Setting up for Getting Active!! 2021/22

​​September/October

We were very busy this year getting the school active and back on track with sports.  First of all, we elected a new Active Schools Committee/Students Council.  Students from 3rd to 6th Classes wrote a letter of application and a new committee was formed.  On our committee we have Sadhbh Patterson, Kate Carey, Ellen Condon, Zoe Hewitt, Arianna Smyth Fernandes, Orna Doran, Lilianna Stankiewiez, Kate Hewitt and Alexander Matess.

Mrs Skehan and Ms Kirwan have agreed to lead up the application for the Active Schools Flag.  Mrs Skehan has attended webinars ran by the Active Schools national body.  We did staff surveys to assess where we are at with P.E., physical activity and our sporting partnerships and which areas we need to develop.  We applied for staff training in the area of outdoor and adventure.
​
The first task was to get the playgrounds more active!  The committee met and put bags of equipment together for the different playgrounds.  We agreed a plan to keep things safe and how to manage the equipment. 
We set up football with Brian Whyte from Commercials and Barry Bourke from the Camogie Association.  More details on these are in our Partnerships section.

We did Irish dancing and line dancing in second class and Mrs Skehan's class.  The children had so much fun!!

A big thank you to 6th class for organising our zombie walk in October.  It was so frightening, even the teachers were scared!!

November / December 

Things have continued to be very busy and active coming towards the end of the year. Each class from Junior Infants to Sixth were focusing on Gymnastics for the month of November and Dance for the month of December. Music was played in the playgrounds in December to encourage the students to dance and move more. There was also a main focus on the Fundamental Movement Skills - jumping for height / landing. 

It was agreed with all the teachers that P.E homework would be assigned to each class based on the strand being covered at the time. Classes from 3rd to 6th will begin to use the Super Troopers Program in the coming weeks. 

We also completed a four week active break challenge. Each class was given a recording sheet in which they ticked each day which strand and activity they were completing. Activities included 5 minute move with P.E with Joe, GoNoodle, and Cosmic yoga along with many more. 

Active Walkway!!

We plan to walk the Active Walkway every day in June. Look at the Language Classes and Rang 6 enjoying their walk on Tuesday 11th June. The Senior Infant pupils who joined us enjoyed being out and about too! We did lots of walking, talking and admiring!

September and October 2019 Activities

• We set up our Active Schools Committee.
• We started doing our daily laps of the yard at different times of the day.
• We trained for and competed in the cross country athletics competition in Marylfield, Clonmel.
• 6th class started swimming lessons in Clonmel Pool.
• 5th class played rounders in the field at lunchtimes with Ms Conway.
• We held Active School’s Week.
• We held a whole-school Active Maths Day.
• In October, infants went on zombie walks around the school grounds.

November and December 2019 Activities

• We started Active Lines
• The children in the top yard enjoyed Funch (fun lunch) on Fridays in the yard to make our yard more active for younger children.
• We took on the Run Around Europe challenge and we started running the distance to Paris!
• 6th class started cycling
• 12 days of Fitness
• 3rd and 5th classes went for swimming lessons

January and February

• We continued the run to Paris
• We continued with Active Lines.
• We started Super Troopers homework.
• 2nd, 4th and the older speech and language children started swimming.
• We continued the Run Around Europe challenge, running the distance to Paris.
• Staff were given questionnaires about PE and gymnastics.
• A sample group of pupils were given questionnaires about PE and gymnastics.
• 4th Class had an “artist in residence.”  They went walking down the path to the park, drawing and sketching along the route.
• Go noodle and Busy Breaks are being used in school.
• Suggestion Box was decorated and placed outside the office.  We open it weekly and read what suggestions people are making.  We discuss all suggestions at Active Schools Meetings.
• Funch is continuing every Friday with activities in top yard.
• Mrs Skehan showed pupils in 5th and 6th class some activities they can do at lunch time.  The children are now enjoying French skipping, ball games and skipping.

 
March and April

• Whole School Dance – we performed “An Damhsa Mór” for Seachtain na Gaeilge in the yard.
• Staff showed their singing and dancing skills as they performed “Sister Act” and “Mama Mia” at our fundraiser “Stars in Your Eyes” in Hotel Minella.  They performed it for the children at the Seachtain na Gaeilge Concert. 
• Staff received PDST training in gymnastics.
• Run to Paris is still going.
• Kool school did a taster session with pupils from our school who are in Kool School Gymnastics outside school.  Pupils were very impressed with the fantastic display that the gymnasts performed.
• Hurling started for Junior Infants to 1st Class. 

May and June
 

• Whole School Dance 
• Drop Everything and Dance
• Sports Days
• 6th Class vs Teachers basketball match
• GAA camogie -  2nd to 6th class
• Active School Tours
• Active Homework
• Athletics Track and Field training and inter-schools event
• Active Walkway – 1km a day challenge
• Active Lines
• Rounders for 5th class at lunchtime