Physical Education
St Brigid’s N.S Ballysax delivers a very broad and balanced PE Curriculum with every class having their one hour timetabled PE lesson per week. All six strands of the P.E curriculum are covered namely Athletics, Aquatics, Dance, Gymnastics, Games & Outdoor and Adventure Activities.
Teachers make full use of the PSSI lesson plans to guide their delivery of P.E lessons and to ensure best practice. Members of staff regularly undertake CPD in PE and ideas and resources are shared among staff.
Each child’s progress is discussed with parents at P/T meetings and feedback included in the child’s end of year report.
Our school carries out an annual audit of P.E. equipment and resources are organized and clearly labelled in our P.E. store.
Active Homework replaces all homework during Active School Week.
We have visiting coaches during the year to assist in the teaching of soccer and Gaelic Football. 5th and 6th Class have a six week block of swimming lessons each September/ October which take place in K Leisure, Naas. Our school teaches the Land PAWS water safety programme to 4th Class every year.
PE Timetable
St. Brigid’s N.S delivers a very broad and balanced PE Curriculum with every class having their one hour timetabled PE lesson per week. All six strands of the P.E curriculum are covered namely Athletics, Aquatics, Dance, Gymnastics, Games & Outdoor and Adventure Activities. Teachers make full use of the PSSI lesson plans to guide their delivery of P.E lessons and to ensure best practice.
Fundamental Movement Skills
This year we are working on the Fundamental Movement skills of Skipping, Balancing and Striking with an implement.
PE Equipment
Our sports equipment is stored in a central location and clearly labelled for easy access. We regularly undertake an audit and replace any broken equipment. We were delighted to recieve the news from the Active School Flag Team that we won new table tennis bats and balls. They arrived just in time for our table Tennis Takeover day last April. The new badminton rackets from Kildare Sports Partnership in conjunction with Badminton Ireland are another great resource to have.
Dance
Dance involves the child in creating, performing and appreciating movement as a means of expression and communication. The dance programme involves the child in a range of creative and folk dance. When creating dance, the child explores a range of body parts, body actions and body shapes. All classes complete both creative and folk dances in the Spring term. This culminates with our annual Céilí in March. Some classes even learn the months of the year as Gaeilge to the steps of the Macarena Dance!
Aquatics:
The aquatics programme is concerned with gaining competence and confidence near, in, under and on water. 5th and 6th Classes attend swimming lessons in KLeisure Naas during September and October. 4th Class complete the Land Paws Programme every year. All teachers complete lessons on water safety at an appropriate level to their class.
Gymnastics
Staff engaged in CPD in the strand of Gymnastics. The children learn the key skills of gymnastics such as rolling (forward, backward), balance, landing, flexibility and strength.
Games
Teachers choose from a wide range of resources to teach the strand of Games. All classes have the Move Well, Move Often Manuals at their disposal which aim to provide a range of tools to support the teacher in teaching fundamental movement skills throughout the primary school.
We have dedicated teachers and parents who train and organise matches so that the children can enter the Cumann na mBunscoil competitions every year in basketball and Gaelic Football.
Well done to our girls basketball team who reached the finals of the Cumann na mBunscoil competition this year.
They were narrowly beaten on the day but we are immensely proud of their dedication and effort all year.
Outdoor and adventure
Outdoor and adventure activities are concerned with walking, cycling, camping and water-based activities, orienteering, and outdoor challenge activities. We have really enjoyed using our Raon Reatha to engage in cross curricular walkway activities. Our School Tours always contain an element of outdoor adventure and fun. Congrats to 5th and 6th Class who have completed the Tri Heroes Programme.
Athletics
Through the strand of athletics all children develop their running, throwing and jumping skills. We have great resources in our school such as hurdles, javelins and relay batons. We have a great tradition of athletics in Ballysax and always compete in the Cumann na mBunscoil athletics competition. A lot of the children in our school are members of Suncroft Athletics Club.
Our athletics team had a great day in Rathcoffey recently. Our girls’ team claimed First Place and we also had an Individual First Place.
Well done to all the runners, trainers and supporters!