Physical Education and Sport

“Watching a child makes it obvious that the development of his mind comes through his movements.”  Maria Montessori

At Carnegie House we view physical exercise and development as an essential tool towards the development of the whole child, and an aid to the academic and social growth of the child. With this in mind we deem it important for all the children in the Preschool and Primary School to take part in Physical Education. We feel that exercise, games and sports should ultimately become a healthy lifestyle activity, which given the right tuition and nurturing, from a young age, will culminate in a life-long experience, and not just be associated with the child’s school years. We believe that sport should remain a game for pleasure and enjoyment and not become work.

Physical Education in the Preschools
All the children in the Preschools participate in a PE education programme once a week.  The PE programme is developmentally appropriate and the preschool children develop  body and spatial awareness and practice and refine their emerging motor skills, which contributes to the likelihood that they will become lifelong movers.  The focus is on partipcation and fun.   

• Physical Education in the Primary Schools

The Primary school children participate in Physical Education activities twice per week during school hours. Specifically the children are exposed to a wide range of physical games and sports - from swimming to dodge-ball, cricket, soccer and athletics. Additional PE and sports are offered by independent providers in both Paarl and Riebeek Kasteel areas.  Carnegie House children have participated in swimming galas, athletic meets as well as cricket and soccer matches and participate with enthusiasm and joy.
 
We do not support highly competitive games for the Primary school children although the children are exposed to games, teamwork and matches.  Highly competitive games can have a negative effect on a child's development through:

• Stress – competitive sports may add an extra dimension where the child may feel pressured to perform.
• Children’s bones are still forming up to the age of 13 years and early sports injuries are not good for the growth and formation of the skeleton.  
• It can cause a feeling within the child of not being good enough if the child underachieves, which could lead to feelings of never being good enough.
• Guilt of not being able to perform.
• It often has a negative effect on a young child’s self-esteem.
• Children who excel may feel pressured to always perform, and eventually may begin to dislike the sport they are good at, or all sports in general.
• These children may have an unusually high esteem, which could lead them to being egotistical towards their team-mates and classmates. This could cause a loss of friends.
• Both children who excel and those who struggle to achieve develop a negative view towards sport.
• Children may experience conflict situations that they do not know how to handle, exposure to nastiness and/or teasing may happen on the playing field.