The School Bell
Wellbeing and Friendship Week
Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,
This has been a special week at Our Lady of Good Counsel. We have been thinking and talking a lot about how to stay well both physically and mentally, and about what it means to be a friend. If you go to the Latest News tab on the website, you will learn about the theme for each day of the week, and there are even some special messages there for Mams and Dads.
I want to say a very big ‘Thank You’ to Mrs. Shanahan and her team – Mrs. Foley, Miss Hall and Miss Power – who have worked hard to make the week so enjoyable for all of us. Mrs. Shanahan’s morning messages on the school intercom system have been a positive start to each day. 😊
Stay safe and take care of yourselves while you are taking care of others.
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
Eid Mubarak
We wish a happy and holy day to all the families in our school community who are celebrating Eid today. Eid comes at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. We are full of admiration for the girls in our school who have been fasting during Ramadan and we hope that you enjoy celebrating with your families today. Check out this little video where four children explain Ramadan and Eid in their own words. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OF4HEGNBRQ Eid Mubarak!
Slán and Welcome Back
Miss Power will finish her time with us on Friday (but we may see her again very soon.). We are so grateful to Miss Power for all the wonderful work she has done with the girls and for the enthusiasm and cheerfulness she has brought to our staffroom. We wish Miss Power the very best of luck in the future. On Monday, we will welcome Miss Rellis back to school after her Maternity Leave.
Miss Maher, who has been working with Mr. Dooley and Second Class will finish her placement tomorrow. I know that the girls have enjoyed the lovely work she has done with them, so thank you Miss Maher and good luck.
Book Rental
It is the time of year again when we need to make plans for our Book Rental Scheme. Next week, you will receive a letter with all the information you will need. We will continue with our electronic payments and again, all the details will be sent to you next week.
Wildcats at Good Counsel
Our Fifth Class girls are enjoying practising their basketball skills with Mrs. Burke. Two of the girls have started training with the Waterford Wildcats and we hope that some of the other girls will think about joining also.
Our basketball coach is Jas. She is a professional basketball player from America. Basketball was great fun. I hope to see some other girls from the school next week because I know they will love it! By Summer – Fifth Class
We learned new skills at basketball. We are practising the skills at home. We are also practising the skills that we learned, during our P.E. class. Summer and I were showing our class how to do some more of the skills that we learned. By Lily – Fifth Class
Second Class
Second Class has had a busy week as they have been attending the virtual STEAM Art Collaboration Exhibition. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths. Over the past year the Discover Primary Science Team has worked with five artists and five Research Centres to create five unique artworks based on cutting edge research. The research was on topics as diverse as PCR Testing and mapping of the seabed. Second Class joined other schools around the country to hear from the scientists and the artists who were involved. IF you would like to learn more about the artworks, go to https://www.sfi.ie/engagement/art-collaboration/
Yesterday we were learning about Science and Art and we drew jellyfish. Today we saw a machine that mapped the seabed. We also learned about lasers and we drew the ocean. It was good fun. By Mia and Dorka – Second Class
Condolences
Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Dooley and his family on the death of Mr. Dooley’s Nanna Maura on Tuesday last. Go ndéana Dia trócaire uirthi.
Month of May
Our May Altar is looking beautiful thanks to the gorgeous flowers that the girls have been bringing in. Next week, it is the turn of First Class and Fifth Class, and the following week, Second Class and Sixth Class will take on honouring Our Lady.
Every Wednesday during the month of May, Miss Kelly leads us in praying the Angelus together over the intercom system.
Parents’ Association News
The Parents’ Association will be holding a raffle in June to raise funds for two Tablets (more information on this to follow). Thank you for your continuing support and stay safe.
The Parents’ Association
Well Done Everyone!
Dear Mams, Dads, Pupils and Staff,
We had some very important visitors in our school this week. Inspectors from the Department of Education spent two days with us. Ms. Hyland and Ms. Corcoran were here to carry out a Child Protection and Safeguarding Inspection. A random number of schools are selected every year for this type of inspection, and this year it is our turn. The Inspectors interviewed staff members and the Chairperson of the Board of Management, they sent a survey to parents, they went through all our Child Protection records and they met with pods of children from 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th classes.
