The School Bell
Easter Time!
Dear Parents, Guardians, Pupils, and Friends of the School,
I hope this newsletter finds you all well. As we move through the final week of term two, there is a real sense of anticipation in the air as Easter approaches and our Lenten journey draws to a close. This season invites us to pause, reflect, and renew our focus on what truly matters—kindness, compassion, and care for one another.
During this time, we encourage our school community to keep in their thoughts and prayers those who are experiencing hardship, particularly individuals and families affected by war and conflict across the world.
We look forward to celebrating the joy and promise of Easter together, and we thank you, as always, for your continued support of our school community.
Confirmation
Our 6th class girls celebrated their Confirmation on Thursday, March 12th with St. Marys’ Boys National School. Unfortunately, we currently have no bishop in Ossory due to Bishop Coll’s recent relocation to the diocese of Raphoe in Co. Donegal. In his absence, we were treated to a beautiful ceremony as ever from Fr. Whearty. A big congratulations to the boys and the girls who received their Confirmation. We hope you and your families enjoyed the day. Thanks to Mrs. Burke for her work in preparing all of the girls for Confirmation and for the Ceremony of light.
The Waterford News and Star have included some photos of families from the Confirmation Day which can be seen here – Ferrybank Confirmation Newspaper Photographs
World Book Day
World Book Day was a wonderful celebration in our school again this year, highlighting the joy and importance of reading in the development of literacy. Reading plays a vital role in expanding vocabulary, improving comprehension, and fostering imagination, all of which are essential for our students’ learning and development.
A special word of praise must go to the girls and their families for the fantastic effort put into dressing up as characters from their favourite books. The creativity on display was very impressive, and it was a great to see the girl’s favourite characters brought to life throughout the school.
We would also like to recognise the important role of our local library in supporting our school. The girls greatly enjoy their regular visits throughout the year, where they have the opportunity to explore new books, discover different authors, and develop a lifelong love of reading.
St.Patrick’s Day/National Colours Day
We had a wonderful time celebrating St. Patrick’s Day/National Colours Day in our school. The girls made a fantastic effort in dressing up, with a great display of colour and creativity on show
We were delighted to visit Madonna House and the Little Sisters of the Poor, where, as always, we received a very warm welcome. These visits are a special part of our celebrations and are greatly enjoyed by all involved.
It was also lovely to see so many of our girls taking part in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the city. Its great to see such strong participation from our school community, with the girls involved in a wide range of local organisations and activities.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all!
Irish Dancing
The girls from Juniors to 2nd class enjoyed their final lessons with Dawn this week. Many thanks to Dawn for her work again in our school this year. The girls always enjoy Irish dancing which can be seen below during our St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Camogie
Our 7-a-side camogie team enjoyed two fantastic days of competition over the past few weeks. The girls performed brilliantly in the opening rounds and were successful in qualifying for the Eastern Finals Day.
On the second day which took place in the De La Salle Gracedieu sportsground, the team faced strong opposition from Newtown N.S., Ballygunner, and St. Ursula’s. Despite their best efforts, we came up just short on this occasion. We are delighted with how the girls represented both themselves and the school throughout the tournament with such skill, determination, and sportsmanship.
Looking ahead, our next set of games will begin after Easter with the U-13 competition. We have been placed in Division A/B, which will present a significant challenge, especially as we have been competing in Divisions C and D in recent years. However, we will look forward to the challenge over the next few weeks. Mrs. Shanahan
Primary Game Representative
Congratulations to Holly in 6th class on being chosen to represent our school for the Primary Game trials. The Primary Game is a great initiative for primary school children as those selected get the opportunity to play at half time of a Senior Hurling Intercounty Championship game. Wishing all the very best of luck!
Wellbeing Warriors – Wellbeing Week
The girls are busy planning Wellbeing Week which takes place in April. Stay tuned for more information in the next edition of the School Bell.
Gymnastics lessons after Easter
Term three, which begins when we return after Easter promises as ever to be very busy. We are delighted to welcome Kenny Hassett who is a gymnastics coach into our school every Wednesday for six weeks to work with all classes. Kenny will use our General Purpose Room or work outside with the classes if the weather is kind to us! Many thanks to the Board of Management and the Parents’ Association for funding these lessons.
Parents’ Association Easter Raffle
Our Parents’ Association will held an Easter Raffle this week. Raffle tickets went out to all families last week and we are delighted with the response that we have received. As ever, the Parents’ Association made a huge effort in putting a list of prizes together. €575 was raised and all of the funds will go to the benefit of all of the girls in the school. Well done to all of those who had a little bit of luck in the raffle!
