Sport & Physical Education

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Sport is a priority at St Mary’s School.  We recognise the need for children to have the skills to enable them to participate fully in community sport. 

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Children are provided with daily physical activities.  This may include running, skipping, Jump Jam, exercise circuits and Just Dance. 

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Children are provided with Physical Education classes.

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We offer a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon sport programme – (weather dependent).   In winter, this includes touch rugby, netball, soccer, basketball, ripper rugby and hockey.  During summer, this includes T ball, tennis, ripper rugby, athletics, softball and cricket. 

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We also engage a Sports Activator to coach the children in regular sporting skills.  This includes the following sports – golf, hockey, athletics, soccer, netball, ripper rugby, football, and basketball.

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We teach Gymnastics and have a Gymnastics Festival at the conclusion of each season.

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All local schools cluster together for a local schools’ competition Athletics Day.  From this event, children are selected to compete in the South Otago Primary Schools’ Athletics in Balclutha.  Those who qualify, participate in the Southland Primary Schools’ Athletic Sports in Invercargill.

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All local schools cluster together for the Local Schools’ Cross Country Race.  From this event, a team is selected to compete in the South Otago Primary Schools’ Cross Country in Clinton.  Those who qualify, participate in the Otago Cross Country in Dunedin.

 

Children are taken to the Centennial Pool for swimming lessons. They have a 2 week block course at the beginning of each year and then swim for an hour each Friday for a total of 6 weeks. They also swim for an hour each Friday for the 6 week period before the end of the year in November/December.

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We engage “Just Swim” to teach our children and provide our teachers with up to date professional development. Children are entered into the South Otago Swimming Sports and those who qualify, compete in the Otago Schools’ Swimming Sports in Dunedin.

 

The Year 3 – 6 children compete in a Quadrathon.  Each team takes part in one of the following activities:  swimming, cycling, cross country run, road run.

 

All children are entered into the Activator Extravaganza in Balclutha.

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Children are also entered into a Ripper Rugby Tournament, a Super Eight’s Cricket Tournament and a Golf Tournament.

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Family Ski Trips are organised by parents and are available to families at cut price rates.

 

Jump Rope for Heart is held at the end of a Jump Rope unit.

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