Co-Curricular Book 2023 (Rotation 2)

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Developing character and promoting civic responsibility, kindness and thoughtfulness

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( R o t a t i o n 2 )

Dear Student,

This booklet includes all of the options that you can undertake for the second rotation of the Co-Curricular. The dates for this Rotation are outlined below.

Activities in this edition of the Co-Curricular Booklet fit into three categories:

1. Activities that have been designed to enable the same students to continue with them from ‘Rotation 1’ to ‘Rotation 2.

2. Another grouping of activities have been designed to welcome a completely new cohort of students and will not be available for students who took part in them in Rotation 1.

3. Finally, certain activities will accept applications from students who participated in them during Rotation 1 but if over-subscribed will give priority to new students.

Please look out for the Key on page 4 & 5.

SS: Same Students

NSO: New Students Only

N&O: New Students and Old Students

For members of Year 12, Rotation 2 will present them with opportunities to engage in new activities. However, we would like students to assume leadership roles within Groups. These types of experiences look excellent on UCAS applications and can be used to support Officer Applications in the summer Term. If a Year 12 student would like to assist in leading an activity, they should contact Mr Goodwin directly on Teams or at d.goodwin@bishopveseys.bham.sch.uk

Please note the following activities will continue as part of established extra-curricular Programme.

The link to the ‘Options Page’, can be found on the last page of this booklet. Once again, you are required to make 4 option choices. You will also be asked to complete a very short survey based on your participation in Rotation 1 of the Co-Curricular provision.

It is important that students understand that certain activities will be over-subscribed and therefore it is impossible to allocate everyone their first choices.

For example the School has four Tennis courts, so can only accommodate a maximum of 16 students in the Tennis Club.

The deadline for applications is 7pm on Monday 23rd January.

Students who don’t meet this deadline will be automatically allocated to a new activity. Allocations will be published by Monday 6th February.

Students will not be able to change an option after the 9th February and Sixth Formers will not be permitted to discontinue with the EPQ after this date.

Co- Curricular Option 2 Session Dates. All session stake place on Week 2 Thursday’s between 3.15pm and 4.15pm.

Session 1 9th February 2023

Session 2 2nd March 2023

Session 3 16th March 2023

Session 4 27th April 2023

Session 5

11th May 2023 (Year 12 on UCAS Exams)

Session 6  25th May 2023

Session 7  15th June 2023

Session 8  6th July 2023

Politics and Economics

Gardening and Botany Club The Environment Society

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• • • NSO N&O NSO

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Young Investigators Astrophysics Club

Science

Sport and Wellness

Wellbeing Group

SS: Same Students NSO: New Students Only N&O: New Students and Old Students

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• • • • • • • •

NSO NSO NSO NSO

NSO NSO NSO N&O

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

N&O NSO N&O NSO N&O NSO NSO N&O

Clay Club

7

Culture Club

7 8 9

Catalan for Beginners

9 10 L6

ART

Further, your ceramic knowledge and skills make and glaze your work!

• Use evidence from contextual sources; images and artist to develop your own ceramic sculptures.

• Develop technical skills of ceramic building to construct your chosen form.

Activity 1- Personalised clay hanging. Learning new clay processes and glaze your work.

Activity 2 - Make a 3-D form; Autumn term is a clay pumpkin, Spring term is a Valentine's rose.

Culture Club will look at areas such as high art and literature; film and music; fashion and luxury products; travel and cars; gaming and their narratives; even cuisine, and how it can be can be considered in a critical, yet appreciative, manner. The objective is to develop our tastes of the arts and culture around us. Culture Club will improve our knowledge with an aim to make our minds more distinguished and refined.

CLASSICS AND MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Catalan is a Romance language which evolved from Latin, just as Spanish, French, Italian, Romanian and Portuguese, to name a few.

It is spoken by around 10 million people, mainly in Spain, but also in Andorra, where it’s the only official language, and in a city called Alghero in the island of Sardinia, Italy. If you like languages, Catalan is a unique one to learn, and if you have studied other Latin languages it will be relatively easy to learn! Through these sessions you can learn all about Catalan culture too, from art, history, football, music, traditions and festivals etc.

