A little more background...

This is an interesting Wiki section on the history of the naming of the positions in American football, with some very detailed research showing how they all link back to the original Rugby football. Just for interest, I hope to have the kids try all the 'non-soccer' football variants during this year: American Football, Gaelic Football, Australian Rules Football, Rugby League, and Rugby Union.

Camp Packing List

Please read the previous post for advice on sleeping bags, mats and flashlights.



I've mailed the camp packing list for Christmas Camp, and I'll reproduce it here:






Note the superb color coding! Stuff in the red box is very important. I can cover for pretty much anything in the other boxes but if you forget '1st Priority' items there is not much I can do.

Some background...

For those students (and parents!) who want to understand a little more about the sport of Touch Rugby, try reading this article:

History of Touch

But before you do.... remember that 'football' is a name used for many different games, all over the world. In Australia, 'football' or 'footy' is the name for Australian Rules Football, Rugby League, Rugby Union, and Touch (four different games!). In America and Canada, 'football' also refers to a rugby-like contact game where the ball is carried in the hands, and its non-contact version (which we are learning in PE class at school at the moment!). In new Zealand, a 'great footballer' means 'a very good rugby player'. Australia has a very popular TV show called 'The Footy Show' which, for some days of the week, is about Aussie Rules Football, and other days, is about Rugby league! And for most of the world, of course, 'football' means 'soccer'.

ALL these games come from the same root, far back in history: great, disorganised, violent and dangerous games played between villages in the English and Irish countryside. Slowly over the years the games evolved more rules and spread over the world, taking on different characters as they travelled.

It's a subject that can take up a lot of your time on Wikipedia! For now, perhaps is enough to know that Touch Rugby and Touch Football can be exactly the same game, depending on which country you are in!

Rugby tournament photos

Mr. Coey (Evan and Clare's dad) took hundreds of photos of all the kids in action at the recent rugby tournament. They are all great shots and there are far too many to post them all here. Here is a selection:

The Girls B Team after their last match. There is real pride, love and courage in these tired faces. (Note to self: get team socks before next tournament.)




Lik Wong in full flight. What a great player Lik is becoming!



One of many superb diving tries by Ewan Donald in the tournament. King of the 'astroturf burn', Ewan is never shy of losing a little skin to keep the team ahead.



Making the most of first phase possession, Fiona Leung takes a hit-up.

This tiny selection doesn't do the pictures justice. I have the DVD at the school and I will start burning copies as soon as I can.

Rugby- going forward

The first HKTTRA Touch tournament was a great success for all our teams. The Boys 'C' Grade team had a great time and showed me that they are really starting to understand the game and how to play it. Their defence and organisation across the field were excellent. In Touch rugby, if you start with a strong and organised defence, the attacking and scoring will eventually take care of themselves.

The Girls 'B' Grade team also had an excellent tournament. Again, it was great to see their real understanding of the structure of the game and their outstanding defensive positioning. What they need now is to learn how to score, and I've already given them some direct targetted feedback on that from the tournament. What's great about this team is the depth- we have nine really strong players who learn fast and work hard in every session.

The Boys 'A' team excelled themselves by going into the semifinals of their division. We should take a moment and reflect on this achievement. The 'A' division is for boys aged under-13. In fact, our Boys 'A' only has one under-13 in it. The rest of the boys range in age from 11 down to 9. They were playing against teams six twelve-year-olds and beating them. This is a huge testament to how much they have put in to their team. I am sure that as they continue to play, learn, and train, they can expect more success in the future.

I'd like to hear feedback from parents on how we can go forward with rugby. What I would like to do is to divide the rugby ASA into two separate training sessions on two different days. For example, the Boys 'C' team on Tuesdays, and the Girls 'B' and Boys 'A' on Thursdays. I think this would give all the teams the best opportunity to develop before the next tournament.

However, this would mean dropping the Cross Country/ Distance Running ASA for at least a term. Or perhaps moving it to another time-slot, like early Saturday morning. I'm really not sure how a schedule might be worked out, but I'd like to hear what parents think before I make any changes. So please contact me through the usual channels or talk to me when you see me around the school!

Camp is coming!

Our Christmas Camp this year is on 21, 22 and 23 December. Right now I'm planning the games and activities, doing my best to make sure that all the kids come home with new skills and knowledge. (They will also be coming home safe, warm, clean dry and well-fed!)

Some parents have been asking me about camping equipment. Apart from their personal stuff- clothes, towel, cups, bowls, cutlery, toothbrush- the school provides everything for camp: tents, cookers, cooking dishes, food, and transport.