Attendance
Attendance in school is a hugely important factor in enabling all children to reach their full potential. While we are pleased to see a steady improvement in attendance rates following the Covid-19 pandemic, there is always room for further progress.
If your child is too unwell to attend school, they should of course remain at home. However, it is vital that all other absences are kept to a minimum. Consistent attendance supports not only academic achievement but also helps children to build friendships, develop routines, and feel fully part of school life.
We greatly appreciate the continued support of parents and guardians in ensuring that children attend school regularly and punctually. By working together, we can help every child make the most of their educational opportunities.
Drop off and Collect Area
Our drop off and collection area is working very well, and this is largely thanks to the cooperation and support of parents and all those involved in collecting children. Your continued efforts to follow the procedures in place are greatly appreciated and help to ensure a safe and efficient environment for everyone.
As a gentle reminder, we ask that all drivers please pull fully into a designated space when dropping and collecting children and avoid stopping on or blocking the entrance road. This is particularly important in the mornings when staff need access to the staff car park. Keeping the roadway clear helps traffic to flow smoothly and safely at all times.
We also encourage everyone to continue to exercise patience, especially on wet days when there is an increase in the number of cars dropping off and collecting children. A little extra care and understanding during these busy times makes a big difference.
We are delighted to share that the shelters in this area are now fully complete, with sides added to provide additional protection from the elements. This will help to keep both parents and children dry and comfortable on wet days.
Finally, we would like to emphasise the importance of supervising your child(ren), particularly before the school opening time at 9.00am and at the end of the school day. Children should remain on the pathway and stay off the road at all times, as there is a high volume of traffic using this area. Working together, we can ensure that the drop off and collection area remains safe and efficient for all.
Trócaire Lenten Campaign 2026
Lent is the season of preparation which comes before the celebration of Easter. During Lent,
our Trócaire Ambassadors from fouth class have been busy visiting the classrooms weekly
and collecting coins and coppers for the 2026 Lent appeal. This year’s Trócaire Box story is
about a family in Rwanda. In 2024, severe weather across Rwanda killed and injured
hundreds of people and left thousands of homes destroyed and other homes damaged. Each
season brings new destruction to homes and crops before the last can be repaired. Trócaire
tells us it is often the women who are carrying the heaviest load. By this they mean, the
women do most of the farming, they gather the water, they put food on the table and rare their
children. Trócaire programmes in Rwanda support women to lead community groups and
have a say in the choices that affect their families’ lives. All our donations will help rebuild
homes destroyed by floods – providing water tanks, planting kitchen gardens and helping
women to support their income.
Well done girls. Thank you to everyone for your generosity and support. As we approach
Easter, we wish everyone and their families a Happy Easter. Miss Kelly
School Garden – Spring 2026 Update
Over last number of weeks, girls in second class, fifth class and sixth class have been busy
planting a variety of vegetable seeds. Although the weather hasn’t been so kind to our garden,
we still managed to get out seeds started. The girls learned about ‘chitting’ potatoes and
watched how they sprouted on the classroom window sills. To date, we have sown early
potatoes, strawberry plants, turnips, broad beans, beetroot, and radish. In April, when we
return to school we will sow more seeds such as salad leaves, carrots, peas and tomatoes.
Our garlic and onions were sown in November 2025, and are making good progress in the
raised bed.
Our school is yet again involved in the Incredible Edibles Programme 2026. We are hoping to
retain our Gold Standard status that we have achieved for the last two years. This year, we
continue to be engaged in the GIY, GROW at school garden project. This is a wonderful
project to be involved with as it is local and on our doorstep, out on the Dunmore Road.
With the warmer weather returning around Easter and a little luck, as the song says “ inch by
inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow”, we will have our vegetable garden
blooming. Planting is part of our science studies, and learning about growing your own plants
and vegetables is a great life skill. It’s a wonderful experience for the girls to see and learn
about the seeds and to feel and to work with the soil and compost. We love looking after
nature and we benefit when we celebrate its wonder. Miss Kelly
Intercultural Week and Seachtaine na Gaeilge 2026
We had a wonderful few days celebrating Intercultural week and Secahtaine na Gaeilge 2026.
Great fun and learning was shared by all from Trat na gceist, to hearing stories in different
languages, to sharing the daily news in different languages, leaning basic greetings and
hearing different countries National Anthems along with out own National Anthem and
Gaeige. Thank you to all school staff and all pupils who took the time to prepare and share
their language skills with our school community. This is an important to our school and
learning as it helps us celebrate and embrace all our cultures and native languages that as a
school we share. Miss Kelly.
