Physical Education

Move well, move oftern resources.
 Our teachers are dedicated to developing the children's
fundamental movement skills within their PE programme every year. This year our focus was on:

• Dance- undertanding and appreciation of dance; exploration, creation and performance of dance.
• Athletics- Running and walking.
• Gymnastics- Jumping for height.

PAWS water safety programme
Our 3rd class completed the PAWS water safety prgramme, it taught the children how to be safe around water in homes, farms, pools, beaches and our waterways. 

PE facilities, resouces and store room
We are so lucky to have fantastic facilities and resources in our school. Our PE store room is full of fun filled PE equipment. 
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Curriculum

As part of the Active School Flag process, the staff at Merlin Woods Primary School are currently reviewing status of Physical Education across the school. We have ensured that all pupils are provided with a minimum of 60 minutes of timetabled PE per week and that all classes are taught at least 5 different PE strands each year, using the PSSI and PDST lesson plans and resources.

PE has always been considered a vital element of the curriculum taught in our school and is discussed in PT meetings, and included in all annual school reports alongside other taught subjects.

Below is an outline of the strands and fundamental movement skills we have chosen to focus on throughout the course of the year for each month.

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PDST Training
​Our teachers attended  yearly PDST webinars and training events to further develop their ability to deliver the PE curriculum. Our focus strand is dance, some of our teachers attended a 'Dance workshop' with the PDST. We really enjoyed learning the new dances, the games and much more from our teachers. 

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Games

Gymnastics

Dance

We even learnt a dance at home while the schools were shut! Thanks to Múinteoir Grace for putting this together for us! Check it out at this link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wu6NMjuSnLrbrPukq2cWw4kvyhoWwO2s/view

St. Patrick's Day performance by our talented pupils and staff
Due to the COVID restrictions this year we were unable to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the way we hoped. This year our extremely talented pupils and staff created a video of them showcasing their talents, each class watched the performance in their classrooms. The talented pupils and staff encouraged many of our pupils to dance along with them and celebrate our national day.
​https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dwXZJrTOMHI8lHqZeNOG9Y4YVx4t7Z9V/view