Health & Physical Education

Mr Rod Rainer Head of Health & Physical Education

As the year draws to a close we can turn our attention forward to the construction of the new gymnasium in 2015. It will be located on the site currently occupied by the outdoor basketball/tennis courts. The Health & Physical Education staff have been actively involved in the design phase of the building.

Some of the features will include two basketball courts, three volleyball courts and eight badminton courts. Also, a climbing wall is an added feature which will greatly complement our Outdoor Education program.

A new set of outdoor courts will be built on the area adjacent to the rowing shed to ensure that outdoor recreation areas are not diminished. With the re-development of Mann Oval the facilities will be fantastic and, visually, it will be a major attraction for the College.

These developments should lead to an increased availability of facilities for our boys from Years 4-12. Current research supports the notion that children who are physically active are more inclined to learn as a result of being more attentive and so therefore achieve more whilst they are at school.

We are most grateful to the leadership of Trinity College for involving us in this consultation process. Coupled with the very professional and dedicated approach of our staff we can look forward to an exciting phase in the life of Trinity College.

Physical Education in Years 7-10

The Physical Education program is designed to complement the Sports program at the College. Students are able to immerse themselves in activities which enhance the opportunity to develop excellence under the guidance of teachers with expertise in those sports.

Studies have shown that this develops self–esteem and translates to more effective learning within the classroom. Boys especially benefit from having a very physical, visual and tactile learning environment.

The Sport Education unit, conducted during Terms 2 and 3 in Years 7, 8 and 9, encourages collaborative learning and the development of interpersonal skills. In this unit the students conduct their own season and as well as participating, they take on roles such as administration, officiating and coaching. These life skills of assertive behaviour, leadership and cooperation translate into other aspects of their life. Congratulations to the following boys as recipients of awards:

Year7 Physical Education Nicholas McDonald (7.7)

Year 8 Physical Education Timothy Ludovico (8.3)

Year 9 Physical Education Jamie Bonner (9.3)

Fitness and Health Education

These units are an extension of the normal Physical Education program. Boys taking part in these units gain a greater understanding of fitness training principles and methods. They are exposed to a greater range of training methods designed to assist the aspiring athlete or those who just want to develop a healthier approach to life.

They also complement material covered in Year 9 Health in relation to fitness profiling. These units provide a working knowledge and practical experiences for the various Physical Education courses offered in Years 11 and 12.

Aquatics

Middle School Aquatics is an elective designed to introduce the students to life around the water. The Year 8 unit is broken into four areas:

1. Stroke technique – a firm grounding in swimming skills is fundamental to aquatics. The unit introduces butterfly and refines the skills of the other competitive strokes.

Water polo – the boys are given an understanding of water polo tactical skills as an extension of

Physical Education. 2. Life saving – the boys are given a strong foundation in life saving skills. 3. Coaching and management – the students analyse and correct each other’s stroke technique as a basis for the teaching of others in Year 9 Aquatics.

Year 9 Aquatics extends the knowledge of the boys in stroke technique and life saving, culminating in a bronze medallion exam. During 2014, a record number of eleven Year 9 students completed their bronze medallion award. Congratulations to Michael Nicoli (9.7), Matthew Ameduri (9.1), Callum Lauriston (9.4), Nicholas Abrahams (9.1), Ben McGuire (9.5), Samuel Moffatt (9.3), Jamie Bonner (9.3), James Michelon (9.3), William Starkie (9.3), Harrison Griffiths (9.1) and Nicholas Ellison (9.3) for achieving the award. The boys are also given an introduction into the teaching and management of others via a big buddy program that had them instructing swimming to the Year 4 students. Finally, the boys undertook an aquatic recreation component, integrating the running and supervision of various aquatic sports.

Health Education

The Year 7 Health program follows a rationale aimed at the students developing self-confidence and growing in mind and body. Throughout the eight week course, students were informed of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle as well as key issues related to bullying, resilience and forming positive relationships. Students thrived on contributing to class discussions focused on the adolescent changes encompassing the five dimensions of health – physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual.

