Sport & Physical Education at Fernside School Years 5 – 8





PE & Health (including Education out of the Classroom)
1. Physical Education & Health is part of the regular day-to-day class programmes for Students in Years 0 – 8. 
To be prepared for PE the students are asked to bring their swimming gear and to change for PE. They are required to change back into their uniform during the morning break so please remember to put that in if they come to School in their PE shirt.

Events are in Year Groups as of 2018

Students are asked to change for PE & Sport
Could you please ensure that your children bring their togs to School every day and their PE clothing on their PE days.
The tee shirt or new sports shirt is available at the Office while the dri-fit shorts can be purchased from the Warehouse. (These are the same shorts worn at basketball and at Fernside Tennis.)  It is imperative that students are sun blocked and wearing a hat for any outdoor activity.
If students are recovering from illness or an injury, they participate at the level they are able to rather than opting out altogether. Sports’ shoes are necessary for most activities.


2. Students in Years 5 – 8 participate in an additional Sports’ Programme (some compulsory, some optional), which has a pathway to representative and Canterbury level events and opportunities. The 3 major events are Swimming, Cross-Country Running and Athletics. The Swimming notice features on the Swimming Page of this BLOG. All Year 5 students will receive an introductory leaflet about sport ( included later on this page), which includes Friday night basketball.
Annabel is the Teacher in Charge of Sport and can be reached by leaving a message at the office or preferably by email annabel.wilson@xtra.co.nz

3. In addition to these programmes, each syndicate organises their own programmes, which may involve sports, such as: Sports Spectacular for Years 3 & 4, Surfing, Sports Interchange, alpine skiing etc.



Sport & Physical Education at Fernside School         (Years 5 – 8)

This document outlines Fernside Schools’ Sports Programmes for students in Years 5 – 8.

It provides useful information in the areas listed below:

School Sports’ Events (Individual, Syndicate, Year and House based)

Inter-School Sport

Parent Involvement

Representative Sport – Rakahuri (Our North Canterbury Zone) and Canterbury

Guidelines for Parents


Fernside School participates in many different sports’ programmes throughout the year. Any Basketball, Tennis, Rugby, Netball, Football, Hockey, Touch, & Rippa Rugby Teams play during the week only.
Our students belong to Clubs for Weekend Competitons.
In addition to Sport, all classes participate in Physical Education Programmes.

Lunchtime sport and games

Lunchtime games and practices occur. The extensive grounds allow students to play a multitude of physical activities. The PE monitors run a tennis singles and double competition in Term 4 as well as short tennis competitions & group events (PALS) in other terms. The students run Bullrush on Thursdays.

Guidelines for Parents (our wonderful supporters!)
Follow the instructions of the teacher who makes the arrangements.

Read notices well - usually all the information you need is on them.

Where relevant, sporting and recreational notices and results are given to the students, are emailed home via classroom teachers (soon the School APPS ap. ) but they are mostly at www.fernsidesport.blogspot.com which has a link through the School website.

Answer all questions on notices and students return them to (classroom postie boxes) school by the due date. Children have missed out on events by failing to do this. Closing dates for entries in external events are non-negotiable.

Contact the School Office or email annabel.wilson@xtra.co.nz with any questions On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Refer to the North Canterbury (www.ncschoolsports.org.nz)

And Canterbury websites       (www.primarysportscanterbury.org.nz)
Check websites to ensure your children are entered in the correct events.

Sports’ Events

The School receives opportunities to attend many and varied events annually. The decisions we make about attending them is based upon meeting the requirements of the curriculum, maintaining a balanced and manageable programme, the children’s interests and skills, as well as parental support.

Providing referees and officials is a requirement to attending most events.


Fernside School holds three major sports’ days annually – Swimming in Term 1, Cross Country in Term 2, and Athletics in Term 4. The PTA run a community based Triathlon and the Senior Syndicate run a team event in February. We participate regularly in sports’ interchange programmes and both winter and summer tournaments.


Sports Interchange
In Term 2 the senior syndicate participates in an inter-schools’ sports competition.
This gives students an opportunity to play sports against children of similar ability and age, in a variety of sports that they may not otherwise be exposed to (We encourage students to play a different sport from their Saturday one). This programme allows them to develop game and social skills, leadership skills, and hopefully a lifelong interest in being active. We appreciate parental input, as often parents will have a far greater knowledge of refereeing certain sports than we do. The rules from adult games are often simplified to suit the children (Kiwi Sport rules). Bus costs are covered in the activity fee.

Fernside School participates in the North Canterbury Junior Basketball Primary Schools’ Friday night competition held in Terms 1, 3, and 4. (Years ¾ play Miniball)
Many of our players go on to attend Hoops, representative and High School Basketball programmes.
We are fortunate to have good coaches from our Fernside families.

The School is lucky to have a close association with the Fernside Tennis and Netball Clubs, both of which take place at the Fernside courts and pavilion. (The Office or Annabel can provide information about these Clubs.)
Karate, Zumba, exercise classes and Indoor Bowls also occur in the Fernside Community Memorial Hall.


