After last term’s newsletter,
relating to games in the summer term, we thought it would
be a good idea to send this letter out to parents of
children in this year’s Forms 6, 7 & 8 in order
to try to keep you in touch with games routines and
expectations for the coming term.
We hope you find it
both interesting and helpful, and that see it as a guide
to how you can help us well as us helping you.
Games lessons will continue on Tuesday, Wednesdays and
Thursdays, with Saturday mornings compulsorily dedicated
to rugby / netball / hockey practices for Forms 6, 7
& 8.
Tuesday
Girls: (Hockey / Netball)
Boys: (Rugby)
Wednesday
Girls: 2:10 - 3:30 (Hockey / Netball)
Boys: 2:10 - 3:30 (Rugby)
Thursday
Girls: 2:30 - 3:30 + 3:30 - 5:00 (Hockey /
Netball )
Boys: 2.30 - 3:30 + 3:30 - 5:00 (Rugby)
Saturday
Girls: 10:00 - 12:00 (Hockey / Netball)
Boys: 10:00 - 12:00 (Rugby)
Please Note: Gum Shields are now
compulsory for both Rugby and Hockey
FORMS 6, 7 & 8
On Tuesdays and
Wednesdays Forms 6, 7 & 8 Girls and Boys will receive
coaching in hockey / netball and rugby. The team players
will receive instructions about specific equipment /
clothing in their team letters. Children not yet selected
for teams should wear their standard games kit. There is
no need to invest in expensive sticks, as the school will
provide equipment.
At Late Games Time, sessions will follow the pattern of
the previous two days but more scope will be made
available for non-team players to experience other ways
of improving their co-ordination and keeping fit. All
members of Forms 6, 7 & 8 are expected to attend Late
Games. The children will need their outdoor and indoor
trainers on all three days. They should change back into
uniform after all sessions and leave the school dressed
that way. On Saturday mornings, coaching is part of the
school programme. We prepare a Rota so that we can
maximise each child’s participation but also balance
their Saturday commitments with their fixtures. Children
are expected to attend.
To assist with
planning, the children’s games teachers should be
notified if pupils are “genuinely” unable to
attend.
The Saturday Rota is always published on notice boards.
FIXTURES
In April each year
the Prep School in our circuit get together to arrange
their fixtures for the coming year. Every year we attempt
to create as many fixtures as we can while trying to find
various balances. Fixtures at different age levels have
developed over the years and are available only with a
small number of willing schools. We need to monitor
fixtures and be careful to consider things like transport,
travel distances, competition balance, missed lessons,
exams and child / teacher overload.
In the winter term,
we have fixtures in a number of sports as well as tours
away and Exams.
The children playing
in terms should receive letters informing you of fixture
details. Staff will try their best to get these to you in
good time (albeit there are often complicating issues
which slow up this process.) Children in terms can often
know a fair bit about upcoming fixtures and also need to
listen carefully to their coaches to absorb, not only
coaching and tactical advice, but also changes of
arrangements or timings.
Parents are always
welcome to come and support the children playing in teams.
We are very lucky at Craigclowan that so many of you
attend fixtures. The more experienced of you have a job
to do in helping the less experienced watches. All of you
can help us out at home fixtures by making visiting
parents feel welcome when staff are busily looking after
visiting staff and children. Winter Term teas can be
quite different to Summer or Spring catering and again we
appreciate any help you can volunteer.
The issue of team
selection can be emotive but all you should understand
that there cannot be enough teams for everyone to play.
The school’s policy is to pick its best teams for
most fixtures and the coaches choices’ choices need
to be respected. We try to create competitive situations
in games sessions for everyone in order to satisfy the
need to compete, which hopefully exists in most of us. We
hope to make our winter sports experience enjoyable for
everyone, in some way, as well as preparing the children
for the sports they will be expected to play at senior
school, and possibly into adulthood.
OTHER
OPPORTUNITIES
As well as regular
games programme the school hopes to provide children with
other sporting experiences.
It
is hoped that some senior children will be able
to get golfing experience. There is one golf
competition in the term at Glenalmond on Sunday
14th September 2008. This allows parents and
children to play foursomes in the morning, while
four children represent the school in the
afternoon.
The
Dry Slope will be in action with training
sessions for our team members, development squad
and some of our younger children in lower forms.
There
are extra sessions for hockey players on Monday
evenings and tennis players on Fridays after
school.
Horse
riding will continue on Friday evenings.
Swimming
for team members and improvers will keep children
in the swim as previous terms at Strathallan
School.
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