Active Schools Flag

St. Vincent’s N.S. has been taking part in the Active Schools Programme, which encourages schools to be more active, more often. 

Although our school is already very committed to physical activity and sport, we are exploring new ways to stay active both inside and outside the classroom, ensuring that every pupil has the opportunity to move, play, and participate throughout the day.

Our school motto “Ar aghaidh linn le chéile” is displayed proudly at St. Vincent’s N.S. It captures our ethos of unity and teamwork as we embark on our Active School Flag journey. We aim to get more active, more often – reflecting the national ASF focus on participation.

Active School Committee

Reflecting our inclusive ethos, our Sixth Class students serve on the Active School Committee. They meet regularly to plan events, promote activity in every class, and act as yard “Cairde” (friends/buddies) who help younger pupils join in games safely and teach them new yard games during break times. This student leadership gives our older pupils a sense of responsibility while encouraging everyone to get moving.

Physical Activity

Active Walkway

Our scenic tree-lined surrounds around the school inspires our active culture. Around the grounds we have a marked Active Walkway with exercise stations. It has proven to be a great success and great addition to the school, aiding in outdoor learning and movement. Often, the whole school joins together to complete a themed active walkway, working in groups containing pupils from every class. We have done Active Walkways for Maths Week, Seachtain na Gaeilge, Active Week, Active Halloween, Christmas & Easter and many more.

Movement Breaks

The school has always been committed to movement breaks during the school day. This helps children stay focused, energised, and healthy. Our movement breaks give pupils the chance to stretch, jump, skip, or take a quick run around the yard between lessons. These short, fun activities not only help improve concentration in class but also encourage healthy habits and make the school day more active and enjoyable for everyone.

Active Holidays

At St. Vincent’s N.S., we love to make fitness fun throughout the year especially with our Seasonal Active Days. Whether it’s Active Halloween, Christmas Challenges, or Energetic Easter, every event is filled with movement, games, and teamwork. Pupils take part in fun activities that get everyone moving while celebrating the season. These special days add excitement to school life and help reinforce the importance of staying active, no matter the time of year.

Skip Around Europe

As part of our Active Schools programme, pupils at St. Vincent’s N.S., took part in the Skip Around Europe Challenge. During this month-long challenge, each class chose different European cities to “skip to,” completing as many skips as possible to reach their destinations. This fun and energetic challenge encouraged teamwork, improved fitness, and motivated pupils to be active while learning about the geography of Europe. It was a great way to combine physical activity with learning.

Cairde

Our 6th class pupils took on the role of 'Cairde' at breaktimes. They spent time on the infant yard, getting to know our younger pupils, helping them have a great time at break as well as organising equipment and making sure everyone is active at break.

Physical Education

At St. Vincent’s N.S. we are committed to delivering a comprehensive and balanced Physical Education programme. We recognise that PE plays a vital role in supporting the physical, social, and emotional development of every child. By providing a wide variety of activities across the strands of the curriculum, we ensure that pupils have the opportunity to develop fundamental movement skills, grow in confidence, and foster a lifelong enjoyment of physical activity.

Fundamental Movement Skills

This year at St. Vincent’s N.S., we have placed a special emphasis on skipping as part of developing our Fundamental Movement Skills. Skipping, along with other core skills such as running, jumping, catching, and dodging, is a key building block for physical literacy. By practising and applying these skills in a variety of games and activities, pupils grow in confidence and are more motivated to take part in physical activity. This led up to our Skip Around Europe Challenge. The senior pupils in the school helped teach younger children to skip and showed them skipping games and rhymes.

Athletics

We had great representation in in the cross-country county finals competition in Renmore this year. The effort by every athlete was suberb. Well done!

As part of the Athletics strand, we focused on relay racing. Older pupils took on the role of mentors, teaching the younger classes the correct techniques for baton passing, teamwork, and pacing. This peer-led approach not only developed leadership skills in the senior pupils but also gave younger children the confidence to grasp the activity. All of the training and practice came together in exciting relay races, where every child had the chance to put their skills into action and experience the fun of working together as a team.

Games

The Games strand is an important part of our PE programme. Pupils get the opportunity to develop their skills and teamwork through a wide variety of games, including hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, soccer, uni-hoc, volleyball, Olympic handball, basketball, dodgeball, etc. These activities allow children to stay active, learn new skills, and most importantly, enjoy playing together.

Dance

We explore rhythm, movement, and creativity through a variety of dance activities. Children enjoy learning set dances, creating their own routines, and using music to express themselves while staying active. Children love exploring all new dance trends, songs and movement.

Gymnastics

The children have really enjoyed partaking in gymnastics lessons during P.E this year. We were delighted to have School Fitness Ireland in to help the children explore this area. They have improved their agility, balance and co-ordination in these lessons. They have learned various ways they can move and shape their bodies to make certain figures and objects. Well done to all!

Outdoor & Adventure

Here at St. Vincent’s we place huge emphasis on active learning and our surrounds really help us in doing so. This includes going outside the classroom walls and undertaking activities in our natural environment. The children have takepart in literacy and numeracy trails around the school grounds such as using our ‘Maths Eyes’ around the school environ during Maths Week.

Swimming

As part of the Aquatics strand, pupils at St. Vincent’s N.S., have the opportunity to develop their swimming skills at Kilcornan Swimming Pool. They learn essential water safety, stroke techniques, and confidence in the water, while enjoying fun and engaging lessons. Swimming is an important part of our PE programme, helping pupils stay active and build lifelong skills.

Partnerships

We work closely with a number of clubs and organisations outside of school to offer children a variety of choices to enable them become physically active.

Below is a list of clubs and organisations that help us enable children to become physically literate in our local area:

Turloughmore GAA - https://turloughmoregaa.ie/

Claregalway GAA - https://www.claregalwaygaa.net/

Claregalway Handball Club

Cregmore FC - http://cregmoreclaregalwayfc.net/

Gymnastics - https://www.schoolfitnessireland.com/

Monivea RFC

Corinthians RFC

Claregalway GAA Coaching Officer - Ruth

Athletics - Clare River Harriers

Golf - http://www.cregmorepark.com/,  Athenry Golf Club

Basketball - Claregalway Basketball Club

Boxing - Monivea Boxing Club

Horse Riding -

Swimming – Kilcornan Swimming Pool

Galway Sports Partnership -Galway County Council