The School Bell
The School Bell
It is in our hands!
Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,
The re-opening of our school has gone really well, and the girls are doing everything we are asking them to do to stay safe while they are at school.
We all know from news reports that the number of Covid-19 cases in Waterford is rising. Waterford City and County Council, the Gardaí and the HSE have come together to make a special appeal to everyone to act now to bring the numbers down. We must work together and do everything we can to keep our families safe, and to keep our services, including schools, open.
The key messages are:
- Keep the number of visitors to your home down to a minimum.
- Limiting the number of people you meet outside your home.
- Avoid crowds.
- Prioritise the people you need to see.
- When you do meet someone, keep your distance (2 metres), wear a face covering, cough into a tissue and bin it, wash your hands.
- Remember this disease can spread even if you have no symptoms.
- If you have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of smell, loss or change to sense of taste, isolate yourself from others and phone your GP for advice – remember that a referral and test for COVID are free and you do not have to be registered with a GP.
You can read the full message by following this link: https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/media/pressrel/it-is-in-our-hands!-joint-appeal-by-council-gardai-and-hse-in-waterford.html
The good news is that we all know what to do to keep ourselves and our families safe. We’re in this together so let’s do it!
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
Drop Off and Pick Up Times
Thank you again to all of our Mams, Dads, Grandparents and Minders who have been so co-operative and supportive with the drop off and pick up from school. To keep all the girls safe, here are a few little reminders.
- If you are driving, please do not park. It is especially important not to park at the entrance to Madonna House as it needs to be kept free at all times for emergency access. The ‘drive through’ system works so please use it.
- If you are walking, please wait on the school fence side of the car park to pick up children. This is to avoid having the girls walk across the drive through area. Remember to social distance and wear a mask if at all possible.
- Please remind the older girls who walk home by themselves, not to hang around outside the school and to go straight home.
A big thank you to all our staff and to Mr. Doyle for their great work in helping to get the children in and out of school safely.
What Happens If a School Has a Positive Covid-19 Case?
We hope and pray that we will not be in this position, but it may be useful for you to know what happens when a member of staff or a pupil tests positive for Covid-19. It is very important to understand that the school cannot act on the basis of information shared on social media so please do not expect us to do so.
- The HSE is responsible for managing the situation.
- The HSE will make an assessment and decide what needs to happen.
- If necessary, the HSE will contact the Principal and request Contact Tracing Information. The Principal must provide this information to the HSE. For more information check out https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/5/publichealth/publichealthdepts/moh/covid-19-and-schools.html The HSE will conduct any Contact Tracing.
- The HSE will make the decision on whether children or staff need to stay at home. Until this decision has been given to the school by the HSE, the school will remain open.
- To protect the privacy of children and staff members (GDPR) and to comply with Public Health guidelines, the school will not be contacting you to advise you of a positive test unless it is directed to do so by the HSE.
Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE)
The Department of Education and Skills has asked schools to focus on SPHE at the beginning of this school year and especially on the Stay Safe Programme. Teachers are currently working through the Stay Safe Programme with all the children. You can find out what is involved in the programme on these websites:
http://www.staysafe.ie/parents.htm
https://www.webwise.ie/parents/ and
We encourage you to become involved in the programme by discussing the lessons with your child.
Music Generation Kilkenny – www.musicgeneration.ie
Music Generation Kilkenny has asked us to pass on this information about its Autumn Programme.
Music Generation Kilkenny is returning this September 24th at the Creative Music Space, The Drum Youth Centre Foróige, MacDonagh Junction shopping centre. Music Generation is offering tuition in:
· Drums, Ukulele,Guitar, Voice/Singing, Virtual Voices online/in-person blend
Classes are available for 8-18 year olds and will take place in-person, in small groups.
Our Covid-19 response plan will be in operation, adhering in lessons to social distancing guidelines, hand sanitising and the cleaning of instruments where applicable.
