What is the Active School Flag?
The Active School Flag (ASF) is a Department of Education and Skills initiative supported by Healthy Ireland. It is awarded to schools that strive to achieve a physically educated and physically active school community. The process aims to get more schools, more active, more often.
In June 2016 we were awarded its first Active School Flag after a lot of hard work by the whole school. The pupils, staff and parents of Ballinkillen National School are committed to making activity and exercise a fun and everyday way of life in our school.
As a school, we choose different strands in the Move Well, Move Often programme as our focus throughout the year in P.E.
In order to achieve an Active Flag, we must fulfil criteria in four sections: Physical Education, Physical Activity, Partnerships and Active School Week.
We take part in lots of different activities during the year such as the ‘Sofa to 5K’ Challenge and our 'zap laps around the GAA track'.
Later in the school year, we also have an Active School Week and we try a variety of structured activities. Special credit must be given to the Active School Committee who promote many active initiatives throughout the school year under the guidance of Ms. O'Brien, our acting AP2, as our Active School coordinator.Our Active School Committee members organise events and help us to achieve our Active Flag. They lead the different initiatives and events and come up with some new, fun and exciting ways for us to stay active in our school The week ends with our Sports Day.
Our Active School slogan is ‘Come on, get moving and keep our health improving.’
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