Dates for your Diary
Easter Holidays – Half Day on Friday March 27th.
School closes @ 12.10pm for Junior and Senior Infants
School closes @ 12.15pm for 1st to 6th class.
School reopens after the Easter Holidays on Monday, April 13th from 9am.
Wishing you all a Happy Easter.
Yours sincerely,
J. Nagle – Principal
February Midterm!
Dear Parents, Guardians, Pupils, and Friends of the School,
I hope this update finds you all well. Unfortunately, the poor weather continues to hinder any outdoor activity at the moment but hopefully we are not too far away from brighter evenings and more favourable weather.
It was wonderful to welcome so many of you to our Parent–Teacher meetings in late January. Thank you for taking the time to meet with your daughter’s teacher — we hope you found the visit helpful and enjoyable.
Safer Internet Day
A sincere thank you to Mrs. Ryan, who organised lessons and a poster competition to mark Safer Internet Day, which took place last week. The girls participated in a range of activities focused on staying safe while using technology and the internet. Winners of the Safer Internet Day poster competition for each class will be announced by Mrs. Ryan after the Mid-Term break.
Chess
Lent 2026
Today we, Catholics and Christians the world over, will mark the beginning of Lent, with Ash Wednesday starting the 40 days preparation towards Easter. The Lenten Season is one of the most holy and important periods in the Christian calendar. Here are the important days to observe during the season of Lent: Ash Wednesday February 18th, Palm Sunday March 29th, Maundy Thursday April 2nd, Good Friday April 3rd, Holy Saturday April 4th and Easter Sunday April 5th. This marks a season of reflection, prayer, fasting and almsgiving. May this season of Lent bring clarity, strength and extra kindness into all our lives. Ms. Kelly
We marked the beginning of Lent today with a special assembly led by 3rd Class. They did a fantastic job explaining what Lent is all about and shared some thoughtful ideas on what they hope to give up or improve during this time. Pupils from 2nd and 6th Class also attended 10am Mass at the Church to receive ashes for Ash Wednesday.
Happy Chinese New Year 2026 – GongXiFaCal!
Tuesday, 17th of February 2026 marks the start of the lunar calendar. Chinese New Year is celebrated by millions around the world. This year ushers in the Year of the Horse, a Chinese sign that means energy, perseverance and progress. As we step into the Year of the Horse, may we carry that same energy: run fast, dream big and stay unstoppable. Leave worries behind, let luck chase you and ride straight towards success. Wishing all who are celebrating a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year. Ms. Kelly
Ramadan Mubarak.
Ramadan Mubarak to all our pupils and families observing the holy month. Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar and signifies the time during which the Qur’an was revealed and is the holy month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. Ramadan 2026 begins on February 17th and will end on the evening of March 18th 2026. Ms. Kelly
Important Upcoming Dates
- Mid-Term Break: Thursday and Friday, February 19th and 20th
- School Closure: Friday, February 27th (Teacher in-service training)
We wish everyone a very enjoyable Mid-Term break and look forward to welcoming you all back on Monday, February 23rd at 9.00am.
Yours sincerely,
J. Nagle
Principal
The School Bell – January Edition
Dear Families and Friends of the school,
Happy New Year to you all. We hope we all enjoyed a nice break at Christmas and are looking forward to a prosperous 2026. Please see some updates on the happenings in the school below.
Christmas Activities
December was a very busy and enjoyable time here in Good Counsel, with many wonderful Christmas activities taking place across the school.
Our Junior Infants delighted families and staff with their beautiful Nativity Play, showcasing their confidence and enthusiasm on stage. The girls also performed a lovely concert in the Little Sisters of the Poor, spreading Christmas cheer to the residents and staff.
Our Carol Service in the church was another highlight of the season. Thank you to all families who attended and helped make it such a special and reflective occasion. Thanks to Mrs. Burke and all of the class teachers and the girls for all of their hard work in putting it all together.
The school choir visited An Grianán, located beside our school, where they performed a selection of Christmas songs. Sincere thanks to Ms. Hutchinson for her excellent work with the choir throughout the year.
A very special visit from Santa Claus brought great excitement to the school, with gifts for all the girls. We would like to thank the Parents’ Association for organising this wonderful treat for the children.
These events helped create a lovely festive atmosphere in the school and made December a truly memorable time for everyone.