Contact us on (056) 7786896, email us at musicgenerationkilkenny@kcetb.ie , find us on Facebook at musicgenerationkilkenny or submit the form at this link https://bit.ly/3lDxBPu
Administrator
Music Generation Kilkenny E: kate.twohig@kilkennycarlowetb.ie T: 056 7786896
Under the Weather
This is a good website for information on many common illnesses and it also has a link to the HSE’s Covid-19 updates and advice. https://www2.hse.ie/under-the-weather/
School Website
Be sure to check in regularly on the Latest News tab on www.goodcounselngs.ie
Do you know what these people have in common?
What do all these famous and successful people have in conmmon – Leonardo da Vinci, Steven Spielberg, Jamie Oliver, Albert Einstein, Whoopi Goldberg?
All of them have Dyslexia. Dyslexia is a life long issue that can make it difficult for people to speak, read, write and spell. If you would like to contact the Dyslexia Association of Ireland, their email address is info@dyslexia.ie Dyslexia Awareness Week takes place in the first week of October.
Reminder
Thank you to everyone who has contacted Tracey to arrange payment for Art and Craft, Reading materials and Photocopying. Just a gentle reminder to those of you who haven’t gotten around to it yet, to make an appointment please to come in and pay by Debit or Credit card.
Wellbeing – Words of Wisdom
- “If plan A doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters — 204 if you’re in Japan.” — Claire Cook
- “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you’ll ever know.” — A.A. Milne
- “To lose patience is to lose the battle.” — Mahatma Gandhi
School Bell
It’s Good To Be Back!
Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,
Every year in September, I say ‘Welcome Back’ to our school community but Tuesday 1st September 2020 was a very special day. I know that all the staff members in the school were thrilled to welcome our lovely girls back after almost six months at home. What was even more exciting was seeing how happy the girls were to return to school again.
The girls have been fantastic and have adapted to all the new routines. Some things are different, but lots of things are the same and together, we are managing to find our way through this unusual time.
Thank you very much to all the Mams and Dads who are helping us out by driving through the car park to drop off and to collect the girls. The system is working so please continue to co-operate with us in getting the girls safely in and out of school. This will be especially important as our Junior Infants have now joined the other girls for the morning drop off.
I hope that the 2020-2021 school year will be a little less eventful than the last one. We need to continue keeping ourselves and others safe. Remember to wash those hands, sneeze or cough into your elbow and keep your distance! Check out a great poem on the Sixth Class Blog that says it all.
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
Thank you to one of our parents for sharing this beautiful prayer with us.
Pupil Insurance
Many of you take out Personal Pupil Insurance every year. If you wish to do so this year, please contact Tracey by email at secretary.ferrybankgns@gmail.com and she will forward the form to you.
Text-a-Parent
If you have not already done so, please download the free Text a Parent App which we use to communicate important or urgent information. It is available for both Apple and Android devices from https://app.textaparent.ie/get/app . The App will also give you access to a school calendar.
It is especially important at the present time that we have up to date contact details for you so if you change your phone number, please contact the school office on 051 832984.
Book Rental and Other Costs
For this year, and to recognise the fact that some families may be struggling financially, we reduced our charge for the Book Rental scheme to €10 per child. Most of that money was collected over the summer months – thank you. We would like to say a sincere thank you to your Parents’ Association who did a lot of work sorting and preparing the books for the rental scheme.
We also reduced the contribution for Art and Craft, Photocopying and Additional Reading materials by €5 per pupil and that is now payable to the school. To try to avoid handling cash, we have set up a contactless payment system. You can use either a debit or credit card, and you will receive an email receipt.
Please call the school office on 051 832984 as soon as possible to arrange to come in and pay this contribution – €25 Senior Infants, €20 First to Sixth. As always, we are grateful for your support and this year in particular, we hope that everyone will make an effort to contribute.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Sixth Class 2020 who were confirmed by Fr. O’Shea on Saturday 29th August. It was a beautiful, meaningful ceremony and great credit is due to Fr. O’Shea and to everyone on the Parish Pastoral Council who played a big role in preparing for the occasion and in helping on the day. Mrs. Power and Miss O’Reilly were delighted to be present and to see the girls again.
We are now looking forward to First Holy Communion for Third Class on Saturday September 26th.
Autumn Cinquain by Natalia (3rd Class)
Autumn
leaves, coats
falling, blowing, raining,
leaves fall from trees,
change.
