Daily Sitka Sentinel

Mr. Joe’s Ninja Cat Keeps Kids Hopping

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer

When the coronavirus pandemic shut down in-person schooling across the state in March, Baranof Elementary Physical Education teacher Joe Montagna got creative.

Having spent years as a musician, Montagna, or “Mr. Joe” to his young students, made his video lessons on Microsoft Teams into performances, complete with music and lots of interaction.

Mr. Joe Montagna leads an exercise class on his deck this morning. A laptop balanced on a barbecue grill connects the Baranof Elementary School gym teacher with his students. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

“It’s part of being a performer... I was a professional musician my entire life before I came to Sitka and I still am here,” he said in an interview. “I did the Queen show and the Pink Floyd show,” he said, referring to the sold-out rock concert re-enactments at the Sitka Performing Arts Center.

Though he regrets being separated from his kindergarten and first grade students, Montagna said he makes an effort to stay positive.

“I never harp on what we cannot do. I always harp on what we can do, and what we should do,” he said.

Having said that, he noted that his students are missing out on T-ball as well as other team sports, presenting challenges in his online teaching.

All of the exercises Montagna leads his students through are done individually and performed at home. Most of the exercises involve body weight calisthenics and cardio, from simple pushups and situps to running in place and jumping jacks.

“It’s really hard to do a team sport from their bedroom... The biggest challenge is the team sport experience they’re missing out on right now – the social aspect of recess, because I’m the recess leader at school,” he said.

Montagna even invented an exercise he calls the “Ninja Cat,” a combination of karate chops and high leg kicks.

First grade teacher Jeff Hole recounted the first time his students did the Ninja Cat.

“At first I was a little skeptical, but Joe is in it to win it,” Hole said. “And one day I needed something to do with my kids in the morning and I said ‘Joe, do you have something you can do with them?’ And he came in with this thing called Ninja Cat. They got big smiles when they got up there, and they were having a blast doing the Ninja Cat thing Joe invented.”

Baranof Elementary School Principal Jill Lecrone said, “Mr. Joe, our PE teacher, has a charismatic personality in the first place. When we were in school he has very strong relationships with his students .... He wanted to make PE accessible to all of his kids, he didn’t want to make them feel overwhelmed.”

“Mr. Joe has given them activities that they can do in their living room… His PE classes are very popular,” Lecrone said.

Montagna added that another challenge is ensuring that children complete the exercises.

“Being able to make sure that they’re exercising when they shut the computers off, it’s hard to motivate a five-year-old to look at their planner ... I try to promote 30 minutes (of exercise) a day,” he said.

Hole agreed that the transition to online learning presented a new set of challenges.

“All of us teachers are trying to put the kids first and figure out what’s best for our students, though these are strange and uncharted waters. We’re doing our best to keep our children in the forefront,” Hole said.

Montagna said he greatly prefers face-to-face teaching. Online teaching “feels like it’s inadequate,” he said, “because I’m definitely more of an in-person teacher.”

Lecrone said she also misses being able to see her students in person.

“Not seeing all of our kids in person has been the hardest thing for all of us, and trying to figure out how to provide quality education during this shutdown,” she said.

Montagna added that this new style of teaching is also exhausting.

“My eyes are exhausted at the end of every day, my brain hurts from staring at a screen,” he said. He does all of the exercises he assigns in his classes, which can be strenuous when classes occur back-to-back.

“I’m getting five times the workout because I’m moving the entire time, live on the screen,” he said.

But with the school year ending next week, Joe Montagna had one more request for his students.

“Mr. Joe wants to remind everyone to exercise and be active all summer long!” he said.