Brownhills Carousel Day

This is the second year that Mrs Geldard-Williams has run this event with the support of the Brownhills Family of schools. As you can see from the accounts below the children have a fabulous time. Mrs Geldard-Williams must also be thanked for coming up with the concept and managing to deliver two years running when the organisation is crazy!

On Wednesday 1^st July, 2009 the Year 5 pupils of Brownhills schools; St Bernadette’s, Brownhills West, Milfield, Watling Street and St James were all involved in a Carousel Day. We were either on a home team or away team. I was on the away team for Brownhills West. The anticipation of the children, waiting for mini bus was ecstatic!

The first school the away team visited was Milfield. There we played tag rugby. I’d never played it before; therefore my stomach was churning like a washing machine on full speed! The tutor was excellent! He made everything clear and gave us a fair chance. Suddenly, we had a sharp burst of rain that lasted only a second or two.

After a short break, we visited St James for some orienteering. It taught us to read a map. It was exhausting! We had to run to and fro. This was great even though we were tired afterwards.

The third activity we did was athletics at St Bernadette’s school. We played all sorts of fun races; Running, hoops and even the bean bag race. Afterwards we were panting like a cheetah after he had caught his prey! When we’d finished, we had lunch and went to play. After forty-five minutes of play it was time to catch the mini bus to the next activity.

Soon after, we went and played Kwik Cricket at Watling Street . I’d never played Kwik Cricket before. Like the tag rugby tutor, the teacher gave us a fair chance. We recognised some faces which were nice to see as well!

Overall, everybody enjoyed the day. I would love to be involved in a carousel day again in the future.

By Elise Steward (Brownhills West Primary School)

On Wednesday 1^st July local schools came to Brownhills West school for carousel day. Our school, Brownhills West primary school was divided in to two groups, one group was in the away team the other team stayed at school. 

The first school that came to play was Watling Street primary school, there were some familiar faces. We played rounders with them and every one of them had there eyes on the prize of winning the day. Although our team lost we all shook hands and said well done.

On to the second school this was St. Bernadette’s. They were very polite and had a very good team sprit. Their school batted first and I must admit, that they where very good, the ball went really far! So we had to put our backs into it to beat them. Our heart where in our mouths from running so fast, it got so hot I almost fainted! But all the hard work was worth it because we won by one rounder!

Next up was St.James, who played very well. Every one had to really run until there feet hurt. Also they caught everyone out apart from two people! (This was really good)

By then everyone’s feet were hurting , so we ate our lunch early. We spent about one hour eating our lunch and chatting with the children was Then St.James team needed to leave for their next match.

Last but not least, Milfield came, they where really good players I believe you would have to be Sonic the Hedgehog to get a rounder before they caught you out !

At the end of the day everyone was exhausted but happy that they had tried their hardest.

By Storm Hewitt (Brownhills West Primary School)

Congratulations to all those schools who have been successful in the Partnership competitions that have taken place throughout the year. 

There have been more activities on offer than ever before now that we have the addition of Louise Griffiths the Competitions Manager to our Walsall School Sport Partnership's team. Tag Rugby, Hi5 Netball, Swimming and Rounders are still organised by the SSCo's but the majority of the other competitions are planned and run by Louise (the exceptions being the Walsall Dance Festival and the Kwik Cricket Competitions) 

The emphasis is now more than ever on the PLT's / PE co-ordinator's to enter competitions under their own steam rather than being nagged and pestered by their SSCo to participate. We must always remember that the aim is for these competitions to be sustainable after the SSCo programme ceases to exist. Louise sends all information about competitions to SSCo's, PDM's and to each school's 'postbox@' email address. It is up to individual schools to enter those competitions and complete entry forms within the date specified. This will be even more important next year as there are major changes planned to the whole infra-structure of our Partnership which will effect everyone. 

Your SSCo will be speaking to you about these changes between now and the end of term.

Brownhills and Shire Oak Girls get Active!

Kelly Holmes attends Norwich Union GirlsActive roadshow

Thursday, 13 November 2008

Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes is in Stafford today to support our Norwich Union GirlsActive programme. Dame Kelly will visit Stafford Sports College to see how the Sports College and the Stafford and Stone School Sport Partnership are delivering Norwich Union GirlsActive.

Such has been the success of the girls and teachers on Norwich Union GirlsActive that this Sports College and School Sport Partnership have become one of seven Norwich Union GirlsActive regional centres in England and are now aiming to broaden the scheme to reach a further 3,000 girls from across Staffordshire and beyond. During the day, Dame Kelly will join over 100 girls as they take part in a range of activities involving dance mats, indoor rowers, a climbing wall and skateboarding. Dame Kelly said: “I’m here to support all the really great work the girls and teachers at Stafford Sports College and Stafford and Stone School Sport Partnership have done in making Norwich Union GirlsActive such a success. Becoming a Norwich Union GirlsActive regional centre shows they are leading the way in engaging more teenage girls in sport, which is a subject I feel passionately about.

Norwich Union GirlsActive was launched in 2006 after research conducted by Norwich Union and the Youth Sport Trust found that 40% of girls drop out of all sports activity by the time they are 18. The scheme is designed to empower teenage girls to enjoy more sporting activity on their own terms, making positive choices and being given a voice. It is also about enabling young people to make a positive contribution to their schools. Girls are challenged to come up with ideas on what they would change in their own schools in order to make sporting activity something they would want to participate in. Girls were also challenged to work with their teachers to identify the issues surrounding girls' participation. They also took the lead in addressing the issues and encouraging their school peers to get more active and to stay active.

Click here to find out more about Norwich Union GirlsActive

Brownhills Year 9 pupils Kelly Peplow and Georgina Burke and Year 10's Jodie Westwood and Sarah Taylor from Shire Oak were lucky enough to be invited to attend the Girls Active road show at Stafford Sports College. The day started off with a little Salsa dancing as a warm-up to a whole host of activities to be participated in. Dame Kelly Holmes joined in the Salsa, which is something she had never done before. A lot of girls were surprised at how fun something new can be if you have enough confidence and self-belief to give it a try. Amongst the day’s activities were BMX-ing,skate-boarding,rowing,kangoos,and cheer leading.

  Girls involved in the Girls Active programme are now tasked with introducing new ideas to 10% of the female pupils at our school, so if you have any ideas you want to try, see Kelly, Georgina or Mrs.Geldard-Williams (Brownhills) or Jodie, Sarah or Miss Eccleston (Shire Oak)  Any information we have for you will be on our Sports Leadership Academy notice board outside the P.E Department. We will also be relying on your form tutors to read out the daily notices so please make sure they do!!!