EXCEPT:

Every student will need a SLEEPING BAG and a SLEEPING MAT.

I have recently bought three new sleeping bags for myself and my own children, and I can recommend 'Triton' brand sleeping bags from 'RC Outfitters', located in Mong Kok.

I think these sleeping bags, priced at HK$240 each, are very good value:

Triton Basic Mummy

Of course, if you explore the RC Outfitters website and visit their store, you will find a very wide selection of sleeping bags, some cheaper, some much more expensive.

Sleeping mats are quite easy to find, and they don't need to be expensive or complicated.

A simple sleeping mat.

Remember, the students will not be hiking with their equipment. We will arrive directly at the camp ground by bus; you do not need to worry about them carrying any heavy weight for a long distance.

Apart from sleeping bags and mats, I do recommend that you invest in a good, strong, bright and reliable LED flashlight. (LEDs are very bright and use much less power than ordinary lamps). For working and playing around the camp in the darkness a HEAD TORCH is very, very useful. You can get good ones made by Energizer (widely available). More expensive ones are made by Black Diamond and Petzl , for example.

Again, you can find these brands or similar quality ones in RC Outfitters and many other outdoor stores or local hardware stores.

If you are buying handheld flashlights, Surefire are the best in the world; Fenix are very highly recommended; Maglites are a design classic and NEVER fail; and Energizer have a good range at reasonable prices, widely available in supermarkets and local hardware stores.

Quality really counts with flashlights and head torches. The ten-dollar LED lights you can buy on market stalls will not last the three days of camp!

Cross Country Tomorrow!!!

Sorry to have made no new posts for more than a week- I've been very busy away at camp with the G3 - 6s, and of course planning for the Cross Country Festival on Tuesday 3- TOMORROW.

It's going to be a very exciting day! The weather is forecast to be cool and dry, our kids are well-rested and ready, and I will spend today digging out a BIG HOLE in the kindergarten yard for the water jump.

Best of all, I can confirm that our race will be attended by two of HK's brightest athletic stars- Daniel Lee and Vincci Hui, both members of the HK triathlon team. Daniel is an Olympian and recent bronze medal winner at the All-China Games. Vincci Hui is still a student at DGS, yet already competing at the highest levels of her sport. Great inspiration for our kids to meet them!

I still need volunteers to help out on the day. I'll be at the Bungalow from 1.30. The event opens at 3.00pm, and the first race is at 3.30pm. Whenever you can get there to help out, I will be really grateful for your support.

Some reminders:

1. G3, G4, G5 and G6 students will all go to the Kindergarten at 1.30, by bus. They wull have their PE classes their, and help prepare for the race. Most of them are running in the event. Please arrange to have them collected from there, around 5.00p,

2. THERE IS A RACE FOR G1 and G2 students. The 'Superkids' should come to the Kindergarten after school. It would be great if they could be in their NIS uniforms. We will try and hold their race before the main races, if they get there in time. If not, it will be in between the two the main races.

3. Any other questions, please contact me on 9367 1878 today!

Map work in Outdoor Education, Saturday 24 October.

We had an excellent first session with maps and navigation in both the Outdoor Ed classes today. The Outdoor Explorers (ages 6 and 7) really enjoyed exploring the schoolyard, map in hand, and racing each other over a simple Sprint Orienteering course.

The Outdoor Athletes (ages 8 - 12) also sprinted around a navigation course inside the schoolyard, before heading out to Lam Tsuen park for a long game of Capture-the-Flag. I never like to play the same game of CTF twice, and this time we added an extra 'Quest' element in which the kids had to use their new map skills to search for secret treasure!

I was really pleased with the how this game went. I didn't hear any arguments and I thought the work-rate for all the kids was very high. Certainly the small group size helps, but also I think the students have already taken on important lessons about communication, team work, and integrity.

A really good day. Sorry I didn't get any photographs!

Coming next in Outdoor Education

I promised that NIS Outdoor Education would be progressive- not just a series of outdoor experiences, but a course of learning that allows the students to actually take on and master new skills.

So far we have practiced tying knots and played some co-operative, problem-solving adventure games. We've been working on the values of co-operation, communication, resilience, self-respect, and respect for others.

What's next?

This coming Saturday we will start working with maps and navigation. Map skills are an absolute foundation of independence, safety, and enjoyment in the outdoors. We'll be starting at the very beginning- getting the map the right way around! - and playing some simple orienteering games inside the school and then in the park. Fun is, as usual, the vital ingredient, and we will not try to push the students too far or too fast. But they will start to learn the incredible power (and usefulness, not to mention beauty...) of maps. The value they will be learning is independence.