Ms. Hyland and Ms. Corcoran were blown away by how polite, friendly and knowledgeable the children are. They mentioned several times that they could tell from speaking with the children that the quality of the teaching and learning is very high, and they were very anxious to let the school community know that the girls love their school and all the people who work here. What more could we ask for?
The inspection has two stages – the visit this week, and a return visit at a time to be confirmed. After the second visit, the reports from both visits will be published on the Department of Education website. We will let you know when that happens.
Thank you to everyone who completed the survey (I am aware that some of you had problems with the link) and thank you for your continued support. It is the people who in our school community – Board of Management, Staff, parents and most especially our pupils – that make Good Counsel such a special place.
Enjoy the long weekend.
Yours sincerely,
_______________________
C. O’Reilly – Principal
May – the Month of Mary
There is a long tradition in our school of honouring Our Lady during the month of May. Next week we will set up our May Altar in the Front Hall and all the classes will take turns looking after the Altar and keeping it decorated with flowers.
Week beginning May 3rdth: Junior Infants and Third Class
Week beginning May 10th: Senior Infants and Fourth Class
Week beginning May 17th: First Class and Fifth Class
Week beginning May 24th: Second Class and Sixth Class
There is no need to buy any flowers. If everyone brings one or two blooms from the garden or a bunch of wildflowers, they will be just beautiful. As our school is dedicated to Our Lady, our May Altar is a lovely way to honour her.
Sixth Class will lead a special Assembly tomorrow for the month of May.
‘Mary, our mother, the Lord is with you.
Guide us, protect us, in all that we do.’
Homework
Now that we are all settled back into school, we are trying to make sure that the girls and their families keep in touch with the online skills they learned during the school closure. A little piece of Homework will be assigned every week on Seesaw and there may also be one other activity for the girls to take on. We know how hard Mams and Dads worked on Home Learning, so we are trying to keep Homework simple and to a minimum. It is important for the girls to do the little bit of work assigned to them so please continue to check in on Seesaw every week.
Condolences
We send our sincere sympathy to Dermot Walsh, Chairperson of our Board of Management, and his family on the death of Mrs. Peggy Murphy on Monday last. We also send our sympathy to Sr. Mary Gough on the death of her brother-in-law John Fitzgerald on Tuesday. May they both rest in peace.
Reminder
The May Bank Holiday is on Monday next. The school will also close on Tuesday 4th May.
Welcome
Miss Laura Maher, a student teacher, is working with Mr. Dooley and Second Class at the moment. We hope that you are enjoying your time with us Miss Maher and well done on all the great work you are doing with the girls.
Poetry Day Ireland
Today is Poetry Day Ireland and to celebrate we are having a Poetry Competition. Girls, you are all creative and imaginative, so get to work over the Bank Holiday and write a piece of poetry for the competition. The closing date is Thursday 6th May. Some of your poems will be published in our next newsletter and there will be prizes for the winning entries.
April 26th – Feast Day of Our Lady of Good Counsel
Monday April 26th was a very special day for our school. It was the feast day of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Three girls from 4th class Connie, Milena and Emili read the story to the school using the new intercom system. In 4th class we pray to Our Lady of Good Counsel every day. Our Lady of Good Counsel is ready to listen to our problems and give us good advice every day.
By Emili – 4th Class
Earth Day
On Thursday 22nd April 4th class took part in a live stream event from The National Museum of Ireland and the Rediscovery Centre in Dublin. It was fun, interactive and educational and we learned all about Ice Age Ireland, fossils and climate change.
Ferrybank Camogie Club News – Return to Training
Training will begin on the following dates all are welcome.