Latin - An Introduction

If you are considering applying to study languages/Spanish at University, learning Catalan will be a great advantage to you. As part of your year abroad you may go to Catalonia, or you may choose to work there at some point. In this case you will have to deal with Catalan on a daily basis. Lecturers will speak Catalan and jobs may not hire you if you do not speak it. Not only that, but Catalans will be very happy to see you trying to speak their mother tongue instead of Spanish! The sessions will start from beginners, learning the basics and slowly building up through the skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing. We will use a textbook/online course to supplement many of the language activities, but we will also learn about Catalan culture and how it relates to or is different to the rest of Spain.

7 8 9

Our Introduction to Latin short course will introduce you to the basic principles of Classical Latin. It provides a firm basis of pronunciation, grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary of the language. This will equip you with the basic skills to translate Latin into English. Alongside a basic vocabulary, you will learn how Classical Latin can help you better understand the English language and other romance languages such as Italian, French and Spanish.

10 L6

Maybe you plan on travelling to Italy and want to have a basic chat with the locals or order food? Perhaps you have studied Spanish and/or French and want to see how you get on with another Romance language? Perhaps you plan on doing Italian at University or maybe you simply wish to add another skill to your CV/UCAS application? Whatever your reason-this introductory course will give you a grasp of the basics of the Italian language with a focus on conversational skills rather than in-depth grammar but it will also serve as a starting point for you to further your own studies if you so wish. You will be able to hold simple conversations, understand common vocabulary that is used in social and public situations and get a basic understanding of how to manipulate language to serve your personal needs.

Media Club 7 8 9 10 L6

In our globalised world languages are essential for improving communication and international understanding. Learning a modern language is about far more than vocabulary and grammar – pupils need to hear it spoken in real-life situations and be exposed to the culture. In this club we will watch and study a series of films that have cultural significance. Please note that this is not a film club! You will be expected to complete work around the background of the film as well as dive into significant parts into more detail.

Italian for Beginners

MFL

Inspiring Minds

9 10 L6

Community Choir

7 8 9 10 L6

COMMUNITY AND OUTREACH

Do you want to empower young people, increase your knowledge on various medical and psychological topics, become a confident presenter, and be involved in supporting your local community and localities wider?

Joining this outreach project will see you achieve all of the above and much more. A variety of topics linked to the body both physically and mentally will be researched and put together by you and your team, to form effective and inspiring lessons, which will then be delivered by you to local primary and/or secondary schools. For example, researching about the condition SEPSIS, making a lesson based on your findings and then delivering this content to a group of young people will be one of the tasks set. This will not only increase your knowledge on important conditions but will also help support young people in our community.

Accredited courses will be obtained if commitment to the programme is shown e.g. possibility of being a first aid trainer. Lessons that are missed due to involvement in the programme must be caught up on otherwise your place will be given to someone else.

The Community Choir is an opportunity for all year groups to come together and sing, both within school and in the wider community. They will have opportunities to grow their vocal skills and improve their technique, learn to collaborate better whilst learning from and supporting not only their peers in other year groups, but also leadership skills from helping in performances and choral workshops with junior school children.

In the Spring, the choir will splinter into small groups in order to prepare for an Inter-house Singing Competition, each house working on a song with support from Mr Hazell and Senior Choir members; and to end the year, we will work on material for a Summer Choral Concert.

The Community Choir will have involvement from the pre-existing Junior and Senior Choirs, and will be a wonderful opportunity to develop the choral department of the school. Repertoire will include tradition classical choral music, more modern numbers from popular culture and musical theatre, and even some a cappella arrangements that we develop ourselves.

Coding, Competitions and Challenges

7 8 9 10

Debating Society

8 9 10 L6

DIGITAL

This is a competitive programming club appropriate for strong Python coders in years 7-10. Pupils will be using their advanced Python skills, such as nested while loops to solve programming challenges for the Perse Coding Team Challenge and the HackerRank website. Participation in these activities helps prepare future Computer Science applicants for their university studies and career, reinforcing their GCSE Computer Science learning and strengthening personal statements and CVs by demonstrating coding competence and active engagement with Computer Science's programming element.