Looking forward to it!

(PS Any student who can tell me the area the map above shows, will win a map of their own.)

How To... Teach A Knot

The kids in our outdoor education classes have really been enjoying learning their knots. For my part, I love to see the satisfaction they get when they learn a new knot. It's a real feeling of mastery and knowledge.

I learned most of the essential knots from my father when I was between the ages of 11 and 15. I'm not a naturally handy person and some of those knots took me years to learn, with no exaggeration. (Some people pick them up in what seems like seconds!) But my dad was patient and from him I also learned an approach to teaching knots that I use myself today.

1. Name the knot. This sounds simple, but make sure the kids know which knot they are learning. Get them to repeat the name. Repeat it over and again while you are teaching it. They must learn to differentiate one knot from another.

2. State its purpose. Again, this sounds simple, but it's the real key to effective learning. Once they know the reason this knot is different from others, they will start to have a reason to learn it. 'You can use this knot to tie yourself in to a rescue line.' 'You would use this knot to tie up a boat'. 'This knot is used to join two pieces of rope together.'

3. CONTEXT. Here you start to engage their imagination. It follows directly from stating the purpose. Give them a situation. 'Imagine you have pulled your kayak up a beach and you want to leave it while you go for a hike. You need to tie it to a tree. This is the knot you will use.' (In this example, you can back up the context by asking a few questions. Why do you need to tie it up if it's already on the beach? What is the worst thing that could happen if you don't tie it up properly?

4. Realistic practice. To practice tying a kayak to a tree, it really helps to have a kayak and a tree to work with! (Thanks to Noah and Iain's family, and our wonderful yard, NIS has both a kayak and many trees for practice.) If you can't get the kayak and the tree, make models or even cardboard cutouts. Do your best to put them in the situation they will face when tying the knot for real.

5. Show them. Tie it yourself. Make sure they are watching you from the right direction. When teaching the Bowline, for example, they will learn much faster if they stand behind and above you while you show them.) Show them many times. Take it slow.

6. Let them try. Some of them will get it right away. Some will not. Let them go away and try then bring the knot back to you.

7. Coach. Coaching is not teaching. In coaching you analyse what they have done, show them where they made their mistake, and help them to correct it. Give them a way to remember the part they find difficult. 'The rabbit comes out of the hole...' or 'make sure the tail goes right under the crossed part..'

8. Practice. Once they have got it, I send them off to tie and retie it five or ten times.

9. Test. Without pressure, tell them they have a few minutes to practice then you will test them if they think they are ready.

10. PRAISE. When they have mastered it, let them know they have really accomplished something. Really let them know how proud you are. This is the secret ingredient.

(11. Next week, be ready: they might well have forgotten it. Go back to 1....)

A big day in Cross Country Practice: 20 October 2009

What a difference a few degrees makes! The temperature is down to 25 or 26 degrees now and all of a sudden the kids are bursting with energy. You can see from their faces and the way they come up fresh for each new activity that they are getting fitter and more confident.

In this practice, I asked them to run their full 'race distance' - that is, either 1800m or 2300m, depending on their age. This is an important session. It gives them the knowledge that they can run a whole race without having to stop and rest. We marked out a 'long lap' around the school grounds, trying to make it fun with some obstacles, jumps, and turns. The lap was 200m. The juniors would have to run this lap nine times; the seniors, 12.

We spent some time goal setting and talking about how important this session was. The kids formed groups and set off, 'indian running'. They really surprised me with their resilience. All completed the number of laps they had set themselves. Many did even more! So now they know they can do it! (Let's pray for a nice cool day on November 3.)

We took a long break after this activity to play some wrestling games (good for upper body strength, balance, and footwork). Then we finished the practice with the '20 Races'. This is a very simple, but very fun activity. The kids divide into teams and we race repeated relays up and down the field: sprinting, running with hands on head, hands on hips, running with a medicine ball, running backwards.... Every small variation makes the next race fun again. This activity is great for helping the kids to work on their foot speed, and I was happy to see them really listening to my instructions on how to get faster.

I hope they all came home with tired legs and huge appetites! This was a very good session. Most Valuable Player for this session was Ronan (Grade 3), who really pushed himself hard in every sprint, and showed his strength. Excellent work Ronan!

Hanlin Wong (Grade 5) is a blur at high speed. (Carrying a medicine ball, not a melon...)

