudson, Mrs. R. delivered me to Mrs. B's friendly and hardworking class! Boy! Does that class know how to write paragraphs! I joined the class when doing exercises to help keep my engine going! I did toe touches, jumping jacks, and crab kicks, just to name a few. I also had a terrific time in Art making scratch boards! Talk about exciting, what an awesome weekend I had at Mrs. B's house! Can you believe it snowed in October? We had so much fun making a snowman and carving pumpkins. It was my first time eating roasted pumpkin seeds! How delicious and nutritious they were!

My engine is raring to go now for my next adventure! I will miss all of my friends in Mrs. B's class, but I LOVE Healthy Highway!

Love, Exercise Ernie

Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie Visit the "Walkway Over the Hudson"!

Hi everyone,

Exercise Ernie and I had an amazing adventure this week! Mrs. R. took us along on a field trip with the fifth grade boys and girls and their teachers! We went to the Walkway Over the Hudson. This is a walking trail that goes over the Hudson River! It was very high in the air!
We learned that it is 212 feet high! Exercise Ernie and I were a little worried, but everyone took great care of us! As a matter of fact, they always do! This walkway used to be a bridge for trains, and it was made into a walkway for everyone! We had a great time! We learned so much about the history of the bridge and the Hudson River! All of the boys and girls shared pedometers and they recorded how many steps it took to walk across and back. It was over two miles! We were pretty tired when we got back to the bus, but Mr. P, Mrs. L., and Mrs. M., had apples for us to snack on! Not only were the apples healthy, but they were yummy too! When we got back to school, Mrs. R. delivered us to Mrs. S's, and Mrs. B's class where we will spend our week. It's just one great adventure here after another! We LOVE Healthy Highway!









Love, Fitness Frankie and Exercise Ernie

Fitness Frankie's Week in Mrs. B's Class!

Hi everyone,
I spent the week in Mrs. B's Class! Exercise Ernie was right next door so we had some great fun together! My friends fed me healthy snacks on Wellness Wednesday! We ate trail mix, wheat crackers, pretzels, grapes and apples. We also drank fruit juice! Exercise Ernie and I went to PE together with our friends! I think that Exercise Ernie is going to tell you about "Clean Up Your Backyard" so I will tell you about our warm-up: "Cleanies and Messies". Mrs. R. put out cones and the boys and girls were either a "Cleanie" or a "Messy". "Cleanies" like the cones up, but "Messies" like the cones down. We had great fun setting up and putting down the cones! It was a great workout! Personally, I liked to be a "Cleanie". How about you?

My friends and I exercised on Fitness Friday! We danced to "Macarena Math" and "Thumbs Up". Exercise Ernie and I had a ball! I also went to art with the boys and girls this week. Mrs. S. taught me how to draw bats! Scary!!!!! I also helped my friends draw a map of our community! I LOVE Healthy Highway! My next adventure is going to be a field trip to the Walkway Over the Hudson! I am so excited! Mrs. R. is going to take me and Exercise Ernie with her and the 5th grade classes with their teachers! I can't wait to tell you all about it!
Love, Fitness Frankie

Exercise Ernie's Week in Mrs. L's and Mrs. F's Class!

Hi everyone,

I have met so many new friends! I am so glad that Fitness Frankie invited me to spend the year at North Park! I spent this past week in Mrs. L's and Mrs. F's class! My friends fed me healthy snacks on Wellness Wednesday! We ate fresh apples, yogurt, baby carrots, whole wheat crackers and water for a VERY healthy drink! My friends took me to PE class with them too! We played a game called "Clean Up Your Backyard"! Mrs. R. read us a story about the game and then we acted out the story! It was so much fun ! We practiced our throwing skills and it was great exercise! We also played an activity called Alphabet Stretch! The boys and girls worked hard to stretch and make themselves look like letters of the alphabet! Some of the letters were challenging!

My friends and I exercised on Fitness Friday! We all danced to "Macarena Math" and "Thumbs Up". I was passed around to each classmate so that I could do the moves too! It was so fun! I LOVE Healthy Highway! I am going on an AMAZING adventure this week! Mrs. R. is taking me with her on a field trip with the 5th graders and their teachers to the Walkway Over the Hudson! I can't wait to tell you all about it! Love, Exercise Ernie

Courageous Carlos and Courageous Cassie Arrive!

