Sport, P.E. and Healthy Lifestyle

INTRODUCTION

Holy Family Catholic Primary School values a strong sport and physical education policy. This forms part of our overall goal to develop the whole child. It supports student well-being. We value physical activity, participation, skill development and a healthy lifestyle which can be founded in the sport program.

REFLECTION

“Sport provides students with opportunities to use their
God-given physical gifts.”

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“Sport is an integral part of an individual’s development,
requiring physical involvement in organised games or
activities within an accepted set of rules”.

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AIM

The aim of sport and physical education at Holy Family School is to promote:

pleasurable involvement in physical activity;
cognitive, aesthetic, expressive, physical and social development;
development of attitudes, skills and knowledge;
fitness, health and well-being;
positive attitudes and good ‘sportsmanship’.

AN OVERVIEW OF SPORT

Holy Family School believes:

Sport and physical education are a valued and accepted part of a school’s curriculum because they contribute to the development of the whole child. They provide opportunities for a number of social, physical and emotional learnings and they are an important expression of our culture.
Sport is part of the PD/Health/PE Key Learning Area at Holy Family School. It is regarded as an integral part of the school’s total curriculum.
Participation, enjoyment and skill development of all students are essential features of school sport.
Sport provides opportunities for students to gain confidence and to develop a variety of skills for participation in lifelong recreation and sporting activities.
Sport, including the competitive element, is potentially valuable as a medium for social and psychological development - i.e. development of such positive traits as co-operation, ability to persist in the pursuit of long-term goals, respect for others, self-esteem and self-discipline, leadership attributes and ability to handle success and failure.
The benefits of school sport are best realised when the sport is well organised and supervised.

COMPETITION AND SPORT

Holy Family Catholic Primary School believes:

Wholesome competition emphasises participation rather than winning or losing. Students should be satisfied with having competed to the best of their ability and spectator behaviour should reflect this emphasis.
Competition provides stimulation and challenge as well as an opportunity to apply, test and further develop skills in a game situation.
Sport must provide and develop positive attitudes above mere competition.
Participation and enjoyment must be the intrinsic goals of competition in sport. We value the opportunity to reward students for participation and enjoyment.
Competition at representative and elite levels provides for students with special talents or interests.

ORGANISATION

Holy Family Catholic Primary School believes:

All students need to be taught basic skills in well-structured practices and lead-up games before playing modified or traditional forms of the sport.
Activities and games should be varied as necessary to promote the principles of participation, enjoyment and equality of opportunity and to allow for the changing interest of students.
Safety must be considered at all times.
Where necessary, the rules, venues, equipment and competition requirements of a particular sport should be modified to meet the growth and development stages of the students taking part.
As far as resources permit, the pattern of organisation should promote maximum participation and enable students to learn a wide range of skills and rules, experience a variety of sports and be taught by the most appropriate teacher.
Representative opportunities are important for students with special talent or interests.
PE lessons with a focus on skill development, team play and co-operation are important.
Annual swimming, cross country and athletics form part of our overall sports program.

APPROVED SPORT ACTIVITIES

Activities considered appropriate for school sport at Holy Family School include individual and team sports and may include some recreational pursuits.
Students should be offered a sequential program of organised activities, games and sport, related to their stages of development.
The school’s sport/PE activities incorporates the “Aussie Sports” program. (A project of the Australian Sports Commission) Aussie Sports included in the school’s program may include: Athletics, Aussie Rules, Gym Fun, Kanga Cricket, Minkey Hockey, Mini Basketball, Mini League, Soccer, Swimming, Volleyball, Newcombe Ball, Netta, Netball, Tee Ball, Touch, Walla Rugby, Cross Country, Korfball, Jump Rope.
The school’s program also incorporates dance as an important activity.

REPRESENTATIVE SPORT PROGRAM

Holy Family Catholic Primary School values involvement in the NSW CPS Polding Sports Council Program. Through this Program opportunities exist for students and staff in various roles. The Polding Program includes:

Annual swimming selection trials.
Annual athletics selection trials.
Annual cross country selection trials.
Annual winter sports selection trials.
Annual summer selection trials.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT

The school’s sport/PE program has a priority with skill development.
The skill development priority aims to provide students with:
- access to a variety of sporting experiences
- equality in sporting experiences
- quality of sporting experiences
- sequential physical skill development; and
- flexibility of skill usage.
The school’s sport skill development program aims to contain the following elements:
- fundamental movement patterns
- locomotion
- non locomotion
- manipulative
- physical skills e.g. throw, catch, hit, kick a ball
- minor games
- modified games
- traditional games
The skills program aims to enable students to make use of a variety of equipment and to have an understanding of the competitive aspects of the sports being taught.
For students to participate effectively in sport, they need to develop basic skills commensurate with positive attitudes for the promotion of lifelong participation.
A number of modifications to playing conditions are made in order to cater for the skill levels and the various stages of development of students.
As the students mature and their skills improve, it is expected that smoother transition to the traditional form of the game can be made if the modifications have been carefully developed.
The program should also provide students with the opportunity to develop specific skills of particular sports to a higher performance level.

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Holy Family School values an active sports program. We strive to engage all students K-6 in sport as it can assist physical development and promote a healthy lifestyle.