Welcome to the latest edition of the Play.sport newsletter.It was with great pleasure that I joined principals, teachers, children, the community and the Prime Minister and Minister for Sport and Recreation at Upper Hutt's Fergusson Intermediate in March for the first anniversary celebration of Play.sport. The Waitakere Play.sport schools also celebrated this milestone with an evening event last month at the Waitemata Rugby club, attended by more than 60 people.It's exciting to be entering the second year of this pilot. With the recent addition of Kelston Boys' High School there are now 45 schools taking part in Play.sport. Together we're reaching 20,000 kids, and helping to create quality and engaging PE experiences in our schools that enhance educational outcomes and encourage a lifelong love of sport and physical activity.I hope you enjoy this latest round-up of what's been happening in the schools and communities involved in Play.sport.Peter MiskimminSport NZ Chief Executive

Feature article

Joining up the journey

Since 2012, Sport NZ's Sport in Education (SiE) approach has helped 26 secondary schools around the country use the power of sport to help address academic and social challenges, with great success. The approach is now on the "menu" of offerings to the seven secondary schools that are part of Play.sport.  Read more.

Play.sport/Long jump

Using the Play.sport approach, this Fergusson Intermediate PE lesson on long jump combines the maximum amount of physical activity while connecting children's learning to other areas such as the maths curriculum.  Watch on our website

School sport update

What does quality look like?

A key focus of Sport NZ's Young People Plan is ensuring sport and physical activity experiences for young people are high quality.  Read more

Insights

Teachers leading teachers

In February the Play.sport workforce ran workshops that brought teachers from across clusters of schools together for a day to share, discuss and learn about what is happening in health, physical education, sport and play.  Read more

On a personal note

For Play.sport activator Apanui Heemi, his role is a natural extension of the many connections he has to the Upper Hutt community he was raised in, and in which he and his wife Janelle are now raising their two young boys Noah (6) and Cooper (3).  Read more

Play.sport people profiles

Jo Colin

A stellar career in physical education (PE) teaching and professional development, building on her own lifelong love of physical activity, brought Jo Colin to her current Sport NZ role leading work to get young people engaged and involved in sport and physical activity.  Read more

Kathryn Jones

Play.sport secondary curriculum facilitator Kathryn Jones is passionate about the potential for health and physical education (HPE) and sport to positively impact the lives of young people outside of scheduled classes or training times.  Read more