Food Hamper Appeal 2025
Our Food Hamper Appeal before Christmas was very successful with a large amount of food being donated to the school. All donations were given to St. Vincent de Paul who distributed it out to families in need in the local area. Thanks to the girls and their families for their generosity for such a great cause. Thank you also to Mrs. Shanahan and the Wellbeing Warriors for looking after the Food Hamper Appeal.
Catholic Schools Week
The girls and staff in Good Counsel will celebrate Catholic Schools Week next week. As part of the celebrations, pupils from 2nd to 6th class will attend Mass on different days, and classes will take part in lessons and activities based on this year’s theme, “Normal Lives, Called to Holiness.”
Admissions for 2025
Admissions for Junior Infants are now closed for the 2026/2027 school year but if you are looking for a place for your child for the coming school year, please contact Tracey in the office on 051-832984 or register your daughter on the online pre-enrolment form – here.
Parent-Teacher Meetings
We will hold Parent-Teacher Meetings on the week starting Monday January 26th with Family Day being Thursday January 29th. It is vital that all parents attend the meetings in order to discuss their child(ren) with the class teacher and SEteacher (where applicable).
Parents can book their meetings on the Aladdin App. Booking opens for all parents at 4pm today – Friday, January 16th. If you have any issues, please contact Tracey in the office.
Please note that the school will close at 2.30pm for 1st to 6th class on Thursday, January 29th to facilitate the Parent Teacher meetings.
Irish Dancing
The girls from Juniors to 2nd class are having a great time in Dawn’s Irish dancing class every Tuesday. They have their first two weeks done with eight more to go. If you are yet to pay for dancing please contact Tracey our secretary or the class teacher to arrange payment.
4th Class Reusable Materials Project
During December, Ms. Cunniffe’s 4th class began working on a project which involved making different things out of reusable materials/waste items. Last week, they put on a beautiful display in our General Purpose room to show off their excellent work. The display highlighted how waste materials can be reused in creative way and an environmentally friendly way. Thanks to Ms. Cunniffe and the girls in 4th class for all of their hard work and effort! Well done!
Little Red Kettle
Our annual visit from Little Red Kettle took place on Friday last, January 9th. Little Red Kettle is a drama group who come into many schools every year and perform a show for and with the children! The title of this years show was ‘A Tremendously Terrible Tantrum’ and as usual, was the highlight of the week for all of the girls!
Clothes Collection
Our Parents’ Association are running a Clothes Collection fundraiser for the school this month. If you are planning to do a clear-out at home or have any unwanted items, please consider donating them to the collection. Further details on accepted items are shared below. The final day of the collection is Friday January 30th. Your support is very much appreciated, as all funds raised will go directly towards supporting school activities and resources.
Dates for your diary
School Closed
Monday February 2nd – St. Brigid’s Day
Thursday and Friday February 19th and 20th – Mid-term Break
Friday February 27th – Staff In-Service Training
I will be in touch again in a few weeks,
Your sincerely,
J. Nagle
Principal
December Newsletter
Dear Parents, Guardians, Pupils and Friends,
Christmas Activities & Events
As the festive season approaches once again, we’re delighted to share an update on the wonderful activities taking place across our school in the coming weeks.
Our school is full of excitement in preparations for Christmas, and the girls and their teachers have been working hard to make this a joyful and memorable time for everyone.
Junior Infants Christmas Play: Wednesday, December 10th
Our Junior Infant classes will present their Christmas performance on Wednesday, December 10th. Parents of Junior Infants will already have received a message with regards to times. We look forward to welcoming you for this special occasion.
Visit to Little Sisters of the Poor: Thursday, December 11th
On Thursday, December 11th, all classes will visit the Little Sisters of the Poor to share their Christmas carols with the residents and staff. This annual tradition is one the girls always enjoy and they are excited for their upcoming visit.
Christmas Carol Service in the Church: Tuesday, December 16th at 1:30pm
Our school’s annual Christmas Carol Service will take place in the Sacred Heart Church Ferrybank at 1:30pm on Tuesday, December 16th for all classes. The Carol Service takes approximately 50 – 60 mins and all classes including Junior and Senior Infants will return to the school where they can be collected after. This will be around the usual finishing time of 2.50pm. All are welcome to join us and we look forward to seeing you there!!
Christmas Jumper / Festive Outfit Day – Thursday, December 18th
The girls are invited to wear their Christmas jumpers or festive outfits to school on Thursday, December 18th.
Please ensure your child is dressed warmly and appropriately, as temperatures have been quite cold recently.
