Australian Rules Football!
The previous two weeks of this term has us turn from the round ball (basketball and netball) to the oval ball – Aussie Rules Football! Voted one of the popular sports this year from the students, it certainly was two exciting HPE sessions for all of our home groups. Continuing on with the development of our hand-eye-coordination, students were taught the fundamental skills of handballing, marking, kicking and goal-kicking.
Not only are we building on our sports skills, we’ve also been working towards improving our fitness skills this term. At the beginning of each HPE session this term, during weeks 1 and 2, students were encouraged to run at least one lap of the basketball court/north oval without stopping. After building on our fitness levels since the early weeks, students have been running consistently for 3 whole laps! Some have found the fitness building a little challenging whilst most have reflected and seen an improvement in their running distance.
But the most exciting part of our AFL inquiry was the mini team games and challenges. For the younger year levels, there were three challenges each student engaged in: kicking for goal from 15 metres away, handballing race and marking the football at different heights. The senior students participated in a mini round robin competition on the north oval, where they experienced a simple version of the game’s rules as well as the importance of teamwork.
Over the last two days, the students have also engaged in conversations about the importance of checking in with our own health. Obviously, with another lockdown set to begin, it was an opportunity for us to discuss why we must remember to continue to keep active and be kind to ourselves. Many students openly shared the many ways they maintain a healthy mindset during these challenging times which included riding their bikes, visiting the local parks, discovering a fun hobby at home, meditation or playing a simple board game with the family.