In preparation for the Perse Competition taking place around January 2023, pupils will practise their coding skills using past questions. Week-by-week, they will work in pairs on producing innovative, higher-quality solutions even when under difficulty and time constraints, thus developing resilience, problem-solving skills and the ability to collaborate creatively and assess theirs and their peers' code. Winning teams are rewarded with a certificate and their names will be inscribed on Perse School’s Braben Cup.

Following the competition, pupils will create a HackerRank profile where they can complete coding challenges on a weekly basis outside of a competition. HackerRank's programming questions are directly inspired from software developer job interviews and completing them places pupils on an international leaderboard. Thus, pupils' programming confidence is not merely built on a personal level, but on a professional level.

Academic Competition: persecoding.net/

DEBATING

In this society, you will develop your public speaking skills and ability to construct logical arguments You will have the opportunity to represent BVGS in local and national competitions In our regular meetings, we will debate a variety of contemporary issues including: governmental policies, questions of morality and ethics, and even conspiracy theories It is a great way to develop your knowledge of current events, and also improve your confidence.

F1 in Schools

10 L6

The F1 in schools challenge sees teams from schools across the world competing to be the best.

Teams are made up of groups of 6 pupils who design, engineer, race and market their racing team. Pupils will engage in a range of activities including looking for sponsorship and marketing their team, engineering a car to a detailed list of technical requirements, Project management, graphical design and will also need to write a business plan and pitch their team to a panel of judges in regional qualifications, which if successful can see them competing in national or even international competition.

Academic Competition: F1 in Schools ENGLISH Creative Writing Club

Creative writing club will offer students the chance to let their imaginations run free and develop their descriptive and narrative writing skills. With a number of exciting writing competitions such as Connell Guides Short Story Competition, BBC 500 words plus many more, this club will provide students with the opportunity to enter a range of competitions and showcase their creativity.

Academic Competitions: Connell Guides Short Story Competition & BBC 500 words

EPQ

FOOD

Practical cooking skill for year 12 pupils, this is an opportunity to learn some essential cooking skills, learn to cook a range of dishes both sweet and savoury so that you can feed yourself when the time comes!

The dishes will give you transferable cooking skills, which will enable you to cook a wide range of meals; a skill which we know will lead to a healthier lifestyle and will save you lots of money.

HISTORY

Do you want to explore the past beyond what you've learned in History lessons? We've added lots of diverse History to lessons in the last few years, but there's a lot more we don't have time to cover. Maybe you want to find out more about precolonial Africa and Asia? About the Maroon societies that formerly enslaved people created all over the Americas having escaped from slavery? Or Indian Independence and Partition? Oscar Wilde and Alan Turing and the discrimination and prejudice they faced? Maybe Ghanaian or Nigerian independence movements, or the History of Apartheid in South Africa? The Haitian Revolution? The Song Dynasty in China? More about Black Tudors? Or how women like Catherine the Great, Eleanor Aquitaine or Marie Curie rose above sexism and misogyny to achieve such great things. This is your chance to explore the events, people and places that have been marginalised from History, and to share your passion with others. This will help develop your independent research skills, improve ability to communicate your ideas and research to others, challenge stereotypes and reveal hidden stories from the past, while demonstrating your passion for History.

This will also be your chance to plan and take part in organising Black History Month and LGBTQ+ History Month events in schoolassemblies, form activities, competitions, food stalls etc. Academic Competition There will also be a chance to enter the Historical Association's 'Write your own Historical Fiction' Competition

Junior Problem Solving 7 8

Strategic Planning Society

8* 9* 10 L6

*Year 8 and 9 students in top set Maths will also be able to participate

Pre University Admission Test

L6

MATHS

The Junior Problem Solving Club is a chance for students to really explore mathematical problems in detail and the different ways in which they can be approached. It will encourage mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems. This is a club designed for enthusiastic year 7s and 8s.

This club will help students to be able to achieve high on the Junior Maths Challenge run by the UKMT (https://www.ukmt.org.uk/jmc) into which all students in years 7 and 8 are entered. The difference will be that students who come to this club will be more prepared and then potentially go on to achieve an amazing score in the Mathematical Olympiad which is taken by the top 1200 mathematicians in years 7 and 8 in the UK.

