Mountain bike madness

Mountain biking seems to be taking over my life at the moment. I recently completed training so I could lead groups in Aberdeenshire and found it really enjoyable. The school has just taken delivery of the first 8 Giant Terrago Mountain bikes that we won funding from the Norwich Union community sports fund . There are another 16 of the bikes on the way I cant wait.

uploaded from www.giant-bicycles.com

I have also signed up to do the Corrieyairack Challenge on my Mountain bike to raise money for the Speyside trust, which provides holiday facilities, respite care and outdoor adventure for the disabled. I have set up a fundraising page which you can access at http://www.justgiving.com/pavlovsmice. I have been trying to get a bit of training in for this and spent last Saturday on the trails at Glentress and the Saturday before at Pitfichie/Whitehills. I am really starting to get in to it.

Next week I have a week of Mountain biking with a group of 11 pupils as part of the Schools activity week. We are going to do a bit of everything from bike maintenance, to trail side repairs, skills and challenges and plenty of riding on local routes as well a days ride from the Nordic centre in Huntly. I think I am more excited than the pupils!

Health and Wellbeing the outcomes are here.

The CfE Health and Wellbeing outcomes were released yesterday and can be down loaded here http://www.curriculumforexcellencescotland.gov.uk/outcomes/healthandwellbeing/index.asp

Don’t forget to download the”Health and wellbeing for all” paper as well as the actual outcomes. The following section is reproduced from the paper and sets out the current position on PE in Scotland. It seems pretty positive to me.

“Physical education provides the foundation for the development of concepts and skills necessary for participation in physical activity. It should inspire and challenge children and young people through opportunities to experience the joy of skilled, creative and efficient movement and to develop interpersonal skills and positive attitudes to active living. This should give children and young people an important foundation for engaging in physical activities and sport, in preparation for a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.
While Curriculum for Excellence gives both freedom and responsibility to those planning and delivering the curriculum, the Scottish Government expects schools to continue to work towards the provision of two hours of good quality PE for each child every week. This commitment will be reflected in Building the Curriculum 3: A framework for learning and teaching. Physical activity and sport will take place in addition to planned PE sessions, at break times and lunchtimes and beyond the school day. Taken together, the experiences and outcomes in physical education, physical activity and sport are intended to establish the pattern of daily physical activity which, research has shown, is most likely to lead to sustained physical activity in adult life.”

Health and wellbeing for all 2008

This sentiment is echoed in this Government news release http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/05/09135831

In my opinion the Health and wellbeing outcomes are the most important set of outcomes to be released, and not just the physical but the whole range as in my mind health and wellbeing is central to the quality of our lives and is a precursor for effective learning and development.

Along side the HWb outcomes the Government has also published the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) Scotland Act: Health promotion guidance for local authorities and schools. This can be downloaded here http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/05/08160456/0 This guidance supports local authorities and schools, and managers of grant-aided schools, in working with partner agencies to meet the duty to ensure that all schools are health promoting, as set out in the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007