Parent Information

Parent Connect Seminar: Personal Development and Health

The New PDHPE Syllabus

While the PDHPE syllabus may contribute to a range of goals that sit beyond its educative purpose, the prime role of PDHPE is to provide:

  • ongoing, developmentally appropriate and explicit learning about health, safety, wellbeing and participation in physical activity
  • learning opportunities to create, practise, apply and evaluate the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes needed to live healthy, safe and active lives.

Health, Wellbeing and Relationships

The strand Health, Wellbeing and Relationships focuses on students developing the knowledge, understanding and skills important for building respectful relationships, enhancing personal strengths and exploring personal identity to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others. Students develop strategies to manage change, challenges, power, abuse, violence and how to protect themselves and others in a range of situations.

Early Stage 1

I Am Special
Our unique qualities and strengths.
How people grow and change, including external body parts and functions.
Identifying parts of the body that are private and what this means.
Having Great Friends
A specific focus on building and maintaining friendships.
Zones of Regulation
A program which focuses on learning to identify emotions in ourselves and others, and also how to regulate our own emotions for better wellbeing and more positive interactions with others.

Stage 1 – Year 1

There’s Only One Me!
Unique qualities and strengths which help us build resilience.
We will learn how people grow and change over time.
Positive Relationships – Getting Along
Building friendships and being a responsible friend.
Building connections.
Zones of Regulation
A program which focuses on learning to identify emotions in ourselves and others, and also how to regulate our own emotions for better wellbeing and more positive interactions with others.

Stage 1 – Year 2

I Am Australian
We are all special and unique.
Our bodies grow and change.
Identify the groups in which we belong.
Explore family heritage.
Value the unique identities of different cultures with a specific focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures.
Respect, rights and responsibilities as Australians.
Getting Along with Others
Building and maintaining friends.
Solving disputes and conflict.
The qualities of great friends.
Maintaining friendships takes work.
Zones of Regulation
A program which focuses on learning to identify emotions in ourselves and others, and also how to regulate our own emotions for better wellbeing and more positive interactions with others.

Stage 2

Character First
What personal qualities can I build in my character so that I can achieve my highest potential?
Students discover the way specific animals exhibit characteristics that are beneficial to our humanity and the way in which we can practice these qualities to achieve our highest potential.
Zones of Regulation
A program which focuses on learning to identify emotions in ourselves and others, and also how to regulate our own emotions for better wellbeing and more positive interactions with others.
Friendly Schools
An anti-bullying initiative recognised as a comprehensive, evidence-based approach that can reduce bullying behaviour.
Rock and Water
Lessons and activities aimed at developing students social skills, confidence, self-reflection and resilience.
The lessons are delivered through physical games and activities where students learn to stand strong, negotiate using “rock” or “water” verbal approaches, walk away from a situation, consider alternatives to aggression, and develop understandings about who they are, their intuitive feelings and their personal direction.
My Growing Self:
How does who I am influence others?
Why are empathy, inclusion and respect important in our relationships?

Healthy, Safe and Active Lifestyles

The strand Healthy, Safe and Active Lifestyles focuses on the interrelationship between health and physical activity concepts. Students develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to empower them to make healthy and safe choices and take action to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of their communities. They engage with a range of health issues and identify strategies to keep them healthy, safe and active.

Early Stage 1

Play it Safe
Being safe at home.
Being safe at school.
School Safety Procedures.
Feeling safe and unsafe.
Identifying their own safety network.
I Am Special
Identify safe and unsafe feelings—our bodies internal warning system.
Safe and Unsafe touch.
Identify people in our safety network who can keep us safe.
Healthy Habits
Positive hygiene practices.
Positive eating habits.
Positive exercise habits.
Positive wellbeing/importance of rest, relaxation and sleep.
Being sun safe and environmentally safe.
Being Safe in Our Community
Road safety.
Water Safety.

Stage 1 – Year 1

Positive Relationships – Getting Along
Safe and unsafe strangers in our community.
Safe and unsafe feelings in relationships.
Our right to feel safe.
Strategies for keeping safe, including our safety network.
Keeping My Body Healthy
Bucket filling and kindness keeps my body healthy.
Healthy foods keep my body healthy.
Keeping clean keeps my body healthy.
Safety around medicine and drug use in keeping our body healthy.
Wearing Safety Equipment keeps me safe and healthy.
Watch Your Step
Personal Safety.
Home and rural safety.
School and play safety.
Being sun safe.
Look, Listen & Think—being safe on our roads as a pedestrian, passenger and bike rider.
Water Safety.

