Updated: SPEA Newsletter 2024 Issue No. 1 (June/July)
The 45th SPEA Annual General was held at the Movement Studio @ PESTA in the Academy of Singapore Teachers premises on 28 Mar 24. The programme was categorized into three parts, namely:
Dinner and Fellowship
Professional Sharing Session
AGM Proper
After satisfying our stomachs with the gastronomical delights of the dinner menu, we were treated to a professional sharing session, themed “Challenges and Trends in PE” by three esteemed members of the PE fraternity, namely Assistant Professor John Komar (PESS, NIE/NTU), Ms Wendy Gwendoline Koh, VP from MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School and Mr Nasrun Mizzy (Master Teacher, PESTA/MOE).
The challenges and trends in physical education (PE) revolve around promoting inclusivity, addressing sedentary lifestyles, and integrating technology for interactive learning experiences. As childhood obesity rates rise and screen time increases, PE educators face the challenge of engaging students in physical activity while fostering lifelong habits of health and wellness. Trends in PE include emphasizing personalized fitness plans, incorporating mindfulness practices, and utilizing gamification and virtual reality to make exercise more appealing and accessible to all students. Additionally, there is a growing emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion within PE curriculums to ensure that all students, including those in Special Education (SPED) schools can participate and thrive in physical activity.
Our outgoing President, Mr Leonard Koh Yiak Kheng, then shared the Annual Report, highlighting the key events of SPEA, which included the following:
Co-hosting the 12th EW Barker Public Lecture with National Institute of Education and Raffles Institution on 30 Aug 2023, with the lecture delivered by Prof Kenneth Hodge.
Partnership with 21st CC 2023 PHASE Conference at Phuket, Thailand on 11-12 March 2023, where two of our MC members, Louis, and Stella, presented their work on formative PE assessment in schools.
PHASE Conference 2023, Hong Kong, where Louis and Stella presented their work on Empowering Learner, Enriching Education: Exploring the Impact of Student’s Voice to Enhance Affective Learning in PE on 11 Nov 23.
Went on a Recce Visit to Dulwich College, Singapore to explore the feasibility of future learning journeys for SPEA members and PE teachers in Singapore.
OPETA/OTCA Ceremony held on 13 October 2023 at The Theatrette @ Academy of Singapore Teachers, where our Guest-of-Honour, Ms Liew Wei Li, Director-General of Education, Ministry of Education, presented the Awards to the OPETA & OTCA Winners and Certificates of Appreciation to the selection committees as well as the sponsors.
The work of the SPEA Publication Committee in publishing the SPEA Newsletter with three new initiatives, namely:
Progress updates on social media
Feature PE teachers who have significantly contributed to PE, Sports Education and Outdoor education scene and explore the feasibility of including student voices in the newsletter.
Tapping on analytics to monitor readership
SPEA Re-envisioning Exercise on 28 Nov 23, where the proposed vision and mission were presented:
Vision: A community of inspiring and innovative PE and sports professionals
Mission:
Strengthening professionalism
Promoting quality education
Embracing diversity
Appreciating the fraternity
The proposed vision and mission were presented and accepted at the SPEA Management Committee Meeting on 19 February 2024.
The following members were elected into the new SPEA Management Committee 2024-2026:
President - Mr Leonard Koh
Vice-President (Publicity & Publication) - Mr Louis Ho
Vice-President (Professional Development) - Mr Joel Chia
Hon Sec - Mr Zason Chian
Asst Hon Sec - Mr Tan Jit Jin
Treasurer - Mr Yong Tze Woon
Comm Members - Mr Edward Yeo, Mr Benson Teo, Ms Stella Yap, Mr Jason Chua, MR Saravanan
Hon Auditors - Mr Helen Low, Mr Francis Tang
Congratulations to the new SPEA Management Committee. We look forward to your continuous support to help SPEA fulfil the mission and achieve the vision to become A Community of Inspiring and Innovative PE and Sports Professionals!
Above: On behalf of the Management Committee of SPEA, we thank all members for being present at the AGM. We look forward to your support in our future events.
Mr A Murugapa, Assistant Editor,
Publications & Publicity Committee, SPEA.
Photo Contributions: Mr Eric Chua, Deputy Director, PESTA
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