Hi everyone,
   We had an amazing week at North Park last week!  Well, now that I think about it, it seems that EVERY week is amazing!  We had a Healthy Highway assembly last week!  I love to go to the assemblies because the boys and girls and all of the adults are always eager to learn!  We have FUN too!  This month we are going to travel down PRIDE PATH.   We learned to take pride in our work, the "fuel" that we put in our "engines", and our physical fitness and health!  Did you know that Pride is also a word that means a group of lions?  I learned that at the assembly!  We have some new friends to help us with Courage and we met them at the assembly!  They are lions and they have lots of COURAGE!  Their names are Courageous Carlos and Courageous Cassie! They are going to help us recognize students who show courage and also help us solve some problems with "Courage Grams"!  Miss H. calls all of us "The Pride of North Park"!  I've said it before, but I will say it again....... I LOVE Healthy Highway!
Love, Fitness Frankie (Exercise Ernie Too!)

Fitness Frankie's Week in Mrs. L's 5th Grade!

Hi everyone,
I had an amazing week in Mrs. L's fifth grade class! Mrs. L was at North Park a few years ago, and now is back with us! She did not know too much about me before this week, but now she is a fan! I had so much fun with the fifth grade boys and girls! Mrs. L has a healthy snack tree in her classroom! This is a picture of me in front of it!

I even went to Jazzercise with Mrs. L! She exercises too! I went to PE with the boys and girls and we played soccer and I also learned how to use a heart rate monitor! A heart rate monitor is a really cool piece of technology that helps the boys and girls learn about how hard their heart is working during exercise!





There is so much more to tell you! One of my new friends helped me with the rest of my blog! Read below!
I had a great time with all of my friends in Mrs. L's class. We did morning meeting everyday. I learned "good morning" in five different languages! One morning we played alphabet aerobics. The class didn't know how flexible I was! Also, we did "AHA" Math. They didn't realize how good I was at Math either! Mrs. L's students made me a throne and a crown! I loved them! Everyday I'd watch my friends work hard from my throne while I ate my favorite healthy snack, a pear. I also got to see their healthy snack tree. It was covered with a lot of healthy snacks! One day, I even got to read one of my favorite books, "Cinderella". I had a GREAT time in Mrs. L's classroom!

I LOVE Healthy Highway! I am staying with Mrs. L. this week because we are going on a field trip and I get to go too! I will tell you all about it soon! Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Week in Mrs. O's 4th Grade!

Hi everyone,
I spent the week in Mrs. O's fourth grade! The boys and girls were very happy to see me and I was happy to see them too! My friends fed me healthy snacks on Wellness Wednesday! We ate pretzels, yogurt, carrots, and a yummy apple! I spent recess time playing outside with my friend Zac! Unfortunately it rained a lot this week so we had to play some board games inside. One of the great things about Healthy Highway is that it helps boys and girls "Slow down and think about it" when they are learning! My friends are learning to listen and follow directions and I told them that I would come back to check on how they are doing! I LOVE Healthy Highway! I wonder what my NEXT adventure will be! Love, Fitness Frankie

Exercise Ernie's Week in Mrs. C's Class!

Hi everyone,

I can't believe how much fun I am having at North Park! I have learned so much about eating healthy foods and exercising already! This week Mrs. C's kindergarten and first grade students took amazing care of me! They were so excited when I arrived! They promised that they would teach me about healthy snacks and they did! (more to come on that later.....) I was allowed to go to PE class with the students and Mrs. R. was teaching the boys and girls about different ways to go over and under o-b-s-t-a-c-l-e-s. That's a big word that means something in your way! This is a picture of me under one of them!

We had a great time! I got so much exercise during PE class that I needed a nap when I got back to the classroom! How do the boys and girls DO this so well? I guess they have had a lot of practice! On Fitness Friday we DANCED! Everyone at North Park loves to dance! I have learned that it is good exercise! We went to the gymnasium for Fitness Friday and Mrs. R. taught us how to do the Peanut Butter and Jelly Dance! If you don't know it I am sure that the boys and girls can teach you because they did an awesome job! I LOVE Healthy Highway! I wonder what my next adventure will be?

Love, Exercise Ernie

Fitness Frankie's Week in Mrs. E's 4th Grade!