Our Year 9 Health curriculum encourages our students to critically examine modern health issues and formulate strategies to combat their impact. Students investigate various lifestyle diseases and are educated in modern dietary and exercise practices which should arm them to confront the all too common complications associated with a sedentary adult life.

An important component of the personal development and well–being program in Year 10 is the Keys for Life pre-driver education program.

The Keys for Life program explores different aspects of road safety for all road users and is aimed at deterring young drivers from being involved in risk-taking behaviours. Issues such as speeding, not wearing seat belts and the use of mobile phones whilst driving are discussed.

Young people, especially males aged 17 to 24 years, are over represented in motor vehicle accidents. It is important that we all work together in an effort to reduce road deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

Trinity College was honoured at the awards ceremony, conducted by the School Drug Education and Road Aware authority, for its continuous delivery of this very important program and commitment to the safety of young Western Australians.

Physical Education in Years 11 and 12

The performance of Trinity College students in the 2013 WACE Physical Education Studies examination was again of the highest order. The Year 12 cohort scored an impressive 12% above the state average for their mean-scaled score which is a magnificent achievement. Almost seventy per cent of students from the group of 65 achieved a high or excellent rating (scaled score above 65%), demonstrating that Trinity College continues to be a leader in this subject.

A special thank you goes to Mr Brendan Chapman, Mr David Hankin, Mr Andrew Jenkin, Mr Stephen Leahy (‘78) and Mr Peter Oliver for their ongoing efforts in preparing the students for their final WACE examinations.

Physical Education Studies continues to remain a very popular choice for our Year 11 and Year 12 students with up to half the cohort studying the subject in each respective year group. Whilst the practical requirements have changed in recent times, in particular the removal of artistic gymnastics, athletics, equestrian, golf, softball, squash and swimming from the list of selected sports, highlights

Mr Leahy congratulated Brayden Keizer (’14) on achieving a Course Exhibition in Physical Education Studies. This award is presented to the top eligible student obtaining the highest combined mark in a WACE Course

Aquatics practice

Pre-service Teacher Program

Pre-service teachers perform an important function at Trinity College. They assist with the training of our sports teams as well as providing a source of up-to-date teaching methods currently being learned at institutions such as Edith Cowan University, Notre Dame University and the University of Western Australia.

“Completing my practicum at Trinity College was a thoroughly rewarding and enjoyable experience. I found myself incredibly lucky to observe and learn from the entire Physical Education department that showed the highest levels of professionalism, organisation and passion. Not only did this experience increase my knowledge of teaching, it has given me the confidence that this is a career I will enjoy for many years to come and that I can strive to be as passionate and professional as all the staff I have encountered at Trinity College. Highlights from my experience included coaching the Year 8A football team, Christian Service Teacher Day and the Year 8 social.” Jake Perer (Notre Dame University)

These young teachers provide valuable assistance through the teaching program as well as by assisting with the coaching of our sporting teams. Trinity is fortunate in that we have attracted some excellent young teachers who have made a significant contribution to the education of our boys.

Our students demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills as well as displaying a high level of skill development. I publicly acknowledge the efforts of the Health & Physical Education staff in making a significant contribution to the education of our students to ensure that they live up to the College mantra of Men for Others.

Mr Rod Rainer Head of Health & Physical Education

Practice in the Gym

of the course continue to be the practical volleyball sessions in Year 11. Coupled with this the ability of students to practically apply biomechanical, physiological and psychological concepts to their own PSA sporting endeavours ensures a greater level of understanding of key content areas.

With the huge success of the course over the past six years, as a department, we are delighted to see a growing number of students exploring the health and fitness sector at a tertiary level. Through the development of physiological, psychological, and biomechanical principles, students have learnt to apply these to analyse and improve personal and group performances in physical activities. Furthermore, it has contributed to the development of students’ physical, social and emotional growth, providing students with the necessary skills to make healthy lifestyle choices.