Junior Infants
Our Junior infants are settling in well. They went on a nature walk this week around our school grounds. They examined our Horse Chestnut tree and how it is changing during Autumn. Have a look at the Junior Infant class blog for a photo.
Waterford News and Star Project
Jamie Fox is a freelance journalist and is working on a piece for the Waterford News and Star centred around people’s experience with Covid-19. Jamie would like to hear from the people of Waterford and organisers of community groups to tell some stories of their journey through the crisis so far. The interview should not take longer than 15-20 minutes, but any person is welcome to talk for as long as they want.
Jamie’s contact details are fox180592@hotmail.com Mobile no: 0872194087
Homework
We hope that everyone is enjoying our ‘homework free’ September. During this month, all the girls need to bring to school with them is their lunchbox and drink, so leave those schoolbags at home 😊
The staff is currently looking at an online learning platform that we could use to engage with the girls in case we need to go back to Home Learning at any stage, or maybe even for homework. It is called Seesaw.
In order to sign the children up for the platform, we will need your permission so please keep an eye out for a Consent Form.
Active School – Waterford Bike Week 2020
It is great to see so many of the girls walking or scooting to school and we hope that this will continue. If you’d like to get active as a family, why not check out some of the activities that have been organised for Waterford Bike Week? All the information you will need is here https://www.waterfordsportspartnership.ie/waterford-bike-week-2020/
Should I send my child to school if she is unwell?
This is a hard question to answer. At school, we have been using a HSE Isolation Guide for children from 3-13years to help us answer any queries. You can find the guide under the ‘Latest News’ tab on our website. It might be useful for you as parents. If you are in any doubt, please keep your child at home and call the school office.
School Bell Special Edition 25th June 2020
My Heroes
Dear Good Counsel Girls, Mams, Dads and Staff,
We’ve heard a lot of talk about heroes since March 12th and there is no doubt that the people who have been on the frontline to keep our country going, have been absolutely heroic. But there have been other heroes too and as we bring this school year to a close, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them.
Hero Mams and Dads, since March 12th you have taken on the huge task of helping your children to continue learning. Not only have you become teachers, you were also carers, cooks, cleaners, workers, positive role models and organisers of entertainment in your homes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your kind messages of thanks and support to the staff have helped to keep us going. You have done an amazing job, so take a bow and take a well-earned break from Home Learning!
Hero Staff members, you are dedicated and caring at all times, and this has never been more evident than during the school closure. You cheered me up every week at our virtual Staff meetings, and your positive messages to the girls and their families were very much appreciated. Enjoy the summer break with your own families and loved ones and take some time to relax and refresh yourselves.
Hero Good Counsel Girls, what an amazing group you are! As your school principal, I am always proud of you and I am especially proud of you this year. You did everything you were asked to do to keep yourself and the people around you safe. You have worked hard at home, you have learned wonderful new skills and you have gotten to know your family better. Remember this time – it’s hard to imagine right now but in years to come you will tell your children and grandchildren all about it, and they will find it hard to believe. For your special effort, I am nominating each of you for a great big Good Counsel Good Citizen Award. Continue to stay safe and well, and have a wonderful summer break.
On a very personal note, I’d like to thank each and every one of you who sent me messages of sympathy and support when my mother Eileen, one of my very special heroes, died in March. I could not have managed without the support and help of Miss Kelly, Tracey, the staff and the entire school community.
Heroes are brave and they have courage, they are determined, helpful and honest, they inspire us to be better than we think we can be, they make personal sacrifices and protect others, they are selfless and strong. You have been, and continue to be all of these things and more. I pray that the sun will shine for us all over the summer months, and that Our Lady of Good Counsel will continue to keep us in her loving care until we meet again.
Yours sincerely,
Catríona O’Reilly
Dear Good Counsel Girls, Mams and Dads,
I hope that you and your family are keeping well, staying safe and looking after each other. No one could have imagined how much our world and lives would have changed since March 12th when we closed the school door at 3 o’ clock that Thursday afternoon. Here’s my message to you all. Stay Safe:
School closed on March 12th. Preparations are going on in the background with all the relevant education partners and at present our school is due to reopen 1st September. This will bring us all back to some kind of normal. It is good to have a date and focus.
