Personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) is mandatory from Kindergarten to Year 10.
According to the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), students are expected to participate in PDHPE for between 1.5 and 2.5 hours per week in Kindergarten to Year 6.
PDHPE provides students with opportunities to explore issues that are likely to impact on the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others – now and in the future. Students also participate in challenging and enjoyable physical activity, improving their capacity to move with skill and confidence.
There is no shortage of research outlining the positive impact of daily exercise on student wellbeing and learning. As part of a healthy daily school routine, fitness sessions are held the first 15 minutes of every day (except Wednesday due to SRE/SEE) and students are able to participate regardless of uniform.
School sport
Apart from being good for students’ health, it is believed that school sport stimulates academic achievement. Kindergarten to Year 2 classes usually have sport on Tuesday. The activities are designed to develop fundamental movement skills. Minor games skills are also taught.
For Years 3-6 weekly sport usually takes place on Fridays. The program includes skills, modified and minor games, and major games in accordance with the personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) curriculum. Some of these activities may vary from year to year according to the special expertise of staff, and the facilities and equipment available to the school.
Each year during Term 3 we participate in interschool Primary School Sports Association (PSSA) sport in netball and league tag with a number of local schools.
In addition to weekly sport lessons, we conduct annual carnivals in swimming (Term 1), cross country (Term 2), and athletics (Term 3). Kindergarten to Year 2 attend the athletics and cross country carnivals. From these carnivals, students may qualify to represent the school at PSSA, zone, regional and state level. The school also provides opportunities for talented students to try out for various zone and regional team sports and enters selected NSW PSSA state knockout competitions and gala days.
From time to time, sporting bodies send their development officers to Galston Public School to conduct coaching or skills clinics with the students.