J4 Cheng shows great form and huge enthusiasm in this sprint. Look at the joy on that face! (Why is J4 called J4? Answer at the bottom of this post.)

Hoi Yan Tang (Grade 4) digs deep and goes for the finish line.

In the great tradition of Norwegian distance runners: Natasha Rode-Christofferson (Grade 5).

(J4 Cheng: Last year I had a 'Joshua' in Grade 3 and a 'Joshua' in Grade 4. As the classes were combined for PE, I was always confusing them by calling their names. So I started calling them 'J3' and 'J4' for my convenience. Of course the other students picked up on it and the boys remained 'J3' and 'J4' for the whole year. Now 'J3' has left the school, and of course 'J4' is in Grade 5 this year. But for some reason he's still J4 and I suspect when I meet him in the street in 10 years' time, he'll still be J4 to me...)

British Bulldogs by the world's greatest players

Here's an update to my previous post on individual skills for rugby players.

They call it Last Man Standing, but we know it as British Bulldogs. These are some of the best rugby players in the world, having fun and working on their personal skills- acceleration, choosing the speed and direction of the run, and sidestepping: especially sidestepping! Wonderful video!

Outdoor Explorers, Saturday 17 October 2009

Outdoor Explorers is our Saturday Outdoor Education class for 6- and 7-year-olds (Grade 1 and 2).

I'm really enjoying working with this group of boys. The class puts them in new situations and gives them new challenges, and I've been very impressed by the way they co-operate, communicate, and take on longer games activities than they normally would in school.

This week we started with Cones Orienteering, a running-and-finding game that challenges the players to search carefully, remember several pieces of separate information, record information, run, and communicate.

After that, we worked on our knots. Last week's knot was the Reef Knot. This week we practiced the Figure-8 Loop.

Samuel, Andy and Fung share their knowledge.


Samuel pushes hard right to the end of the game.


Working together.


Sharing and learning.


Remembering and recording.


Fung shows off his Reef Knot. Look at the pride on that face! I have the best job in the world.

(We took a lot more pictures of this class. I'll have them on a CD by Wednesday.)

Outdoor Education, Saturday 17 October 2009

Another really fun and busy day in the Outdoor Education classes! I've only got pictures of the senior class - Outdoor Athletes- for now, so check back later in the week when I've downloaded the pictures of the juniors (Outdoor Explorers).


I love this shot (taken from the roof of the school). It captures a lot of what Outdoor Education is all about for me. The shadows getting long on the field near the end of the day, and the kids outside, active, busy, getting tired and sweaty, having fun.

They are playing Square Dodge, a game that really values Communication, Work Rate, Resilience and Courage.


Anson (Grade 5) communicates...

...while Warren Marwing (Grade 6, in black t-shirt, in background) winds up for a dashing run through the danger zone...



Keep looking all around... keep moving!



Evan (Grade 3) makes a catch...



...and celebrates a hit!


One last shot from the roof. The last game of a long afternoon filled with orienteering, problem solving, knots, shouting, playing, running, talk, climbing and, of course, the secret ingredient: fun.

Good form = great function. With pictures!

If you want to run faster: pump your arms quicker; get up on your toes; lean forward; back straight and head up; drive off your back foot. Jemilla Harvey (Grade 2) shows us how...

...and so does Lily Merrett (Grade 3). Pure acceleration!

What have we got here? Clarissa Ho (Grade 1) snapped in mid-sidestep. She's balanced and in control, and pumping her arms to speed up and get out of danger. But Griffin Gage (Grade 2) is ready for her. He's balanced on both feet, head up, and eyes fixed on the target. He's going for that TAG! Melody (Grade 2) is in close support. Lucy Hanstedt (Grade 1) breaks for space in the background.

Great shot! Kelly (Grade 4) changing direction at speed to put pressure on Fiona Leung (Grade 4) who is timing her diagonal run to perfection. Samantha (Grade 3) is in support. Lily and Sophie (Grade 3) blaze through on the blind side.

The personal skills of a rugby player include sidestepping; accelerating and maintaining a sprint; and choosing the speed and direction of the running line.

Contact games develop our self-respect, and our respect for others. Kelly Lam, Fiona Leung, Gigi Leung, and Alden Tang (all Grade 4) keep the smiles on their faces during a game of Captain Bulldog.

Lily on the Traversing Wall

Here's a great sequence of Lily Merrett (G3) setting a new route on the NIS traversing wall. Very cool moves, Lily! (Next time, pleeeeeease tie your shoe laces!!!!!!)

How to do a... PYRAMID

At NIS, we often run a 'pyramid'.

