From Pastoral Care Co-Ordinator Primary

No Handball Tuesdays!

Handball is a very popular pastime for our Primary students, before school, during recess, lunch and after school. In some cases it is played like the fate of the world depends on the outcome of the game, the need to win at all expenses.  

While originally handball had an agreed set of rules, all sorts of rules get added, manipulated and changed. Did you know some of the rules students invent for handball? Heard of fly by, ghosting or indecent? If you have done a Primary yard duty you certainly would have!  

As a Primary Staff, we see the need to give students a break from the intensity of the handball competition and the time, space and opportunity to engage in other activities and form other friendships. Our Primary team has decided to trial “No Handball Tuesday’s”. We understand that some students may be disappointed with this decision, but we believe that the benefits gained will outweigh their concerns and in the long term and will contribute to an increased sense of wellbeing and connection with others. 

Having a handball free day, is a day for students to reset and take time away from the intensity of the handball competition. It provides a space for them to use the area handball takes up in a different way. It also gives them an opportunity to think about what else they can do at school besides handball. While handball can be a great way to build community, it can also create divisions between players and non-players.  

It was great on Tuesday this week to see students arriving with footballs to kick on the oval, there were different students making use of the playground, there were games of survival tag, lots of imaginative play and new friendships formed. We hope that the pause on Tuesdays will continue to encourage students to think creativity as they work out other activities to engage in and build a more inclusive sense of community.