Active Schools 2025/2026

We are a very ACTIVE School! We have been an active school since 2021 and we were granted our second active flag in June 2025! Last years committee worked extremely hard to earn our flag.

Our social media- Facebook and Instagram page are updated regularly- check them out to keep up to date with all of our active school activities and initiatives. 

We got a new active school uniform last year so we can engage in our daily sporting/movement activities with comfort. 

Our Active School Committee compromises of representatives from Junior Infants- 6th class. The active committee are very busy. Some of their jobs include organising whole school active initiatives, tidying the P.E. store, playground leaders, organising active homework, conducting surveys, updating the active notice board in the hall to name but a few. Our Active School Committee members this year are Freddie, Líadan, David, Callum, Lucy, Logan, Kelvin, Maebh, Sophie, Clara, Charlie, Eimear, Nicole, Freya & Robyn. 


Our current active school slogan was created by two pupils in 5th class.








Physical Education Curriculum:

All of the classes in our school are taught the six strands of the PE curriculum each year (five strands- infants).

We all teach the same strands concurrently and we also focus on the same two fundamental movement skills while engaging with each strand. Most teachers use the P.S.S.I. lessons to guide their planning and teaching.

​P.E. Curriculum Plan- 
Strand/Fundamental Movement Skills Plan
Sept/Oct- Athletics- Running/Jumping
Nov/Dec- Dance- Hop/Skip/Side step
Jan/Feb-Gymnastics-Landing/Balancing
March/April- Games- Catch/Throw/Kicking 
May/June-Outdoor Activities -Running/Skipping

We are also very lucky to be in such close proximity to the pool. 1st class -6th class always engage in an eight week swimming programme. They will go swimming in the summer term. The children in the Rock hub completed an eight week swimming programme  in September/October of this year and will have another 8 weeks of swimming in the summer term. 

All classes engage with the PAWS Water Safety Programme every June.


All classes engage in 60 minutes of P.E. lessons per week. Some classes split this 60 minutes into two 30 minute slots per week.


Strand & Fundamental Movement Skill Focus:
As part of our Active Flag we decided to put a focus on the Strand “Outdoor and Adventure Games” this year. 
 
 We also choose 4 Fundamental Movement Skills to focus on this year.
October- February
1) Running
2) Hopping
March- June
1) Striking with the hand
2) Side stepping 

School Breaks:
We have 2 breaks each day (11:00-11:15 and 13:00- 13:25) and all children are encouraged to engage in physical activity and movement. During term 2 and 3 we have Playground leaders who play various playground games with the younger classes.

Movement Breaks:
Every class engages with various different movement breaks throughout the day. These breaks helps the children to focus when engaging with the curricula, improves memory and reduces stress .
Some movement breaks that are popular in our school include:

Go Noodle
Outdoor sensory path- infant yard
Indoor trampoline
Scooter Boards
Climbing Wall
Cosmic Kids- Yoga
Dance Party 
10 @ 10 exercise breaks
Danny Go dances 
​Joe Wicks workout 
Walk on Wednesday initiative
Skipping break 
Running around the school perimeter


We also engage with the curriculum in an active manner on a daily basis. Check out Senior Infants autumn hunt   and 2nd classes outdoor shape hunt as some prime examples.

​More examples will be added throughout the year!





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​Partnerships:
Our Active School Notice Board- P.E. Hall

This keeps everyone in the school community (pupils, parents, staff, visitors) informed about upcoming  A.S. events and different ways in which our school keeps active. We also have a suggestion folder attached to our notice board where pupils and active school committee members are encouraged to suggest activities. We also recognise some of our Sporting heroes on our notice board.
 
Parents & Active Schools:
Parents/ guardians are informed about different initiatives/ activities that we are doing as part of  Active Schools in a variety of ways. Through the:
Active School Notice Board
Facebook & Instagram page
School email 
School Website- active school section and class pages
Principal's Termly Newsletter 
Our parents are very supportive of our active endeavours. Many of our them are involved in different sporting activities during the year. Some of our parents volunteer to help out during Active School Week. Some of our infant parents engage with Sugradh Le Cheile. Through our H.S.C.L., many of our parents will come into the school this year to partake in various physical activities such as Dance Fit classes, Pilates classes and Walk & Talk activities. We  also have many parent volunteers who join us every Thursday morning for our Cycle Bus.

Local Sporting Partnerships:
We have a very well established partnership with our local G.A.A. club Aodh Ruadh which is located directly behind the school. We have G.A.A. coaches that work with us on a regular basis- Brian Roper, Sylvie Maguire and John Larkin (hurling).
Declan Sherlock from Ulster GAA visits the school on an annual basis and teaches the children fundamental movement skills and hurling.
Aidan Mc Guinness who works with Irish Water Safety Ireland visits the school on a regular basis to teach us about water safety.
We also have a very well established relationship with Ballyshannon Leisure Club and the children from 1st- 6th and our Rock Hub classes partake in swimming lessons every year. Ag Súgradh Le Cheile is run by our H.S.C.L. teacher, Anita.
We work with Ray Gallagher from the Ballyshannon Rugby club who has taught the children how to play tag rugby. 
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​Physical Activities 25/26:


3rd & 4th class Cumann na mBunscol Blitz in Munday's- Thanks to Brian Roper for organising this.
3rd and 4th class pupils from schools across south Donegal partook in a mixed school blitz. The children really enjoyed themselves. 

Cycle bus -every Wednesday morning - September & October- Thanks to all of the parents, the Gardaí & pupils and staff from Gaelscoil Eírne who joined us each week. It is always a great way to start the school day. 







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Skipping Around the World- 6th - 23rd October- all of the classes partook in this A.S. initiative. Classes traveled to places such as the Sahara Desert, Mount Everest & the North Pole to name but a few. 



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​South Donegal Cross Country running event- 9th October- Well done to our pupils from 2nd-6th who represented our school so well at this event at the Rugby club in Donegal town. We were very proud to bring home 6 individual medals and that three of our teams were placed in the top three (under 9 boys, under 11 boys and under 13 girls).












​Golf taster session (22nd October) with Cian from Golf Ireland- 3rd-6th class. I think we might have some future Lowrys, McIlroys or Leona Maguires in our midst! The children really enjoyed their session of putting and chipping. 






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23rd October- whole school Halloween Disco to raise funds for Temple Street & our Parent’s association. 









6th November- Finals of the Winter League. Well done to our four teams captained by Robyn, Eira, Una & Ruth. Some great matches over the course of the league with pupils from 3rd-6th class taking part. Well done to Robyn’s team who won the league after going to extra time.