elementary aged children sit in a line, one behind the other smiling at the camera

There’s something fun happening at Jack Elementary School in P.E. class!  This year the theme is “The Incredible’s” so all activities are meant to be “incredible!”

The “impossible shot” is an apparatus made to be very difficult, but NOT totally impossible. 

P.E. Coach Lisa Snell and Assistant P.E. Coach Heather Brown spin a wheel in each class and when it lands on a student’s number, they grab a tennis ball and give it a toss! Each student has to have good behavior during P.E. class to qualify. 

No student has been successful yet, but Principal Brett Shelby has hit the shot twice. “When I saw what our coaches were doing to reinforce good behavior, I offered teachers duty-free lunch if they make the shot,” said Shelby. “The first teacher to the gym at the end of that grade level’s period gets to take the shot.”

The students have loved the anticipation of which teacher will come in first.  If an administrator comes in and makes the shot, each class in the school receives a Patriot buck. The excitement from the students is evident by comments such as, “It’s cool to see someone make it,” and “it’s really fun to try!”  Ms. Tatum Dungan, a 3rd grade math teacher, gave it her best shot but ultimately missed.

There’s a scoreboard that all winners will sign and a scoreboard showing how many days it has been since a shot is made.  So far, the impossible shot has been a great success and has motivated students to be proactive and make good choices in P.E.

In addition to the “Impossible Shot,” three students in each class are named “Incredible Student” for that day, and classmates take turns making comments about what they admire about them. “It fits our ‘Incredible’s’ theme,  gives them a boost of confidence and makes them feel good,” Assistant P.E. Coach Heather Brown said.