Active School
Run, jump and play – be active today! Our Active slogan for 2020! Active Flag It is with great enthusiasm that we are now placing a big emphasis on the renewal process for our Active Flag. Here in Kilbeg, we endeavour to promote the importance of healthy minds and healthy bodies. The benefits are fantastic – increased self-esteem, higher concentration levels and the ability to show team/social skills as the children become part of many different teams. We hope to bring as much activity into our daily school lives as possible. Having registered and signed up for renewal this year, we kicked things off last October when each teacher introduced Activity Breaks in class for the recommended 4 week period. These short breaks included dancing, simple exercises and stretches, the 10 @ 10 and guided activities on Go Noodle. With the inclusion of these breaks, the children reached their recommended total of 60 minutes each day as they currently already have approx. 40 minutes outdoor free play time. Our wonderful Parents Association also added to our outdoor activities by holding a sponsored walk in Deer Park at Halloween. Our Active Committee Co-ordinator – Mrs. Lennon Mrs. O’ Connor Nathan Moran Ellie Jackson Breen Kavanagh Aoibhe Donlon Kathia Farrelly Ruby Purfield Our Active Committee will be busy for the rest of the school year. We will hold a meeting once a month, to discuss ways to keep active, assess Playground Leader activity, discuss upcoming events and most importantly , deliver any messages we have back to their respective classes. The Active Committee have a wonderful programme of events planned for the rest of the year – including a “Leaping Leprechauns” event for Seachtain na Gaeilge ( lots of fun using the hurdles!) and a Skipathon. We are extremely lucky to have a wonderful gym, where these events can take place whatever the weather! The Gym has already been used frequently to keep our children active and we have been fortunate enough to have formed partnerships with Outside Agencies and Parents to give the children opportunities to try different sports in the capable hands of people who know best! Already this year, we have had the pleasure of welcoming parents Maria Jackson and Jason Dooner to coach our Gaelic and Soccer teams. The Senior classes took part in Cumann na mBunscoil earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They will take part in the SPAR FAI Primary School soccer tournament in the MDL in Navan later on in the school year. Meath Athletic Partnership have worked closely with the children when David Rock and his team brought 3rd -6th Class out to improve their jumping skills – long jump, triple jump etc. using his equipment. The children had lots of fun trying to perfect the ladder run or jump over the boxes in the right stance! Infants – 2nd Class are currently taking part in the Fundamental Movement Skills Programme with Ian Quinn from the GAA. These weekly classes are wonderful for boosting self-esteem whilst learning basic athletic skills. It’s a great way of keeping fit! Active Playgrounds We are delighted to have welcomed back our Active Playground for our afternoon lunch break. This is an initiative whereby volunteer Playground leaders from 4th -6th Class work off a rota system to take charge of small groups of children and set up activities/games for them each day. We have lots of equipment in our store room and the Playground Leaders are allowed to choose what equipment they wish to use and create their own game for a given age group. So far, so good! The children you are taking part all seem to have come up with wonderful ideas, which have been welcomed and embraced by all who are playing them. Well done and good luck to them for the rest of the year! Without volunteers to help us, this could not happen, so we appreciate all the boys & girls giving us their time. We look forward to keeping you posted on all our Active news over the coming months so check us out here or on our school Facebook page! Thank you for your support. The Department of Education and Skills wishes to recognise schools that strive to achieve a physical educated and physically active school community by awarding them the Active School Flag (ASF) This year we are working towards achieving our first Active School Flag. This flag is awarded to schools which promote physical activity among their pupils. To help us reach this goal, we will be educating the children about the importance of daily exercise. Being more active improves your child’s concentration, helps them relax, gives them more energy and is lots of fun too. In school we are aiming to increase the amount of physical exercise each child undertakes. Active School Committee proudly displaying the flag. Flag raised by the youngest and oldest student members of the committee on our Sports Day, Friday 12th June. It’s been a busy year for all the children and here are some of the activities they have engaged in so far this year. It started with the Cross Country running in Bellewstown and the Cumann na mBunscol Gaelic Football matches for the boys and girls in the senior classes. In school we are aiming to walk/run/jog the equivalent distance to travelling to Blanchardstown. This is going very well and certificates are given out to the children on completion of every 5kms for the runners and joggers and 2.5kms for the walkers. The Meath Local Sports Partnership have completed an athletics course with 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th classes and the coaches are coming back to complete an Athletics course with the rest of the school. At the moment the Junior & Senior Infants and 1st /2nd classes are participating in a Fundamental G.A.A course. This course focuses on agility, balance and co-ordination. Coaches from the G.A.A have started outdoor coaching in the school. There were lots of oohs and aahs when we all settled down to watch a handball demonstration in the Gym. from a World Champion! The Active School Flag committee are busy every day handing out hula-hoops, skipping ropes, basketballs and footballs at lunch time, everyone is busy getting more active.If it’s wet that won’t stop us we make sure that we dance in the classroom!!! We will be heading to Navan swimming pool for swimming lessons after Easter. Active School Week is coming up and we have lots of fun activities planned for the week. We’re hoping for a fine dry week!!! Thanks for all your help and support and remember exercise is fun and we would encourage you and your children to look up the website http://www.getirelandactive.ie for lots of fun ideas for you and your family to enjoy. More information for parents on the Active Flag website – here.
Active Flag
Active Week 2015
Active School Flag
Success!! June 2015
Active Flag Awarded!