Hi everyone,
I am SO happy to be back at North Park! I had a great summer, but I missed my friends! My friends in Mrs. E's class were very excited when Mrs. R. announced that I would be in their class and they took great care of me this week! My friends fed me healthy snacks on Wellness Wednesday! We ate yogurt with granola, carrot and pepper sticks with dip, apples, bananas, and applesauce! My friends and I exercised on Fitness Friday! We played outside even though it had rained. We ran around, jumped around, and played on the monkey bars! Funny, there were no actual "monkeys" on the bars.......I will have to ask Mrs. R. about that........Some of the class played kickball and many of us watched them. It was great! I LOVE Healthy Highway! I wonder what my next adventure will be! Love, Fitness Frankie

Exercise Ernie's Week in Miss K's Class!

Hi everyone,
    I had an exciting week in Miss K's second grade class!  I even got to go to Meet the Staff Night and meet some parents!  We shared a healthy snack on Wellness Wednesday.  I also got to taste blueberries that one of my new friends brought in to share with the class after we read Blueberries for Sal!  The children wrote many stories about me during writer's workshop!  Miss K's is going to give them to Mrs. R. for my journal!  I spent time with Bono the monkey.  He is the mascot for Miss K's class.  Here we are at the Sneaker Center in PE.  This is where students go to find a safe place to tie their sneakers!

Bono is really nice!  He taught me so much this week!  We went to PE together with the students and we helped them learn about some healthy snacks too!  During PE class the students exercised and played a game called "Find My Color"!  It was a fun game! This picture shows us in the gym while the students played!




Fitness Frankie was right!  North Park is a great place and my adventures down the Healthy Highway have started just like his!  I can't wait to see where I go next week!  I LOVE Healthy Highway!  Love, Exercise Ernie

Fitness Frankie's and Exercise Ernie's First Days of the 2011-2012 School Year!

Hi everyone,
     We are back to school at North Park!  I am so excited because Mrs. R. has some new ideas for our Healthy Highway program this year!  My friend Exercise Ernie, who I met last year during Spring Break, has come to spend the year with us too!  He is from Colorado and loves to ski!  We are going to teach him all about how we use Healthy Highway at North Park!  The boys and girls are excited too!

     We had our first Healthy Highway assembly and everyone at North Park got a chance to learn about my summer adventure!  Mrs. F - that's our new librarian - read the book that Mrs. R. wrote about our trip to London and Dublin while Mrs. R. showed everyone the pictures.  Everyone thought it was a great adventure!  Me too!  Next, Exercise Ernie and I arrived at the assembly in our new car!  Well, it's not a real car, but it's very cool!  Mrs. R. introduced Exercise Ernie to everyone and the boys and girls are excited to have us in their classrooms this year!



   

     One of the new activities that we are going to do for Healthy Highway this year is take the Healthy Highway Pledge each day.  The HH Pledge says:
"I promise to make ONE healthy choice EVERY day to keep my engine strong!"
All of the boys and girls are signing class pledge cards during PE class and Mrs. R. is making a bulletin board with all of them!  Exercise Ernie and I watched while the boys and girls signed the pledge cards.  We are very proud of them!


     Well, it's time for Exercise Ernie and I to rest up!  We have a busy week ahead of us at North Park because we are going to start spending time in each classroom learning about Healthy Highway!
I LOVE Healthy Highway!  Love, Fitness Frankie.

Fitness Frankie's Summer Adventures!

Hi everyone,

It has been an incredible summer! I have had so many wonderful adventures I don't know where to begin! I started the summer with a trip to London, England and Dublin, Ireland! Can you

believe it! Mrs. R. took so many pictures of me as we walked for exercise and saw all of the sites! We used a pedometer to check our steps and we walked between 10 and 14 miles a day! She is making a book about it and will show all of the boys and girls at North Park when we get back to school!

This picture is of me with "Big Ben", which is a famous clock in London, in the background!

Next, I had the chance to play golf with a friend of Mrs. R. who is a PE teacher too! Mrs. C. brought her friend "Exercise Eddie" and now we are friends too!

I also had a chance to take my new friend from Ireland - PE Paddy - on Mrs. R's kayak! We went for a ride on the Great Sacandaga Lake! It was pretty windy, but we had a terrific ride! Did you know that kayaking is good exercise for your upper body? It is hard work to keep the kayak paddles going!

Mrs. R. kept us safe by wearing a life jacket!

