Physical Education

SSIS PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT

Physical activity and a healthy lifestyle are of great importance for everyone, regardless of age, development and ability.  For school children, they are of even greater importance, and have a significant impact on their physical, mental and social development. Any school which advocates that it is concerned with the 'complete' education of its’ students must therefore have a comprehensive and well-implemented Physical Education program.

All students will leave our school having experienced a diverse range of physical activities and learning styles.  They will be competent performers in a range of individual, group and team activities and possess the relevant language skills for these activities.  They will also understand the rules and etiquette of these activities in order to be able to participate effectively throughout their lives, modeling good sporting behavior. Each student will realize the importance of health and fitness as a life skill and be able to design and implement a body maintenance program.  At the end of Grade 11 they will leave our program with an interest, capability and desire to continue being physically active throughout their lives.

The old adage 'healthy body, healthy mind' is now accepted by all, for besides the obvious benefits of exercise for good all-round physical development and health, it is acknowledged that exercise and physical activities also complement mental exertion and benefit intellectual development, and can help promote and nurture positive character and personality traits that are often not touched on in classroom situations.

AIMS

• To provide students with a broad and balanced range of physical and sporting activities in lessons.
• To promote an interest in physical and sporting activities, developing the aptitudes and abilities of each student, which will lead to participation and involvement in physical activities out of school and in later life.
• To develop the physical abilities and aptitudes, cardio-vascular fitness, flexibility and strength of each student through active participation in a full range of activities.
• To teach an understanding of the human body, how it works and how it is affected by exercise and lifestyle, the importance of physical fitness and healthy living, and to give each student the knowledge to be able to live a healthy lifestyle.
• To promote a basic understanding of the rules and regulations of each activity, and to nurture the principles of fair play, honesty and responsibility.
• To teach the importance of safe practices in all sporting activities, and to develop safety awareness.
• To increase self-awareness and to encourage a positive self-image and develop a positive and caring personal moral code and value system.
• To foster social development and the ability of students to co-operate: to help, encourage and learn from each other; to develop positive relationships, understanding that each individual is different and has unique qualities.
• To encourage independent and interdependent critical and creative thinking and to improve problem-solving skills, so developing the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions based on acquired knowledge.
• To provide all students with equal opportunities, yet to enable elite performers to have the opportunity for further development.

Goals of the Physical Education Program

Physical Education involves students in the continuous process of planning, performing and evaluating in all activities throughout their time at school.

In Physical Education and Health lessons, students should be taught to:

• be physically active in a broad and balanced range of different activities;
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding mainly through physical actions rather than verbal explanations, yet still be aware of the terminology relevant to activities undertaken and the effects of the exercise on the body;
• engage in activities that involve the whole body, maintain flexibility and develop strength and endurance.

In order to become independent learners, students should able to:

• solve for themselves problems that they encounter during the course of their physical activities;
• evaluate and modify their progress throughout their acquisition of each new skill;
• consolidate skills through experimentation, practice and repetition.

In order to develop positive attitudes students should be encouraged to:

• observe the conventions of fair play, honest competition for fun and good sporting behavior;
• understand and cope with a variety of outcomes, including both success and failure;
• be aware of the effects and consequences of their actions on themselves, other students and the environment;
• appreciate their strengths and be aware of the weaknesses of both themselves and others in relation to different activities or situations;
• be sympathetic and supportive to others weaknesses, and cooperate to overcome these weaknesses.

To ensure safe practice students should be taught to:

• be concerned with their own and others’ safety in all activities undertaken;
• adopt good posture and the correct use of the body at all times in lifting, carrying and placing equipment   safely;
• understand the importance of warming-up for, and recovery from, exercise, thus reducing the possibility of injury;
• respond readily to instructions and signals within established routines and follow relevant rules and codes of behavior;
• understand and observe the rules of good hygiene;
• understand why particular clothing, footwear and protection are worn for different activities;
• understand the safety risks of wearing inappropriate clothing, footwear and jewelry.