Thank you to our Board of Management, Miss O’Reilly, teachers, SNAs and staff for their commitment and dedication to our pupils and school over the last few months. A big thank you too to our Parents Association and ALL our PARENTS for your kind comments, patience and support for the work of the school at home. It has been amazing. There may have been illness in some homes, some of our parents may have lost their jobs, and some of our parents are going out to work every day. Let’s look after each other.
A big well done to all our wonderful girls in Our Lady of Good Counsel School. You are wonderful children. You all have been learning at home over the last few months in different ways. I commend and thank you most sincerely. Thank you too for helping out at home and for being kind. Keep doing some jobs helping your Mams and Dads. Be kind and help.
Yes, all of us have been disappointed that we didn’t get to finish out the year as we had planned. No First Holy Communion but Fr. Kieran came up with a plan to mark that day virtually. I’m sure Fr. Kieran will give us a date to do it for real, when he knows for sure it is safe. And 6th Class, what can I say…We know you were looking forward to doing lots of the many activities that 6th Classes always do. Mrs. Power and you all worked hard over the last few weeks to make your graduation a reality. In years to come, you will always be able to say ‘We were the 6th Class of Our Lady of Good Counsel 2020’. Best wishes to you all as you begin a new and exciting chapter in your lives.
Stay safe at all times and Girls that includes online. Yes it is important to stay connected to our friends, but online activity comes with some risks and parents should always know what our children are doing on line and that they are safe. Please keep your devices in your living areas with your parents/guardians present.
Active – keep the balance right. Be active for short bursts of time, three or four times a day. Walk a mile with a smile every day. Play Frisbee together. Cycle your bike. Practice your GAA or football drills. Or skip! It is brilliant for us all. So is downtime and chill out time. So is family time, meal-times and gardening time. It is important also to get a good sleep every night. Be it holiday time or not!
For now, it is important that we keep going and that we continue to keep ourselves safe. We can see our friends but keep social distance at the same time. Remember to keep washing those hands and practice good cough/sneeze hygiene!
BE your best, don’t worry and have a great summer! We will all meet up again when we get back to school in September. Summer 2020 – here it comes! Have a safe summer.Miss Kelly – Deputy Principal
The “School Bell” June 6th 2019
School Calendar 2019-2020
Dear Mums, Dads, Pupils and Staff,
The school calendar for 2019-2020 has been agreed between St. Mary’s BNS and Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS. We are publishing the calendar now so that it will help you to plan family time and holidays during school closures.
Please keep a copy of the calendar for your own reference. Closures are also listed on the Text-a-Parent calendar so if you have not already done so, and you’d like to have the calendar to hand, please download the free App from https://app.textaparent.ie/get/app.
Term 1 begins Monday 2nd September 2019
Hallowe’en Break Closed Monday 28th October – Friday 1st November inclusive
School re-opens Monday 4th November
Christmas Closed Monday 23rd December to Friday 3rd January 2020 inclusive
Term 2 begins Monday 6th January 2020
Mid-Term Break Thursday 20th and Friday 21st February
St. Patrick’s Day Closed Monday 16th March
Closed Tuesday 17th March (Public Holiday)
Easter Break Closed Monday 6th April to Friday 17th April inclusive
Term 3 begins Monday 20th April
May Bank Holiday Closed Monday 4th May
June Bank Holiday Closed Friday 29th May
Closed Monday 1st June
School year ends on Friday 26th June 2020
Yours sincerely,
_____________________________
C. O’Reilly –Principal
End of Year Reports
In the week beginning June 17th, you will receive an End of Year Report Card for your child through the post. Please let the School Office know if you have changed your address recently. If you do not receive a Report Card by Wednesday 19th June, please contact the School Office immediately on 051-832984.
School Self-Evaluation
Over the last number of months, we have been working on improving the girls’ writing skills. Junior Infants, First Class, Third Class and Fifth Class have been learning how to write Narrative Texts (Stories) and Senior Infants, Second Class, Fourth Class and Sixth Class have been working on Report Writing. The girls have put a lot of effort into improving their own work and we are delighted with the outcomes.
