Physical Education (PE) at Sunshine SDS is about developing the child’s fundamental movement skills (FMS), FMS is important, as these are the building blocks for all sports and advanced movements. There are three areas of FMS; locomotor skills, non-locomotor skills and manipulative skills.
Locomotor skills include running, jumping, hopping and skipping. Non-locomotor skills include turning, twisting and stretching. Manipulative skills include throwing and catching, kicking and striking.
Within the Secondary Learning Centre FMS skills are taught through a variety of drill based activities as well as sports such as netball, football, basketball, yoga, and soccer.
Within the Primary Learning Centre, FMS is taught through a variety of structured play activities such as obstacle courses and skill stations or through explorative play lessons where teachers work one-to-one to develop individual skills.
A highlight of the PE calendar is Sports Day. Both Secondary and Primary learning centre have their own day dedicated to demonstrating the skills they have learnt over the last year with PE lessons. On these days, we also promote our community links by undertaking clinics delivered by a variety of VIC sporting organisations. Throughout the year classes get to work with several sporting organisations including Loops Table Tennis Centre, Special Olympics, AFL and Western Bulldogs, Tennis Victoria, Cricket Victoria and many more.
PE also aides the holistic development of the student, with cross-curricular links to many other areas including Balanced Literacy, Numeracy and community learning. During PE, students learn not only physical movement but they also develop their social skills by learning to work with a partner or play team games. Students build on their ability to communicate by engaging with others, and through requesting equipment of choice. PE also helps develop pupils’ psychological skills, they learn perseverance and to try different ways of moving until they succeed. Students begin to understand what they like and dislike and build upon their self-esteem and self-motivation.
Sunshine Special Developmental School is a Child Safe school