Christmas Decorations & Crib Display
The school is currently in the process of being decorated for the festive season thanks to the hard work of Tracey (secretary), Mark (caretaker), and Ms. Kelly.
Our Crib Background Design Competition is underway, and the girls have been creating wonderful designs. The winning entry will be announced at Assembly this Friday. Well done to all the girls for their creativity and effort!
Wellbeing Warriors
Bí Cíneálta
Our newly appointed Wellbeing Warriors were announced at a recent assembly. Congratulations to Lucie, Sophie, Ema, Sofija, Lily, Maelíosa, Remi, Maloney, Ella, and Evie. The girls have already begun their important work and recently delivered a Bí Cineálta assembly on the effects of bullying. Using two apples as a visual example, they demonstrated how unkind words can hurt a person on the inside even when everything looks fine on the outside.
We are delighted to share that our former Anti-Bullying Policy has now been replaced with a new policy titled “Bí Cineálta”, which translates to “Be Kind.” In line with Department of Education and Youth guidelines, every school is required to display this policy in a pupil-friendly format, and ours is now visible in each classroom. The committee presented the policy to the school and guided pupils through its key sections.
Christmas Food Hamper Appeal
The next project for our Wellbeing Warriors is organising our Christmas Food Hamper Appeal to support families in need during the festive season. The committee has designed posters and have discussed the initiative at assembly. We will be collecting non-perishable food for St. Vincent De Paul up to Friday December 12th. We look forward to the support of our school community in helping those in need this Christmas season. Thank you to everyone involved for their continued support and generosity.
Parents’ Association Fundraiser – Tuesday, December 9th
The Parents’ Association’s Bingo Night will take place in the Forum on Tuesday, December 9th, with doors opening at 7pm.
Tickets are still available from the school office. Thank you to the Parents’ Association and to all parents for your continued generosity and support.
Basketball
Our girls enjoyed a fantastic day out at the basketball competition in Mercy on November 13th. Accompanied by their teachers — Mrs. Burke, Ms. Walsh, and Mrs. Hayes — the team played brilliantly throughout the day and represented the school with great pride. They reached the semi-final, where they were unlucky to miss out on a place in the final. Well done to all the girls for their excellent effort and teamwork!
Fruit in classes
Freshtoday, who supply our hot meals, began providing fresh fruit bowls to all classes this week. The selection includes apples and oranges, and the girls have been thoroughly enjoying them so far. It’s a simple, healthy addition to the school day that encourages positive eating habits and overall wellbeing.
In Memory
The school community was deeply saddened to hear of the recent and tragic passing of one of our former pupils Aoife Bird (nee Oates) and her baby daughter Ailbhe . We extend our heartfelt sympathy to her husband Jim, her son Daithí and to all members of her family at this very difficult time.
She is fondly remembered by those who knew her here in Good Counsel, and our thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones as they face this profound loss. May they find strength and comfort in the support of family, friends, and the wider community.
Important Dates
Friday, December 19th – School closes (Half Day)
Infants: 12:10pm
1st–6th: 12:15pm
Monday, January 5th – School reopens at 9am
We look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming Christmas events.
Yours sincerely,
J. Nagle
Principal
Happy Hallowe’en!!
Dear Parents, Pupils, Guardians and Friends of the school,
As we come to the end of our annual Mission Week, we look forward to the Hallowe’en break. Since our last update, we have had lots of activity as you will see below.
Parents Information Evening
Many thanks to all who took the time to visit our school and your daughter’s class in early October. The Parents’ Information Evening is always a great opportunity to strengthen home-school links and it gives you, the parents the chance to see how the classes and the teachers work on a daily basis. We hope you enjoyed the evening.
Mass
Although a little later than usual, we celebrated our Beginning of Year School Mass with the pupils and staff from St. Marys’ BNS on Monday of this week. Thank you to Fr. Whearty for delivering a beautiful mass as ever and to Mrs. Burke for her work in putting the mass together with Ms. Quillinan from St. Marys’ BNS. Thanks also to the parents and grandparents who took the time out to join us on the morning.
Mission Week
As usual, Mission Week is probably the busiest week of the year in the school for staff, children and parents alike. We have had a great week with so many generously contributing everyday with baking, cooking, donating toys/books etc, selling and buying. The effort put in by all of the girls involved has been as superb as ever and a big thank you to anyone who has helped contribute to the week.
The closing event of the week is the Talent Show which is taking place today and is organised by 6th class. Best of luck to all of the girls involved! At the end of the week, we will count up all of the money raised and donate it to a worthy charity. Well done and thanks to everyone!!