Academic Competition UKMT Maths Challenge

Strategic planning exercises provide an opportunity for students to test their ability to apply mathematical knowledge to real world scenarios. One session you might be lost in the Alps having to decide whether to take a helicopter to base camp 1 to rescue a climber with a broken leg or to hike up to the summit to help a climber with altitude sickness. The next session you will be testing your ability to carry out accurate speed, distance, time, calculations to ensure you drive a bus of tourists on a safari to safety before nightfall. For each scenario, you will work as a team to come up with the best solution and present your decision the following week. The scenarios presented are taken straight from the British Army Officer Selection process and will help build teamwork, presentation skills, and logical thinking.

Are you thinking of applying to Oxbridge or another university for a subject that requires you to take MAT, STEP or TMUA? If so, then come along to these problem solving sessions and improve your skills for tackling these types of problems.

PLANTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT Gardening and Botany Club

7 8 9 10

Students will have the opportunity to: - Learn how to grow their own food - Appreciate the importance of plants in society - Apply key concepts from GCSE Biology - Investigate the optimum growing conditions for agricultural and horticultural plants

Do you have a passion for the environment? Are you committed to making positive contributions to school life? Do you have an interest in sustainability? If the answer is ‘Yes,’ then we want you to come and join the Environment Society!

The Environment Society

8 9 10 L6

Our fundamental aim is to raise awareness of sustainability and environmental issues within the Vesey community, as well as reduce environmental impact both in and out of school.

As a member of the Environment Society, you will have the opportunity to discuss and implement strategies and initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of our lives both in and out of school. As a team, we will be aiming for our projects to contribute to BVGS achieving environmental recognition such as Eco-Schools Green Flag Accreditation.

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS

Politics Society

10 L6

If you've ever seen politics in the news and wondered what on earth was going on, then this society will make you a political pro. We will cover everything from how laws are made in Parliament to where a Prime Minister claims their power from, and from who the different parties are to why some ideas succeed and others fail. You will also get an understanding as to how each and every person can participate in political activity. We will look at different ideologies and interpretations of the world, and using resources such as the Politics Project and the Political Association we can apply for opportunities to meet and interact with politicians themselves. If you want to know how the world works, and how our country is run and what you can do to participate, and if you feel passionately about an issue and what to make an impact then this is the society for you!

Stock Market Challenge

7 8 9 10 11 L6

The Stock Market Challenge is designed for teams of students to compete against each other in the world of share dealing and investing. Students will needs and develop skills in teamwork, verbal presenting, research and decision-making.

- Teams will research possible investment opportunities using real sources of information and invest a virtual £100,000 in their preferred options. Options could be individual company shares, funds, bonds or cash.

- Teams will present their research findings into possible investments and work to convince their team colleagues that their investment ideas are the best for their team.

- Teams will have to make regular decisions about their investment portfolios, tracking their investments and work to reduce losses and maximise their profits.

- The winning team will be the one that has made the most profit (or fewest losses!) over the duration of the challenge which will last the whole academic year.

This option will be divided into two Groups (One for Key Stage 3 and one for Key Stages 4 & 5)

Academic Competition Internal Competition or Student Investor Challenge

Economics Society

9 10 L6

This student led Society will explore a multitude of different viewpoints on contemporary global issues. Debating will be a key component of this offer. Economic current affairs will be explored in an engaging and accessible manner for all students. Students who are studying or want to study A-Level Economics and beyond are encouraged to attend. It is a great opportunity, for participants, to look at topics from others’ points of view, whilst also building their own confidence.

Quiz Society

7 8 9 10 11 L6

Brainteaser Challenge

7 8 9 10 L6

QUIZZING AND STRATEGY

Quizzing is great fun. The BVGS Quiz Society exists to stimulate an interest in general knowledge and quizzing of all types. We intend to instil a friendly but competitive environment for students, from across the School, where they can share their love of quizzing by competing in Inter-society quizzes and events with other Schools

General knowledge is something that really helps us to grow both on personal as well as academic level. It stretches way beyond knowing the answers to trivia questions and quizzes. Being up-to-date on current affairs and basic knowledge in a variety of subjects and can make you a more sociable and successful person. Being part of a Quiz Team provides you with a range of inter-personal skills, which will be applicable to a variety of professional and social situations; including the art of negotiation, collaboration and most significantly encourages wider reading and research in topics that fall beyond the confines of the School Curriculum.

