Personal development, health and physical education

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 300 hours per year in Years 7 to 10.

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.

In Year 11 and 12, courses available include:

• Community and Family Studies
• Exploring Early Childhood
• Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
• Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation Studies.

More photos of our PDHPE activities can be found in the Personal Development Health and Physical Education gallery.

PDHPE at Coonabarabran High School

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education is concerned with the development of the whole person and the improvement of quality of life for all.

Individuals must be responsible for their actions and make personal decisions to improve their lifestyles.

Learning opportunities in PDHPE are broad enough to encompass the full range of individual differences so that all students have an equal chance for realizing their potential.

Participation in regular and varied physical activity is an integral component of the PDHPE syllabus.

PD/H/PE at Coona High…

Sport

Sport is an intergral part of Coonabarabran High School. The school provides a variety of opportunities for students to participate in weekly and representative sport.

Weekly Sport

Conducted weekly on Wednesday afternoon. Sports change on a term to term basis.

Summer Sports

Cricket – Water Polo – Tennis – Squash – Fit For Chicks – Lawn Bowls – Walking – Netball – Ultimate Frizbee – Basketball

Winter Sports

Soccer – Tennis – Outdoor Sports (which includes any sport and changes each week -Ultimate Frizbee – Golf – Touch – Squash – Fit For Chicks – Walking – Basketball

Along with winter and summer sports there are also some sports that are run term by term and are run depending on demand.

Single Cup

Single Cup is a sport competition held between the three schools of Coonabarabran, Gilgandra and Coonamble. All schools compete in 15s and Open Netball, 15s and Open Rugby League, Soccer, Hockey, Tennis, Golf and Lawn Bowls. The Coonabarabran Team is currently the owner of the Single Cup trophy after a 9 year losing streak.With this victory Coonabarabran hopes to begin their own winning streak.

North West School Knockout

North West Knockout is a competition held between schools of the North West NSW region. All sports are included in the North West Knockout and Coonabarabran High School has a good record compared to the other schools. Some of the sports that Coonabarabrabn High competes in: Touch, Rugby League, Netball, Swimming, Tennis, Lawn Bowls and Squash

Sport News

Records

Policies

CHS Drug Education Strategy

Rationale

The schools drug education strategy follows the philosophy of the national schools drug education strategy (1999) in identifying schools as being “critical places to educate young people to the harm of drug misuse”.

The school’s strategy identifies drug taking during teenage years as being a causal factor in:

• Impaired academic performance.
• Impaired physical development.
• Impaired psychological development.
• Disruption to family functioning.
• Inability to integrate into society.

Goals

The schools drug education strategy aims to promote a healthy, safe school and local community through.

Promotion of the principles of harm minimization associated with socially accepted drugs e.g. Tobacco, Alcohol, and Caffeine.

Promoting total abstinence from the use of illicit drugs.

Providing students with up to date information on drugs, drug use and the impact of the misuse of drugs on the individual and wider society.

Help students develop the knowledge and skills to make responsible decisions associated with drugs and drug use.

Implementing the strategy At Coonabarabran High School

The following principles are aligned with those indicated by the National schools drug education strategy(1999), thus ensuring Coonabarabran High is utilizing the most contemporary and valid approaches to school drug education.

1. Drug education is best taught in the context of the school health curriculum.
2. Drug education in schools should be conducted by the teacher of the health curriculum.
3. Drug education programs should have sequence, progression and continuity over time throughout schooling.
4. Drug education messages across the school environment should be consistent and coherent.
5. Drug education programs and resources should be selected to complement the role of the classroom teacher, with selected external resources enhancing, not replacing that role.
6. Approaches to drug education should address the values, attitudes and behaviours of the community and the individual.
7. Drug education needs to be based on research, effective curriculum practice and identified student needs.
8. Objectives for drug education in schools should be linked with the overall goal of harm minimization.
9. Drug education strategies should be related directly to the achievement of the program objectives.
10. The emphasis of drug education should be on drug use likely to occur in the target group, and drug use which causes the most harm to the individual and society.
11. Effective drug education should reflect an understanding of the characteristics of the individual, the social context, the drug and the interrelationship of these factors.
12. Drug education programs should respond to developmental, gender, cultural, language, socio-economic and lifestyle differences relevant to the level of student use.
13. Mechanisms should be developed to involve students, parents and the wider community in the school drug education program at both planning and implementation stages.
14. The achievement of drug education objectives, processes and outcomes should be evaluated.
15. The selection of drug education programs, activities and resources should be made on the basis of an ability to contribute to long term positive outcomes in the health curriculum and the health environment of the school.
16. Those responsible for administering the program ensure their own professional development is aligned with the most contemporary approaches.
17. Relationships are built between Coonabarabran High School, parent groups, community groups and also NSW dept of education drug education support groups.
18. The wider environment is monitored on an ongoing basis for changes and updates to the climate in which drug education is delivered.

