Welcome to the New RSC Update

New RSC Public Platforms

Welcome to the first RSC Update for 2022.  We hope you like the new fortnightly newsletter format, courtesy of Schoolzine.  This format provides you with greater control over the newsletter content - use the filtering "tags" to select a region, sector or category of interest.  

Along with the new RSC Update, the Regional Sport Coordinators have developed a public website, located at https://sport.education.tas.gov.au.  This website will feature additional articles, our events calendar and previous editions of the newsletter.  Please bookmark this page and share it with any other contacts who might be interested in our content.  We will begin promoting the site to our broader school communities soon.  

Sport and physical activity providers can also use the "Submit Content" feature to share articles and events for future RSC Updates and our events calendar.  We recently contacted all State Sporting Organisations and local clubs, associations and groups to promote this service and outline the school operating environment for Term 1.  

Those who received the update last year have been automatically subscribed to this new version.  If you have changed schools, please contact the Regional Sport Coordinators.  Similarly, if you have changed roles and no longer wish to receive our newsletters, please use the unsubscribe button at the bottom of the newsletter.  

Please subscribe if you are a new school contact and wish to receive future editions of this newsletter, direct to your inbox.

Finally, we also encourage you to download and install the Schoolzine app (available for Apple or Android).  Select "Asia Pacific" on the region screen, and "Tasmania" from the drop down list on the next screen.  The "Regional Sport Coordinators" should then appear.  You will then be prompted to create a Schoolzine account to access the app.  Please refer to the installation instructions for more details.  

Our new app will allow you to receive notifications when new content is added and you can also view a region-specific stream of events and information.  

COVID-19

We understand that the border re-opening and subsequent Omicron wave of infections has presented a challenging environment for the start of the 2022 school year, with the top priority to safely open our schools and ensure continuity of learning.  

Resources

The Regional Sport Coordinators appreciate that our HPE teachers and sport coordinators may be required to deliver content differently due to staff and student absences, and/or COVID-19 restrictions. 

The Regional Sport Coordinator's section of the Intranet includes a "Sport and Physical Activity Programs and Resources" page.  The top section of this page includes a link to a spreadsheet containing collated Health and Physical Activity resources that can be used to support flexible and home-based learning if needed.  Resources are available for primary and secondary sectors.  

Note: The bottom section of the Sport and Physical Activity Programs and Resources page includes additional links to on-demand programs and resources for all sectors.

Primary staff are encouraged to check out the GymZoonasium site, which offers schools a free trial of their range of exercise, motor skills and yoga sessions, which can be delivered via an interactive whiteboard or any other internet-connected device.  All resources are mapped to the Australian Curriculum and Early Years Learning Framework.  Check it out!

Advice - Sport, HPE and Physical Activity in Schools

The Regional Sport Coordinators have updated our Sport, HPE and Physical Activity in Schools document, which provides guidelines on conducting various types of sport and physical activity opportunities in a COVID-safe manner, operating within the current DoE and Public Health guidelines.  We encourage all HPE teachers and sport coordinators to review this document and share relevant information with school leaders.  Please note there are specific recommendations for the first five weeks of Term 1 to accommodate an expected rise in COVID-19 infections and implications for staff, students and school communities.  

The Regional Sport Coordinators trust that this document will assist with decision making around school and regional events in Term 1 (e.g. Swimming, Athletics Carnivals), and we are ready to assist schools and school sport associations with practical solutions to any resulting operational or scheduling issues.  

Please see the below upcoming opportunities for your students, and once again please don’t hesitate to contact the Regional Sport Coordinators should you have any questions or require support in facilitating sport and physical activity opportunities for your students.