It is very obvious that the children who read more, find it easier to write and produce better pieces of writing. So, one way to help your child to become a better writer, is to encourage her to read more. For the younger children who are still developing their reading skills, it is important for them to hear adults read to them on a daily basis. To keep the interest in reading going over the summer break, why not take on the Summer Stars Reading Challenge in Ferrybank Library?
Do You Enjoy a Challenge?
Once again, the annual Summer Reading Challenge (Summer Stars) will run in Ferrybank Library.
This challenge encourages children to read a minimum of 8 books through the summer holiday period. We invite children to come along to the library with a parent to sign up anytime from Saturday 15th June. Once registered, they receive a card to record their progress. Children can read whatever they like – fact or fiction, as long as the books are borrowed from the Library! After reading 4 books, a drawstring bag will be rewarded, and on completion, a certificate and prize will be awarded. The challenge ends on 31stAugust. Last year 157 children completed the challenge in Ferrybank Library. Let’s see if we can do better this year!
Basketball Blitz
Up to 50 girls from 4th, 5th and 6th Classes took part in the after-school basketball lessons during this term. Fantastic! When the lessons were finished, the teachers organised a basketball blitz for all the girls who had taken part. Matches were played at lunchtime and last week, we had a very exciting final. The two teams showed off their new skills and they had great support from all the spectators. Congratulations to the winning team and we will have a little surprise for you at this week’s Assembly. We’d like to say a huge ‘Thank You’ to Mrs. Burke, Miss Kissane and Mr. Dooley who gave up their time after school to organise the lessons, and their lunchbreaks to run the competition.
Health and Wellbeing Week
Ms. Finucane has been busy planning a celebration of Health and Wellbeing which will run from Monday June 17th to Friday June 21st. Each day we will focus on a different aspect(s) of wellbeing – physical, emotional, environmental, intellectual and spiritual. At the heart of the wellbeing wheel is our own responsibility to keep ourselves content and well, both physically and mentally.
Some days are better
Some days are worse
Look for the blessing
Instead of the curse.
Be positive, stay strong,
And get enough rest.
I can’t do it all,
But I can do my best.
Eid-ul-Fitr
The end of Ramadan is marked by a big celebration called ‘Eid-ul-Fitr’, the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. This year, Eid took place on June 3rd and 4th and we hope that everyone in our school community who was celebrating Eid, had a very special time with family and friends. We wish you a Happy Eid, Eid Mubarak.
Attendance Award
The Attendance Award for the month of May goes to Fifth Class with an attendance rate of 97.59%. They were closed followed by Sixth Class on 96.91% and Third Class with 94.68%. At the end of June we will see which class has the best overall attendance for the full school year – it is very close at the moment with less than 1% between the best two classes!
Bringing Up Happy Healthy Children
As a follow on to our recent Healthy Families workshop, St Brigid’s Family & Community Centre and Parents Plus are organising a 4 week ‘Bringing up Happy, Healthy & Active Children’ Parenting Programme for parents starting Thursday 30th May. The ‘Bringing up Happy, Healthy & Active Children’ is most relevant to parents of children from 3 years up to 10 years of age. Parents are very welcome to attend all four workshops of the Programme or if this isn’t possible parents can attend any one or more of the workshops. There is no charge for the Programme. The Programme takes place in St Brigid’s Children Centre, Hennessy’s Road (not Yellow Road).
If you have any queries or would like more information on the Programme, please feel free to call on 051 375261.
Newsletter 28th March 2019
Organ Donor Awareness Week
Dear Mams, Dads, Pupils and Staff,
Next week is Organ Donor Awareness Week 2019. It was launched by the Minister for Health Simon Harris on March 26th. In his statement, the Minister said that ‘In 2018, there was a total of 274 transplants carried out, …….with donations occurring in 25 hospitals.’
This might seem like an unusual topic for a school newsletter, but we have our very own ambassador for organ donation here at Good Counsel GNS.
Before Christmas, Molly (1st Class) received the amazing gift of a new kidney, thanks to the generosity of a donor. If you were watching Ireland AM on Wednesday morning, you may have seen Molly and her Dad Brendan on the show, telling their stories and encouraging more of us to become organ donors. They were terrific!
