Seachtain na Gaeilge is celebrated in schools around the country during the first couple of weeks of March in the lead up to Paddy’s Day. In this blog post I have listed a few different ways that you can create a buzz around your school about it and get the whole school involved in activities together.
1. Whole School Station Teaching & Lá Glas
One idea that worked well in our school last year was a whole school Gaeilge stations which we called Lá Gaeilge. On this day each class teacher prepared an activity which would last around 20 minutes. Students moved from class to class completing each of the different Irish activities. Every student got a Gaeilge passport and received a stamp for participation and good behaviour from each teacher at the end of their activity.
Each teacher only had to prepare one activity which they repeated with each class that came in to them. These activities could be differentiated for classes like infants. Resource teachers and SNA’s would move from class to class with the students to support them moving around the school. Some activities that people did included St. Patrick’s Day art as Gaeilge, where parents came in to support, Kahoot quiz as Gaeilge, PE as Gaeilge, Food tasting where students learned the names of different foods and said whether they liked or disliked them using Is maith liom and Ní maith liom, musical statues with Irish music, Irish games.
Throughout the school day students are encouraged to use their Gaeilge as much as possible in each class that they visit. The idea of the Lá Gaeilge is a day where students have fun with the language during different activities but without putting much extra planning time or pressure on the teacher’s involved.
This could also be a day where the whole school wears something green or dresses up in all green in a whole school Lá Glas. As part of one if the stations there could be a member of staff or an older student doing face painting too.
2. Tráth na gCeist
A school table quiz as Gaeilge could be organised with various classes. The table quiz can be differentiated for different class groupings. In the past when we have done table quizes, either for maths week or seachtain na Gaeilge, we have done mixed ability teams with students from various classes.
There is a table quiz available to download for free from Seachtain na Gaeilge Website here This table quiz is available in different versions to suit different class groups or levels of Gaeilge. There is even an adult version which could be used to get parents involved in your Seachtain na Gaeilge activities or to create competition amongst staff.
There are also various different Seachtain na Gaeilge Kahoot quizzes available which could be used in smaller groups if you have access to laptops, tablets or chromebooks in your school.
3. Comórtais
A whole school competition for art, story telling and poetry will get classes using their Gaeilge creatively. For art, students could be asked to make posters to be put up around the school with different Irish phrases, or signs for different places or things around the school such as the hall, principal’s office, library, yard, different classes in the school. A poetry or story competition could be held in the senior classes where students get to write about anything they would like to as gaeilge. If you have a Gaeilge Team in your school, they could pick the winners from each class.
4. Ceolchoirm & Céilí
Instead of a whole school assesmbly, there could be a whole school ceolchoirm where every class would prepare a song or poem and preform it for the school. This would be a great chance to get any musicians or Irish dancers in the school involved also.
TG Lurgan’s youtube channel has a huge variety of popular songs which could be learned in the middle and senior classes. For middle or younger classes you could learn the Haka as Gaeilge, there are versions on YouTube and resources here on twinkl. There are also lots of different poems such as Bogha Báistí, An Leipreachán or Lámh, Lámh Eile which can be done with the likes of junior and senior infants.
School’s could also hold a ceilí either outdoors or in the school hall. The different dances could be taught in smaller class groups throughout the week as part of PE and then the school or a group of classes could come together one of the days and hold a ceilí.
5. Frásaí na Seachtaine
Irish phrases of the week could be chosen for each group. This can be common phrases as Gaeilge which can be used informally as part of everyday conversation throughout the school day. Either Gaeilge team members or a student from each class grouping could be chosen to teach the rest of the class this phrase. This student could remind the class what the phrase is and what it means each morning and before students go home. The idea of this would be to improve Gaeilge neamhfhoirmiuil throughout the whole school. The phrases could also be introduced as part of a whole school assemby at the start or end of the week.
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