Get-up-and-go earns schools €5,000 at awards

THE get-up-and-go attitude of three schools has earned them €5,000 each in the Active School Awards 2007.

More than 250 school children from all over the country converged on the Helix in Dublin to hear which of the six primary, six post-primary and two special schools had scooped the top prize for placing physical education, physical activity and sport to the forefront during Active School Week and during the school year.

The winners were St Christopher’s, Longford who won the special school category, Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh, Laytown, Co. Meath who won the primary school category and Stella Maris, Tramore, Co Waterford who won the secondary school category.

Cork schools also did well with the county’s three shortlisted schools winning regional prizes of €2,000 each.

The prize money awarded to each school is to be spent on physical education equipment.

This is the third year for the Active School Awards, which are supported by the Department of Education and Science.

The number of entries for the competition has doubled this year.

According to the organisers, the awards demonstrate the work that is being done to integrate physical activity into the normal school day.

Sports stars including Irish rugby captain Sarah Jane Belton and world silver medallist in race walking Gillian O’Sullivan were at the Helix, meanwhile, to talk about the importance of sport and physical education to their own health, well being and career choices.www.activeschoolawards.ie