To do a pyramid, choose a place where you can run a lap of 100 or 200 metres.

Start by running 1 lap. If it's 100m, everyone should try to run their fastest. When you finish, line up in order. As soon as the last runner is finished, the first finisher goes again- and this time, runs two laps, or 200m. The trick is to try and run just as fast as on your first lap, but slowing down a little is also ok.

When everyone has done 200m, the first finisher takes off again, this time to run a fast three laps, or three hundred metres.

And that's a pyramid! You can see the shape:

100

200

300

We also run double pyramids:

100

200

300

100

200

300

Or diamonds:

100

200

300

200

100

When the weather is cooler and we're really getting fit, you can imagine... double diamonds, triple pyramids...

These are very flexible and useful training tools. They get us ready to run fast when we are already tired, like at the end of a race.

More importantly, they are fun! Here are some pics of our K3 kids having fun with their own pyramid in their PE class on Thursday:

Food for Young Athletes

Food is a very important subject for all children, not just runners and rugby players. What you eat will give you the energy to run and play (and do your homework!).

How much do you know about food? Do you know how your body uses it before, during, and after exercise?

On Friday 16 October, I'll be visiting the Grade 3 class to give them a lesson on food for exercise and sport. There will be secret pro tips! Recipes! Food to eat! And a challenge!

Parents and helpers are very welcome to attend.

Time: 1.25pm on Friday.
Place: Miss Chan's Grade 3 classroom.

See you there!

Update: Here are three questions to get you thinking before Friday.

1. What's Mr Blain's favourite pre-race food? (Try asking a Grade 6 student about this one.)

2. What's the best way to enjoy Coca-Cola?

3. What is the most unhealthy food in Hong Kong?

How To Play... 'Ghost In the Graveyard'

This is a great game for practicing your fast starts and sprinting. The values of this game are creativity (in finding really good hiding places); work rate (to get the game restarted after every round); communication (to talk to the other players about where they are searching); and integrity (a wide-area game like this does allow for cheating and arguments over the rules, which spoil the game).

1. Find an area you can run safely in. It needs to have places you can hide. A schoolyard, playground or park is best.

2. Choose one player to be 'Ghost'. At NIS, we make the Ghost wear a red band so that everyone knows who she or he is.

3. Choose a 'Base' close to the middle of the playing area.

4. Everyone puts one hand on the base, puts their heads together, and closes their eyes. No looking allowed! (It really spoils the game.)

5. The referee counts to 20 or 30. The Ghost runs away and hides. Do your best to pick a really good hiding place.

6. After the count, the referee shouts 'Coming!' and all the players start looking for the Ghost.

7. When someone finds the Ghost, they shout 'Ghost in the Graveyard!' very loud. Everyone must take up the shout and repeat it. They must also run to try and get back to the base. The Ghost chases them.

8. If you get hand on the base, you are safe. If the Ghost tags one runner, the game stops. The tagged player becomes the Ghost. Count again and hide again.

When you know the game well, try these extensions:

- Play after dark. Use flashlights.

- Have more than one Ghost. When one is found, they all get up and join in the chase.

Try it next time you have friends over to play!

Cross Country Practice - Tuesday 13 October

It was a hot day again today. We went to Lam Tsuen Park to train in the shade.

(Did you know you can add 7 degrees to the temperature when the sun is shining directly on you? That means if it is a 32 degree day, you could be feeling 39 degrees in the middle of the sports field... All the runners today noticed how much cooler it was under the trees in the park.)

Last week's session was all about Capture-the-Flag. This week, we needed some structured training. So this was what the session looked like:

1. Walk to the top of the park. We set a goal to get there and ready to start by 3.30pm. We were actually ready to start by about 3.40pm. This was pretty good, and we all agreed to get closer to 3.30pm next time we run in the park.

2. Indian Running. The kids run in 'trains' of three or four runners, around a 200 metre lap. They aim for a steady pace, making sure the 'train' stays together. Every time I ring a bell, or blow a whistle, the runner at the back of the train speeds up, runs to the front, and takes the lead. This activity teaches the kids to pace themselves, but also to put in bursts of speed every so often. These are racing skills. In Indian running, they learn that to go faster, they need to pump their arms, and take quicker, shorter steps. This was a good activity. I heard a lot of good communication, and I saw a lot of strong, purposeful fast running each time I rang the bell. Each train ran five times around the lap, for 1000m of steady and fast running.

3. Two-Runner Relay. In pairs, using the same 200m lap. Partners take turns to run 200m at a racing pace. After each lap, they get to rest while their partner runs. We carried on until each runner had completed three laps: another 600m at race pace.

