Minister for Education Norma Foley launched details of this year’s Active School Week.
National Active School Week #ASW22 takes place from 3-6 May. All schools are encouraged to build Active School Week into their annual school calendars. It is important also that all Active School Week activities are both fun and inclusive.
Minister Foley said, “I am delighted to launch Active School Week for 2022 and I encourage all schools to take part in this worthwhile initiative. This is an ideal opportunity for schools to work together with children, parents, and the broader community to become more physically active which benefits overall wellbeing as well as teaching and learning. I want to wish everyone taking part in #ASW22 an enjoyable week of active fun.”
Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Frank Feighan, said, “The promotion of physical activity is one of my priorities as Minister for Public Health and Wellbeing. It is vitally important that we encourage children and young people to get into the habit of being active from an early age. This is a behaviour that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. The Active School Flag has been a key component of our wider Healthy Ireland goals in terms of improving children’s activity levels and wider health and wellbeing; it has been great to see it go from strength to strength and to expand its reach.”
Schools are asked to consider strengthening their links with local clubs and physical activity providers to raise awareness about the breath of physical activity opportunities that exist in local communities.
This year schools are encouraged to look to their local communities for a local (or national) physical activity role model, and to invite this local hero to set a physical activity challenge for students and staff during national Active School Week, on Friday, 6 May.
The #ASW22 Active Every Day Challenge encourages both school communities and families to work together to help more children and young people gain more active minutes every day. The challenge for schools is to find three different ways to energise the school day. Teachers are encouraged to find ways to teach subjects in a more physically active way and, where possible, to bring learning outdoors.
The Irish Heart Foundation has created interactive Bizzy Breaks especially for #ASW22 to help schools integrate short physical activity breaks into the school day. Research shows that physically active children find it easier to concentrate and focus and enjoy school more.
As part of #ASW22 schools are also asked to replace written homework with Daily Physical Activity Challenges. These challenges could be set by members of staff, sports organisations and/or by local or national role models.
This year Cycling Ireland is encouraging schools to create a cycling obstacle course on their school grounds.
Parents/guardians are asked to help young people to continue to find ways of being physically active after school. A wide range of Keep Well resources is available to help families get active together. School staff members are also encouraged to build physical activity into their day once school ends.