Our school community received our first Active School Flag Award in 2019. We achieved this by increasing levels of physical activities in our daily lives (both in school and at home), looking at specific areas of the PE curriculum, ensuring that all aspects of the curriculum are being taught and creating links with sporting agencies and community groups in our local area. The main goal of participating in this scheme is that a sense of health, well-being and physical activity will continue to be fostered in our school. We are currently in the process of renewing our Active Flag.
After some general information about our work towards achieving an Active Flag, you will find on-going updates of our progress in four categories:
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- Our ASF co-ordinator oversees a committee comprised of staff members and pupils.
- Discretionary time throughout the year is being used by teachers and qualified coaches to coach the children in a range of non-competitive activities including individual and team sports. For example, swimming lessons are taking place for 1st class and above in the third term. Gaelic football and hurling skills are taught after school as well as athletics and basketball.
- Each class is provided with at least 1 hour of timetabled Physical Education per week. This is comprised of at least two 30-minute lessons.
- Our PE Curriculum Policy was drafted by teachers as part of the Active School Flag process in 2018. It was ratified by the Board of Management. This plan will be reviewed and amended by staff on a regular basis. All staff members have access to the PE plan as well as the PDST lesson plans for teaching all aspects of the PE curriculum.
- An audit of all PE equipment was made and an itemised list ongoing acquisition of new equipment takes place.
- The specific area of focus within the curriculum was the Games Strand for our first Active Flag. This year the school is focusing on the Dance Strand for our flag renewal.
- We are aware of the importance of being physically active on rainy days when the children cannot play outside. If the children are unable to go outside due to rain, each teacher ensures that he or she gets at least 10 minutes of physical activity that day. Each class has a ‘Go-noodle’ or ‘Just Dance’ account.
- We are incorporating physical activity into our everyday lessons. For example, as part of Maths Week, all classes went on an maths trail. Walks around Knocknacarra, Cappagh Park and Bearna Woods have become more active and fun as well as educational.
- We have an ASF notice board whereby we inform our school community of our progress to date and any upcoming school events.
- All the children and staff love to dance in KETNS. We have explored dance at events such as the Halloween disco, Christmas disco. Every Friday the children dance in the yard listening to music on the school’s “party rocker” using a school’s playlist.
- We have liaised with the Health Promotion Officer with the HSE, and our school co-ordinator attended a Health Promotion Healthy School’s activity day in March 2018. All staff are aware of the importance of a healthy and balanced diet along with an active lifestyle.
- The KETNS yard is kept very busy. All the children are encouraged to run and travel freely around the yard. Ball and tag games are permitted and encouraged. The older children often teach the younger children new and exciting games. Yard markings were painted by a volunteer parent last in Spring 2019. The yard is divided into zones to facilitate different activities such as basketball, soccer, four square, skipping rope and running games.
- The school creates opportunities to exercise where emphasis in on fun e.g. active line where the children do different activities every morning during small break. Each day a different child from each class leads the activity. All classes engage in Busy Breaks throughout the day.
- Classes regularly take running breaks, and in the past we participated in a challenge of running around Europe.
- Every Thursday the children get ‘active homework’ where they are encouraged to get not only themselves physically active but also their other family members physically active too.
- The school has sent teams of students to hurling and soccer blitzes. An athletics team has represented the school at Galway City Sports. We are in the process of purchasing sports kits for school teams.
- Active School Week takes place annually in May.
Physical Education

Damhsa Gaelach/Irish Dancing in Rang a Dó
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Athletics in First Class
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Creative Dance in Rang a 3
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Gymnastics with Senior Infants
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Games: Fifth Class playing basketball
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Gymnastics with Senior Infants
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New PE equipment
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Obstacle course at the Spring Fair
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Physical Education (PE) with Second Class
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Physical Activity

Yard Zones
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New soccer goals
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Bizzy Breaks
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Bizzy Breaks – School Staff start a trend
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Fun Friday Halloween Disco
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Halloween Active Line
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European Day of Sports
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All School Yoga
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Circus Skills in Barna Woods
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Active Line Activity in the April Sun
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Active School Week

This is what Third Class got up to during Active School Week
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Fourth Class enjoying Active School Week
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Fifth class and their Active School week activities
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More throwing and catching with our Junior Infants
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Active School Thursday
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First Class practicing their ball skills over Active School week
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This is What Second Class did over Active School week
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Active School Week – Active Wednesday for our Junior Infants
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Active School Week – Throwing and Catching in Junior Infants
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Active School Week – First Class Learning how to Skip
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Partnerships

Afterschool Clubs
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Visit from an Olympic Medallist
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Circus Skills and Science with Galway Community Circus
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New Committee
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Whole-School Commitment
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Support from Rahoon/Newcastle GAA Club
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Gymnastics with Ranga 3
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Gymnastics with School Fitness Ireland
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5th Class doing Gymnastics with School Fitness Ireland
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All school Zumba
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