Mission – Promote, Support, and Participate in Quality Physical Education.
Key Understandings:
Quality Physical education is provided every class period to students. We enhance students’ lives and provide them opportunities and education to become physically literate individuals for the rest of their lives. We select the month of March and the March Madness theme to extra emphasize and promote the importance and need for quality physical education. During this unit is when the fundraising opportunities and a few extra events take place. We engage with our community and families almost weekly throughout the year so by the time we get to the fundraising, we have already built a quality trusting relationship.
Fundraising Details:
The health. moves. minds. /March Madness Unit usually lasts approximately 2 weeks and coincides with our High School state tournament season, Other factors include our 2 day spring break, potential Easter schedule, and when afterschool gym space is most available for additional evening tournaments.
The Fundraising Kick Off:
Our kick off is usually a quick 20 minute assembly in the gym. I explain the various events, fundraising incentives, and we conclude with a little jumping jack challenge. Take a look at my PPT slide below!
Supporting the Fundraiser Through PE:
During this two-week period of promoting quality physical education, we take time to review all the activities we have done throughout the year. We do this through many small-sided stations. Examples: Catch 5 with the football, Frisbee Toss, Basketball Shooting station etc. This review unit usually encompasses 3-5 classes and the students love getting to repeat all their favorite activities. Station Activities can be found here. Video Promotion of this can be found here.
Fundraising Incentives!
Over the years we have used a variety of incentives. Annually we get a donor(s) to sponsor a PE shirt that promotes quality PE. We order 200 and it cost the students $10.
Students that donate any amount get to sign the donation board. We have also run a Duct tape the teacher to the wall in the middle of the event to keep the momentum going.
If we reach the school goal, I have been willing to let the student with the highest donations cut my hair. Length is determined by 1 inch per every $1000.
Other incentives include extra PE the last week of school. Extra “Sparkler Passess” at a specific dollar amount. (Sparkler passes are part of a reward system our school uses, such as extra PE, extra Reading/Library Time, phone use during homebase 20 min. Partial Homework exemption etc…)
At the $100 donation mark, the student gets to design and lead PE.
Fundraising Ideas!
Each year we’ve continued to add different incentives based on what our students want! That part is important. As a teacher I try to informally get some student feedback on what types of incentives they would like.
Selling PE T-Shirts: We have created shirts each year that promote Physical Education. Students respond to this instant gratification. I pre-order 200 shirts and students that bring in $10 get a new shirt they can wear instead of their regular grey PE shirt.
Penny Wars: We tried penny wars one year and that was successful. In the future, we will be trying to push more for online fundraising.
Duct Tape the Teacher to the Wall: The “duct tape a teacher to the wall” was a huge hit and we will continue that event. It was a $1 a piece of tape. We raised approximately $175 in about 30min.
Visually Display Funds Raised: I keep a thermometer of the funds we have raised each day so students can stay motivated and see their progress
After School Events: After school tournaments will round out our week. These tournaments are free for students. Ultimate Football, Nitroball, and a3v3 basketball. We’ll be offering all events for free but will be offering PE shirts for sale!
We usually average about 15% of the student body participating and another 10% spectating. Along with about 150 parents.
Upcoming Event? Teacher Fear Factor: We’re thinking about doing a teacher fear factor, where students put their donations into the jar of the teacher whom they would like to complete the fear factor challenge.
The Event Wrap Up:
Approximately a week after, we host an assembly to complete any remaining incentives, celebrate a successful event, watch a highlight video with pictures from the event, and create/sign thank you cards for all our sponsors and teachers that made the event successful. Here’s an example of our one page thank you letter!
