Health and Physical Education

HEALTH & PHYSICAL EDUCATION

This year, despite weeks of online learning, the Health and Physical Education (HPE) Faculty continued to provide a rigorous, relevant and interesting curriculum to our Core Years 7 to 9 HPE classes, Years 9 and 10 Electives and VCE Classes. With lockdown fatigue impacting us all and mental health issues increasing in Australians of all age groups, the HPE Faculty again implemented an online physical activity program within the Years 7 to 10 curriculums. Students participated in a Dance Unit in Term 1, choreographing their own routines and performing to the class. New units were developed within the curriculum, incorporating regular physical activity opportunities, including the ‘5 Options: Your Choice’ Program, where students had the choice of participating in one or more of the five different activity categories, such as the Energy Burner and ‘Time for Me’. The ‘Strava Art’ Challenge, allowed students to create a visual design on a digital map by physically running, walking or riding around their ‘design’ route. Within the Nutrition Unit, students applied their knowledge to complete the ‘Lockdown Dinner’ task. They were asked to reflect on significant gatherings, regular traditions or meals from their family heritage or culture, and select a meal that had special meaning to cook for their family. Ingredients had to be analysed to reflect their understanding of the six key nutrient groups, with photographic evidence of their ‘cooking experience’ included. In Year 12 PE, as part of Units 3 and 4 course work, students took part in physiological testing. State of the art Sports Science technology was used in VO2 Max Testing, a test to exhaustion measuring maximum volume of oxygen used by the working muscles. Anaerobic capacity was also tested using the Wingate Test, a 30 second all-out explosive sprint effort. The Year 10 Health and Physical Education elective investigated some of the different types of common sports injuries that occur. Some ‘creative’ bandaging and injury management were delivered to patients. Other Units of Work were game sense approaches in the team sport of Soccer and the effects of exercise on the musculoskeletal, respiratory and circulatory system. Additionally, students enjoyed their involvement in an introduction to the three energy systems that deliver fuel to our working muscles. Students in the Advanced Health and Physical Education elective in Year 9 explored the effects of exercise on the major body systems, such as the cardio-respiratory systems.

Ms Debra Thompson

Head of Health & Physical Education