Our Active Schools week took place from the 12th to the 16th of May 2025. Active events and activities were organised for alll class groups throughout each day of the school week, concluding with a Green and White Day (Jersey Day) on Friday the 16th to support our Limerick hurlers in the Munster Championship. During Active Schools Week, all children and staff wore tracksuits and runners. Additionally, there was no written homework assigned during Active Schools Week and instead the focus was on encouraging the children to be active and to play outdoors in the evenings.

Wake Up, Shake Up/Drop Everything and Move

We started off each morning with a Wake Up, Shake Up session in the yard for all. 10 minutes of upbeat music with a countdown was played whilst children from different classes guided their peers through exercises such as jumping jacks and cross taps in minute long bursts.

On one occasion during each day, the school bell was rung and the children dropped everything and moved in their classrooms! 

Active Breaks

At small break, music was played in the yard for children to dance around to and the children were also provided with skipping ropes and hula hoops to use.

Our Playground Leaders lead active games for their younger peers at lunch time. We introduced some fun, novelty games such as limbo and welly tossing. 

Lunch Time Soccer League

Boys and girls from 2nd to 6th class were divided into 4 soccer teams for our lunch time soccer league. The teams played games at lunch time on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The league finished with a play off and final on Friday, played in front of their peers, the cheers of support and encouragement could be heard all around the school!

GAA Training Sessions

All children had two GAA training sessions during Active Schools Week. We had training sessions with Seán on Monday, focusing on fundamental movement skills with Junior Infants to 1st class and hurling skills with 2nd to 6th class. On Friday, as part of our Green Jersey Day, Eoin trained the children from Junior Infants to 2nd class in football and 3rd to 6th class in hurling.

Whole School Active Stations

On Monday afternoon, all pupils from Junior Infants to 6th class were divided into 4 groups. The groups rotated through four active stations, allowing them the opportunity to engage with active games/activities that they don’t normally experience alongside peers of all ages. Children enjoyed playing skittles, completing a Boxercise class, doing Yoga and having a turn to take a spin around the yard on our wiggle carts!

Try It Out Tuesday

On Tuesday, all children had a chance to try out some new sporting activities during our ‘Try It Out Tuesday’ taster sessions. The children were divided into 4 groups and rotated through the different activities. Each child got the chance to try out tennis, table tennis, volleyball and olympic handball. Children with experience in the sports helped to explain the rules and show others how to play. We hope to continue playing these games going forward by incorporating them into our yard games and PE lessons.

School Fitness Ireland Sessions

Each class group engaged with the Fun Fitness and Gymnastics provided by School Fitness Ireland. The children loved trying out some impressive balances and completing an exercise circuit in their classrooms! These videos can be accessed and done at home by clicking on the logo.

Active Walkway Challenge

Pupils from Junior Infants to 3rd Class completed an active walkway challenge. In pairs, the children followed the walkway route. At each control point the children found a piece of playground equipment and a poster with a prompt to follow e.g. ‘Do 10 skips’. The children were active throughout the activity and used many different movement skills such as throwing, catching, kicking balls, balancing, skipping and jumping.

Wellbeing Wednesday – Yoga and Yard

Wednesday was ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’. In the middle of the day, we focused on some calming physical activities. All class groups used the yoga mats to complete a yoga session from Cosmic Kids or Yoga Adrienne. At lunch time, the children decorated the side yard with some fabulous drawings, adding some colour and joy to our concrete yard!

Walk a Mile With a Smile

On Wednesday, all children in the school completed the Walk a Mile With a Smile challenge on the Walkway. As our Walkway route is 278m long, it was determined that we would do 6 rounds of the route to ensure we had walked a mile. The children walked in pairs and chatted to one another along the way. Riddles were displayed at each control point to get the children talking and to put smiles on all the faces!

Rounders with Councillor Noreen Stokes

On Wednesday afternoon, we welcomed Councillor Noreen Stokes who is involved with the local adults’ rounders team. Noreen taught the rules of rounders to the children and guided the children through playing a game. We look forward to playing rounders more often in P.E. lessons and especially during our Sports Day in June when we will have more space at the G.A.A. field!

School Olympics

On Thursday, we had our ‘School Olympics’. The 47 pupils were broken up into 7 teams, each team wearing a different coloured bib. We ran many different running races, fun races (egg and spoon etc.), relay races and welly throwing challenges in the yard. In each race, different children competed to win points for their team. Teams supported and encouraged their teammates from the sidelines. This was a very successful event and was enjoyed by all, promoting teamwork, positivity and enjoyment.

Parents Vs. Children/Teachers Volleyball

On Thursday afternoon, some of our parents joined us to play against the children in a game of volleyball. The parents learned the rules quickly and a very competitive game was played with lots of different pupils getting a turn to take on the parents. The session finished with a Parents Vs. Teachers game. After a tense game and lots of cheering from the sideline, the parents came out on top!

Limerick GAA Walkway Quiz

On Friday morning, to incorporate the Walkway into our Green and White Day, the children completed a Limerick GAA themed quiz on the Walkway. Different questions were placed at each control point for the children to answer in teams. The questions included naming different hurlers, naming stadiums and answering GAA themed questions.

Limerick GAA Yard Disco

At lunch time on Friday, we played lots of different Limerick GAA themed songs. The children enjoyed dancing to the music and skipping with our much loved skipping ropes. Spirits were high as the children took pride in wearing their Green and White whilst looking forward to the upcoming Limerick Vs. Cork match!