What is Active School Week?
According to our Active School Committee, “Active School Week is a week in which ALL children from ALL classes complete fun exercises and get taster sessions of activities that are outside of school”.
Our Active School Motto.
Our Active School week normally takes place in June. Children were tracksuits to school each day and instead of written homework children are given Active Homework for the week. For example, jumping jacks, high knees and a plank. A whole school race day will take place and children will also have the opportunity to visit the Peace Link. Different after school organisations come to school to give a taster session. We try to make it different each year. This year it will be slightly different due to Covid restrictions. Activities will be class/ pod based and will all be conducted outdoors. This will not hamper the spirit of our Active School’s Week! We have lots of fun activities planned for week. Monaghan Partnership has kindly agreed to provide coaches for outdoor activities, we hope to have a modern dance slot, coaching sessions from our local GAA stars and Largy College have kindly provided us with some online teacher/pupil challenges for us to complete as part of their Active Schools submission. We have lots of cross curricular lessons planned for our Active Walkway.
Cross Curricular Integration
Teachers during this week integrate many subjects with PE. In English children complete kinaesthetic (movement) spelling instead of written spelling. Children complete maths sums and counting with an active integral such as if the answer is 5 the children complete 5 jumping jacks. As part of literacy and oral language children give oral reports on their favourite part of ASW. They also draw pictures of their favourite aspect. Older classes write paragraphs on ASW. Children compose active raps, songs and poems to showcase to parents and other classes. In Science children learn about the body & the importance of exercise. In older classes the functions of major organs are learned. In SPHE the children in ALL classes learn about the healthy eating pyramid & the importance of eating healthy. Children also take part in SESE, Literacy and numeracy trails in the school grounds and surrounding locality. Integration with Irish is used in every class through the use of Sos Beaga & Cluichí Clóis.
Active School’s Week 2021
As part of Active School’s Week 2021 Múinteoir Diarmuid and Múinteoir Philip liased with Clones GAA to run a fun Sport’s Day in St.Tiarnach’s Park. Past pupils, Clones GAA players and Monaghan GAA coaches manned six stations on each side of the pitch where each class/bubble got to participate in fun activities at each station in 15 minute slots. It was a great day and the sun shone brightly in St.Tiarnach’s Park. We were very lucky to have a special visit from county players Ryan McAnespie, James Mealiff and All Star Colin Walshe.
Active Home Week 2020
Last year our Active Week took a very different form. Due to Covid we were being home-schooled and so we had to have an Active Home Week. The teachers met on Zoom to put together a week long programme of events that pupils could preform at home. We were kindly assisted by members of our local GAA clubs Fintan Kelly, Darren Freeman and our own Múinteoir Anita who made exercise and skill challenge videos for the children to follow and try out at home. Múinteoir Ciara set five fun athletic challenges to try at home and provided a list of healthy snack ideas that could be made at home. We had a great response to Active Home Week. We got lots of photos emailed to school to show how well you participated and we created a great Active Home Week collage on our return to school.
Some of the activities from Active Home Week
ROI-PE-004-Active-Week-Homework-Challenges
Athletics Activities
Today we are going to work on some speed, agility activities. Remember that it’s really important to get your muscles warmed up before you start!
Spend 10 minutes on your warm up.
Warm ups !
A simple warm up could start with a slow jog for 3/4 mins.
Then move into some warm up exercises.
Mark out an area to do your drills in.
Start with some jumping jacks to get your heart pumping!
Then start at one end of your drills area and move from one side to the other with high knees.
Jog back and repeat using bum flicks, shuffling from side to side, lunge/squat/lunge squat.
See https://www.activekids.com/soccer/articles/10-dynamic-warm-up-exercises-for-youth-athletes/slide-9 for some detailed videos of warm up ideas.
Challenge One – Speed bounce
What you need:
A towel/ top rolled up or we used 4/6 toilet rolls side by side!
A stopwatch (you can use this feature on a phone)
With your feet together jump over and back over the obstacle landing on two feet.
See how many bounces you can do in 30 seconds! Can you get over 50??
See this clip to see how it’s done!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWHnVq5j3zo
Challenge2 – Standing Long Jump Challenge
What you need
A tape measure
Clear space for soft landing
- Stand at the edge of your jumping area.
- Start in a squat position with your hands behind you.
- Bring your arms forward as you are taking off to propel you forward.
- Land on two feet.
- Get someone to measure your distance from your take off point to where the back of your foot lands.
What’s the longest distance you can get in three attempts??
See the below clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ2dhKyXQ-A
Challenge 3 : Shuttle Run Challenge
This challenge tests your speed and agility. Remember to do your warm ups first!
What you need :
Cones or anything to mark out a distance.
A tape measure
A stopwatch
- Decide on where your starting point is and from there measure out roughly 10metres. Put a marker at that point.
- You must run as fast as you can from your starting point to the cone, touch the ground at the marker and run back to the start line. This is counted as one run. Repeat as fast as you can.
How many runs can you make it 2 minutes?
Challenge 4 :Throwing and Catching
This activity works on your basic throwing and catching skills.
What you need:
A light ball
Clear space to sit and stand in
You sit on the ground and throw the ball into the air.
You have to get to your feet and catch the ball at it’s highest point.
You get a point for every time you catch the ball. You must start back at zero if you drop it.
You can even include your pet in this challenge!
See how many points you can score!
See https://youtu.be/iXbY7gldV1U
Challenge 5: Balance Beam Challenge
This challenge is aimed at basic body movements while working on balance.
All you need is some masking tape
Stick a strip of tape along the ground and use it as your balance beam.
Get someone to call out some different movements that you can perform on the beam.
Examples: Walking forwards/ backwards, high knees, bounds, crab walks.
See the following link for some ideas:
Well done on completing these athletics challenges!
Remember to send us in some photos or your challenges and record your times/ scores!
Keep well hydrated during your activities.
Family Home Challenge
Could you devise an abstacle course using things you have in your home/garden. For example brush handles, old sheets, markers, a ladder!
You could try incorporating some of the ideas we have tried today.
Take turns at completing the course. Time members of your family and see who complete it it the fastest time!
Send us a picture of your course..be as creative as you can
Recipes
Banana Squish
Ingredients
One ripe banana
Peanut butter
Whole wheat wrap
Method:
- Spread peanut butter on the whole wheat wrap.
- Place the banana at the edge on the wrap.
- Wrap the banana up.
- Carefully cut the wrapped banana into bite sized pieces.
Enjoy with a glass of milk!
Active Week 2019