If you are interested in becoming an organ donor, this is the advice given by the Irish Kidney Association:
- email: donor@ika.ie
- freetext DONOR to 50050
- lo call 1890 543639
- By post to: Freepost, Donor House, Irish Kidney Association,
- Park West, Dublin 12
- Collect a donor card at your local pharmacy
- Sign the back of your driving licence to indicate your wishes.
Most importantly, discuss your wishes with your next-of-kin.
We wish Molly and Brendan, and all organ recipients continued good health and we will remember all organ donors and their families in our prayers.
Yours sincerely,
__________________
C. O’Reilly – Principal
First Penance
Congratulations and well done to all the girls who made their First Penance on March 21st. Thank you to Mr. Dooley, Fr. O’Shea and their families for helping them to prepare so well. We know that the girls are looking forward to their First Holy Communion on May 11th.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Thank you to everyone who came along to support our school St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and to all the Mams and Dads who went to such great effort to make sure that the girls were as colourful as could be! We know that the Sacred Heart of Mary Sisters and the residents of St. Joseph’s Care Home very much appreciated the girls’ visit. Well done girls.
Safe Cycling
On Wednesday next, the girls in Fourth Class will begin a four week Safe Cycling course with Donal Jacob. Donal will come to the school and he will provide the bicycles and helmets for the girls. We are very fortunate that we get some sponsorship every year to help with the costs of the course, and our Parents’ Association is always generous in supporting us. As a result, the cost to the girls is only €5 each. Please forward the €5 to Mrs. Ryan or to the school office any time before the end of the course (8th May).
New Television Show
RTE Junior has contacted us about the hit RTÉjr show Donncha’s TWO TALENTED. Applications are now open and will close on the 10th of April.
Adare Productions are looking for the country’s most talented youngsters age 5-11 years of age to take part. Singer or dancer, solo or duet, all applications are welcome. There are no judges, no competition just a chance to showcase the best talent Ireland’s kids (and their chosen grown- ups!) have to offer. The show sees the child take charge and mentor a chosen adult member to join them on our stage. To apply interested parties can register online and submit their short audition clip at-https://submit.link/heBzR
Host, rugby legend Donncha O’ Callaghan, will be on hand to steady the grown-up’s nerves, as talented youngsters showcase their talent, before taking on the challenge of mentoring their chosen adult family member to join them on the big stage.
For more information contact 01 2843877 or visit the RTÉjr website for more information.
“The School Bell” October 18th 2018
It’s Maths Week!
Dear Mums, Dads, Pupils and Staff,
It’s Maths Week! The girls and their teachers have been celebrating in lots of different ways. On Wednesday, Fifth Class went to the Central Library in Lady Lane for a terrific workshop with the Museum of Mathematics of Catalonia. The girls did lots of puzzles to develop their Maths skills while learning about Leonardo Domes, Mobius bands, magic and much more.
On Friday, Fourth Class will visit Ferrybank Library for more fun and games based on Maths.
If you’d like to try some puzzles at home, why not check out the Maths Week website – http://www.mathsweek.ie/2018/ ? Go to the ‘Resources’ tab and click on ‘Puzzles for all ages’.
If you don’t have internet access at home, you could celebrate Maths Week by playing some board games – Snakes and Ladders, Ludo, Connect 4.
Here’s a little puzzle to get you started.
Horace was looking through the family photograph album, which had photos of each of his parents, each of his grandparents, all the way up to each of his great-great-great-grandparents. How many photos did Horace see?
You’ll find the answer somewhere else in this newsletter.