U6s- junior and senior infants
Date and time: Saturday the 1st of May from 10-11am
EVERY SATURDAY
U8s- girls born in 2015,2014,2013
Date and time: Saturday the 1st of may from 11-12am
EVERY SATURDAY
U10s- girls born in 2012,2011
Date and time: Saturday the 1st of may from 11-12am
EVERY SATURDAY
U12s- girls born in 2010,2009
Date and time: Tuesday 27th and Thursday 29th of April from 6:30-7:30pm
EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
U14s- girls born in 2008,2007
Date and time: Tuesday 27th and Thursday 29th of April from 6:30-7:30pm
EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
All girls are to bring their own water bottle, a sanitizing station will be available upon arrival and a return to play questionnaire will need to be filled out: https://returntoplay.gaa.ie/
Ferrybank Library – Healthy Ireland
As part of our Healthy Ireland at your Library programme this year, we have another great talk entitled “Support for parents & guardians of young children” by Peader Maxwell, Senior Psychologist with the HSE. In this webinar, Peader discusses the merits of positive parenting and covers topics including how to deal with emotions and how to teach our children to be more independent. He also gives important advice on screen-time usage and the importance of helping our children to get more sleep.
This talk will available to view on our Facebook page on Tuesday the 4th of May at 7.00pm and available to re-watch after this date on our You Tube channel and website.
Term 3 – Welcome Back
Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,
It is great to be back at school for Term 3. This time last year, we had to stay at home during the first lockdown. With your help, we can make it safely to the end of this school year and enjoy most of the things that we usually do in the final term. We might have to do them differently, but if we have learned anything during Covid-19, it is how to find creative ways to get things done.
Schools may be open, but we still need to be careful, so your support is very important. The girls are being absolute superheroes while they are at school – keeping their hands clean, keeping their distance, and remembering how to sneeze or cough into their elbows.
Mams and Dads, we need you to be superheroes too. Please stay in your cars at drop off or pick up times, keep your distance if you are walking and please, please, please remember to wear a mask.
We have come so far and done so well, so let’s stick together to make it safely to the end of June.
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
Thank You
Thank you very much for sending back the girls’ ‘Return to School Forms’. We had a great response through the link on the Text-a-Parent App. We will continue to use the App after longer breaks from school so if you have not already downloaded it, please do so for your own convenience. It is free and is available for both Android and Apple devices. https://app.textaparent.ie/get/app
Ramadan Mubarak!
At this time, some of our families are celebrating the Holy Month of Ramadan which began earlier this week. Ramadan is a holy month celebrated by Muslims around the world.
It is believed to be the month in which the Qur’an (the religious text of Islam) was revealed.
Ramadan takes place in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar when the first sliver of the crescent moon appears. The Islamic calendar is lunar, not solar, so Ramadan begins on a different date each year.
Ramadan is a quiet, reflective time of worship, prayer, helping others, and spending time with loved ones.
Many Muslims fast during Ramadan, not eating or drinking anything between sunrise and sunset. Fasting reminds Muslims to appreciate their blessings and to help those in need. Families get up for an early meal called suhoor before the sun rises and the fast is broken with an evening meal after the sun sets called iftar.
Sadaqah, or good deeds, are important parts of the holy month. Donating food, clothing, money, and time, picking up trash, helping the elderly, or planting a tree are just some of the ways to show kindness and generosity.
We wish all our families who are celebrating this month a blessed and holy Ramadan – Ramadan Mubarak!
A Busy School
Now that our lovely new classroom is finished, we are moving on to other projects inside the building. Over the Easter break, the photocopying room was cleaned out, and Mark put in some new shelving. The storage space under the stairs is currently being cleared and you will have to wait and see what great plans we have for that space! Fifth Class has moved upstairs. Their new room was deep cleaned and sanitised over Easter and they are delighted with their new home. Now that Fifth Class has moved, we can start planning on refurbishing the room that is fondly known as ‘The Kitchen’. It will become the staff room and the current staff room will become a new Learning Support Room.
It is always wonderful to be able to upgrade and improve the facilities in the school for the children and we are fortunate to have the support and encouragement of our Board of Management in making Our Lady of Good Counsel the best it can be.
Run around Ireland
We are currently taking part in the Run Around Ireland initiative. The girls walk or run to visit the landmark sights of Ireland. These places are displayed on the landing. On the last count, the girls had clocked up 1090 km and had landed at the Cliffs of Moher. Keep up the great work!