Stage 1 – Year 2

Keeping Myself Healthy
I have a responsibility for my own safety.
The decision-making process, peer and media influence.
Making healthy food decisions.
Making healthy medicine and drug use decisions.
Identifying the health services available to us.
Safety First
Safe and unsafe choices.
Responding to our bodies warnings if feeling unsafe.
Travelling safety on road and on bicycles. Specific bicycle education focus.
Seeking help in emergencies.

Stage 2

Daily Decisions
How do our choices impact situations and the people around us?
The decision-making process.
Considering choices.
Safety First
How can I contribute to promoting healthy, safe and active communities?
What do I need to know to keep myself safe online?
How do we make safe choices and apply them to safe living?
Responding to our bodies warnings if feeling unsafe.
Travelling safety on road and on bikes.
Emergency Situations.

Movement Skill and Performance

The strand Movement Skill and Performance focuses on active participation in a broad range of movement contexts to develop movement skill and enhance performance. Students develop confidence and competence to engage in physical activity. They develop an understanding of movement concepts and the features of movement composition as they engage in a variety of planned and improvised movement experiences. Students create and compose movement to achieve specific purposes and performance goals. Through movement experiences, students also develop self-management and interpersonal skills to support them to strive for enhanced performance and participation in a lifetime of physical activity.

Stage 1

Fundamental Movement Skills
Students focus on developing fundamental locomotor movements.
Students also learn to follow simple rules and signals to be safe as they play.
Sensory Motor Program
A program which focuses on balance, core stability, body strengthening, and midline crossing activities.
Ball Skills Program/Playing the Game
Explicit teaching of ball skills with minor games included so they can develop skills of transferring skills into games and also develop cooperative skills through teamwork. In Year 2, these progress into modified games.
Little Athletics Program:
Students develop skills in track and field.
Performing Arts Hour
Students explore different ways and levels of moving through both the dance and drama components of this program.

Stage 2

Physical Education
Fundamental movement skills.
Athletics.
Modified games and sports using equipment.
Rhythmic Gymnastics.
Dance.
Performing Arts Hour
Students explore different ways and levels of moving through both the dance and drama components of this program.

Stage 3

Rock and Water

Each participant of the Rock and Water program undergoes a journey of self-awareness as they learn about responding to life with either a “rock” or a “water” attitude. The use of symbolism is central to the success of the Rock and Water program and the reason why young people are drawn to the it.  The program is an excellent tool to support young people in finding their grounding, learning how to centre oneself and learning how to self manage in social settings. Topics covered in the program include intuition, body language, mental strength, empathic feeling, positive feeling, positive thinking and positive visualizing.

Year 5

Term 1 – Cybersafety

This is a Google digital citizenship online program.  To make the most of the Internet, kids need to be prepared to make smart decisions. Be Internet Awesome teaches kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety so they can explore the online world with confidence.

Term 1 – Relationship Skills

Unit on general safety and moves on to building positive relationship skills focusing on anti-bullying from Friendly Schools, Friendly Classroom. The National Day of Action Against Bullying occurs during this unit.

Term 2/3/4 – Peer Support Program

The Primary School Peer Support Program seeks to increase connections across the school through vertical groupings. This allows students to form relationships as well as develop empathy and a sense of responsibility for students which they might not typically engage with. While working within these structured groups, older students lead younger students through activities that explore social and emotional skills focusing on optimism, resilience, values, relationships and anti-bullying.

Term 2 – Zones of Regulation

A whole school initiative which focuses on learning to identify emotions in ourselves and others, and also how to regulate our own emotions for better wellbeing and more positive interactions with others.

Term 2 – Safe Living/Safety First

This unit looks at giving students the skills and knowledge to know how to be safe in everyday situations and also the steps to take in an emergency. It also includes the Friendly Schools Key concept area of Social Awareness.

Term 3 – Considered Choices

This unit teaches students the skills to make thought-out choices relating to a variety of situations. This unit also involves the Friendly Schools key concepts of Relationship Skills and Social Decision making.

Term 4 – Physical Changes

This was very briefly addressed for the girls before 2019 camp. Includes changes at puberty. Taught separately. Each gender to watch a video and use a question box.

Boys’ focus
Physical Changes – always changing about you (Boys only). E.g. hair, size, odour, girls, hormones, sleep, wet dreams.

Girls’ focus
Physical Changes – always changing about you (Girls only). E.g. hair, menstruation, weight, diet, breasts.

