At the end of 2015, Head of Department, Scott Bayne left Logan Park for a Head of Physical Education job in Australia. He left the Department in capable hands, with myself in the Acting Head of Department role, James Govan and Kelly Wilkinson returning part time.

After a tough start for the Department staff, who had an “office” in the Fitness room and a long Term 1, the new entrance way and changing rooms were finished and  looked fantastic! We are all very proud of this, as it welcomes all students and outside guests to our fabulous and thriving Department.

The start of 2016 was “all go!” with the first School Activity for the year, School Athletics Day! The PE Department alongside Francine Vella (Head of Sport) and all Logan Park staff ran an extremely successful day! In Term 1, during Physical Education classes, all year levels were competing in the Athletics New Zealand 5-Star Award down at the Caledonian. They were working towards improving their performance through setting goals, practice and other strategies. This helped to prepare them for the school Athletics day as well as the Otago champs and Nationals.

New changes were incorporated into both the Health and Physical Education curriculum over the course of the year for all levels. We found these highly engaged students and really allowed for a diverse range of activities and opportunities for all students.

Year 9 students participated in a variety of activities over the year, with the highlights being visits from Football South, Handball Otago and Basketball Otago. Students were exposed to a large number of new activities, including Softcross.

In Term 3, Year 10 students participated in various methods of training, where they were given an opportunity to develop knowledge around fitness and how their body responds to exercise. During the Paralypmics students were involved in their own Adapted Sports Unit, where they got to play games including Boccia, sitting volleyball and goal ball. Throughout Term 4 students have been able to try various hitting and striking activities with the help of coaches from Hockey Otago and Volleyball NZ.

All Year 11 PE classes had coaches from Otago Handball in to run a couple of sessions a week on skill development and game play in Handball. This was a new initiative I implemented in Term 2. In 2017 a performance rubric will be written to assess students on this as well. During this term, students developed an understanding of the game of handball and were able to relate what they experienced in this to Anatomical, Biomechanical and physiological understanding. During Term 2, they also had a field trip to the Anatomy Museum at Otago University which is a rare opportunity for students to immerse themselves in this environment and develop an increased awareness of the human body and how it functions.

Mrs Frost’s Year 11 PE class welcomed Kendo instructors from Otago Kendo club into their class for exposure to a new form of physical activity. Students enjoyed the experience and are excited for the Logan Park Kendo Club to commence in Term 1, 2017. This class also had an opportunity to try Kickboxing. Students enjoyed the new challenges and developed an understanding of their bodies. This along with other numerous activities throughout 2016 allowed students to participate in a range of activities and explore what effects their own participation levels in physical activity.

Year 12 PE students went on their annual Snowboarding trip to Ohau and coaching at North East Valley Normal School. These opportunities allowed students to understand the process of Education Outside The Classroom, risk management as well as an awesome few days away in the snow! They also were provided with numerous experiences to develop their leadership skills with not only their peers, but also with Junior PE classes and primary school students.

Year 13 students were given a lot of choice around activities they participated in during the course of the year. After Athletics they went and played Zorb soccer which was loads of fun and a real workout for students. They spent the majority of Term 2 working towards a fitness goal of their choice looking at strategies they could apply to achieve them over a 6 week time period. They also were given an opportunity to get coached by Shane Carvell from NZ Football and ACC who ran them through a certificate in Warming Up.

This year, the Department started a Senior Coaching Course during a study period. This provided opportunities for students to discuss leadership, coaching, develop an understanding of what coaching involved. Mike from Sport Otago supported this Coaching Course through his own involvement in coaching and taking students through a module called “Know your Athlete”.

2017 sees Mr James Govan on leave from the Health and Physical Education Department for a year while he travels the globe on his OE - Overseas Experience! We wish him well, and will see him back in 2018!

We also look forward to implementing more Outdoor Education experiences for students in all year levels.