Hockey Program

Grade 6, 7 and 8 Program Overview

Several years ago, the school collected data that strongly supported the development of a hockey skills program to complement and supplement core classes and physical education programming at Robert Andrews School.  Through a partnership with the Rural Municipality of East St. Paul, the River East Transcona School Division and Robert Andrews School, the first step in the development of the Robert Andrews Hockey Academy was initiated in the fall of 2009 with the implementation of a Grade 9 option course called Hockey 11G.  The next stage in the development of the program added hockey skills classes in Grade 7 and Grade 8. In 2014, the school was changed to a true Middle Years configuration, adding Grade 6 and removing Grade 9.  Our program is modelled on the components of other Middle Years’ programs currently running in the province.   The structures of our program are outlined below.

Timetable

The hockey skills class is embedded in regular physical education classes thereby facilitating the on ice delivery of movement and fitness outcomes.  From October, until the first week in March, when we have access to the arena, the class will be scheduled as follows:

• One on-ice “double class” per cycle to maximize the time on the ice and the efficient delivery of learning activities.  This means that students and parents will only have to transport hockey equipment to the school once per cycle
• One class per cycle will be scheduled in the gymnasium or other facilities/areas as per class plans
• One classroom-based health class per cycle

During the rest of the year, the class is scheduled like the regular physical education classes:

•  Three classes per cycle in the gymnasium and/or other facilities/areas
•  One classroom-based health class per cycle

Curriculum

As the hockey skills class is embedded in the physical education classes, the regular physical education outcomes will be delivered with many of the movement and fitness outcomes being delivered on the ice. The hockey outcomes are directly linked and aligned with the five major physical education outcomes.  The development of the hockey fitness and skill outcomes will be a differentiated way of meeting all of the movement, personal safety and fitness management outcomes of the regular physical education program. There will be sport specific connections to the health and performance components of fitness.  The movement outcomes will be complemented and supported by the Hockey Canada skill development model.

Middle Years Philosophy

All three levels of our Hockey Academy programs have been structured on sound Middle Years philosophy.   For example, the programs have been developed based on the following characteristics of developmentally responsive middle schools:

• Students have had a meaningful voice in the development of the program
• The Hockey Academy provides a high interest, high engagement environment that supports the diverse learning needs of all students
• The curriculum is challenging, integrative and exploratory
• The program provides high quality avenues and access to the development of health, wellness and fitness

Program Delivery

The program will be planned and delivered by qualified teachers that include members of the school’s Physical Education Department and Grade 6, 7, and 8 Teaching Teams. 

Where appropriate, guest presenters will facilitate highly specialized on-ice outcomes.  Guest presenters will include High Performance Level coaches.  As the hockey skills classes are part of the regular physical education class and timetable, the structure and integrity of grade level mini-teams is preserved.

The program is open to all students in the school.  A process has been designed to fairly assign students to the hockey skills classes as we anticipate that requests for the classes will outweigh the available spots.

There will be an activity fee of $130 associated with the course.  The fee will be based on the recovery cost of the ice time and some basic equipment needed for the classes.