Representative Sport

Because we belong to the Canterbury Primary Schools’ Sports Association, we are able to participate in events throughout the year, such as: Triathlon, Swimming, Duathlon, Cross Country, Athletics, Winter Indoor & Outdoor Tournaments, Summer Tournaments, Gymnastics, and Aerobics etc.
(There is a cost attached to some entries)
Representation at Canterbury level is subject to a placing at zone events or School trials. Our Sports’ Zone is Rakahuri. The other North Canterbury Zone is Pegasus.
Entry is dependent on parent helpers. Many times the number of children attending an event is too small to justify the employment of a teacher to attend the event.
Coaching opportunities for teachers and parents are offered throughout the year.


We enter students in the Canterbury Primary Schools’ Duathlon in Term 1 & in Term 4 the Triathlon. The participants are selected from the PTA Family Triathlon held one weekend in February and a possible further trial.

Top place getters in the School Swimming, Cross Country, and Athletics events represent the School in the North Canterbury Championship Events (Rakahuri Zone). Students who achieve highly at the Rakahuri level progress to the Canterbury Primary Schools’ Championship Events.

Students who excel at the Canterbury Cross Country get the opportunity to compete in an inter-regional competition.


A Fernside School Sporting Trophy is awarded annually to a Year 8 student who has achieved highly over Years 7 and 8,  in School and representative sport, has supported School sporting events, shows leadership in physical activities and is an important part of the School Physical Education and Sporting Culture. They must display a high standard of fairplay and be a role model for others.


How can you support the School and your child/children?


Prepare: your children for the event – ensure they have the right gear especially good fitting shoes, plenty of water and food, sun block and hats if necessary, and a good night’s sleep the night before.
Guidance: Help the children to maintain high standards of behaviour. We expect our children to play fairly, to be honest and co-operative, to respect teammates, the opposition, parent helpers and referees. We expect our students to try hard and to do their best. We encourage our children to be competitive and to enjoy their participation in Sporting Events.
Parent Helper: Fernside School receives wonderful support from its parent community, for which we are grateful. Offer to be a marshal, or recorder of results, or simply shout encouragement.
Transport:  to events other than the School Swimming Sports and Sports’ Interchange, is by private car.
Managing: Assist with the management and supervision of children in public places.
Coaching: We welcome parents who would like to coach a sport, or run lunchtime games.
Courses: Attend courses on how to coach or manage a sports team.

Referee/Official: Take your turn as an official – this may range from timekeeping at swimming to being a course marshal at a triathlon, or umpiring a Sports Interchange Netball game.


Guidelines for Parents Managing Sports Teams at Events

Supervision:   Children are not to leave the team to buy food/drinks at a shop.
                        They are to inform managers if they need to visit the toilets or change rooms, and then                             an adult or another child must accompany them.

Transport arrangements are not to be changed.

Children are not to be taken from an event unless that is the arrangement made by the School, or the supervising adult speaks directly to the parent of the child, or to the School.

Under no circumstances are children to be left at an event, nor are children to dictate travel arrangements.


First Aid: Fernside School has the policy of taking our First Aid Kit, ice, tarpaulins and blanket to all events. Please ask for it if you are accompanying a team. Ask if any of the children in your care have medical needs you need to be aware of.
Team Spirit: The School has a flag, which we like to take to all events.
Risk Management: The School has generic Rams Forms for external Sporting Events. This is available for viewing from the School and will be included in the Managers’ folders.
Cost: Sometimes there is a cost associated with attending an event, eg. tennis or basketball court hire or transport. Please give some money to the driver if you are unable to provide transport.
Uniform: The School has a sports' uniform, which is also worn for PE. Any child representing the school is expected to wear the Fernside School Sports shirt (new in 2017 & available at the office). Preferred shorts are the techno-dry sports shorts from the Warehouse. These shorts are also the Basketball and Tennis Clubs’ shorts. Any children representing the School will be issued with jackets. These are to well cared for and returned to the School immediately after the event (unwashed).

Pathway to School Representative Sport


                        Fernside School

                                
                             ß  ß  ß  ß


Swimming                               Cross-country                              Athletics                  Triathlon & Duathlon

            ß                                             ß                                             ß                                 ß

Rakahuri Zone &                 Rakahuri Zone/                     Rakahuri Zone          Fernside Community
North Canterbury                North Canterbury                                                   

            ß                                             ß                                             ß                                 ß

Canterbury                            Canterbury                            Canterbury                Canterbury

                                                            ß

                                                Inter-regional

                                                Competition



There are other options of sports throughout the year. Most of these have direct entry
(via School Trial) to the Canterbury level.

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If you have any questions or suggestions about this document, or any aspects of our sports’ programme, or can offer assistance with the School Sports Programme, please contact Annabel Wilson through the School office, by email to annabel.wilson@xtra.co.nz .