HEALTH & PE NEWS

The Jubilee Centre and school yard  has been full of buzz and excitement from the get go this year.  We have welcomed with open arms the new Year 7 cohort and they, along with many of the MacKillop community, are making the most of the activities available to them at recess and lunchtime. We enjoy seeing the students actively engaged at lunchtime, getting their heart rates up, blood flowing and releasing endorphins going into the next lesson.

The PE/Health faculty have welcomed Casey Frame, who has joined the team from St Bernards in Melbourne. A born and bred Swan Hill girl Casey, has slotted right back into the Mallee community.  

​​Health education encompasses social, mental, physical and social health. It motivates students to improve and maintain their health, prevent disease and reduce risky behaviours.

Have you asked your child what they are currently discussing and learning in their Health classes ? 

This week we hear from Charlie Bettinelli. Charlie chose Peer Support as an elective for Year 10. Read all about her experience to date in Peer Support.

PEER SUPPORT

The Peer Support program provides kids with the opportunity to build connections with students across the school grounds. This term so far in Peer Support we have been learning all about relationships with other people. 

In Peer Support you get the chance to work as a team, and work with the Year 7 students for five of your lessons. In Peer Support  you get to build connections with teachers by working closely with them and learning what to do. It is also a good way to help, teach and support the people around us. Personally I really love Peer Support because I really enjoy working with younger people andhelping others as best as I can. It's also really good for me to learn to be a leader for my future dream jobs. I think doing this subject may help some people if they plan on working with kids in the future as a career. 

The class is all about trying to build connections with people and create support for the people around us. This class provides a lot of fun stuff for both staff and students to enjoy. But on top of that it also provides a bit of theory work, reflecting on our lessons.  Peer Support is also about respecting ourselves and others and working part as a team as best you can. It's also just really about having fun and enjoying time. It's not hard to have fun when you have a good teacher like Mr Hickmott. 

In Peer Support we are currently working with the Year 7s to build relationships and help them transition into their new school. One lesson we have a theory lesson which is where we organise our lesson with the Year 7s. In that lesson we organise who is leading what and then decide what games we might like to play with them. 

The other lesson we go outside for 30 minutes and play games with the Year 7s in our group.

A couple of games that my team have played with the Year 7s are things such as: 

• Whipped cream and cheese balls on face - so for that we put whipped cream on their faces or hands and then throw cheese balls at them.
• We played a M&M’s game. For that game I wrote down questions for each coloured M&M. I passed around a cup and everyone picked out one M&M and then answered the question depending on what colour they chose. I feel like that was a really good game to be able to get to know the Year 7s a bit better.
• Another game we did was Dead Fish because the Year 7s had been asking to do that for a while. I think that entertained them a bit. 
• Then we did a 1 minute game of Bobs and Statues. 

I personally love Peer Support, especially the lessons we work with the Year 7, because they are good fun and most of them are great listeners. I love the fact that us leaders can join in and have fun with our group members as well.