It has been a wonderful summer! I am looking forward to school starting in a few weeks! I miss my friends at North Park!

I LOVE Healthy Highway!

Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Adventure on the Last Day of School!

Hi everyone,

Friday was the last day of school! I had such an AMAZING year! I met so many new friends and they all took such great care of me! The last day of school at North Park was so much fun! When it was time for dismissal, all of the adults used colorful streamers and bubbles to celebrate and wave goodbye to all of the students. The bus drivers beeped their horns and everyone cheered! What a party! Mrs. R. even had music playing and some of the students and teachers were dancing! That's me in the picture with my friend Miss N. waving goodbye to the students on the bus. I was sad to say goodbye to the students, especially the 5th graders, but I am happy because I know that I will be back next year with my friend Exercise Ernie and we will be ready for more adventures together! Mrs. R. took me home for the summer and she told me that we have some exciting plans! I can't wait to see what they are! Have a great summer everyone! Thanks for reading my blog, taking care of me, and helping me learn about "Healthy Highway"! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Adventure with Mrs. K's English Language Learners!

Hi everyone,

I spent a week with Mrs. K, her family, and the English Language Learners at North Park! It was very exciting! These students are from different countries and are working very hard to learn English! After learning the names of common electric appliances, fruits, and vegetables, the students tasted a variety of fruits and vegetables and used some of the appliances! We made fresh tomato salsa with tomatoes, onions, garlic, avocados, lime juice, salt, pepper, and tortilla chips. Salsa is a very healthy snack! We mixed the ingredients using a food processor. I tried some of the delicious fresh tomato salsa and chips! All of my friends and I ate together and we also tried Brussels sprouts, and artichoke hearts. Mmmmm! They were YUMMY! My friends tell me that they all had a great time with me! I had a great time with them too! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie "Hangs Around" During K-2 Field Day!

Hi everyone,

I had an unbelievable time during the Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade Field Day! We almost did not get to play because it was raining early this morning but it stopped raining just in time! I can't believe how much fun Field Days are! It was nice of all of the boys and girls to invite me to play! During today's Field Day I played Hanging Out the Laundry (That's me on the clothesline! I was actually only on the line for a minute!), the Water Balloon Toss, Relays with all kinds of equipment, Parachute, Clean Up Your Own Backyard, Spoon Relays, Sponge Relays, and a station with Bubbles and Coloring! Mrs. R. has put up some pictures of the Field Days on the North Park PE Website so everyone can see how much fun we had! Once again there were so many moms, dads, grandparents, family members, and teachers helping out! All of the boys and girls worked very hard and played safe and fair! I can see why everyone was looking forward to Field Day! I can't wait until next year's Field Day! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Adventure during 3rd and 4th Grade Field Day!

Hi everyone,

I had a great day during Field Day today for the 3rd and 4th graders! I got to play Tug of War, Monster Ball (that's me on the tee!), Beach Ball Volleyball, Water Balloon Toss, Water Cup Race, the Spaghetti and Meatballs Relay (just pretend with a noodle and ball!), the Obstacle Course, and a net toss with partners and a golf tee target! The boys and girls did a great job! I am so proud of how hard they worked and how well they worked together! We also had some great moms, dads, grandparents and family members helping! We all got some great exercise and the classes earned a mile for Healthy Highway! Tomorrow is Field Day for the Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade students! I can't wait! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Adventure during 5th Grade Field Day!

Hi everyone,

I had an amazing time during 5th Grade Field Day last week! Mrs. R. set up seven different stations for the fifth graders and I got to participate in all of them! That's me in the picture during a station where students had to work together to transfer me from one area to another! They were very careful with me and I arrived safely! All of the boys and girls worked very hard to work together and have fun! I got to go through a spider's web (just a pretend one - no REAL spiders!), play a game called Waiter Wars, ride on a partner team toss pad, help pass a golf ball down a pipeline, and play ladder golf! Lots of moms, dads, and teachers played with us! We had a whole two hours of fun outside and everyone played fair and played safe! It was a great Field Day! We all got so much exercise and worked really hard to cooperate! There are two more Field Days next week! I hope I get to play! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Dr. Fischer Takes Fitness Frankie On a Zip Line!

