THE IMPACT OF APAC

OF APAC

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 accomodate 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.”

STUDENT SOUNDBITES: WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF THE APAC? “ ”

“Seeing the ocean while you’re on the treadmill is motivating!”

– SARA SUNDERJI, G10

“I’m a big basketball person so having nice gym floors is a dream. The amount of space is great because lots of kids can practice at once.”

– RILEY ARMSTRONG, G7

PROVINCIAL SUCCESSES

VARSITY BOYS SOCCER

NORTH SHORE CHAMPIONS AA BC PROVINCIALS - 9TH PLACE

VARSITY BOYS CROSS COUNTRY AA BC PROVINCIALS - 6TH PLACE

VARSITY GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

AA BC PROVINCIALS - 5TH PLACE

SWIMMING

AA BC PROVINCIALS - BOYS: 400M FREESTYLE RELAY - 4TH, 50M FREESTYLE - 10TH, 50M BUTTERFLY - 12TH; GIRLS 200M MEDLEY RELAY - 16TH

VARSITY GIRLS BASKETBALL

NORTH SHORE CHAMPIONS VS2S ZONE CHAMPIONS AA BC PROVINCIALS - 2ND PLACE

VARSITY BOYS RUGBY 7S

AA BC PROVINCIALS - 16TH PLACE

VARSITY TRACK AND FIELD

AA BC PROVINCIALS - JR BOYS: 4X400M - 11TH, 400M - 18TH, 500M STEEPLECHASE - 27TH; SR BOYS: 800M - 18TH, 1500M - 23RD

VARSITY TENNIS

AA BC PROVINCIALS - QUALIFIED

NORTH SHORE ALL-STARS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: EVA RUSE - BASKETBALL 1ST TEAM MIA RUSE - VOLLEYBALL EVA RUSE - VOLLEYBALL RYAN CHEAH - SOCCER BRENDAN YU - SOCCER ABTIN ZEHTAB - SOCCER KAIDEN TALIB - BASKETBALL AVA WILSON - BASKETBALL JENNA TALIB - BASKETBALL

2ND TEAM JAKE TAKEUCHI - SOCCER ZIYAN HEMANI - SOCCER HUNTER STEFANI-THOMPSON - BASKETBALL ABTIN ZEHTAB - BASKETBALL LUCY XU - BASKETBALL

3RD TEAM ALI TALIB - BASKETBALL

SPRING ALL-STARS TO BE ANNOUNCED

PROVINCIAL ALL-STARS

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: EVA RUSE - BASKETBALL

1ST TEAM AVA WILSON - BASKETBALL LUCY XU - BASKETBALL