Common drug classifications

The following is offered as relevant and important information for the awareness of all staff. The most common definition of a drug is: “any substance which changes the way the body or mind functions'”

This includes prescription drugs, painkillers, widely used drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, and illegal drugs such as cannabis, amphetamines and heroin. Minors cannot legally purchase alcohol and tobacco. There are three main types of drugs – depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens.

Depressants

Depressant drugs don’t necessarily make a person feel depressed. They slow down the central nervous system, including the sending of messages to and from the brain. In small doses, depressants can cause a person to be more relaxed and less inhibited. In larger doses they may cause unconsciousness, vomiting and death. Depressants affect concentration and co-ordination. They slow down the ability to respond to unexpected situations.

Depressant drugs include alcohol, tranquillisers (eg Valium, Rohypnol), barbiturates, heroin, morphine, opium, methadone and most inhalants (eg. aerosols, solvents, glue, petrol, cleaning fluid, and laughing gas.)

Stimulants

Stimulants act on the central nervous system to speed up the messages going to and from the brain. Stimulants increase the heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. They release more sugar into the bloodstream. They increase alertness and self-confidence and may reduce feelings of tiredness and hunger. In large doses, they may cause anxiety and panic.

Stimulants include amphetamines (speed) and cocaine. Nicotine and caffeine are also mild stimulants.

Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens affect perception. People who have taken them may see or hear things that are not really there or what they see may be distorted in some way. The effects of hallucinogens vary greatly. It is impossible to predict how they will affect a particular person at a particular time.

Hallucinogens include magic mushroom, LSD, mescaline (PCP) and marijuana. Hallucinogens may have a depressant or a stimulant effect as well as an hallucinogenic effect. For example, marijuana is a depressant as well as an hallucinogen.

Sensitive Issues in PDHPE

As part of the Coonabarabran High School curriculum your child studies Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) for three periods each week. PDHPE is an integrated subject that aims to educate the whole individual by giving them the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions concerning their recreation and health.

The PD/H/PE program at Coonabarabran High School is based on the New South Wales Department of Education and Training PDHPE Syllabus. As part of their mandatory studies at Coonabarabran High School, your child will be participating in physical education lessons that cover many of the traditional team sports as well as athletics and dance. In order to be able to participate effectively and safely in practical physical education lessons (except dance) your child will need to have a change of clothes for these activities. A change of clothes involves an appropriate t-shirt, a pair of shorts and joggers, as well as a hat in summer. If for some reason your child cannot participate in practical lessons, a note from home stating the reasons is required.

The personal development and health lessons will for the most part be conducted in a classroom and your child will need to bring their PDHPE book. Topics studied in these aspects of PDHPE include Safety, Nutrition, Drugs, Active Lifestyle, Human Sexuality, Diseases, Decision Making and Consumer Health.

Please note that Drugs and Human Sexuality (including HIV/AIDS) are considered sensitive issues and caregivers have the right to withdraw their child from classes where these topics are being covered.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the PDHPE program please contact the school to make arrangements for one of the PD/H/PE staff to speak to you.

Links

Sports related websites

http://www.pecentral.org/websites/sportsites.html

Health and nutrition websites

http://www.pecentral.org/websites/healthsites.html

Fitness websites

http://www.pecentral.org/websites/fitnesssites.html

Outdoor recreation Websites

http://www.pecentral.org/websites/outdoorsites.html