Students participate in two compulsory fitness sessions each week.
<h2>St Philip’s Christian College principal Darren Cox is a firm believer that “fitness grows brain cells”.</h2>
<p>So he spared no expense when building a new gym for the school: it is comparable to any private facility and complete with the latest “smart” exercise equipment and multimedia entertainment.</p>
<figure id="attachment_12070" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12070" style="width: 618px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-large wp-image-12070" src="https://www.school-news.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/SNAU09-SPORT-REC-Fitness-Equipment-Case-Study-St-Philips-7-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="618" height="412" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-12070" class="wp-caption-text">No expense has been spared with the new gym at St Philip’s Christian College, NSW.</figcaption></figure>
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<p>“When it came to equipping the gym with exercise equipment it was important that everything was absolutely top of the line,” says Darren.</p>
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<p>“Getting the best range says to the students ‘We love you, we value you and we want you to do the best you can in this space’.”</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-12075" src="https://www.school-news.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/SNAU09-SPORT-REC-Fitness-Equipment-Case-Study-St-Philips-4-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="618" height="412" /></p>
<p>Since the bright and colourfully decorated gym opened more than a month ago, students have enthusiastically taken to the new facility. A full-time gym instructor (who is a qualified teacher) is employed and a second gym instructor will come on board next year.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-12069" src="https://www.school-news.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/SNAU09-SPORT-REC-Fitness-Equipment-Case-Study-St-Philips-6-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="618" height="412" /></p>
<p>Students from Grades 5 to 10 are required to take part in two 50-minute gym classes each week which will increase to three weekly classes next year.</p>
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<p>“I’m surprised how quickly it has taken off,” says Darren.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-12071" src="https://www.school-news.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/SNAU09-SPORT-REC-Fitness-Equipment-Case-Study-St-Philips-8-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="618" height="412" /></p>
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<p>“It has changed the culture of the school already. The kids say they are sleeping better, they’re more alert and we have a group of Year 9 boys who haven’t been in trouble for a month because they’ve been at the gym.”</p>
<p>St Philip’s sits on 103 acres in Cessnock, in NSW’s Hunter Valley, but until one month ago the ever-expanding campus did not have a functional gym room.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-12074" src="https://www.school-news.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/SNAU09-SPORT-REC-Fitness-Equipment-Case-Study-St-Philips-3-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="618" height="412" /></p>
<p>In recent years the school has been growing (from 200 students to more than 1000) and adding new classrooms and buildings.</p>
<p>However, concerned about the childhood obesity epidemic and reports about youth mental health problems, Darren saw an important need to invest in physical education.</p>
<p>The new gym takes up the equivalent space of four classrooms and comprises a cardio room with 36 pieces of cardio equipment such as treadmills, rowing machines and exercise bikes.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-12068" src="https://www.school-news.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/SNAU09-SPORT-REC-Fitness-Equipment-Case-Study-St-Philips-5-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="618" height="412" /></p>
<p>The second room is devoted to strength training and houses the school’s colourful array of plates, weights and strength machines.</p>
<p>The equipment was supplied by Synergy Fitness &#8211; an Australian-owned designer and manufacturer of innovative fitness equipment.</p>
<p>Darren says Synergy Fitness had a similar philosophy when it came to the health of young people and combining functional fitness with cognitive development.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-12072" src="https://www.school-news.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/SNAU09-SPORT-REC-Fitness-Equipment-Case-Study-St-Philips-1-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="618" height="412" /></p>
<p>The company installed three SMARTFit Walls &#8211; panels attached to the wall containing LED sensory lights and activators which students trigger in a variety of ways to promote body movement.</p>
<p>Darren says the investment in fitness was all about looking after young people and also staff.</p>
<p>“We could have used the space for four classrooms for general learning but as a school we really believe in the importance of the physical fitness of our students.”</p>
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