4. Break. The kids already looked properly hot and sweaty. I could see from their faces that they knew they had done some good training: a mixture of tiredness and pride.

5. Ghost-In-The-Graveyard. This is a running and hiding game a bit like Kick-The-Can. We played this for 15 minutes.

6. Walk back to NIS.

I think it was an excellent session. The students should feel proud of themselves. They can start to feel confident about the Cross Country race coming up.

Team FEAR Junior Challenge

Just a reminder that I am talking about Team FEAR with the students today in their PE lessons. I have also given them application forms and some information on the race to bring home.

Please do check out the Team FEAR website:

Team FEAR

There is much more information on there. The photo gallery especially will give you a good idea of what the event is all about.

And please contact me if I can help with contact details for other parents!

The Essential Knots

Tying knots is an amazingly satisfying skill to learn. Knots are useful. They can also be beautiful and fun! Kids get a real sense of achievement from learning how to tie a knot and understanding its uses.

Students in our outdoor education course at NIS will be learning six Essential Knots during this term.

1. Reef Knot. This is used to join two ends of a piece of rope into a loop, or to join two ropes together; good for tying string around parcels too.

2. Figure-8 Loop. This is used to make a loop in the end of a rope. Especially useful for clipping a karabiner or other fastening into.

3. Bowline- One of the most satisfying knots, when you (eventually) get it right! The bowline is used to tie a loop into a rope. Good for tying a boat up securely or rescuing someone in an emergency; and many other uses where something needs to be attached to the end of a rope.

4. Sheet Bend- the sheet bend is a very cool knot for joining two ropes together, especially if once rope is thick and the other is thin.

5. Round-Turn-And-Two-Half-Hitches- a classic knot for securing boats or horses, or tying off any loose rope on a boat.

6. Alpine Butterfly- Use this knot to make a rope shorter; to make a very useful loop in the middle of a long rope; or to make a damaged section of rope safe.

Here is a fantastic website for helping you to practice your knots:

Animated Knots

Click throigh, try looking up all the Essential Knots in the list, and see how they are tied. For next week's class, practice your Reef Knot, Figure 8 Loop, and try the Bowline. Use a shoelace- it's just the right length and thickness for quick practice.

The first Outdoor Education classes at NIS

On Saturday 10 October we had our very first Outdoor Education classes at NIS.

The Outdoor Explorers- for students in Grades 1 and 2- was one hour long. We started with a problem solving game where teams searched the school grounds for bands of different colors and competed to tie them together into the longest possible rope. This game was all about the values of communication and cooperation. I was really pleased and impressed with how well the teams talked to each other to encourage, share tasks, and give information! A really good start to the lesson and to the course.

The Explorers then spent some time working on their knots. We learned the first of five Essential Knots- the Reef Knot. We'll practice it again next week.

The Outdoor Athletes started their session with a new game called Captain Tag. This game is fun, fast, and a little bit rough, involving chasing, catching, and holding. It is all about the values of communication, resilience, and respect for others. The catching team must communicate if they are going to catch all the runners. The runners must be ready to keep running and evading right through the game. Everyone has to take care not to let the game get too rough and make sure everyone is having fun.

We then continued with the problem solving game described above. This is a longer game than we normally play in PE. The kids showed great resilience in keeping up enthusiasm and effort right to the end. The also showed real creativity in solving some of the problems, reaching bands that were hidden in tricky places. I heard a lot of excellent communication.

We practiced the Reef Knot and the Figure-8 Knot. We'll work on these again at the start of next week's class, combining them with an orienteering game in which they have to try and tie the right knot for a series of different tasks, in different places.

After knots, we played Ghost-in-the-Graveyard and then held a knotting-and-climbing challenge at the very end.

I really enjoyed both classes! Looking forward to next week.

What I did on Saturday night...

On Saturday night I took part in the Raleigh Challenge Wilson Trail Night Course race. It starts at Sha Tin pass at 9.30pm. The race course goes straight north, almost as far as Sha Tau Kok on the China border. At one point it goes right past the gate of our school! (But of course that was around midnight.)

The hardest part was the second half, where we had to climb Cloudy Hill and then run the whole length of the Pat Sin Leng range.

My partner and I finished the race in 6 hours and 30 minutes. (We also won the race and set a new record!)

Here is a snapshot of the course map:

You can see a much better quality version by clicking this link:

http://connect.garmin.com/player/15859709

Try clicking the 'play' button on that page and you will see the symbol move along the course. At the same time, you can look at how the heart rate, speed and elevation (that means how high up the hill you are) change through the whole race. All that information came from my partner's watch, which has a GPS built in to it.

