October
19
October
7
Great Finishes for Quest Cross Country Team
The Quest Academy Boys & Girls Cross Country Teams did an excellent job at the meet on Monday, October 5th! Strong finishes all around against great competition, we couldn’t be more proud of all of the runners. The cross country sectional meet will be this Saturday, October 10th and we are very hopeful to have some qualifiers for the State Meet! Go Quest!
October
2
Strong start!!
September
29
K PE
Kindergarten Physical Education News
The Manatees and the Dolphins have been introduced to Mr. “V”, Mrs. Schenck, and Mr. Ryder and we are pleased to make their acquaintance. Since Day one we have been on the run with warm-up laps, line exercises, ‘half & half soccer,’ freeze dance, and yarn ball toss. We have even ventured over to the wonderful West Campus for several classes. We are looking forward to our first ‘Two Minute Run’ this week. For the ‘Two Minute Run’ we turn on the Quest scoreboard and put two minutes on the clock. As they complete each lap we count it on the scoreboard. Every month each class challenges themselves to see if they can run more laps in two minutes than the month before. As we get down to the final 20 seconds it gets pretty exciting as each student tries to finish one more lap before the buzzer goes off. Mrs. Schenck and Mr. Ryder and I have been very pleased with the effort we see in every class and we also appreciate the parent’s efforts to make sure their children have been coming to class with the appropriate footwear.
September
11
Middle School PE
Starting the week of September 21st the middle school students will begin Fall Fitness Testing. This will involve the one mile run, sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-and-reach, shuttle run, and the 50 yard dash. These tests will help us evaluate where the students are coming off summer break and lead us to where we need to go for Spring Fitness Testing. In the past week the students have been practicing some of the tests and ensure that the students are using correct form and technique. Enjoy your weekend and get ready for the Outdoor Education Trip!
September
10
Middle School Physical Education Information
Middle School Physical Education 
- Class time is approx. 45 minutes.
- Appropriate attire is required
*Shorts or sweat pants are required
*Shoes that lace up and have proper support (cross trainers or running shoes)
- Attention is paid to wellness and exercise physiology (Stretching, technique and core area)
*A healthy balance of mind and body is encouraged
*Core exercises (emphasis on abdominal area)
*Stretching is a way to prepare the body for exercising, both physically and mentally.
-Increases heart and respiratory rate
-Boosts the amount of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles
-Prepares the body for the workout
-Extends the time of quality exercise
– Increases joint flexibility and range of motion
-Improves posture
-Relaxes muscles
-Improves coordination
- Skills are practiced and advanced games are played.
–We will work on technique through repetitions
5. Written tests will be given on specific sports
6. Written tests will be given and/ or projects assigned on health, nutrition and muscles.
7. Physical fitness testing will occur at least twice a year.
-There will be assessment testing done at the beginning of the year and progress l testing at the end.
- Ballroom dancing and Yoga are some of our other possible units
September
4
Cooperative Learning in Physical Education
Rolling into the second week of physical education for the Quest Academy students one of this week’s themes was cooperative learning! Being able to work cooperatively with others is a skill that can be applied in and outside of the classroom. One of the activities the students participated in this week was called Cooperative Hoops! For this activity the students were grouped by the teachers and were told that they needed to work together with their group to build a structure that can stand on its own with 4 hula hoops. Once their structure was standing then everyone in their group needed to crawl through the hoops! This activity took patience, communication, and cooperation with group members to accomplish the task. It was fun and exciting to see the students working together!
August
25
Welcome Letter
Physical Education Department Introduction
We are very interested in meeting you and telling you more about our Physical Education and Athletic Program.
As members of the Quest Academy Physical Education Department, we would like to welcome all the parents and students to the Quest Community. The Physical Education Department consists of three teachers and is truly a team teaching setting. Every class is taught with two instructors, which allows us to offer more individualized instruction, maximum student participation, someone to deal with bumps and bruises, and simultaneous indoor and outdoor activities. We are very excited to explore the many opportunities the West Campus offers this fall.
We all look forward to our class time with your children. Their enthusiasm and energy is contagious and it creates a spirit of active participation. We believe that physical activity is an important part of a person’s life. We also want fitness to become part of an active lifestyle. To help us accomplish that goal we cannot overstress the importance of being appropriately prepared for both indoor and outdoor Physical Education classes. Our highest priority is proper footwear. We DO NOT consider ‘Crocs’, ‘Keans’, or sandals to be safe or proper footwear for class. Thank you for helping us make sure that our students are ready for active fun and fitness!
The Quest Academy Physical Education Department
My name is Louise Schenck and I am excited to start my first year at Quest Academy as a Physical Education Teacher! I am a recent graduate from Northern Illinois University with a passion for health and fitness. As a physical educator my goal is to create a positive learning environment where all students are able to learn about the value of engaging in physical activity. Students will be encouraged to participate to the best of their ability in a wide variety of physical activities. I will continuously strive to meet the needs of each individual student as I know that every student is different and learns in their own way. Please email me with any questions!
My name is Jeff Ryder. This will be my ninth year at Quest Academy. My experience in coaching and health spans more than 20 years with a variety of ages and sports. I am the Athletic Director at Quest Academy and I look forward to teaching the skill-sets, rules, sportsmanship and fundamentals of our games and sports. Although I primarily teach the middle school classes, I am excited to teach and develop a relationship with the lower school grades. My door, email or phone is always open to you and your children.
My name is Tom Voeller and I am one of the Physical Education teachers and the Director of the After School Program. I came from Capitol Hill Day School fifteen years ago. My commitment to fitness comes from competing in marathons and triathlons for over 30 years. I enjoy spending time playing with your children in our Physical Education classes and in our After School Program activities. I make it a priority to maximize their opportunities to “play hard, play fair and play safe.”
If you have any questions about their participation in our activities please let me know.
We can be reached most efficiently at our Quest Academy e-mail addresses. We will make every effort to return e-mails within 24hrs.
louise.schenck@questacademy.org
jeff.ryder@questacademy.org
tom.voeller@questacademy.org