Slán go fóill,
_______________________________
C. Ní Raghallaigh – Príomhoide
What To Do If You or Your Child Has a Problem
Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, a problem will arise that needs to be sorted out. The procedure listed below has been agreed nationally and it is the procedure that we use in this school to sort out any difficulties. Thankfully, we very rarely need to go past No. 1 or No. 2 as most problems can be sorted out fairly quickly when adults sit down and have a reasonable conversation with each other. So, if you or your child has a problem, this is what you need to do:
1. Make an appointment to see the class teacher.
Problem solved? Yes – procedure finished No – Go to next step
2. Make an appointment to see the school principal
Problem solved? Yes – procedure finished No – Go to next step
3. Make an appointment to see the chairperson of the Board of Management
Problem solved? Yes – procedure finished No – Go to next step
4. Lodge a complaint in writing with the chairperson of the Board of Management
Problem solved? Yes – procedure finished No – Go to next step
5. Chairperson makes a formal report to the Board of Management
6. The Board determines whether or not the complaint is substantiated.
Problem solved? Yes – procedure finished No – Go to next step
7. The Board conducts an investigation
The Board makes a decision and informs the parent/guardian and the person against whom the complaint was made in writing of its decision. The decision of the Board shall be final.
Evacuation Drill This morning, we had an Evacuation Drill at the school. We practise evacuating the building so that we are all familiar with what to do in case on an emergency.
Reminder Girls, please remember that some parts of the school grounds are off limits, unless your teacher is with you. Please do not go behind the old building on the top yard or up the grassy area beside the convent avenue. As a Good Counsel Good Citizen, you have a responsibility to keep yourself safe.
Mayor’s Visit
On Monday 22nd October, the Mayor of Waterford Metropolitan District, will visit the school to present Attendance Certificates to any girl who had full attendance last year. Congratulations to Mia, Isabelle, Victory, Mia, Dara, Sophiat, Niamh, Julie, Sophie, Chi Chi, Dzesika, Fiona, Sarah, Dzesika, Sophie, Lorraine and Favour on your wonderful attendance.
The school will also give certificates to the girls who missed no more than three days during the last school year. We do this to recognise the great effort made by the girls to be at school every day. It is also to recognise the effort that you make as parents/guardians to get the girls out the door to school every morning. Every school day counts!
Mission Week
Our annual Mission Drive will begin on Monday, 22nd October. For those of you who are new to the school, Mission Week is one of the highlights of the year. Classes from Sixth to Third set up stalls and sell cakes, buns, unwanted toys, books, etc. to all the other children in the school. Please bear in mind that Good Counsel is a ‘Nut Free’ school. This year’s sales are as follows:
Monday 22nd October Mrs. Power’s Class
Tuesday 23rd October Miss Kissane’s Class
Wednesday 24th October Mrs. Ryan’s Class and Mrs. Burke’s Class
On Thursday 25th October we will have our Talent Competition, which is organised and judged by Sixth Class. All the money we raise is sent directly to a project in the developing world so that none of the money is spent on administration. It is a good idea for the small girls to bring along a ‘shopping bag’ to make it easy to carry the things they buy. There are usually lots of goodies for sale so the girls might not need to bring a lot to eat for small break during the Mission Sales.
We are always amazed at the generosity of the girls and their parents during Mission Week. Remember, a little goes a very long way in the developing world.
PLEASE NOTE: School will remain open until 3p.m. on Thursday
5th October. School will close on Friday 26th October as it is required as a Polling Station for the Presidential Election and the Referendum. The traditional ‘Mayors’ Half Day’ will be held over until February.
Peace Proms
The girls in 3rd and 5th classes will take part in the Peace Proms Concert on Sunday 10th February
@ 7p.m. We have received the links to all the wonderful songs that the girls will sing and we are all looking forward to hearing them practice.
Mums and Dads, tickets for the concert will go on sale on Monday 12th November, with a pre-sale on Monday 5th. We will let you know if there is any further update, but please be aware that tickets sell out very quickly, and tickets may only be bought through the Peace Proms website. They are not available from the school.
Bookville at the Library
On Friday the 12th of October , 4th class went to a workshop in the library to meet an author called Alan Nolan as part of Bookville. We have read one of Alan’s books in class, it’s called Conor’s Caveman. In the workshop, Alan taught us how to draw Ogg, our favourite character from Conor’s Cavemen and told us about his new book, Sam Hannigan’s Woof Week. He told us that he’s writing two more books, that will be coming out next year. We hope to get our hands on some! We had a very fun and enjoyable time with our favourite author. By Saoirse – 4th Class
How many photos did Horace see?
2 parents
4 grandparents
8 great-grandparents
16 great-great-grandparents
32 great-great-great-grandparents
2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + 32 = 62 photos in all.