Hallowe’en Dress Up
The girls and staff had great fun dressing up for Hallowe’en today! Well done to everyone!
Mayor’s visit
Every year around Hallowe’en, the Mayor of the Metropolitan District in Waterford visits our school. We were delighted to welcome the Metropolitan Mayor Cllr. Adam Wyse to our school yesterday. Holly and Lucie from 6th read a lovely introduction for the mayor which was followed by a beautiful rendition of the song ‘Killeagh’ from 5th class. Mayor Wyse then gave a talk to the girls where he discussed the importance of school attendance and encourage all of the girls to be in school everyday possible. He also presented the annual attendance awards to the respective pupils. Many thanks to Mayor Wyse for taking the time out to visit our school.
European Languages Day
European Languages Day was celebrated in our school on Friday, 26th September 2025. It is a special day to enjoy and respect the many languages that people speak across the continent Europe. We started the morning with a greeting from Miss Kelly and we listened to the anthem of Europe. It is called “Ode to Joy”, and it was played to remind us of peace and friendship. On this day, we remember that learning languages helps us understand each other and feel part of one big family in Europe.
The EU has 24 official languages, reflecting a commitment to linguistic diversity and ensuring people can communicate with institutions in their own language. We also learned that while all 24 languages are official, the institutions use English, French, and German as working languages for practical reasons.
During the day, we were treated to story telling in the various languages. A big thank you to the girls in 5th and 6th class who read stories to the other classes. Some of the languages shared during story time included Portuguese, Latvian, Spanish, Ukrainian, Irish and Romanian. It was a lovely experience to hear The Billy Goats Gruff in Latvian and other classes heard Goldilocks and the Three Bears in Spanish and Romanian.
A special poem about languages was shared during assembly. Thanks to the sixth class girls for preforming it:
Hello Around Europe
On European Language Day,
We learn “hello” in many ways.
From countries far, from friends so near,
Let’s greet each other with a cheer!
Bonjour! we say in France today,
Hola! in Spain, a sunny way.
In Polish we say Cześć!, so bright,
And Olá! in Portugal feels just right.
Ciao! in Italy, warm and sweet,
Hallo! in German when friends we meet.
Bună ziua! in Romanian lands,
Hej! in Sweden, we wave our hands.
In Ireland we smile and say Dia dhuit!,
In Latvia it’s Sveiki!, a joyful salute.
In Hungary they say Szia!, so clear,
Привіт (Pryvit) in Ukrainian,
In Lithuania Labas!, with good cheer.
From Slovakia, Ahoj! we call,
Dobar dan in Croatian, friends hand in hand.
And in Arabic, As-salamu alaykum! for all.
So many hellos, so much to share,
Languages bring friendship everywhere!
Out door Learning Space and School Garden
Here are some photos of our school harvest. We had a wonderful output of vegetables this September.
Thanks to GROW at School, we will continue our connections for the coming school year. A lovely autumn delivery arrived at school recently full of growing materials, seed and plans for the 2025-2026 growing year. Thanks to GIY and our little school growers and gardeners.
Communion and Confirmation Dates
Dates for Communion and Confirmation dates have been set.
Confirmation takes place on Thursday, March 12th @ 11am in the Sacred Heart Church, Ferrybank.
Communion takes place on Saturday, May 16th @ 11am in the Sacred Heart Church, Ferrybank.
Mary Purcell
All here in Good Counsel would like to wish Mary Purcell of FerryFun Childcare and Aftercare the very best as she retires tomorrow. Over the years Mary has been such an asset to the schools, families and children in the Ferrybank area. Wishing Mary a long, healthy and happy retirement!
Best of luck Tracey
All here in Good Counsel would like to wish our secretary, Tracey the best of luck as she has been representing Ireland in the World Shore Angling Championships in Portugal over the last week or so. We hope that it is going well for you and your team!!!
Wishing everyone a Happy Hallowe’en. Our school will reopen on Monday, November 3rd @ 9am.
Yours sincerely,
J.Nagle
Principal
The School Bell – September Update!
Dear Parents, Pupils, Guardians and Friends of the school,
As we come to the end of September, as ever, our school is a busy place. We hope that all of the girls have settled in well and are looking forward to the school year ahead. Please see below for some updates and information on the activities in the school.
New Junior Infants
We are delighted to welcome our new Junior Infant Class to Good Counsel this year. We hope you and your families enjoy many years of learning and happiness here in Good Counsel. Please see some photos below from their first day in school!
