If the past few weeks of Stage 4 Restrictions has managed to ‘get the better of you’ and your exercise regime has lost that militant routine of Term 2, we can be thankful (together) that Spring is upon us! The warmth of the air and sunshine certainly invites one outdoors.

Over the course of the past three weeks, I have spent each afternoon talking to small groups of Year 9 students as I am keen to understand how they are managing the Term 3 Learn@Home program. In each conversation, I am pleased to learn that most girls are consistently maintaining a level of physical activity, with many enjoying the live training sessions that we have commenced this term. The ergo training and strength and conditioning fitness sessions, in addition to the GSV training, require the same level of commitment to peers and coaches as per a normal season.

Research findings consistently support a positive relationship between physical activity and mental performance, including benefits to emotional wellbeing and children’s behaviour. Studies reveal that by increasing our movement habits, our brain cell growth, functioning and overall mental performance can improve.

In the book Health and Education Interdependence, Professor Richard Midford, Dr Georgie Nutton, Dr Brendon Hyndman and Professor Sven Silburn highlight the lifelong connections between health and educational performance that often get overlooked.

“Until recently, children’s bodies and minds were often divided as separate entities in relation to thinking,” says Dr Brendon Hyndman of Charles Sturt University, one of the authors and editors of the book. “However, there is more and more research endorsing the link between physical activity and a range of benefits to cognitive, psychological, academic and educational outcomes.”

The authors refer to a study of 620 Australian primary school children who received teaching from specialist PE teachers, in which the students demonstrated noticeable improvements in literacy and numeracy. There is also emerging evidence over the past two decades that links movement with improvements in children’s academic outcomes, in memory, in problem solving, in planning and in self-regulation.

Despite the many physical activity options available to children, studies reveal that many children are not active enough, and a high proportion of children are exceeding the recommended levels of screen time. In Australia, less than one in five children are meeting the recommended national physical activity guidelines (report grade of D-), with a similarly dire result for exceeding the recommended guidelines for screen time.

We know that research continues to find that habits and behaviours formed early in life will continue to track into later stages of the lifespan. What this means is that we can all benefit from the mental boosts that physical activity can bring, well into adulthood.

With the additional COVID-19 overlay and increased screen time, this serves as a timely reminder to ‘get a Spring in our step’ in the coming weeks. This is particularly important for our young Barbreck girls who may normally be training and playing netball, basketball, soccer or AFL on Saturday or participating in compulsory sport with Mr Crebbin and Mrs De Nardis after school. Enjoyable positive physical education and physical activity experiences provided early in life are more likely to lead to regular physical activity habits across the lifespan.

The Rowing season, which ended so abruptly in March after one day of racing on the Barwon River at the Head of the Schools pinnacle event for the season, will be celebrated in the last week of this term with an online function. Our Head of Rowing, Miss Brigette Carlisle, looks forward to announcing two new student awards to be presented on the evening. The creation of such Awards has drawn on an opportunity to celebrate the success of two recent Old Girls – Georgie Gleeson (’16) and Annie Anezakis (‘16).

The Club Woman of the Year named after Annie Anezakis.

Annie Anezakis graduated from St Catherine’s in 2016. Since graduating, she has continued Rowing and is currently studying at Princeton University. Annie is extremely motivated and driven, she challenges herself and others around her to be the best they can be. Annie has shown outstanding dedication and commitment to the Sport of Rowing at St Catherine’s and beyond, she is a very positive role model that has really driven the culture of the Rowing Program.

Award for most outstanding Oarswoman of the Year named after Georgie Gleeson.

Georgie Gleeson also graduated from St Catherine’s in 2016. Whilst at St Catherine’s she excelled on and off the water, completing the fastest 2km Ergo ever done by a St Catherine’s Rower, 7:12a. She was also a member of the 2016 St Catherine’s 1^st 8+ that were the Australian National Champions. Since graduating from St Catherine’s in 2016, she has rowed in the Victorian Youth 8+, winning the Interstate Regatta, she has also been an Australian National Champion in the Under 21 pair and coxed four. In 2020, she was selected to row in the Victorian Queens Cup crew to race at the Interstate Regatta.

In the coming week, I invite parents to attend the St Catherine’s School Parents’ & Friends’ Association (PFA) to our online Comedy Night, Thursday 10 September. This promises to be a hilarious evening with great comedy. Thank you to the PFA for organising a fabulous finish to Term 3 and for Kate Hanley-Corley for hosting the evening.

Click Here for Booking: https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=648121

I wish all our St Catherine’s dads and the wider community a happy Father’s Day for this coming Sunday. I hope that you are all able to enjoy some family time together.