Dear Readers:

I had the distinct pleasure of taking Fitness Frankie to Netherwood Elementary School on Friday, May 27^th. Ms. Quilty invited me to join some 5^th grade students to ride the zip line. I am not sure if Fitness Frankie has ever been on a zip line, but I thought he would enjoy the adventure. I introduced him to all the students who were sitting in the field waiting to see the Superintendent ride the zip line. I slipped him on my wrist and he accompanied me up the 30 foot pole, and down the zip line. It was an incredible experience. Riding the zip line is an adventure activity that builds skills such as trust, communication, leadership, group thinking, and open mindedness. Riding the zip line also requires a healthy dose of courage, and Fitness Frankie helped me with my courage. Ms. Quilty is an outstanding zip line coach, and she helped me to be brave. Physical education is a critical component of our educational program, and I was happy to support our physical education department by riding the zip line!

Sincerely,

Dr. Fischer

Fitness Frankie Goes Horseback Riding!

Hi everyone,

I have a new friend! I have made so many friends since I arrived at North Park! My new friend's name is Gilligan. Gilligan is a horse that I met when Miss N. brought me to go horseback riding! That's me and Gilligan in the picture! I think Gilligan likes me too! I had a great time learning about how to ride a horse! It takes a lot of strength to ride a horse! I am having such a wonderful adventure! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie.

Fitness Frankie Rides a Zip line!

Hi everyone,

Would you believe that I had the chance to ride a zip line? Dr. F., our Superintendent of Schools invited me to go with her to ride a zip line at one of the other schools in the district! The boys and girls at this other school have a PE teacher just like Mrs. R, but her name is Miss Q. She said that everyone worked really hard to earn their turn on the zip line. They had to work together and learn how to cooperate as a whole class. It took them all year, but they did it! Dr. F., was invited to ride it too, so she thought I might want to come along. Boy, did I! It was a little scary, but I knew that I was safe with Miss Q., and Dr. F. They took really good care of me and I loved it! (Mrs. R. is working on getting a picture......but I know that you will take my word for it!) I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Healthy Highway "Driver of the Year!"

Hi everyone,

I am so excited and I have so much to tell you! Let me start at the beginning........last week on Monday, Mrs. Cooper, the creator of Healthy Highway came to stay at Mrs. R's house the night before our big assembly! Mr. R. made a great dinner with grilled chicken in a healthy salad of lettuce, tomatoes, green and orange peppers, carrots, and almonds! Mrs. Cooper loved it! (me too!) Mrs. R. and Mrs. C. talked about how much we had accomplished during our first year of Healthy Highway at North Park! They even talked about some ideas for next year! We were all very excited about the assembly that was going to take place on Tuesday! It was to be a celebration of our first year on the Healthy Highway and an introduction of our last road for this year - "Victory Lane". Mrs. R. showed the boys and girls a picture of a race car driver in Victory Lane after winning a race. She said that it was hard to pick out the driver because he was celebrating with everyone in his Pit Crew. I learned that it's important to have a Pit Crew to help you be successful! Mrs. R. asked the boys and girls who was in their Pit Crew and they had great answers! They said that their parents, teachers, friends, and family were all a part of their Pit Crew! I thought about my Pit Crew and I am so lucky to have Mr. and Mrs. R., Mrs. C., and everyone at North Park in my Pit Crew! Miss H. also reminded the boys and girls to cheer for those who had the courage to do the right thing. Then, something amazing happened! Mrs. C. gave me a special award. She gave me the Healthy Highway "Driver of the Year" Award! I was so surprised! I even got a new Healthy Highway shirt to wear! On the back it says "What's in YOUR fuel tank?" I also met a new friend - "Baking Bella". She is from Rochester and goes to a school where Mrs. C. used to teach. That's us in the picture! After my award was given, Mrs. R. got a new shirt just like mine and everyone at North Park got a special award too! They received the Healthy Highway "Green Light to Good Health Award"! Everyone was so proud! Next, we saw a slide show that had pictures of our Healthy Highway activities this year and I was in many of the pictures! Finally, we danced! Mrs. C. danced with us too and taught us a few new moves! We had a ball! It was a great day! The pictures of our assembly will be up on the North Park Website soon! I can't wait to see what we are going to do next! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Weekend Adventure with Ms. V!