Students will have the opportunity to design and host quizzes as part of the ‘BVGS House Competition’. We also intend to host quizzes for local Primary Schools. All of these events will be planned and managed by the ‘BVGS Quiz Society’. The Society will also provide students with an opportunity to work collaboratively with students from other Year Groups

Competitions

The BVGS Quiz Society will enter Teams in the Junior and Senior Schools Challenge. This is national general knowledge competition for Schools in the United Kingdom. It uses the same quiz bowl rules as University Challenge. Schools Challenge is divided into Senior and Junior competitions.The School also enters a Sixth Form Team in the annual ‘Lord Mayors Mega Quiz’, hosted at the University of Birmingham.

Based on MENSA questions, students work in year groups/house groups and work through series of questions The results will contribute towards the House System, and also awards the students/groups merits. Opportunity to challenge students with logical and reasoning questions that they can work on collaboratively or independently which will build their resilience and determination

Sudoku Club

7 8 9

This opportunity is for students who already know how to play Sudoku or those who are interested to learn how. Students will not only just solve puzzles but also be introduced to other variations of Sudoku thus developing their problem solving skills. Students will also share and discuss different methods to attempt to solve the puzzles allowing time for both individual puzzle solving as well as collaborating and sharing their thought processes with others.

Chess is undoubtedly the world’s greatest game. Chess is proven to improve cognitive skills such as concentration, pattern recognition, decision-making, algebraic and geometric thinking, problem solving, spatial reasoning and critical thinking. It also increases your attention span and your memory capacity.

Chess Club

7 8 9 10 L6

Bishop Vesey’s Chess Club is open to players of all abilities. Whether you are an absolute beginner or an experienced player, you will be very welcome. We will provide opportunities for you to enjoy the game however you want to. We will be entering and running competitions for those who want to participate but there will be many friendlies too.

“The beauty of chess is it can be whatever you want it to be. It transcends language, age, race, religion, politics, gender, and socioeconomic background. Whatever your circumstances, anyone can enjoy a good fight to the death over the chess board.” GM Simon Williams Competitions: both inter and intra School.

SCIENCE

A great opportunity for students to develop their investigation skills in an interesting way. Things that we may look into are

1) Reducing energy bills

2) Double glazing – is it worth it?

3) How much does it cost to boil a kettle?

Young Investigators

7

4) The schools energy consumption and ideas for conserving energy and saving money

5) Investigating bridge strength

6) Survival in extreme cold

7) Investigating air pressure and the huge forces it can exert, These are just a few of the many things we could investigate. Your Ideas would be very welcome and maybe we could give them a go! Hopefully you will find our activities very enjoyable and at the same time you will become expert at investigation terminology and methods which will support you in your studies at school.

Astrophysics Club

9 10 L6

We will explore parts of astronomy and astrophysics beyond what you study in the curriculum at school. This is particularly ideal for prospective or current A-level Physics students (Y10-Y12). This will include using modern digital simulations, visits/talks in conjunction with Birmingham University, lab-based experiments (we will use telescopes weather/light permitting), and some research.

Academic Competition: The club will also prepare students to enter the Junior/Senior British Astronomy Olympiad competitions - a competition in which the school has had national success recently.

Scientific Investigations

9 10

Are you interested in carrying out scientific investigations to acquire evidence to explain the world we live in? How do we know which fruits contain most vitamin C? How can we use rhubarb to explore the rate of a chemical reaction? What scientific knowledge do we need to make a sports injury cold packs and instant hot drinks? This activity will give you the opportunity to plan and carry out investigations to answer these questions. You will be using the scientific method, acquiring knowledge that has characterised the development of science since at least the 17th century. You will carry out research, construct a hypothesis, test the hypothesis through experiments, analyse your experimental data and finally draw conclusions from your work. These are vital skills for anyone considering a future in scientific research.

Chemistry Olympiad and Cambridge Chemistry Challenge

L6

This a unique opportunity for students in Year 12 to push themselves further and excel in the chemistry field. Budding chemists will develop critical problem-solving skills, learn to think more creatively and get a chance to test their knowledge in new, real-world situations.

