November 2021
ACHPER Health Promoting Schools Committee
The ACHPER Active & Healthy Schools Committee recently changed its name to the ACHPER Health Promoting Schools Committee to align with the WHO Health Promoting Schools guidelines and to assist existing HPS networks here in Australia. The overall role of the ACHPER HPS Committee is to:

  • Advise ACHPER on strategies to extend ACHPER’s connectedness with teachers who work in the health education sector, and with prospective members in this sector;
  • Identify opportunities to extend ACHPER’s profile within health education and particularly the teacher education sector;
  • Develop contributions in the area of health education for ACHPER’s bookshop and ACHPERs journals, including Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education Journal, including proposing special issues which focus on health education;
  • Advise ACHPER on ways in which the organisation can create strategic projects and strengthen partnerships with influential stakeholders in health education fields; and,
  • Propose events and projects that align with the HPS remit and ACHPER’s strategic priorities.
 
Drawing on the World Health Organizations Global Standards for Health Promoting Schools, developed in partnership with UNESCO, the ACHPER HPS Committee has developed a framework of key themes and guiding principles to support effective health education in schools. This is supported by an audit tool – which is included in this addition and will become available through the www.achper.org.au website - to assist schools with understanding what they do well now and how to further develop their own initiatives.
President’s Report - Dr Sue Whatman
As 2021 draws to a close, we look back over the year that was – the year we though COVID19 would be behind us – and can only shake our heads in wonder in that all of ACHPER managed to pivot and adapt their services to you and the wider community under continuing challenging circumstances. It was heart-breaking (again) to see that some professional learning events around the States were postponed or cancelled, but also amazing to see the online and on-demand PD alternatives that have emerged in this context.
 
ACHPER Australia has continued to engage in a strategic review process, starting Phase 2 which is committed to evolving to a more refined purpose with attention to governance and funding structures to thrive in the 21st century. We are a not for profit incorporated association which has served the HPE community for more than 65 years and we know reviews of this kind are necessary to keep the organisation relevant, viable and meaningful to its stakeholders.

ACHPER Australia has continued several very important partnerships in 2021, most notably with Tennis Australia who continues to support meaningful HPE with their programs and curriculum materials and outreach activities to our members through ACHPER’s conferences, workshops and e-newsletters. As mentioned in previous Advocates, Tennis Australia and ACHPER partnered to deliver a research project evaluating school curriculum resources and participation in school tennis – see the infographic elsewhere in this edition.
 
ACHPER Australia moved some of its physical bookshop resources online with ProQuest E-Book Central and Ebsco Host. This means your university, educational institution and/or public library can purchase a license to share key ACHPER teaching and coaching resources for yourself and your students. The library pays the subscription and your students can browse the catalogue for free. If you have an idea for a future e-book that ACHPER could publish, please email me to discuss on s.whatman@griffith.edu.au.
 
This will be the final Advocate for the year. I would like to wish you all the best for the upcoming Christmas and holiday season, year’s end and beginning of 2022 to all our stakeholders. Thank you for supporting ACHPER all over Australia and we look forward to connecting in 2022!
The National Principles of Health Education Audit Tool Kit
This instrument for capturing school health education data provides a framework of key themes and principles to support effective health education in schools. The principles are underpinned by current research and were mapped to a variety of health education documents and frameworks.
 
It was created to assist schools, teachers and external services to identify the elements required for quality health education and analyse how current education programs or resources perform across three themes and seven principles. ACHPER identified that in Australia there was an absence of national health principles to support health education in schools. Consequently research was initiated in this area leading to writing and consultation processes over several years leading to the final audit tool being created. The answers provided in the audit can help educators to evaluate and improve the health education provided in the school by spotting gaps and initiating corrective actions. 
 
Individual schools will soon be able to access this tool on the ACHPER website. Look out for more information coming soon!
2021 National HPE Day Winners
We had 120 schools and an estimated 55,000+ students take part in National HPE Day on 1 September 2021. Whilst this number was lower than previous years, we understand the toll that extended home schooling has taken on the teaching of HPE and sport. Despite this, we had some amazing entries from schools who celebrated HPE Day in lockdown and congratulate them on the sensational videos they created and shared on their school and centre pages with the hashtag #HPEday and #HPEday2021. Click on the button below for the full list of winners who receive a certificate and book from the ACHPER bookshop. Extra special mention to our ACT winner, Merici College Canberra, who brightened our morning on #HPEDay 2021 this image of their fruit art. Join us again on National HPE Day - 7 September 2022. We can't wait to see how you celebrate. Register in the new year at www.hpeday.com.au
Partnership Program and Curriculum Review Overview
The Tennis for Primary Schools Curriculum Resource jointly developed between Tennis Australia and ACHPER has recently been reviewed. Below are the high level results of the review.
ACHPER Australia is proud to partner with Tennis Australia.
ACHPER Resource Sale Extended
ACHPER Inc | www.achper.org.au