Hi- Vis Jackets
Can I please remind everyone to wear their hi-vis jackets coming to school. The roads have become very busy over the last few weeks and we want to keep all our lovely girls safe. There will be a competition for the best class in the next few weeks.
Collaborative Art
Before Easter, each child in the school decorated a feather with words and art to describe her feelings about lockdowns and returning to school. All the feathers have been put together now and we have a beautiful piece of collaborative artwork displayed on the Landing. Well done girls – your thoughts and reflections can teach all of us how to be resilient and hopeful.
He will cover you with His feathers,
and under His wings you will find refuge.
Psalm 91
Our Lady of Good Counsel
April 26th is a very special day for our school. It is the feast day of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Our Lady of Good Counsel watches over our school and she also watches over all of us.
The picture of Our Lady of Good Counsel shows Mary holding her son, the baby Jesus. The story of the original painting of Our Lady of Good Counsel goes back to the 15th Century.
At that time, the people in a small town near Rome were building a new church. On April 25th, everyone gathered in the town square to celebrate the Feast of Saint Mark. At about four o’clock in the afternoon, in the middle of all the celebrations, the crowd saw a cloud coming down over the unfinished church. The bells of the church began to ring by themselves and beautiful music was heard. The crowd fell silent, and the cloud parted. There was the picture of Our Lady. The painting came to rest in the church and if you visit the town of Genazzano, Italy you can still see it there today.
The painting was named after the church and became known as Our Lady of Good Counsel.
A Mhuire na Dea-Chomhairle, guí orainn.
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig
Together Again!
Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,
Everyone at our school is delighted to be back together again. Since Monday last, all the children and staff are back in the building.
We are taking the time to go over all the important messages about staying safe:
- Keeping our distance – we are using our robot or superhero arms to help us.
- Sneezing/coughing into our elbows
- Sanitizing/washing our hands regularly.
Mams and Dads, you can help too.
- Please stay in your car at drop off/pick up times.
- Wear a face covering.
- If you need to speak with a teacher, please call the school office on 051 -832984.
Let’s continue to keep each other safe until the Easter break.
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
Important Note
Covid-19 Guidelines were updated by the Department of Education before schools re-opened. From now on, if any of the girls have to stay at home from school for any reason, they must provide a Return to School From when they come back. The form can be downloaded from the Latest News tab on www.goodcounselgns.ie. Just scroll down the page to find the form. You do not need to print the page. It is a Word document so all you need to do is to download it to your device, fill it in and send it by email to your child’s teacher.
We very much appreciate your support with this measure. It is all about keeping everyone safe and keeping the school open.
St. Patrick’s Day
Wasn’t it a beautiful day yesterday? We hope that you were able to enjoy the sunshine and that you could join in some of the great online activities. Waterford has gone ‘green’, and it is looking amazing!
Not to be outdone, the girls and the staff in Good Counsel were proud to wear their national colours to school on Tuesday. Mr. Dooley’s Second Class led a special virtual Assembly to mark St. Patrick’s Day, we had Irish songs and music playing at breaktime and Senior Infants even had their very own socially distanced parade!
Surprizes!
There were some surprizes for Fifth and Sixth Classes this week. After Easter, Fifth Class will move to a classroom upstairs and Sixth Class will move into the new classroom extension for their final term in Primary school. We are glad that they will have the opportunity to enjoy the space before they leave us.
Third Class also had a surprize in their classroom. A beautiful new smartboard has been installed and they are enjoying all the wonderful features of the new technology. A huge ‘Thank You’ to Mrs. Ryan who looks after our ICTs for her hard work in organising the new board. We hope to replace all our existing projectors with smartboards over time.
Easter Holidays
School will close for the Easter holidays on Friday 26th March. We will contact you next week with pick up times for the girls.
Text-a-Parent
Please make sure that you contact details are up to date. The Text-a-parent App gives you access to the school calendar so if you haven’t already downloaded it, you might do so in the next week or so to help you to keep up to date. https://app.textaparent.ie/get/app It is free and is available for both Android and Apple devices.