SPORT AND WELLNESS

Wellbeing Group

Learn about mental health and how you can manage anxiety and stress; learn how to feel good about yourself and undertake some mindfulness activities you can take with you through life. These will include the following but it is not an exhaustive list: how to stop overthinking, simple cognitive behaviour techniques and relaxation exercises.

Running Club

7 8 9 10 L6

Have you played all the “usual” sports but found they don’t suit your eye? Do you enjoy physical activity and challenge? Why not give golf a go!

We are offering the first stage of learning the game of golf, Tri-Golf. Tri-Golf is a fun and energetic version of golf that is perfect for young aspiring golfers as they hit targets with their first golf shots. Tri-Golf is a genuinely inclusive sport as it suits players of all abilities; but it is particularly great starting point for those new to the game. In the sessions you will learn the fundamentals of golf. How to swing a club, how to putt whilst at the same time playing a series of fun practice games both as individuals and in teams. If you have never played golf before but are curious to give it a try, this is perfect for you! Who knows, this could be your first steps into becoming a Tour professional?

The course will cover warming up, healthy eating, suitable kit, personal aims and objectives and safety talk. Initial fitness will be assessed on site (hill sprints, bleep test, etc.) to support realistic aims and objectives. Subsequently, the main activity will be based about a run in Sutton Park with two routes of differing length to support runners of varying ability. Our aim will be to encourage increased participation in the Great Midlands Fun Run in June 2023.

Tennis Club

7 8 9 10

Tennis club will be an opportunity for students who have some (but not necessarily lots of) experience of playing tennis. It is for any students in KS3 (Year 7, 8 and 9) and potentially KS4 (Year 10 & 11) depending on numbers. It will allow for an opportunity to play some doubles tennis and also some other games/training on the tennis courts that develop the skills required to play the game. The school can provide racquets and balls but if you have your own equipment, you are welcome to bring it. We will try to keep numbers to a maximum of 16 per session to ensure that everybody can be involved for the full hour. If you are a fan of tennis and want to play with and against your peers to improve your skills and technique this may well be the club for you. It can supplement any tennis sessions that you have in Games lessons in School.

Vesey Fit Camp

L6

This option allows you to participate in a boot camp tailored to improving your fitness, or just for those who want to have some fun and get moving. We will be incorporating basic movements, and as the course progresses you will be introduced to a range of exercises: adding some equipment to help boost your confidence and overall fitness levels. Don’t worry you can work to your current levels and I will tailor the weeks to your individual needs as and when it is needed. Come and get involved and get your fitness kick ticked off for the week, and help to improve not only your physical health, but boost your overall energy levels, and have some fun with your peers.

Boxercise

8 9 10 L6

Boxercise is a popular fitness trend based on the training concepts boxers typically use to kip fit. This option is run by two members of Staff who have backgrounds in personal training and MMA. There is no body contact so do not be alarmed, instead you will train with a variety of boxing moves and techniques that will provide a calorie burning workout suitable for all abilities. Besides the fact that boxing is a great form of cardio, there are many other benefits too. Boxercise, workouts are also great for improving motor skills, balance, reaction time, and overall agility as you engage hand eye co-ordination in both hands.

Basketball Club

9 10

This new sporting Club is available to students in Years 9 & 10. This Club is only open to students who don't currently represent the School in one of its Sports Teams. We would like to give more students the opportunity to represent BVGS in Team Sports. The 'Basketball Club' will aim to develop key skills including Dribbling, Shooting, Defence, Rebounding and Passing.

Yoga Society

7 8 9 10 L6

You have a unique opportunity to join the One Breath One Movement Programme. If you are looking for positive and fun activities that will help you focus, inspire self-discipline, have better relationships with your friends, perform better at school and sport, and become more positive every day - these sessions are for you. The sessions will be scaled to your abilities. It is a multidimensional yoga-based programme to learn how to manage stress and reduce its negative impact on your mental and physical health. Through physical exercises and postures, breathing, relaxation, and meditation techniques you can develop self-regulatory skills known to correlate with improved academic and sport performance. The yoga sessions offer an innovative approach that includes a series of in class tutorials and talks as well as online resources which you can access at home in your spare time.