Resilience

Will Hanstedt (Grade 4)

Physical Education at NIS is all about values.

Resilience is one of eight personal goals at the heart of our IPC curriculum. Resilience is the thing that makes you keep going when you've had enough. When you're tired, or when your task seems too big; maybe when other people seem to be finding it easy; when you've made a few mistakes and everything is taking longer than you thought; when it would be easier to give up: resilience is the thing that will bring you through.

Norway has produced explorers like Amundsen and Nansen who challenged themselves to do great things in the harshest parts of the world. Norway gave us Grete Waitz, the best women's marathon runner the world has ever known. She won nine New York City Marathons in her career, more than any other runner, male or female. Since retiring as a runner, she has worked for charity and development all over the world. She has been fighting cancer since 2005. These famous Norwegians are great examples for us.

But resilience is not just about being a hero. It's something that can help us in every day life. We can learn resilience. When we challenge ourselves in cross country practice or in a rugby match; when we come back after we've lost a match or a race; when we hold on to the end, win or lose, we are showing resilience. When we finish our homework or study an extra 20 minutes for a tough test, that's resilience. Resilience is never-give-up-ness.

It's one of the most important qualities we have as a school, as staff, and as students.

The NIS traversing wall, now open for (monkey) business.

It seems to have taken a loooong time, but the traversing wall is, at last, fully functioning. Remember the wall is designed for climbing along, not up. The kids are engaging all four limbs and both sides of their brain. They are working on upper body strength, balance, co-ordination, decision making, problem solving, and creativity, and they are getting out of breath, too! Not to mention building confidence. It's a workout for mind, body and soul! Great academic crossover too- practicing climbing will make them better readers.

Some features of the climbing wall for parents and students to think about:

1. No climber can ever get their feet more than 60cm from the ground. When they want to stop or don't feel comfortable, they just step down.

2. There is a 60cm void between the highest foothold and the lowest handhold. Look at the photos and you will see what I mean. This design stops climbers from climbing up high on the wall.

3. There are a lot of holds for hands and feet. The holds are in many different colors and an amazing range of shapes. Students from Grade 1 to Grade 6 can climb. We have not tried to make the wall 'hard' or 'easy' by varying the number of holds. There are holds everywhere.

4. As students progress, and need increasing challenge, they can push themselves to make moves only on certain colors or shape of hold. They can try to set up new routes. They can try to cover a set distance faster, or in the opposite direction. They can try to climb further along the wall than last time. The level of challenge is totally up to the climbers. The traversing wall is all about imagination, creativity, and confidence.

Update: I had forgotten Miss Chan had taken this photo of Warren, Ewan and I working on the traverse wall panels, laid out on the chapel floor.

Capture-the-Flag Day, Tuesday 6 October 2009

I'm just home from school after Cross Country practice - it's Tuesday evening. As promised, we let the kids play Capture-the-Flag for the whole session.

I think the game went well. I didn't hear a lot of arguing over the rules- that's the part that always spoils CTF for me, at least and I was impressed by the way the runners focussed on Integrity and Work Rate. They all certainly looked exhausted by the end of the game!

Lots of steady jogging and running, punctuated by hard sprints, accelerations, stops, starts, and turns. And they didn't even know they were training!

November 3: Cross Country Festival. Excited yet?

Watch this video of some of the best high-school runners in the USA, racing each other. It will really help you get ready for the races on November 3.

This race is called The Border Clash. It is between runners from Oregon and runners from Washington, both States in the Northwest of the USA. It starts in a very special way. The two teams face each other, and then a cannon is fired! They charge straight towards each other before turning onto the race course.

Very exciting video! Turn the music up loud!

So many kinds of rugby...

At NIS we seem to play so many different kinds of rugby. It can get confusing.

The name 'Rugby' can mean several different games, but they all have one special element: the ball can never be passed forward. This rule is what makes rugby different from any other ball game in the world.

Rugby is divided into two different 'codes'. Rugby Union is played all over the world. In the 'full', adult version, there are 15 players in a team. There is a lot of tackling and play does not stop after a tackle. We call this "continuous contest for the ball" and it is the special feature of rugby union. TAG Rugby comes from Rugby Union. We play TAG at NIS. Have you noticed how we don't stop after we get tagged? We pass the ball immediately to a team mate.