Parents Information Evening
Our annual Parents Information Evening takes place on Thursday coming, October 2nd here in the school. Parents are welcome from 6.45pm with events getting under way from 7pm sharp. The Information evening should take no longer than an hour, finishing around 8pm. We look forward to seeing all parents there.
An invitation has been sent to all families with further information and we look forward to welcoming you all on the night.
Stay Safe
We teach the personal safety education programme called Stay Safe during the first term. A note has been sent home on Aladdin with further information on the programme.
Shelters
We have had three new shelters installed in the new Drop-Off area. We hope that the shelters help any parents and children who are waiting outside the school especially on the cold and wet days. It is kindly asked that they treated with respect as they will last as long as they are looked after by all.
SNA Appreciation Day
We celebrate SNA Appreciation Day today and would like to especially thank Ms. Fenton, Ms. Moore and Mrs. Morrissey, the SNAs in our school for all they do for the girls and our staff every day!
Camogie
We are delighted to have a camogie coach coming to the school to take some of the classes next week. The coaching is part of the School Games Development and will take place over 4 weeks between October and November.
New Curriculum
You may have read or seen in the national media that the Department of Education is in the process of introducing a new curriculum in the Irish Primary Education System. Our current school curriculum is the 1999 Curriculum for Primary Schools which means that it is 26 years old. There will be little to no change in the short term as the new curriculum, although being introduced to teachers this school year 2025/2026, it is not due to be implemented in classrooms until the 2026/2027 school year and implementation will be on a phased basis. For further information please click on this link –
New Primary School Curriculum – Information for Parents
Secretary and Caretakers Strike
We were happy to learn earlier in the month that the strike action by Forsa on behalf of school secretaries and caretakers had been withdrawn after talks had been agreed between the relevant parties to find a resolution. Thank you to the staff and families who showed support during the strike days to our secretary Tracey, Mark our caretaker and to Jackie from St. Marys’ BNS who joined us. The work that the secretaries and caretakers do not only make a big contribution to enable schools to stay open but help us greatly in keeping our school running smoothly throughout the year. We couldn’t do it without them!
Art, Craft and Photocopying money
Many thanks to the parents who have paid the Art, Craft and Photocopying money for this school year. If you have yet to do so, payments can be made on Aladdin or to Tracey in the Office.
Pupil Insurance
Many parents have availed of the Allianz insurance that is offered by the school which is also paid for via Aladdin Connect or to Tracey in the office. If you have availed of this insurance and have paid via Aladdin Connect, please ensure that the insurance form is also returned to the school. The final day to avail of the insurance is Tuesday coming, September 30th.
Communion and Confirmation Dates
As we begin the new school year, parents of girls in 2nd and 6th class are always eager to be informed of the sacrament dates. Currently, no dates have been given but we will send out the dates as soon as they are made available to us.
Dates for your diary
Parents Information Evening – Thursday October 2nd @ 7pm
School Closed – Presidential Election Friday October 24th
School Closed – Hallowe’en Break from Monday October 27th to Friday October 31st.
I will be in touch again in the next few weeks.
Yours sincerely,
J. Nagle
Principal
The School Bell June 2025
Dear families and friends of the school,
As we approach the end of another school year at Our Lady of Good Counsel, we take this opportunity to reflect on what has been a busy, rewarding, and enjoyable time for our students and staff. This final newsletter of the year offers a snapshot of some of the events, achievements, and activities that have taken place since our last update.
As we look ahead to the summer holidays, we hope everyone enjoys a well-deserved break, with time to rest, recharge, and reflect on the year that has passed. Thank you to you all for your continued support throughout the year.
Please read on for a look back at some of the highlights from the past term.
Cake Sale
A big thank you to the Parents’ Association who organised a Cake Sale on June 11th. Thank you to all of the girls and families for their generosity and effort in baking buns, cakes and other treats for the day. It was especially pleasing to welcome many parents, brothers and sisters into the school who came to support. As ever, the Cake Sale was a great success with €818 raised. Well done to everyone!!!
Board of Management
As previously communicated, we were in the process of replacing our current Parents’ Representative to the Board of Management, Michelle Daly as her daughter will be leaving us next year as she is in 6th class. We sent out nomination forms to all parents in May and I am pleased to inform you that our new Parents’ Representative to the Board of Management is Gráinne Anderson. Gráinne is a parent of a child in Junior infants and we look forward to welcoming her to the Board of Management in September.
