Student Athletes
Better Athletes and Better People T
here is a new energy in play for the PE Department at BHS as the school looks to raise the profile of its sports and at the same time establish healthy,
active lifestyles for its students.
Stephanie Barnwell joined the BHS staff in 2018 as the Head of Physical Education and Sport. With the help of Primary PE teacher, Val Young, Dance specialist Jacqueline Mayor and Secondary PE teacher, Kath Davis, she spent her first year completing a 360 degree feedback review for the department. “We have done this through asking questions, observing and surveying the key stakeholders,” says Mrs Barnwell. “I am very grateful that parents and students took the time to respond to our surveys. There is a lot of support to develop sport at BHS and we are setting appropriate goals based around the feedback.” For Mrs Barnwell, one of the key takeaways has been the clear enthusiasm to develop the sports programme. “There is a very positive atmosphere in sport, which is most important in any youth development sports programme,” she says. “What is also exciting is that everyone I have worked with, including coaches and parents, is keen to improve the quality and range of sporting opportunities at BHS.” Mrs Barnwell explains that the PE staff have already been able to implement several new initiatives and, importantly, develop a theme that will guide the overall direction of the PE department.
“Our new vision is, ‘Building Better Athletes and Better People at BHS’”, she says. “This means that we have two goals; we pursue winning and, even more importantly, we teach life lessons through sports. That way, no matter the outcome of a contest, all children can take a valuable, enriching experience from sports and apply it to the rest of their lives. “We have linked with the Positive Coaching Alliance, a company with over 20 years of experience in the area of ‘educational athletics’. This partnership will help us
18 Torchbearer Fall 2019
to create and nurture a positive, character-building youth sports culture. We will also be able to support parents, coaches, athletes and leaders make the vision of Better Athletes, Better People a reality for the school community.”
Some of the changes taking place involve enhancements to the curriculum such as the introduction of the EverLearner platform in GCSE PE and ELM (Effort, Learning and Mistakes) of Mastery Learning. The staff have begun adding to the variety of sporting options with the introduction of activities like Tennis, Gig Rowing and Ultimate Frisbee for Year 10 and 11 students and Tag Rugby for Primary and Middle School students.
The changes go beyond philosophy and curriculum with the PE department creating enhancements to the equipment and facilities as well as a more visible presence for sport at the school. “We are updating the Weights Area upstairs in the JVSC (Jessie Vesey Sports Centre) to create a new ‘Fitness Suite’, to be used as a teachable space,” says Mrs Barnwell. “We also installed the first AED (defibrillator) machine in the JVSC and purchased First Aid bags for all away matches to ensure a safe environment.” The School’s social media followers may have noticed an uptick in sports related posts and fundraising through participation in the End2End and the Bermuda School Relay Classic which led to the purchase of new school team uniforms and the PTA provided a new BHS branded tent for events.
Even within the facilities a new school spirit can be felt with motivational quotes, photos of athletes - past and present and large branded decals in the gym. Ultimately, Mrs Barnwell says PE is a critical part of learning for all students, regardless of their athletic ability, and the skills and lessons learned through sport will carry with them well beyond their school years.“PE not only teaches you how to stay fit and healthy throughout life but when used correctly it can also serve as a way of developing key character skills for life.”
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