The School Bell October 4th 2018
Thank You
Dear Mums, Dads, Pupils and Staff,
It was just wonderful to meet so many of you at our Parents’ Information evening last Thursday. I know the effort that it takes to come out to a meeting in the evening so I very much appreciate the fact that so many Mums and Dads came along. I would also like to acknowledge the staff of the school who gave their time to plan and deliver the meetings. It really does make a difference to the children’s learning when they know that their school and their homes are communicating and working together.
I hope that you found the meetings informative and that you also had an opportunity to chat to some of the organisations who were here about the services they provide.
On page 2 of this newsletter, you will find a very short feedback form. I would appreciate it very much if you would take a few minutes to fill it in and return it to the school. Your thoughts will help us to reflect on the information that we are providing and to think about how we can it make it more relevant to you as parents/guardians.
Yours sincerely,
_______________________
C. O’Reilly – Principal
Feedback Form
Parent Information Evening
I found the Parent Information evening helpful because:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It would make the meeting more helpful to me as a parent if:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I would prefer an afternoon meeting (3.15-4.15p.m.)
I would prefer an evening meeting (7-8p.m.)
Reminder
Swimming lessons for 2nd and 3rd classes will begin on Monday 5th November. Your child has already brought home a note about the lessons. The school’s Parents’ Association is paying the cost of transport for the children. Please forward the money for the lessons to your child’s teacher before the Hallowe’en Break. As always, if any parent/guardian wishes to make an arrangement with the school to pay for the lessons over a number of weeks, please feel free to contact Miss O’Reilly in absolute confidence.
St. Dominic’s Credit Union
St. Dominic’s Credit Union visits the school every second Thursday. When your child joins the Credit Union at school, they receive a free gift and a little deposit into their account to get them started. New members are always welcome. If your child is interested in becoming a member, please give the school office a call and we will get the information you need back to you.
Well done to all our regular savers. The next collection date is Thursday 11th October.
Every Schoolday Counts
Well done to Mr. Dooley’s Second Class who had the best attendance during the month of September with a fantastic attendance rate of 97.38%. They were closely followed by our Junior Infants and in third spot was Sixth Class. Well done girls and keep up the great work!.
Practical Tips to Reduce the Weight of My Schoolbag
1. How many pencil cases do I need?
2. Do I need every book every night?
3. Can I bring home some of the sheets from my folder instead of the whole folder?
4. Am I letting my work build up, or can I do a little every night so that my bag isn’t overfilled?
I should remember to
1. Carry my schoolbag on both shoulders.
2. Make sure my schoolbag is sitting in the right place on my back. It’s called a backpack not a bottompack!
3. Put my schoolbag on a desk/table, and slip my arms in.
4. Leave my schoolbag down if I am standing in one place
5. Fasten the waist strap if there is one on my schoolbag
Team Hope – Christmas Shoebox Appeal 2018
This year we would like to make a special effort to help children for whom Christmas is just like any other day of the year. Many live in difficult situations and a shoebox can bring happiness and joy at this time of year. Your kindness will bring laughter and excitement to a child who may never have received a gift.
If you would like to put a shoe box together for a child there will be leaflets available from the school office next week explaining how to put your box together so that the items you put inside will be of most benefit to the child who receives it. The last date that boxes can be accepted at the school is Friday November 9th 2018. For more information about the Shoe Box Appeal go to www.teamhope.ie
Positive Ageing Week Visit
On Monday 1st October we visited the residents of the Little Sisters of the Poor for Positive Ageing week. While there, we found out some interesting things about them, as they did with us. We learned a little about their past lives. One man used to slaughter pigs in Clover meats; another lived on a farm and made their own puddings and gave it to their neighbours; and there was also a hotel manager!
Rose showed us around the building and we saw the beautiful Mary Altar made by one of the residents
In the end, it was a great experience for the class as well as the residents, and we hope to see them again in the future.
Dates for Calendar
1st National Day China, Hong Kong
Independence Day, Nigeria
9th Navaratri
16th Week of Prayer for World Peace
22nd Mission Week begins
26th Presidential Election – School closed
29th Mid-term Break begins
31st Hallowe’en
