Health and Physical Education

This year’s Year 12 Leadership camp was one of the highlights of the year. We were very lucky to be able to go on a camp with six Year 12 classes to have a leadership experience at one of Auckland’s gems—Motutapu Island. We had an action-packed four days of outdoor education experiences where students interacted with the local environment in an active and challenging manner. The key point of this was for students to share their leadership experiences in an authentic environment and have lots of fun on the way. There were a series of both land and water-based activities which included waka ama, sailing, flying Kiwi, confidence courses, and an overnight camp. This was a great experience for students and staff which got our year off to a very positive start.

Congratulations to the 15 students awarded Health and Physical Education (HPE) Scholarships in 2020. These students are in the top 3% of all Level 3 Health and Physical Education students in New Zealand. A special mention must go to Ashley Huddart (Year 11), Cameron Senior (Year 12), and Genevieve Kuan (Year 13) who were awarded three out of the 12 outstanding scholarships for 2020.

The success of previous recipients has been a catalyst for generating interest from a wide variety of students in this year’s programme. In 2021, we have increased in size, with our cluster group having an additional 30 students in the 13PSS scholarship programme, all of whom are passionate about exploring societal issues that impact wellbeing.

The 2021 Scholarship Programme got underway early in Term2, students participated in eight weekly interactive tutorials centred around gaining further HPE knowledge and applying critical thinking skills to challenge perspectives on relevant issues in society.

Throughout Term 3, students refined their Scholarship topic and began the research process. Unfortunately, a large part of this process occurred during the lockdown period and required a lot of self-motivation and dedication. Utilising their mentor teacher for personalised feedback and guidance during this stage has been instrumental in supporting students to produce a report that aligns with the marking criteria.

Well done to all 2021 Health and Physical Education Scholarship candidates for your tireless commitment to the programme.

Term 1 saw a focus on the Knowledge Rich Curriculum. This new approach saw the Junior Physical Education programme be implemented over both Years 9 and 10 so to allow the knowledge to be imbedded over a two year period. By the end of Year 10, students had a sound understanding of being a Rangitoto mover, game sense, biophysical components (both theory and practical), and principles and methods of training that were tested. Students took part in a programme that emphasised class collaboration, aerobic conditioning, physical testing, and team and group leadership. During the extensive lockdown period in Term 3, Year 9 and 10 students completed activities focusing on interval training, continuous training, creating activities in their environment and logging the activity that they completed. Many online tools were used to deliver the curriculum: Jamboard, Socrative, Google Classroom/Meet/Breakout rooms and Online Activity to name a few. Lockdown gave the students and teachers the opportunity to learn how to deliver a practical subject online. At the start of Term 4 after an extended period of lockdown as well as keeping with the theme of class collaboration, the emphasis was on getting the students active. This allowed for a “Return to College” activity programme that saw an extensive variety of sports, activities, modified and newly constructed games to be offered to students to participate in. There was an excellent response from students with exceptional participation rates, personal and collective enjoyment, and a sense of competitive spirit.

Junior Health follows a knowledge rich curriculum where students have enjoyed learning about hauora, resilience, nutrition, sexuality education, and alcohol and drug education. These topics underpin the key concepts of Health which extend into all facets of life. Lockdown has presented challenges for students in the sense of a change in routine and we have adapted our curriculum to check with students and encourage them to focus on positive well-being.

During Term 1, students evaluated different methods of treating mental health disorders. The students participated in guided yoga, Pilates, meditation, mindfulness, and boot camp at the Millennium Institute of Sport and Health. They investigated complementary and alternative medicine practices and reported how these practices supported general well-being and positive mental health. In Term 2, students debated a current ethical issue in relation to well-being. Perspectives were analysed and arguments presented with consideration of the legal position, cultural norms, human rights, social justice, and equity. Later in the year, students explored global issues relating to poverty that impact health and wellbeing.

Year 12 Students this year explored change situations. By recognising steps and strategies resilient individuals use, they gained an appreciation of how to continue working through tough times. Learning about support systems at a community and nationwide level enabled students to access individual support and educate others who may need this assistance.

Sexuality and gender are two topics that are controversial throughout the world. By exploring deeply embedded cultural norms and policies, students were able to understand the factors influencing individuals to accept or reject societal norms. Recognising the importance of interpersonal skills in influencing unsafe working and school environments enabled students to analyse when and where people may encounter conflict. Interacting and engaging with the school and local community to enhance well-being was a focus for Term 2. Students took social actions which included addressing student self-image, the health impact of stress, and the importance of strategies to address mental health. Throughout the year, all content encouraged students to look at global health issues and the role these play in developing our culture and encouraging social justice. We are extremely proud of students’ efforts, ranging from volunteering with the Salvation Army, through to organising their own food drives and setting up support programmes for students within the school.

In Year 11, students worked on maintaining and managing changes to enhance relationships. They practised interpersonal skills by having assertive conversations and demonstrating effective listening skills. Students went rock climbing at the AUT Millennium Institute to practically apply these interpersonal skills by trusting their partners through blindfolded rock climbing. Students have also investigated the effects of change on well-being, with a particular focus on the Christchurch earthquakes. The end of year examination has a focus on drugs and alcohol, personal well-being, and decision making.

We are immensely proud of all our students with how well they have coped during what has been a very challenging year. It is obvious they have applied Health curriculum strategies to help themselves and others in this unprecedented time.