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Goal

To teach students that it IS POSSIBLE to be both a MUSICIAN and an ATHLETE!
To help students learn and practice skills for success in life through the combination of music and ping pong.
To utilize the knowledge, expertise, and inspiration of several fantastic community partners!  

What will be done with my students

It's NOT mutually exclusive! You CAN be BOTH a musician and an athlete! You CAN train your body and brain for future success while learning, what may become, life long passions!
Mr. Dickie Fleisher, principal harpist for the Naples Philharmonic, AS WELL AS a nationally ranked ping pong player, came to our school last year and presented a fantastic program just about this. His magnificent playing of the harp, followed by an amazing ping pong demonstration, was so inspirational, and so well received by the children, and adults, that I had a dream of taking this concept a step further, and to the next level, by adding ping pong into our Fun Friday physical education curriculum. (I teach music four days a week, and then on Friday, I team teach physical education with our art teacher, Mrs. Mary Hopkins. We call our PE day, "Fun Friday!" The art and music students earn additional participation in special Fun Friday events by following our school motto during their music and art class: "Excellence every day in every way by being a respectful, responsible, role model.")
Mr.Fleisher has graciously agreed to return, and assist with teaching ping pong to the children, and, of course, he will bring his harp as well! Several members of The Naples Table Tennis Club have also expressed their willingness to come and work with our students. Our community is indeed a gift to our learning!
In grades two through five during music class, we learn and practice rhythm, tempo, and beat, through singing many genres of songs, movement and dance, and by playing a variety of instruments. Additionally, we focus on social skills, as without those, it would be impossible to meet with success. As our special "string" connection, we will be playing the ukulele. The brand new CCPS music curriculum has a marvelous ukulele unit that we will supplement and enhance with additional pieces. These musical concepts come into direct play during ping pong. A player's mind must focus and listen to the sound the ball makes on the table to help coordinate their paddle hitting the ball at just the right time. The tempo of the game has a rhythm all its own, and must be matched by each player. Numerous character traits and social skills must be put into use to learn the game, memorize rules, practice skills, and play with others.
What an engaging learning tool this dynamic duo will be!!! Music and ping pong = amazing!






 

Benefits to my students

The benefits of combining music with ping pong are vast. This pairing teaches the essential skills of what a Harvard Business Review says is required of a person who excels in strategic leadership: being resolute and flexible, anticipation with reaction, acceptance of a challenge, interpretation, decision making, and willingness to learn. This is exactly what music, music performance, learning a sport, and competition teaches!
Studies have proven that Music teaches discipline, patience, practice, perseverance, improves memory, provides a sense of achievement, improves coordination, improves math, increases reading comprehension, connects culture and history, improves listening skills, provides an outlet for self expression, and improves social skills.
Ping pong has been shown to improve eye hand coordination, develop mental acuity, improve reflexes, offer a social outlet, make your brain sharp, improve coordination, improve balance, and stimulate the part of the brain that retains long term facts and events. Community members will model these benefits for the children. Their participation will allow our students to witness the benefits of this combination first hand. Ukulele, and other musical performances, and ping pong games, with a goal of competition, will maximize these benefits for years to come. 

Budget Narrative

All from Amazon: Four Ping Pong Tables at $380.99 each, and four Hit Sets at $27.98 each which contain paddles and balls - all with free shipping. The tables have lockable wheels, and fold for easy storage. 

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