Health Promoting School Initiative

Our school has decided to develop as a Health Promoting school. In a Health Promoting School(HPS), health is defined in its broadest sense and refers to social, emotional, mental, spiritual, cognitive and physical health. The school recognises that these dimensions of health are interconnected and are influenced by the school’s environment.

A HPS (Health Promoting School) school aims to

• Promote health and mental wellbeing of pupils and staff
  
  
• Enhance the learning outcomes of pupils
  
  
• Provide a safe and supportive environment
  
  
• Involve pupil participation and empowerment
  
  
• Address the health and wellbeing of school community
  
  
• Integrate health into the school’s ongoing activities, curriculum and assessment standards
  
  
• Develop a healthy physical and social environment
  
  
• Develop healthy school policies which promote health and well-being
  
  
• Foster effective links with the home and community
  
  
• Make efficient use of health services in the school context.
  
  
• Explore the positive  evidence on the effectiveness of health education and promotion in areas of physical activity, healthy eating,  and mental health
  
  
• Implement a whole school approach to health/healthy eating/hydration.
  
  
• Educate children  to the benefits of good hygiene
  
  
• Comprehensive approach to physical activity
  
  
• Encourage parental involvement
  
  

Benefits of a HPS

• Better learning outcomes for children
  
  
• Improved staff well-being
  
  
• Coordinated approach to health and wellbeing
  
  
• Increased self esteem
  
  
• Safe and more secure school environment
  
  
• Lower incidence of bullying
  
  
• Better links with parents and outside community
  
  

Ongoing  inschool sports include:

• GAA training
  
  
• Swimming
  
  
• Hurling
  
  

This term we are focusing on physical activity and have put in place a range of afterschool sports

• Multisport for the Juniors and Senior Infants
  
  
• Basketball, Gymnastics and Soccer for 1st to 4th class
  
  
• CPR training day for 6th class
  
  

Active Week includes extra physical activity such as

• Cycling
  
  
• Circuit training
  
  
• Basketball
  
  
• Tennis
  
  
• Jogging
  
  
• Hockey
  
  
• Playground games
  
  

Please check out www.gonoodle.com for a wealth of activities to add fun to physical activity and mental agility!!