THE HEAD OF SCHOOL'S ANNUAL REPORT 2009 - St Hildas School

Middle School
The Health program of all Middle School grades was reviewed. The number of health units
covered in the course was reduced, to allow more in-depth study of some crucial health
areas for teenagers including drug education, nutrition and fitness and mental health.
We appreciated the support of Dr Catherine McQuoid-Mason in the development and
presentation of our mental health curriculum. The aim of the health program is to arm the
students with knowledge and information about health issues which provides a basis for
their decision-making about their own health.
Senior School
The first group of Year 10 students to have studied Sport Science in Years 9 and 10
graduated from the program at the end of this year. These students are in a much
stronger position to take on the challenges of the Senior Physical Education course.
Sport Science and the Senior Physical Education course are subjects suited to those
students who have a passion for sport and desire the knowledge of how to improve their
sporting performance. These subjects enable the students to experience many of the
aspects of the broader sport industry including coaching, fitness and exercise physiology,
biomechanics, psychology and media.
Staff Development
Four staff attended the International Conference of Health and Physical Educators in July.
Insights into the use of technology in the area and supporting the perceptual mechanism
during learning progression were attained and have influenced program implementation
and preparation.
As Head of the Faculty I attended professional development in the curriculum planning
tool Understanding by Design and strategies for the promotion of higher order thinking.
Both will be useful to the continual improvement of program delivery in the faculty.
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Ms Rhonda Oliver
Head of Faculty