Welcome Back Again!
Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,
Monday was a beautiful spring day and we were so happy to re-open the school for Junior Infants, Senior Infants, First Class and Second Class. The girls’ smiles and enthusiasm made our day and I’m sure Mams and Dads were pretty happy too!
Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard with Home Learning – parents, children and staff. It is not easy to keep going but you have done a great job. To those of you who are still at home, stay strong and keep going, and we hope to see you back at school very soon. We will contact you by text and through the website when we have a definite date for 3rd to 6th Classes to return to school.
Now that the school is open for half of our girls, we have to work together to keep it open. Here is some advice from Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Glynn’s letter to parents is available to read on the Latest News tab of www.goodcounselgns.ie.
Please avoid congregating at school gates over the coming weeks. Please do not have play dates or organise after school activities which involve household mixing. And please continue to work from home unless essential.
Last Monday, it was 1 year since the first Covid-19 case was diagnosed in Ireland. We have stuck together and made it this far. Let’s keep going and stay hopeful for better times ahead.
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
Good Counsel Engineers
On Monday the 1st of March, 2nd class took part in the South East Engineering Festival and had great fun with Shanda McCloskey talking about Engineering, creativity & problem-solving. She spoke about how she created her books ‘T-Bone the Drone’ and Doll-E 1.0’. She also showed us how to draw T-Bone the Drone. She challenged us to design our own drones. We really enjoyed our talk from Shanda.
Credit Union Quiz
Our school is well represented every year at the Credit Union Quiz. This year, the quiz has gone online and anyone can take part! It is open to all ages, from parents to children, grannies to grandads. Why not have some family fun and test your knowledge today!
Seachtain na Gaeilge 1- 17 Márta
Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge ar siúl anois. Déan iarracht ár dteanga álainn a labhairt.
Make an effort to use the Gaeilge you have over the next couple of weeks. Here are some links that you might like to check out.
Bain triail as. Give it a go.
Welcome
A very warm welcome to Miss Clodagh O’Sullivan who will be teaching Junior Infants for the next few weeks. We hope that you will enjoy your time with us.
Some Important Dates
Before our next Newsletter, we will celebrate two special dates – Mothers’ Day on Sunday March 14th and St. Patrick’s Day on Wednesday March 17th. Keep an eye on the website for more news about how we will celebrate our National Saint’s Day.
Mothers’ Day or Mothering Sunday is always celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent. It is Laetare Sunday. Laetare is a Latin word meaning ‘To rejoice’. What an appropriate day on which to celebrate our Mams and Grans. So, for all the special ‘Mammies’ in our lives, here is a little reflection from Mother Teresa of Calcutta:
‘You will teach them to fly,
But they will not fly your flight.
You will teach them to dream,
But they will not dream your dream.
You will teach them to live,
But they will not live your life.
Nevertheless, in every flight,
In every life, in every dream,
The print of the way you taught
Will always remain.’
World Book Day
Today, our school is full of Matildas, unicorns, princesses, Hermiones, bunnies, witches, Rapunzels, Cinderellas , Red Riding Hoods, Mary Poppins and lots of other characters from the books that we love. Well done to everyone on the great effort with costumes. Miss Trunchbull is very impressed!
Each of the girls will receive a World Book Day token today. Check out the great audio stories and activities on https://www.worldbookday.com/
Matilda and Miss Trunchbull (Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’)
Waterford Sports Partnership
Waterford Sports Partnership has asked us to share these great free activities with you. It can be hard to keep active during lockdown so maybe with the finer weather, you might like to get out and about a bit more (within 5 kms. of your home of course😊)
https://www.waterfordsportspartnership.ie/active-families/
https://www.waterfordsportspartnership.ie/orienteering/
https://www.waterfordsportspartnership.ie/keep-well-campaign-keep-active/
Happy Christmas
Dear Mams, Dads, Pupils and Staff,
After a most unusual first term, it is time to take a break, relax and enjoy Christmas with our families. Thank you to everyone in our school community for your support and co-operation since September and please continue to stay safe during the holidays so that we can re-open as planned on January 6th.
