You do not have to delve too far into educational research archives to read articles that express concerns with the decrease of physical activity of children in the U.S. But does it really make a difference? Absolutely. Research continues to highlight the overwhelming impact being active has on physical and mental health, concentration, leadership and communication skills and fostering a lifetime of healthy habits.
A new academic year provides us with the platform to introduce some exciting new movement initiatives, as well as building on practices that are already embedded. Both Ms. Gordon and I have clear ambitions that underpin every P.E. session that we teach; engagement, enjoyment and the acquisition of skills that can be applied to a multitude of activities.
Already a resounding success is our #movementcorridor located on the 4th floor. If you haven’t seen it yet, I fully expect to see you all hopping, jumping and tree-posing soon (I will have my camera ready). We have formed new Games partnerships which include; Goldfish Swim Center, Chicago Fire Soccer, Lil Sluggers, Windy City Ninjas and 3 Point Coaching. Classroom teachers have all participated in classroom and playground movement sessions, which encourage movement and activity in the classroom. For the first time, every class, from Nursery to Year 6, have timetabled physical education sessions too.
As the school year continues, we will continue to update our community with all things physical via our Twitter account @athletlicsBISCLP which is due to launch at the start of next week. View our Twitter page here.
We continue to feed off the positive atmosphere and energy that is emanating across the school as we continue to build a love of movement, sport and healthy competition this year! We wish you all an active fall term, and remember, physical activity is anything that gets you moving from walking the dog, to scaling a 20ft rock climbing wall!
-Adam Webb, Director of Athletics