Health & Physical Education 

Year 7 swimming and lifesaving

During the lesson last Thursday, the Year 7s were required to swim a certain distance and tread water continuously while fully clothed in the water. This is not only a physical challenge but also allows the students to understand how hard or different it might feel if you fell into the water or had to rescue someone suddenly.

Lifesaving in its broadest context implies the saving of life through the prevention of accidents, personal survival and the rescue of others. The majority of drowning accidents occur inland in places such as rivers, dams and home swimming pools. Qualified lifeguards rarely patrol such places.

This is why our Year 7s have been learning important lifesaving techniques in and around water as part of the Health and Physical Education course. Students have been participating in activities, conversations and scenarios based around safe water practices, survival in the water, self-preservation, recognising an emergency, assessment before and during a rescue, priorities for rescue and simulated rescues.

Year 9 community coaching

On most Wednesdays this term, our Year 9 cohort has been coaching children in the 5s, 6s and 7s class from Arlington.

They recently completed an online course with the Australian Sports Commission in Community Coaching general principles; they studied concepts such as the importance of constructive feedback, effective communication, leadership skills and coaching styles.

This was all put into practice with the Arlington children. The Year 9s had to plan and deliver activities to teach a particular fundamental motor skill to the younger students. Fundamental motor skills are the “building blocks” for more complex and specialised skills that children will need throughout their lives to competently participate in different games, sports and recreational activities. They are skills such as throwing, catching, kicking, jumping or bouncing for example.

It has been a great success, with students across both campuses excited about the sessions. The atmosphere created is positive, fun and connected and we look forward to continuing these sessions between campuses as part of the Health and Physical Education program in years to come.

by Beth Alvarez, Teacher of Health

& Physical Education