Schools can make a substantial contribution to the health and well-being of the whole school community. Health Promoting Schools in Ireland provides a framework for schools to assess health needs and begin a process of working towards better health for all who learn and work within the school setting. Our school has been engaging in the Health Promoting School programme in conjunction with Catherine O'Loughlin, Regional Health Promotion Officer - Physical Activity in the HSE.
Our committee was set up in 2013 and is made up of staff members; Paul Murphy, Kay Lyons, Morgan O’Connell, Emer Power, Bríd Quinlivan and Willie Cronin, along with parents Gwen Ní Cheallaigh and Michelle McKeown.
Our 3 priority areas for stage 1 are:
- Healthy Eating
- Physical Activity
- Anti-Bullying
We have engaged with the Be Active After School programme, operated in conjunction with South Tipperary Sports Partnership and with the Food Dudes programme.
In 2014 we ran an Active Week, when each class group had 1 primary focus. We began each morning with a ‘Wake up, Shake up’ activity, involving all children dancing and moving in the yard. Clubs from around the town were invited in to demonstrate their activities to classes. Paul Ryan from the Irish Wheelchair Association brought wheelchairs to our school and all the school got to experience the everyday plight of people dependant on wheelchairs and realise that the focus on disability can easily be ability.
Much work has been done to steer our school towards becoming a Health Promoting School and we hope to complete the first stage of the process and be recognised as a Health Promoting School early in 2016.
