Active Flag
We are busy here in Glenswilly National School working towards the renewal of our Active Schools Flag. The Active School Flag (ASF) is awarded to schools that strive to achieve a physically educated and physically active school community. The process aims to get more schools, more active, more often. We will continue during this new school year to maintain our high standards and focus on being active.
Physical Education
PE School Plan
All classes in our school are taught five of the six strands of the PE curriculum each year. The six strands are: Aquatics, Athletics, Games, Dance, Gymnastics and Outdoor and Adventure.Since undertaking the Active School Flag, the school has created a standardised PE timetable for the school year so that all classes are taught the same strand at the same time. The standardised PE timetable ensures a balanced amount of teaching time to these strands throughout the school year.The plan highlights the PSSI lesson plans to guide teachers in their planning of PE. The PSSI lessons have been made easily accessible for all teachers to use. We have decided to teach four skills this year, walking, running, throwing and catching.
All teachers use the Move Well Move Often resources.
The school plan also ensures that P.E. homework is given once a week, related to the PE strand they are working on at the time.
Senior classes are given a 60 minute physical activity challenge to complete for homework three times a year. P.E. is discussed with parents at P.T. meetings and feedback is included in the annual school report.
Class PE Timetables
Physical Education is allocated 1 hour per week of overall teaching time. In November, the Active Schools Committee checked that every class has 60 minutes PE time in their timetable. They confirmed that all classes were timetabled for 60 minutes a week. All classes opted for two 30 minutes slots. Discretionary time is also used towards PE.
Dance
This year the school chose to prioritise dance as the PE strand for further development. We worked with PineHill Studios who came into the school for a six week period and worked with teachers and students to deliver dance lessons effectively. Watch one of our classes here learning the moves to the song, Get Your Head in the Game!! You can watch the video here now Get Your Head in the Game
PE Equipment
In January, the Active School Committee carried out the PE equipment audit.
PE equipment was counted and a record of all PE equipment in the school was taken. This record will be kept near where the PE equipment is stored.
The audit allowed us to see what equipment we already have in the school and what equipment we needed to get.
As a result of the audit we invested in some new equipment for the school. This included new balls, skipping ropes and tennis rackets.
Once the equipment was counted and recorded, the committee sorted and labelled the area where it is stored.
Active Reward Chart
In our classrooms our teachers use a reward chart to reward the whole class for good behaviour, kindness, doing our best and showing respect.
When we have our reward chart filled we get some extra physical activity as a reward thus replacing sweets as treats.
Land Paws
Second and third class take part in swimming lessons. In 4th class, each year we learn all about water safety.
Through the Land Paws programme from the Irish Water Safety Association we find out about water safety in the pool, in the home, on a boat,
on the beach, on the farm and on the waterways. We also learn what to do if we saw somebody get into difficulty in the water.
Physical Activity
Break Time
We have two breaks throughout the school day where the children are encouraged to go outside and play.
Three times a week from a Tuesday to a Thursday the playground leaders leave out playground equipment for the children to play with.
They really enjoy this.
Game of the Month
At the start of the month at our Committee meetings we introduce a new game. The committee members then go back to their class and
teach them how to play it. Some of the favourite games they played this year included Dodge Ball and Snatch the Bacon.
Active Lines
From Monday to Thursday the Active Committee Members in the class lead their classmates in a number of exercises to keep them active.
Break Everyday Challenge
In November and January, every class in Glenswilly, takes part in the Active Break Challenge. This year it will run from November 9th to December 4th. This meant that every class was committed to taking an Active Break Every Day over the four weeks. The benefits of this for the pupils are improved concentration in class, improve fitness and improved long term health benefits. Classes tried out different activity breaks including running breaks, dance breaks and exercise breaks. Many classes used Go Noodle for dance breaks, 10@10 Classroom Movement Breaks, in association with Final Sports Partnership, Bizzy Breaks for Bizzy Minds and Bodies from Irish Heart Foundation. Some classes went for walks around the school, running or created an exercise box where a child had to choose an exercise at random for the class to complete.
Do Your Talking As You Are Walking
To ensure that children stay active during break times, children are encouraged to ‘Do your Talking as You are Walking’. This way the children can chat and stay active at the same time. We ran an art competition to promote this. We displayed the winning posters on classroom windows all around yard. We have posted winning posters on classroom windows all around yard. The Active School Committee keep an eye out to ensure this is being enforced.Have a look at some of the work of talented artists in Glenswilly!!!
Active Breaks
It’s not easy for adults or children to sit for long periods of time without getting restless and losing focus. Here in Glenswilly N.S., we incorporate lots of movement breaks in throughout the day to ensure we get a break from our seats and are kept focused. These breaks could be an action song, 10@10, an activity from ‘GoNoodle’ or Drop Everything and Dance.
Wake Up, Shake Up!
Every Wednesday morning, the whole school meets outside for Wake Up, Shake Up! Classes from 6th to 3rd, took a month each.
They had to compile a routine and lead it.
K a Day
It has been a long tradition in Glenswilly N.S. to Run a K a Day. The 1k was measured and it equals roughly 3 laps of the school. As running is so good for us both physically and mentally we do this everyday at 2p.m. when we can get a bit tired and restless from trying to sit and concentrate in class. We come back in refreshed and ready to set to work again.
Feel Good Friday
On the last teaching Friday of each month the school takes part in Feel Good Friday. Physical Activity makes you feel good, fact! This initiative encourages the school to take part in a fun, inclusive and energised classroom based activity in a different way each month. To start, November 27th will be a dance competition. Each class must record their dance and the winning class get to pick the activity for the following month.
Physical Activity throughout the Year
September: Run Around Europe
October: Witches Walk, Catch the Broom, Beat the Witch Relays
Maths Week- Trails
November: Active Break Everyday Challenge
December: Christmas Santa Bop
January: Active Challenge- Which Class can fit in the most?
February 14th – Mind your Heart Day
March: Seachtain na Gaeilge Ceili
April: Active Home Week
May: Inter Class Challenge; Which class can do the most keepie uppies, jumps or skips in a month?
June: Take on the teachers challenge Basketball match.