Year 6

Kinder Buddies

The SCAS buddy program is a regular collaboration between Year 6 and Kindergarten classes and is designed and structured to:

  • assist with the transition into kindergarten
  • contribute to a friendly and caring school culture
  • provide positive role models
  • develop positive cross-age relationships
  • promote inclusion
  • build self-confidence
  • develop responsibility
  • provide opportunities for peer tutoring
  • develop social skills
  • discourage bullying
  • develop problem-solving skills.

Term 1 – Digital Citizenship

This mini unit is an introduction to the BYOT program at St Columba. Students will be able to connect their devices to the SCAS network, have a basic understanding and skills to use Google Apps for Education and their behaviour online.

Term 1 – Emergency Procedures

This unit has been designed to develop the students’ ability to act in ways that will keep themselves and others safe. Students will be given the opportunity to analyse various situations and investigate ways of acting in these situations to deal with emergencies. Practical sessions will allow the students the opportunity to practice first aid and use these skills in role-play situations. More theoretically based sessions will involve the students identifying and analysing hazardous situations and formulating strategies to protect themselves and others.

Term 2 – Identity, Me a Work in Progress

Boys will explore what it is to be a man in today’s world. The expectations, stereotypes and their relationships and interactions with females.  Likewise, girls will explore what it is to be a woman in today’s world. The expectations, stereotypes and their relationships and interactions with males.

Term 3 – Social Decision Making

This unit is based on the Friendly Schools, Friendly Classrooms resource. Social decision-making skills help us to consider the consequences of our actions for ourselves and others and make thoughtful effective decisions. This involves:

  • understanding how a social situation makes us feel
  • considering the different choices we have and the positive and negative consequences of each of these choices when making a decision
  • making positive choices, while considering how these choices may affect ourselves and others.

Term 4 – Social and Emotional Learning

This Friendly Schools, Friendly Classrooms unit focuses more on the emotional and social side of relationships rather than the anatomical.  It is also possible to use community resources such as Interrelate and Community Health representatives from these to assist in the delivery of the unit.

Year 7 to 10 PDHPE

2019 and Beyond

2019
Compulsory implementation of the new NSW PDHPE Syllabus in Year 7 and Year 9

2020
Compulsory implementation of the new NSW PDHPE Syllabus in Kindergarten-Year 10

Rationale

  • develops knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes important for students to protect and enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing in varied and changing contexts
  • physical education enables students to participate in a range of physical activities – confidently, competently and creatively
  • develop self-management, interpersonal and movement skills to help them become empowered, self-confident and socially responsible citizens.

Content is organised in three strands:

  • Health, Wellbeing and Relationships
  • Movement Skill and Performance
  • Healthy, Safe and Active Lifestyles.

Year 7 and 8

Health, Wellbeing and RelationshipsThe impact of physical, social, and emotional changes during puberty and adolescence
Accessing and assessing health information
Skills and strategies that can be used to manage change and challenges
Respectful relationships
Consent, conflict resolution, power in relationships
Safe online behaviour
Bullying
Movement, Skill and PerformancePractise and refine fundamental movement skills
Range of experiences – e.g. rhythmic and expressive movement, individual/group/team activities, aquatics
Provide feedback about the quality of movement of self and others
Solving movement challenges
Modifying rules and scoring systems to allow for fair pair, safety and participation
Healthy, Safe and Active LifestylesDescribe health and its dynamic nature
Assume responsibilities for their own road safety as a pedestrian or passenger
Develop plans to keep themselves and others safe when at parties, chatting online, travelling alone, unwanted sexual behaviour, feeling depressed.
Stress management
Healthy food

Year 9 and 10

Health, Wellbeing and RelationshipsSelf management skills required to manage change and transition, eg moving out of home, completing a tax return, obtaining a Medicare card.
Demonstrate skills required to apply for work
Respond or protect themselves and others from unsafe abusive or violent situations
Consent, ground rules and boundaries in relationships
Movement, Skill and PerformanceCreate new rules, strategies and tactics to improve movement
Include, assist and lead others during physical activity
Fair play and ethical behaviour
Self-assessment and peer assessment
Healthy, Safe and Active LifestylesResponses to scenarios where peers are encouraging them to behave in unhealthy or unsafe ways eg, drug use, sexual behaviours, sexting, offensive online materials
First aid
Safe driving behaviours
Contraception
Nutrition and physical activity
Influences on sexuality
Critically analyse and critique media messages

Sensitive content taught in PDHPE

Drug use, parties, online behaviours, road safety, sexuality and sexual behaviours etc.

Traditionally these topics have been taught in isolation. The new syllabus very much encourages teaching these risks through scenarios that may feature more than one, as this prepares students for the real world. We provide students with the information (through a strength-based approach) that they require to make informed, healthy lifelong decisions.

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