Chess
Ms. Power and Ms. Hall have introduced chess to 4th class this year and have been working hard with the girls to teach them the rules, etiquette and strategies needed. As the girls were enjoying it so much, the teachers invited Mrs. Kelly and the 4th class boys from St. Mary’s BNS just up the road from us down to play on Friday last.
Both the boys and the girls really enjoyed it, got to make some new friends and got the opportunity to test one another’s chess abilities too! Thanks to the teachers for their work throughout the year and thanks to the boys for coming down to play on the day.
School reports and information for the coming school year
School reports were sent out last week on Aladdin. Accompanying the reports were a stationary list, information on your child’s class teacher, a school calendar and information on how to interpret the report cards and standardised tests. If you have not received the information, please contact the office on 051-832984.
Booklists have been uploaded under the ‘Policy’ tab on the website. Please remember, you do not need to buy any books, workbooks or copies for the coming school year.
Staffing Arrangement for the 2025/2026 school year
The staffing arrangements for the coming school year are:
Junior Infants – Ms. Ciara Hall
Senior Infants – Ms. Carmel Fogarty and Ms. Clare Quigley (job sharing)
1st Class – Ms. Mairead Power
2nd Class – Ms. Alice Hutchinson
3rd Class – Mrs. Maeve Power
4th Class – Ms. Ann Cunniffe
5th Class – Mrs. Mary Ryan
6th Class – Mrs. Clare Burke
EAL – Ms. Monica Kelly (Deputy Principal)
SET – Mrs. Aisling Shanahan
SET – Ms. Susan Rellis
SET – Mrs. Feana Foley and Ms. Eilis Walsh (job sharing)
SET – Mrs. Clodagh Hayes
We are delighted to welcome back Ms. Ann Cunniffe and Ms. Eilis Walsh for the coming school year. We are also joined by Ms. Clare Quigley who will be job sharing in Senior Infants.
We would like to thank Ms. Aoife White and Ms. Sabrina Behan, current 5th and 1st class teachers for all of their work this year and previously and wish them well for the future.
Final Assembly of the Year
For our final assembly of the year, we welcomed James from the local library here in Ferrybank. James came in to talk to the girls about the Summer Stars Reading Programme which is a great initiative to keep all children reading throughout the summer months. We also welcomed a couple of special guests – Iona Heffernan and Niamh Ahearne both of whom are past students and part of the Waterford Senior Camogie Team to present medals to the U-13 team. We were delighted to welcome the girls back and thank them for taking the time out to visit our school!
We also presented our annual awards – the Class Attendance award which was won by Mrs. Ryan’s 3rd class, Good Counsel Good Citizen of the year which was won by Sofia in 6th and Camogie Player of the Year which was won by Gracie also in 6th.
Our weekly assembly is a great opportunity for all of the school to see what each class is doing and the girls always look forward to it each Friday throughout the year.
Sports Day
The weather Gods shone down on us on Friday, June 13th as we were treated to a perfect day for our annual Sports Day. As ever, the girls had a great day and got involved in all of the activities set out by the teachers. Thanks to Mrs. Shanahan and Mrs. Power for looking after activities and organising the day.
6th Class Graduation
On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, 6th class treated the school to their version of Snow White as part of their Graduation for the pupils/ teachers and parents. Mrs. Burke and the 6th class girls have been working tirelessly over the last few weeks preparing the play and the end product was simply excellent! From the music and singing to the acting and dancing, the play was entertaining from start to finish and it was wonderful to see all of the girls really get involved and enjoy their last big event here in Good Counsel. We are very proud of all of the girls in our school and the 6th class girls this year have been a pleasure to work with. May we extend our best wishes to you all and your families as you enter the next phase of both your lives and your education!
Our School Garden
School Tours
Our school tours drew to a close on Monday with 5th class completing their tour to Castlecomer Discovery Park. It was lovely to see all of the classes so excited and looking forward to their tours on the respective days. It was even nicer to hear how much everyone enjoyed the days out and how well represented our school was by all of the classes in how they behaved and acted in the different locations. A big thanks to all of the teachers, SNA’s and to Tracey our secretary for enabling the tours to happen and in accompanying all of the classes on the different days. We hope all of the girls enjoyed their days out!!
As we close this final newsletter of the school year, we would like to take a moment to thank all of our pupils, parents, staff, and the wider school community for your continued support, enthusiasm, and partnership throughout the year.
We hope you all have a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable summer break. May it be filled with sunshine, fun, and a well-deserved rest. We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for another exciting year ahead.
Wishing you all a wonderful summer!
Your sincerely,
J. Nagle
Principal