Hi everyone,
This weekend I went and hung out with Ms. V. We were very busy! Ms. V. is learning a new language called Arabic! On Friday after school she brought me to her class and taught me how to say "al tal e boon, ja de doon" which means: "I am the new student"! I even practiced saying it to all my new friends in the class!
On Saturday we traveled to Teaneck, NJ, where Ms. V. had a soccer game against other women. Some were even other teachers from New Jersey! Ms. V's team won and I helped score a goal! It was a lot of good exercise and I felt healthy running around with my teammates! We shared oranges and water after the game. Boy was I thirsty!
Ms. V. and I went to Millbrook, NY on Sunday. I even got to go swimming at the Country Club where Ms. V. works during the summer! I met all of the lifeguards and they showed me how to be safe around the pool. The lifeguards were getting the pool ready for Memorial Day Weekend. Memorial Day is a national holiday. It's when we celebrate and remember all of the soldiers who fought for our country! It also marks the beginning of the summer when all of the pools open! Yay!
I had a great weekend! I can't wait to see who I spend time with next! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Adventure in the Cafeteria!

Hi everyone,

I spent this past week sitting in the cafeteria while my friends made their choices during lunch. There are so many choices at North Park! Mrs. S. is the cafeteria manager and she was so nice to me! She let me sit on the cash register and watch my friends choose lunch and snack every day! I was very happy to see that my friends were drinking milk to make their bones strong and choosing fruits and vegetables and many green light foods! That's me in the picture with all of the healthy fruit and milk choices! One of my friends even gave me a hug on the way by! This week I am going to meet Mrs. C! She created Healthy Highway! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Adventure at the Dance Recital!

Hi everyone,

I got to spend Saturday and Sunday with the dancers from Dream Studio. I learned all about ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and hip-hop. I even got to dance and learn Irish dance steps! The best part of the whole weekend was watching the girls dancing in their beautiful performance on Sunday! They danced their little hearts out! One of the dances was even to "Life is a Highway"! How cool was that! That's OUR theme song! Congratulations girls! It was wonderful to see how all of your hard work paid off! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Adventure at the SEZ Awards Ceremony!

Hi everyone,

This weekend, Mrs. R. took me to the Elementary/Middle School PE Awards Ceremony sponsored by the Southeastern Zone (SEZ) of the New York State Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance! It was a very important day for the students and PE teachers! PE teachers nominated students for this award for excellence in PE! Mrs. R. nominated Ian, Jake, Melanie, and Natalie from our school and we were so proud of them as they received their award! There were lots of moms and dads who were very proud too! These students showed great character! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Golf Adventure!

Hi everyone,

I have had so much fun at North Park while I travel down the Healthy Highway! My adventures continue at the golf course! Mrs. R. and Miss H. played golf after school this week and brought me along! Golf is a great physical activity because you walk so much! I actually got to ride in Mrs. R's golf bag, but Mrs. R. and Miss H. walked the whole course! It was a beautiful day and I learned that perseverance is very important when you play golf because it is a hard sport to learn. Did you know that many people play golf well into their eighties? That's why they call it a lifetime sport! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Adventures with Mrs. R.!

Hi everyone,

I got to go home with Mrs. R. yesterday! We had a great dinner that included a salad that Mr. R. made with tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and carrots, and we also had a chicken pasta dish! Then, this morning, Mrs. R. woke me up VERY early! It was 6:00 am! She said that it was time to exercise so off we went to IXL, the fitness center that Mrs. R. belongs to! She introduced me to the manager, and I got to sit on the counter where all of the members check in! Next we went to an "elliptical" machine. That's me sitting on it in the picture! This is a machine for exercising and making your heart, lungs, and muscles strong! Mrs. R. exercised on the machine for about 35 minutes until she had reached more than 5,000 steps! I was tired just watching her (my legs are too short or I would have been on an elliptical too......)! We drank plenty of water after the exercise and then we went home to get ready for our day at North Park. I had a great time (even though I will need to go to bed early tonight because I am exhausted)! Mrs. R. tells me that later this week I am going to play golf and then go to a dance recital this weekend! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Weekend Adventure!