Wishing all of you and your families the peace and joy of Christmas and every blessing in 2021.
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly
Principal
Christmas Raffle
Thank you very much to everyone who bought tickets for our Christmas Raffle. The raffle will take place (safely!) on Monday and we will publish the results on the school website.
A Message from Your Parents’ Association
We would like to sincerely thank all the parents who so generously supported our Christmas Raffle. Together we raised an astonishing €700 for our school. Many thanks also to the Jolly Barber and Mr. Price who very kindly donated prizes. Best of luck and Happy Christmas from all on the Parents’ Association.
Christmas Assembly
We have been holding our weekly Assemblies on Zoom and it is wonderful to get all the children together and to hear the news from each class. On Monday, we will have our very special Christmas Assembly and the girls will share the wonderful work they have been doing as each class adopts a reindeer.
Staying Safe at Christmas
Here are some links to useful advice about staying safe and keeping others safe at Christmas.
Public Health Guidance on Visitors To Our Homes
ps://www.gov.ie/en/publication/ad569-level-3/#your-quick-guide-to-the-christmas-changes
Staying Well This Winter
https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/healthy-ireland/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/healthyireland/
Visiting Nursing Homes
Managing a Case of Corona Virus in Your Home
We are Adopting Reindeer!
Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,
Christmas will be a little different everywhere this year but that does not mean we cannot celebrate. We cannot have our usual Carol Service and unfortunately the latest advice from the HSE is that we need to be very careful about singing indoors. However, we have a plan!
During December, each class is working towards ‘adopting’ one of Santa’s reindeer.
Junior Infants – Comet – this bright, shining comet leads us to the manger in Bethlehem so we are learning the story of the Nativity.
Senior Infants – Cupid – this kind reindeer leads us to thinking of others, so we are making cards for the residents of St. Joseph’s and Madonna House.
First Class – Donner – this considerate reindeer leads us to do a good deed every day during Advent.
Second Class – Prancer – we are following this active reindeer’s example and we are doing an Advent Fitmas Bootcamp!
Third Class – Vixen – this clever reindeer speaks many languages, so we are learning about Christmas customs around the world.
Fourth Class – Dasher – this talented reindeer is teaching us to look after the world by having a sustainable Christmas.
Fifth Class – Dasher – another active reindeer so we have choreographed a Christmas – themed dance for Peace Proms.
Sixth Class – Blitzen – this reindeer is a leader, so we have taken on a leadership role in our school.
Staff – Rudolph – he brightens the way for Santa so we are doing all we can to keep spirits up at this special time of year.
You will hear more about our adoptions as the month goes on so be sure to check out the Class Blogs and the Latest News tabs on our website.
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
Homework Survey
Today, you will receive a text with a link to our survey on Homework. Please take a few minutes to do the survey. The questions are listed here but the survey must be done online.
- In your experience does Homework help your child to learn?
Always Often Sometimes Never
- In your experience does Homework make your child want to learn?
Always Often Sometimes Never
- Does Homework cause tension in your house?
Always Often Sometimes Never
- Would not having Homework done make your child unhappy coming to school?
Always Often Sometimes Never
- Would not having Homework done be a reason for your child to stay at home from school?
Always Often Sometimes Never
- Choose your top 3 options for Homework?
Active homework e.g. exercises, skipping, Go Noodle dance routine, etc.
Board games suited to the child’s age that support learning e.g. Scrabble, Snakes and Ladders, Ludo
Card games to support addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
Helping with jobs around the house – dusting, setting the dinner table, etc.
Maths
Meditation time
Project work over a certain period e.g. 3 weeks to complete a project
Practical homework e.g. organise all the boxes in your cupboard by weight, measure the height of each member of your family, find 10 things in your house beginning with the sound ‘c’
Reading – English or Gaeilge
Religion
Spellings – English or Gaeilge
Science experiments
Tables
Visual Arts – Music, Art, Drama based activities
Writing – English, Gaeilge, History, Geography, Science
- Do you agree or disagree?
Homework should be voluntary.
Homework should be done at home (not in childcare) and should be corrected by parents/guardians.
