School Activities

	School Activities
	Swimming
	Children from 4th, 5th and 6th class are taking swimming lessons every year in Naas Swimming Pool. All three classes, approx. 70 pupils travel by bus to Naas Swimming Pool on Monday afternoons. They leave the school at 1.30pm and arrive back at 3.30pm approx. There are 10 swimming lessons in the 1st term and 10 swimming lessons in the 2nd term. The children are divided up into three groups at first: non swimmers, swimmers and advanced swimmers. There are three qualified swimming instructors to coach the children. Two teachers accompany the children, 1 male and 1 female. One teacher travels on the bus and the other by car, in case an emergency may arise and a car is needed. The children are insured under the school's Insurance policy which is extended to indemnify Kildare County Council, the owners of the swimming pool. During the swimming terms, normal P.E. lessons are reduced to a minimum.
	Gaelic Football
	There is a boys' and girls' Gaelic football team in the school. Both teams compete in the Cumann na mBunscol leagues which run from September to November each year. The school has had considerable success with both of them down through the years. Last year the girls' football team were outright winners and this year they were runners up. Mr Hoban coaches the boys football team and Mrs McNelis coaches the girls football team. The Dublin GAA Co Board provides a coach, Christina McGinty, to teach the basic skills of hurling and gaelic football to 3rd and 4th class children. This year she will teach these skills one hour each week for 6 weeks each term.
	Soccer
	This year for the first time the school will compete in a Football Association of Irish Schools (FAIS) league. The league is open to boys and girls teams. Mr Hoban will manage the team.
	Athletics
	The school competes each year in the Cumann na mBunscol athletics finals in Santry. Boys and girls teams compete in events such as 100m, 200m, 600m, relay and hurdles races. This year the long jump will be competed for. Teams have achieved considerable success under the expert coaching of Mrs McNelis.
	Irish Dancing
	Children from Junior Infants to 6th class are taught Irish Dancing on Friday evenings from 1.45pm to 4.00pm by Ann Murphy School of Dancing.
	Computer Courses
	Computer courses are run in the computer room on Tuesday afternoons from 2.45pm to 3.45pm. Children are given tuition in word processing, database construction and analysis and Internet use. Michael McGuane is the tutor. This course is very popular and is usually booked out.
	French Beginners
	Children in 6th class are introduced to conversational French for 1 hour each week for a period of about 10 weeks. The classes are conducted by Christine Quinn.