Welcome Back, Educators!
A new school year is a fresh opportunity to bring Physical Education to life – creating a space where students thrive through movement, meaningful relationships, and inclusive, developmentally appropriate learning. This edition is packed with ideas to help you launch the year intentionally and confidently.
In this newsletter each quarter, we share practical tips you can take straight into class. For CORE PE members, this connects directly to resources inside the system. For not-yet-members, we hope it gives you a sense of the kind of grounded support we’re all about.
NEW: Complimentary Professional Development
To help our CORE PE teachers start the year organized, clear, and intentional, we’ve been hosting complimentary overview and deep-planning sessions.
The back-to-school transition can be a lot — new routines, heaped responsibilities, and life outside of school. Generating accountability and a community to show up to, focus, and connect with can make all the difference. Teachers tell us these sessions give them the structure and energy they’ve been needing, and that being met right where they are makes them feel respected and valued — the same care we strive to give our students.
Whether it’s taking just 12 minutes for a program overview, the 75-minute dive into all of the videos, or the interaction of a live session — our goal is to keep professional development practical, efficient, and accessible. We support our teachers!
CORE PE Curriculum Corner: Quick Reminders
Community & Connection: Foster a supportive, inclusive environment.
Opportunity for All: Design activities that offer multiple entry points and challenges.
Reflection & Responsibility: Encourage students to reflect on choices, set goals, and take ownership of their learning.
Engagement Through Enjoyment: Use student voice and movement variety to keep engagement high.
Back-to-School Implementation Tips
Begin with Structure – Planning, Skill Breakdown and Assessment
Establish shared expectations using developmentally appropriate, skill-based language and cues.
Prioritize SEL Through Movement
Use community-building warm-ups, cooperative games, and self-awareness check-ins aligned to SEL outcomes.
Use the First Weeks to Formatively Pre-Assess
Incorporate low-pressure tasks and critical skill cues to gauge locomotor, manipulative, and social skill levels. These snapshots help you identify and differentiate needs early, so you may adjust your teaching to reach “the zone.”
This is the kind of support CORE PE is designed to provide — embedding clarity into skill breakdowns and assessment for both teachers and students.
Assessment in Action: Start Simple
Use quick, formative prompts to build student voice from the start:
- “I feel confident when I…”
- “One movement I want to improve is…”
- “I worked with others today by…”
- In the program, we teach our students how to use the CORE PE Grids as they “swim” through the developmental levels. Let’s build autonomous learners!
Great Activities Newspaper
We’ve partnered with Artie Kamiya’s Great Activities Newspaper, a free resource for PE teachers. Artie has been a leader in the field for decades: NC SHAPE Executive Director, author, keynote speaker, and founder of the PE Institute in Asheville.
Here’s the link to sign up for the free publication. You’re also invited to submit your own activities, which Artie will credit to you.
Final Thought
This year, let’s move with intention. Let’s teach with heart. And let’s create a space where every student knows they belong in PE.
We’re here to support you every step of the way. Let’s make it a year of growth, joy, and impact – together.