Homework should be done at home (not in childcare) and corrected in school.
- Since September, we have not given the children any homework, other than a small amount of reading. In your opinion, has this
been less stressful for your family
about the same for your family
made you worried about your child’s progress
Staying Safe
On Tuesday evening, Miss Kelly and Miss O’Reilly attended a webinar organised by the Department of Education and the HSE.
We learned that schools have done a good job in staying open and in keeping the spread of Corona virus to a minimum. In the wider community, the positivity rate among close contacts is 10% but in schools it is only 2.3%.
We also learned that, to keep the rates down, we must keep doing the simple things that keep us safe: This is extremely important as restrictions are lifted over the next few weeks.
- Social distancing
- Good sneezing/coughing etiquette
- Hand hygiene
There were some very clear messages:
- Anyone who is unwell with Covid-like symptoms should stay at home
- Anyone who travels outside of the country should restrict their movements for 14 days after they return, even if they have a negative Covid test.
We are very grateful for your help and support in keeping our school open. Please, please, please continue to do what we are asking of you.
- If you are dropping or picking up in a car, please stay in your car.
- If you are walking, please wear a face covering and do not stand in, or approach the line where the children are waiting.
We can do this together!
Advent
We had a beautiful Assembly on Friday last to mark the start of Advent. We lit the first candle on our Advent Wreath and Mrs. Burke’s Fifth Class led us in a reflection on the Advent wreath and what is means. Thank you to Fr. Kieran for making the time to join us on Zoom. We are waiting in joy and hope for the birth of Baby Jesus.
December 8th
We will be joining the Parish community for Mass through the webcam on December 8th. This is a Holy Day of Obligation to mark the Immaculate Conception. It is also the day on which we celebrate the birthday of our school. If you would like to join with us, just go to the link and hit play https://ferrybankslieverueparishes.ie/slieverue-webcam/ Mass begins at 10.30a.m.
Christmas Shoebox Appeal
Due to Covid-19 we cannot collect shoeboxes this year. However, if you would like to take part, there is an option to do so online. Just go to the Team Hope website for all the details. https://www.teamhope.ie/christmas-shoebox-appeal/
Important Note
School will close early on Wednesday 16th December to facilitate a Staff Meeting. Junior and Senior Infants @ 1.40p.m. First and Second Class @ 1.50p.m. and all other classes at 2.oop.m.
#GRMA Day
Go Raibh Maith Agat Day or Thank You Day is on Friday December 11th. You will hear more about it through the media over the coming days.
Christmas Cards
As a Green School, we try very hard to put our words into action. For example, since the start of this school year, we have photocopied 1,449 fewer pages just by moving ‘The School Bell’ online.
Every year, we ask the girls not to bring Christmas cards to school for their friends. Instead, each child will make a Christmas card for another child in her class. That way, everyone receives a card, and no-one is left out. It also means we reduce the number of cards in the school from 5,150 to 207!
Santa’s Special Message
In case you have any worries about Santa being able to travel this Christmas, listen to an interview with the Irish Ambassador to Finland and Santa! https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/html5/#/radio1/items/48?date=2020-12-03
Comhairle na nÓg
Well done to Saoirse (6th Class) who took part in Comhairle na nÓg last weekend. Saoirse is our Good Counsel Good Citizen of the Year 2020 and we are delighted that she is showing such leadership.
All We Want for Christmas is Liam!
Of course we cannot finish our newsletter without mentioning the Déise boys and their wonderful win in the All Ireland Semi-Final. If you look closely, you might notice that lots of our Christmas decorations are blue and white this year, and do not be surprised if you see a few blue and white Santa hats appearing! We have lots of Kilkenny fans here too and we know that they are also very proud of their county. The very best of luck to Waterford in the All-Ireland Hurling Final on December 13th. What a way to bring this most unusual year to a close.
Parents’ Association Raffle Tickets
A big thank you to everyone that has returned their raffle tickets for the Parents’ Association Christmas Raffle the response has been wonderful. The last day to return your tickets if you haven’t already done so it next Wednesday December 9th, Best of Luck!
