Active Schools
This year, we are working towards getting an Active Schools Flag for our school. The aim of the Active Schools Flag is to encourage schools to be more active, more often. It links in with all of the work we are doing throughout the year on Healthy Living - being active, getting exercise, taking care of our minds and bodies.
For more information on the Active Schools Initiative, see here.
Looking back on Active Schools Week
Day 2
Day 3
Final Day
Active Schools Week
We are so excited to celebrate our first annual Active Schools Week. Filled to the brim with a range of fun activities to keep us busy throughout the week!
Take a look at our overview for the week!
This whole week we will all be wearing our school tracksuit and we will have active homework to complete each evening! The first piece of homework can be found here. Choose one "Keep Well Family Fitness" work out video to do each night.
Watch this space for your second piece of homework.. there are some famous faces who have set challenges for us, one will be released each day at 1:30pm.
Famous Face Challenges
Our first Famous Face
Challenge is set by Intermediate Football Champion and Past
Pupil Sean Morrissey!
Tuesday
Wednesday
Our second "Famous Face Challenge" is set by Munster
and Ireland Rugby Player Conor Murray! Watch out for our
amazing 6th class girls too!
Our Final Famous Face Challenge has been set by Ballintubber and Mayo Senior Football Player Diarmuid O'Connor! Watch out for our amazing 6th class boys too!
Thursday
Not finished with ASW21?
We have had such an amazing Active Schools Week this week! But If you're not finished Getting Up and Getting Active... here are some bonus activities for you to do at home! Have a look through at the challenges laid out for us by Irish Heart Foundation and Swim Ireland.
Click here for a library of "Go noodle and Koo Koo Kanga Roo" videos!
Road to Tokyo
UPDATE: Congratulations to each of our teams! With hard work and lots of fun we all made it to Tokyo!
Our school is participating in the 2021 Dare to Believe Olympic School Challenge - Road to Tokyo. This is a Team Ireland initiative that wants students and families around Ireland to make the virtual journey with them to the Tokyo Olympics. This challenge aims to get everyone excited about the Olympics and also encourages kids to get moving and be physically active.
To log an activity for your team at home, follow these steps:
Step 1: Visit www.daretobelieve.ie/roadtotokyo
Step 2: Find & select our school
Step 3: Use the drop down menu to select your class team and enter the class pin listed below
Step 4: Log activity
Physical Activity
We aim to maximise all opportunities for physical activity at school. The boys get out to play in the yard as much as possible, but on days when bad weather prevents outdoor play, all teachers include fun physical ‘Brain Breaks’ in the classroom such as: Just Dance, Go Noodle, Koo Koo Kangaroo etc. All while staying Covid Compliant.
We regularly use physical activity as a reward, we are so lucky to have a fantastic school pitch to avail of along with our yard space.
Our yard space is beautifully decorated with fun activities for the children to play at break times. We even have a busy break corridor in the junior end of our school.
The Active Schools Committee
The Active Schools Committee is made up of elected representatives from JI-6th class, Active Schools Coordinators Ms. Daly 4th and Ms. Armstrong SI/1st class teacher.
This year our meetings took place outside to remain Covid-19 compliant.
The committee came up with this years slogan... Get Up, Get Active!!!
Partnerships
Partnerships within and outside the school are an important aspect of the Active School Flag.
When a school participates in the Active School Flag Programme it is vital to interact and engage with other organisations and clubs.
We are very fortunate to have had a variety of partnerships during our Active Flag mission.
We have an extremely supportive and ongoing partnership with Mayo GAA Coaching.
Take a look at the children developing their Football skills with Kieran and their Camogie and Hurling Skills with Adrian!
An extra thanks to past pupil Anucha and Adam for passing on their skills to us!
We are very lucky to have a strong partner in community guard Mick Toland. He and his colleague Colm Boyle have been very generous with their time and expertise. Visiting our school to teach all about Cyber, Cycle, Water and Farm safety,
Clubs and Teams Survey
The children from 2nd class to 6th class took part in a clubs and teams survey. The children listed the sports they play outside of school.
(Before Covid-19)
Here are the Results:
-10 students play Rugby- 7 students training with Claremorris and 3 training in Castlebar.
-68 students play GAA - 65 training with Balla, 2 with Claremorris and 1 with Carnacun.
-16 students do Athletics- 5 training with Claremorris and 11 training with St. Colemans.
-50 students go to Swimming - 12 in Castlebar, 25 in Claremorris and 13 in Breaffy.
-9 students do Gymnastics- 3 in Ballina with Nadia gym and 6 in Castlebar.
-54 students play Soccer- All 55 train in Manulla
-9 students go Horse riding- 1 in Foxford, 2 in Barnacarroll and 6 in Claremorris.
-2 students do Boxing- 1 in Aglish and 1 in Claremorris.
-5 students play Basketball- 1 in Ballintubber and 4 in Kiltimagh
- 13 students play Hurling- 9 in Castlebar, 3 in Ballyvary and 1 in Claremorris.
-8 students do Karate- 7 in Belcarra and 1 in Castlebar
- 10 students do Dance- 9 with Balla Dance and Speech and Drama and 1 Balla Irish Dancing.
-26 students play Golf- All play in Balla Golf Club
The PE Curriculum
There are 6 strands in the P.E. curriculum:
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Athletics
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Dance
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Games
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Gymnastics
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Outdoor and Adventure
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Aquatics
This year due to Covid Restrictions the Aquatics strand will only be taught in the classroom. With a visit from our Community Guard Mick Toland.
Usually Aquatics being taught both in the classroom (water safety) and in the swimming pool (lessons begin in 2nd class).
Physical Education is allocated 1 hour per week of overall teaching time.
If you wish to take a look at the curriculum, it can be found on the NCCA website. Click here.
