Cypress Magazine 2022

T H E I M PAC T O F A PAC The dust and din of power tools already seem a distant memory. Construction of our Athletics and Performing Arts Centre took place throughout the height of the pandemic, yet the incredible facility opened nearly on time and on budget.

Since December 2021, students and community groups have been enjoying the impressive Championship and Upper Gyms, a well-equipped fitness centre, dance studio, and team rooms.

“This facility rivals those of many colleges and universities,” says Claude Leduc, Director of Athletics & PHE. “We have four regulation-sized basketball courts and can run eight volleyball or 18 badminton games at once. Plus, students can still be upstairs in the dance studio or working out. The spaces definitely support our goal of engaging the maximum number of students as possible in any form or level of physical activity.”

Claude explains that while student-athletes are keen to be in the facility (even seeking out supervision outside usual hours), all are benefiting. “Students who are not usually involved in athletics are also gravitating towards the space. We’re seeing more and more students using the open gym time at recess and lunch and feedback is that the fitness centre is accessible and welcoming. There are so few opportunities these days for free, unstructured play - to make up games and set the rules - and there is so much learning in those experiences; students build leadership and interpersonal skills simply by doing.”

Younger students are also getting incredible benefit from the new spaces and teaching expertise, most notably in the dance studio. “We used to include some dance in PHE for our Early Years and Junior School students, but now we’ve quadrupled the offering with more continuous classes over the span of months,” explains Zsu Zsu Straub, PYP Athletics Coordinator and PHE Teacher.

Some of the other APAC spaces are geared more towards Upper School students, but for PYP students the knock-on effect has meant that the Wallster Gym is now a dedicated space.

“We can accommodate all of our Early Years and Junior School classes now in the gym and our students see this space as theirs,” says Zsu Zsu. “From the posters on the walls to the equipment in the gym, it is a very inviting place. With such a wide age-range of students at various stages of development, our teaching team needs specialised resources and it is wonderful that the school can provide these opportunities.”

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