Are you wondering how soccer became the most popular world sport in all of history? Watch this short video to answer many of your questions about the origins of soccer. Origins of Soccer

For those die hard fans, here is a video showing highlight reels for 10 of the top mens players in the world. This list includes: Lionel Messi (Argentina), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Ronaldinho (Brazil), Diego Maradona (Argentina), Zenedine Zidane (France), Pele (Brazil), Ronaldo Nazario (Brazil), Roberto Carlos (Brazil), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), and David Beckham (England). 10 Top World Soccer Players Of course, we want to know who the top female footballers are. Here is one top 10 list with some impressive players; Nadine Angerer (Germany), Sun Wen (China), Renate Lingor (Germany), Kristine Lilly (USA), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Homara Sawa (Japan), Abby Wambach (USA), Brigit Prinz (Germany), Marta (Brazil), and Mia Hamm (USA). Top 10 Womens World Soccer Players And, here is a short promo video advertising the FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia AND here is a video for those world music enthusiasts Official Music for FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia 

If you are looking for a great family movie, I strongly recommend Pele: Birth of a Legend Movie Trailer (2016)

Here is a short video that introduces the basics of dribbling a soccer ball. Remember to: 1) use the inside or outside of the foot, 2) push the ball forward with soft, little touches, 3) make sure the ball rolls near your body, 4) work with control, then add speed, 5) try to keep your head up and eyes forward, 6) if someone or something gets in your way, use the bottom of your foot to turn the ball or the side of your foot to knock the ball in a different direction. Dribbling Basics or this link Dribbling With Control

Here is a link for the intermediate to advanced dribblers. See if you can master the 6 dribble and turn skills featured in this video: 1) Roll, 2) Cruyff, 3) Inside Roll, 4) Step Over Turn, 5)Maradona, and 5) Ronaldo. Start with your dominant foot and then try with your non-dominant foot. The girl in the video goes pretty fast. You should start slowly and build up speed as you increase ball control. Explosive Dribble & Turn

Take the 1,000 Touch Challenge. The best way to improve your ball control is to increase the number of times you touch the ball with your feet. Here is a video that shows you how to improve you touch control, expand your menu of ball touch options, and gives you fun challenges that you can do at home with very little space required. You do not need to do all of these skills, but feel free to challenge yourself with as many of them as you can do. Remember, start slow and add speed with control. 1,000 Touch Challenge

Leading up to the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics and throughout the games, you can follow events on the official Olympic Games website Official Olympic Games Website

Here is an article and exciting video about the history of the Olympic Torch Relay Olympic Torch Relay.

This video shows highlights from the Torch lighting ceremony on October 24, 2017 in Olympia, Greece.Olympic Torch Lighting Ceremony Highlights

Here is a news story about the handover of the Olympic Torch from Greece to Korea Handing Over the Olympic Torch

Follow updates on the Torch Relay here Olympic Torch Relay updates

Meet  Soohorang, the official PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Mascot. Soohorang is a white tiger associated with Korean culture and mythology. Mascot Animation

Use this time conversion site to calculate the time difference between NYC and South Korea. Hint... we are 14 hours behind South Korea. Time Converter

Use this link to play with flag colors and explore different flags from around the world Flag Colors

Throughout the year, Mrs. Monte writes DonorsChoose.org projects that allow us to purchase some really great equipment and supplies for the gym. If you would like to learn more about these projects or feel that you would like to donate to and support these projects, visit this link. Also, you can share this link with friends and family via email, Facebook, or Twitter. Every dollar we raise purchases another great piece of physical education equipment for our students.

Watch this introductory video to learn more about the NYC Fitnessgram Evaluation. All students will have their height and weight measured. Students in grades 4 and 5 will participate in all the components of this evaluation. Watching the video together at home will help your child feel more comfortable during the evaluation. Please note, this evaluation is meant to gather information regarding the general health and fitness of your child. Physical Education grades will not be determined based on the results of these evaluations.