In Rugby League, there are 13 players in each team. Play goes forward until the ball carrier is stopped in a tackle. Then everything stops, the ball is played backwards in a roll ball, and the attack begins again. After the sixth tackle, the ball is given to the other team and they have six chances to attack and score. TOUCH Rugby comes from Rugby League. We also play TOUCH Rugby at NIS. Have you noticed how we stop after a tackle and do a Rollball?

TOUCH Rugby is a very useful and versatile game. It lets us set up practice games very quickly. We play it in all kinds of ways- like One-Touch, Beach TOUCH, and Six-Down.

Click on my graphic below to see Rugby's 'family tree'.

Capture-the-Flag Day in Cross Country

Tuesday- tomorrow- will be our third Cross Country practice of the year and at last the kids will be allowed to play 'Capture-the-Flag'.

This is the running game they've all been waiting for. We play it in Lam Tsuen Park. It combines treasure hunting, tag, hide-and-seek and orienteering. Of course over the years we've added our own special NIS twists to the game.

For this year I've changed a few things. There will be fewer rules. There will be more for everyone to do. There will be more problem-solving. And each game will go faster, so we'll fit more games into one practice session.

Here are some FAQs about Capture-the-Flag and their answers:

What do the kids get out of it?

They get at least 40 minutes of continuous concentration and movement, with lots of natural breaks, fast sprints, and steady jogs all mixed up together. They also get a sense of adventure and exploration. The game develops their imagination. And it's FUN!

What are the values of the game?

Capture-the-Flag demands Integrity. People with integrity will follow the rules of a game even when they are not being watched. People with integrity will do their best to play fair and do the right thing even when there is no clear rule to follow.

This game also demands a high Work-Rate. To make the game fun and useful to our team, we need to make sure we are always doing something- raiding, treasure-hunting, scouting, or questing. When you've finished one job, immediately find another one to do.

Is it hard to learn?

No. The kids will learn it in about 5 minutes.

Is it dangerous?

Capture-the-Flag is strictly NON-CONTACT. The kids raid and capture each other by 'tagging', just like they do in TAG Rugby. The game area in the park is quite enclosed and easy to supervise. The students know that they have to take care of one another and each player has a responsibility to avoid bumping, tripping or causing other accidents.



I'm really looking forward to it!

We can learn a lot from this video

This is for all the rugby players at NIS (and their moms and dads!)

Watch the video carefully and think hard about what you are seeing.

1. Attackers and defenders moving with their team mates in lines.

2. The defending team moving backwards 5 metres after every 'touch'- and they keep their position across the field.

3. The teams ALWAYS face each other- they NEVER turn their backs.

4. The SPEED of the game is controlled- the attacking team moves forward in a series of moves, looking for a chance to break through.

5. LOTS of passing, long and short.

6. The fastest players work with their slower team mates instead of just running all over the field.

7. No time-wasting by running past the place where they were touched. The game FLOWS and has RHYTHM.

Why I Love Lam Tsuen Park.

All the NIS students who run cross country get to know Lam Tsuen Park. It's our very own leafy playground, just 5 minutes traffic-free walk away from the school. We use it for everything, from training, to holding races, to free and adventurous play in outdoor education.



Why is it so perfect for us? Here are my Top Ten Reasons Lam Tsuen Park is Wonderful.


1. Shade!

The park is filled with trees that give shade to all the paths and play areas.

2. Bridges!


The park has three cool bridges that are fun to run across and make great obstacles for all kinds of games.


3. Islands!


Who doesn't love islands for their mystery and adventure? Lam Tsuen Park has two islands.


4. River!



The mighty Lam Tsuen river divides the park, making it a beautiful and useful donut shape with bridges at the top and bottom.


5. Hills!

There's a secret hill hidden at the far end of the park. Great for hill repeats in cross country training and an excellent base in Capture-The-Flag.

6. Pagodas!

There are three of these traditional, open-sided, roofed structures in the park. They give shade and shelter to tired runners, make great jails and bases for running games, and they hide in the trees in the correct, secretive way required for adventures.


7. Size!

The main loop of paths is exactly 1.1km around- perfect for our training and racing.

8. Safety!

There are no cars in or anywhere near the park. There are only two entrances and it's a simple shape where it's hard to get lost.

9. Terrain!

The park has hills, bushes, grass, trees, fences, steps, play equipment, flowerbeds and more. It provides endless interest as we move around and explore- not to mention loads of hiding places for games.

10. Green!

The park is a vital 'Green Lung' for Tai Po and Hong Kong. Its trees and plants clean and refresh the air and give us a play to play and train, away from the pollution of the roads.