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Ga! Ga! Go!!

Thanks to the ADSB Take Tech Van, Gaga Ball has taken off at SJD.
Gaga Ball is a variant of dodgeball that is played in a gaga “pit” -typically a hexagon arena. The game has origins in the Middle East and the Hebrew word Gaga translates to “touch touch”. The game combines dodging, striking, running, and jumping, with the objective of being the last person standing.
The rules are simple – Players must hit the ball at each other with one hand and are eliminated if the ball strikes them on or below the knee. You can only strike the ball once unless it hits another player or strikes the Gaga pit wall. If a player gets hit above the knee play continues. If a player strikes the ball and it leaves the pit the player is out.
At SJD, when they get down to the last 2 players there is a 10-second countdown (sometimes you can hear the kids up at the Lady Dunn Health Centre counting down). During the 10-second countdown, the players can hit the ball multiple times.
As mentioned, the Gaga Ball Pit is typically a Hexagon arena. SJD was fortunate to have the Algoma District School Board Take Tech Van spend a week in October to work with the grade 6-8 students with both individual construction projects and a couple of larger construction projects (park benches and the Gaga Pit).  The Take Tech Van, along with Tech Teacher Jonathan Widgett turned the SJD gym into a workshop for a week. Students learned to measure, saw, hammer, drill, and construct their own serving tray or desktop organizer box. With these learned skills they also helped construct the Gaga Ball Pit and 3 hexagon benches that will surround our trees in the playground. The benches will be revealed later this spring.
So… if you are driving or walking by SJD and wondering what all the cheering and excitement is in the playground during recess -it’s GAGA BALL!
Brenda Stockton
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