​The Active School Flag (ASF) is awarded to schools that strive to achieve a physically educated and physically active school community.  ASF is a Department of Education and Skills initiative supported by Healthy Ireland.

St. Garvan’s NS began the program in September 2015 under the guidance of Ms. Keelin Egan and Ms. Shauna Stapleton and the ASF Committee as nominated by the students. The committee members, acting as a class representative, pooled their ideas together and worked extremely hard around the school to meet our targets.

As a whole school initiative, they began by self-evaluating our school’s current active status looking at: Physical Education, Physical Activity and Community Partnerships. While they considered St. Garvan’s to be quite an active school, the Active Flag Committee set goals to increase daily activity in every way possible.

Some activities that they organised included: Drop Everything and Dance, Sport Equipment Rota for playtime, Rainy Days Activity Rota, Go Noodle Activity Breaks, School Sponsored Walk, Obstacle Course, Sports Day, K a Day, Zoned Play Areas at breaks, Active Rewards, Active Homework, Active School Tours etc.

The ASF Committee 2016 at the raising of the flag.

Some of our external community links included Gymnastic Classes, GAA Coaching, Dance Classes, Rugby Coaching and Swimming Lessons. They also acknowledged our student’s sporting achievements on our Role of Honour Board which exhibited many medals and trophies from an array of activities such as GAA, rugby, Taekwondo, gymnastics and dance.
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We also held out Active School’s Week in June 2016 which was full of daily fun filled activities, a nice culmination to the efforts made throughout the year. St Garvan's NS were awarded our flag in June 2016. It flies high and proud in front of the school as a symbol of the continued commitment to physical activity, of the staff and students at St. Garvan’s NS.