This year we will be applying for our second Active Flag. We are looking forward to a visit from the Active School Flag inspector in June and we hope they will be impressed with all our work.

We have so many different activities going on in school such as Playground Leaders, Active Breaks, Operation Transformation 10@10, running initiatives, skipping challenges, pilates, cycle training, dancing, along with basketball, lunchtime athletics, fitness challenges camogie, GAA training and Swimming!

Along with all of our usual sport activities, Our committee members are playground leaders and lead Active Lines at breaktimes. They have also devised busy breaks for use in the classroom on wet days.

Our pupils are very busy all year and are involved in a variety of sporting activities and clubs outside school such as basketball, swimming, hip hop dancing, Tae-kwan- do, soccer, hurling, Gaelic football camogie and athletics.

We have annually held a very successful Active School Week in June. We have a packed timetable full of activities including Olympic Handball tournaments, GAA and Basketball blitzes, teachers v students matches, orienteering, school walk and cycle training and penalties against Mr Quinn. We will be adding more exciting activities to this list soon and we are preparing for a fun-filled Active Schools Week 2019 also. Active week will be held from June 17th to 21st 2019.

We have organised our PE room and labelled and categorised all of our equipment. We replaced any broken items and also purchased more athletics equipment to develop this strand.

Along with our usual PE time we set aside extra time in the week for activities such as the running initiatives, 10@10 active breaks and GoNoodle dancing in our classrooms.

Mark and Hayley from the Wolfe Tones Club have been coaching our pupils in GAA skills all year and the children thoroughly enjoy their lessons and activities.

We have invited Clare Local Sports Partnership into our school to provide us with coaching in the area of basketball. Mike Hickey hosted a fun coaching session with us in March 2019. We participated in the Active Homework initiative in January 2018 and 2019 and pupils made an extra effort to be extra active each day.

We have also participated in Clare Sportshall Athletics for the 4th year in a row. This event is organised by James Murrihy, who is the local Sports Inclusion Disability Officer. James has provided coaching for pupils and teachers in the area of athletics and this has been a very valuable experience for all.

Pupils and parents alike have responded positively, in recently distributed questionnaires, to all our work in the Active Schools Programme and we were so delighted that pupils and parents were enjoying and reaping the benefits of the Active Schools Programme, We really feel fitter and healthier!

We look forward to attaining a new astroturf and playing facilities for our school, which we are currently fundraising for. Hopefully, we will be able to avail of our new astro turf pitch for an even wider range of activities!

Well done to all involved especially our eager and fantastic Active School committee members. They have been excellent throughout the preparation process and have contributed to so many fantastic ideas in the Active Schools Programme in St Tolas.

Remember to have fun and stay active!

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The Department of Education and Skills wishes to recognise primary schools, special schools and Youthreach centres to apply.
The Active School Flag will be awarded to schools that:
– Adhere to DES guidelines regarding PE timetable provision for all students
– Teach a broad and balanced PE curriculum
– Inform to and invite the whole school community participate in the ASF process
– Self-evaluate current provision in terms of PE, Physical Activity and Community Links
– Plan and implement improvements for each of the aformentioned areas
– Organise an ‘Active School Week’ as part of the annual school calendar
Schools should work to their own time frame in order to implement changes that will have real and tangible benefits. The ASF is a whole school process and schools are encouraged to look towards parents, the local community and outside agencies (HSE, LSPs, NGBs, PDST) for their support.
The Active School Flag is funded by the Teacher Education Section of the Department of Education and Skills and based in Mayo Education Centre. Once awarded the ASF remains valid for a period of 3 years.