Hi everyone,
Mrs. R. is letting me go home with some of the adults at North Park during May so that I can exercise and eat healthy foods with them! This past weekend I went home with Mrs. B. for the weekend. I was quite a busy bear! On Friday night I went to a track meet in New Paltz to watch Mrs. B's boys Michael and Ryan run. I even traveled across the Mid-Hudson Bridge and I was able to see some boats in the Hudson River. When I was at the track meet I was able to run in one of the races. I did not come in in the top five for my race, but I really did try my best. While I was at the track meet I even saw Alexa from Mrs. F's class! It was fun to see someone I knew from school. Then on Saturday morning I was able to go to gymnastics with Olivia, Mrs. B's daughter. I had a great time there too! Olivia's teachers helped me to hang from the bar both by my hands and then upside down. I have to admit, hanging upside down was a little scary. The best part of gymnastics was jumping across the tumble track (that's kind of like a trampoline) with Olivia. She held my hands and made sure that I jumped safely. Finally, on Sunday I went to the baseball field to watch Michael and Ryan play two games of baseball. When I was at the games I was actually able to take a few turns trying to hit the ball, but that is hard work. To take a break I spent some time running around and then sitting on the bleachers to watch the game. After I was done I actually went home to enjoy a little nap. I can't wait to see where my next set of adventures will take me! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Adventure in Mrs. B's Class!

Hi everyone,
I spent the week with Mrs. B's second grade. What a fun and adventurous week it was!
Each morning began with helping my friends with morning work. I was adding and subtracting double-digit numbers, practicing my spelling words in cursive, and making Mother's Day gifts.
After morning work, I worked hard learning about non-fiction topics during Writer's Workshop. There was so much research to do in books and on the internet.
Then I was able to have some fun during Literacy Station time. I especially liked sorting "oo" words, listening to plant books on tape, coming up with adjectives and reading books with my friends. I learned that there is another kind of highway besides "Healthy Highway". I learned about how a tree's "highway" works!
Next, I enjoyed learning about FDR and his pet dog Fala. FDR was the 32nd President of the United States. Fala was specially trained to live in the White House with the Roosevelts. Too bad I won't be going on their field trip to FDR next week!
And talk about fun......I got to go outside and see baby bluebirds that hatched in Mrs. B's birdhouse! The bluebirds were sleeping and covered with their down feathers. The mother bluebird watched us from a tree branch as we quietly peeked in the birdhouse. I also planted beans in a bottle. Hopefully, I can come back to visit their room to see if the bluebirds left their nest and if the beans grew!
On Wellness Wednesday, I help our class nutritionist make sure that each child had a healthy snack. I nibbled on some pretzels, apples, 100% fruit bar, and a Fiber One bar which really filled me up for a long time! Then I washed my food down with some refreshing spring water!
During PE this week I learned some exercises to make your muscles strong! I learned how to do "Push-up Taps", and "Nerf Ball Leg Lifts"! I also learned some new dances! I learned "Jump Jim Joe", and Can't Jump Josie"! During this week we were also celebrating National Physical Education and Sport Week and Mrs. R. read an important quote about Physical Fitness each day during the announcements. I learned something new every day!
Last, I joined our entire school for Project ACES. Project ACES means All Children Exercising Simultaneously. This is a national project where children all throughout the United States exercise during this week! Our entire school exercised outside together. It was wonderful to see our school working together and being successful! Project ACES was a great highway trail to Sucess Circle (The road we are traveling down this month!). You can see some great pictures (even me!) by clicking on the words Project ACES. Thanks to my friends in Mrs. B's class for a great week! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie

Fitness Frankie's Weekend with Ms. P!

Hi everyone,

Mrs. R. is letting me go home with the adults at North Park during May because May 1-7 is National Physical Education and Sport Week and we do a special project called "Operation Healthy North Park" during the whole month of May! Ms. P took me home with her this past weekend and I had a wonderful time! Mrs. R. is going to put up some pictures soon! I started my Friday evening off by gardening around the house. I got to ride in a wheelbarrow! On Saturday afternoon I visited Mills Mansion! It is a great historical estate! While I was visiting Mills Mansion I decided to get my daily exercise by walking up the hill to visit the mansion. It was a great walk but a big hill! After walking up the hill I decided to cool down by the Hudson River. Next time I visit Mills Mansion, I would like to go swimming! On Sunday afternoon, I spent some time riding a bicycle with my new friend Suzie Bear. Suzie Bear and I also played a game of catch! During the weekend I also ate some healthy snacks. I age mangos, oranges and a pineapple! Ms. P. took such good care of me! I had an awesome time! This week I am being taken care of by Mrs B's class! My adventure continues! I LOVE Healthy Highway! Love, Fitness Frankie.