Active Schools and Cumann na mBunscol Week Featuring the KPS Mini All-Ireland

We celebrated both ASF week and Cumann na mBunscol week this year from 13^th to the 17^th June. Classes were assigned active homework and took part in a Cumann na mBunscol Art competition where the winners were the Artists of the Month for June. County footballers, hurlers, camogie players, handballers and rounder players from all over the country set the children daily challenges which they enjoyed attempting.

Each day all classes participated in sports activities. Some of the activities in the junior building included: yoga, dancing, parachute games, obstacle course, water relay, javelin/frisbee throwing, gaelic football, tennis, skipping, 3-legged/egg and spoon/sack races, pool noodle games, hula hoop/co-operative games, relays with hurdles. In the senior building activities included: basketball, obstacle course, egg and spoon/3-legged races, benchball, swissball dodgeball, X and O’s, skipping, No Man’s Land, parachute games, penalty shots, Shark Attack, Rock/Paper/Scissors, volleyball, hurling, dodgeball and tag games.

Thank you to the Active Assistants from each class who set up and cleared away the activities each day.

3^rd Class: Conor Stanley, Alan Zumeras, Aoibhe O’Toole, Sofia McIlveen, Saoirse O’Brien and Alex Finnegan.

4^th Class: Joseph Carstairs, Patrick Parker, Karlos McGarrity, Amelia Cowap, Danni Murphy and Shobal Palavila Alex.

5^th Class: Millie Dunne, Ornagh McDermott, Lucy Ferrick, Alexandra Gudumac and Tyler McElvaney.

6^th Class: Seán Massey, Isla Shannon, Dafydd Davies, Jack Prendergast, Jude Meenan and Ruby Devlin

On Friday, each class held a class race day. Thanks to Mr Harrington who set up three race courses for us including a 100m sprint, a 200m sprint and a long distance race. Well done to all pupils for participating and giving it their best effort!

Race Day Results:

3rd Class Race Day Results

4th Class Race Day Results

5^th Class Race Day Results

6^th Class Race Day Results

The Active Walkway got great use during the week, as it does throughout the year, and it was lovely to see classes out being active and chatting to each other as they walked. Thanks to 6^th class yellow for revamping our active fairy doors, they look like as good as new! Some classes also went on walks around the village and along the mass path.

Undoubtedly all children did their recommended daily hour of physical activity this week (and much more!) but most importantly all the children had great fun while being active too.

Mini All-Ireland

As part of Cumann na mBunscol week we had the KPS Mini All Ireland. The first round matches saw some exciting encounters where Wicklow overcame Dublin (hopefully a good omen for the future!), Monaghan beat Donegal, Mayo were the winners against Galway and Clare were victorious against Kerry. In the first semi-final a strong Wicklow team overcame Monaghan and in the second semi-final a skilful Clare came out on top.

An exciting final saw Wicklow take on Clare which many classes attended as spectators. The two teams were very evenly matched and the game was end to end. Skills were top notch and there were some fantastic scores taken. Both Wicklow and Clare worked well as teams and the atmosphere was one of sportsmanship and joy in playing a great game of Gaelic football. An incredibly nail biting finish saw Clare emerging as winners by a single point over a gallant Wicklow team. The players should be very proud of themselves for putting on a great display. The final score was Clare 8-06 and Wicklow 7-08. Both teams deservedly received medals. The future of the GAA in Kilcoole is bright!

Teams on the day were Clare: D. Kelly, M. Finnerty, J. Lockhart, E. Kelly, I. Kerley, C. Keating, A. Fitzgerald Lucey, O. Kelly and Wicklow: N. McCoy, L. O’Toole, R. Shannon, A. McLeavey, J. Dutton, D. Shannon, G. Finnegan and S. Keville.