The School Bell
Seasons Greeting from all in Good Counsel
Dear Parents, Pupils, Guardians and Friends of the school,
As Christmas quickly approaches, please see our school newsletter below for an update on some of the happenings in our school.
Christmas activities in the school
We have lots of different activities and events on the run up to Christmas over the next two weeks. The teachers and the girls have been busy preparing and are looking forward to spreading some festive cheer. You can see some of the activities below and we might even have a couple of surprises for the girls before we finish up for the holidays!!
Junior Infants Christmas Play
Miss Hall’s Junior Infants will perform their Christmas play this week for the parents and for the school. The Junior Infant parents will have received a message to inform them that their daughter’s play is taking place on Thursday, December 12th and other details including times etc.
Little Sisters of the Poor – Annual Christmas Visit
All of the girls will visit the Little Sisters of the Poor on Friday, December 13th where they will perform their Christmas Carol Service for the residents and staff there. It is something that the girls love doing and are, as ever looking for to their annual visit!
Carol Service in the Church – December 17th @ 1.00pm
Our Annual Christmas Carol Service will take place in the Church at a slightly earlier starting time of 1pm on December 17th. All parents are welcome to attend and we are really looking forward to seeing you all there. The girls have been practicing over the last number of weeks and always put on a great show. We will send a message on Aladdin to parents regarding the Carol Service this week with more details.
Christmas Carols with the Good Counsel Choir
Our newly formed Good Counsel Choir and Miss Hutchinson will be visiting some of the local nursing homes to sing Christmas Carols for the residents. The girls have been practicing every Wednesday during lunch time and are looking forward to their first outings with the school choir. Thanks to Miss Hutchinson for her work in putting the choir together and for preparing the girls.
Wear your Christmas Jumper/Outfit to school – December 19th
The girls are welcome to wear Christmas Jumpers/Christmas outfits coming to school on Thursday, December 19th. Please ensure that your daughter is warm enough in her outfit as the weather has gotten quite cold over the last few weeks.
School Closes for Christmas – Friday, December 20th
Half Day – Friday December 20th
Junior and Senior Infants – finish @ 12.10pm
1st to 6th class – finish @ 12.15pm.
Christmas Displays
We have some lovely Christmas displays on show in the school this year. Thank you to Tracey our secretary, Mark our caretaker and Ms. Kelly for putting it all together.
We held our Christmas Crib Design competition last week. The girls are asked to design a background for the school crib with the winning selection being used as the crib background. We received many excellent entries and the winner was Mia in 6th! You can see Mia’s final product below. Well done to all of the girls for the effort they put into their designs.
Christmas Food Hamper Appeal
Mrs. Shanahan’s Wellbeing Warriors have been putting their minds together to see if we can help people in need in Waterford this Christmas. They have decided to run a Christmas Food Hamper Appeal where the girls are encouraged to bring food into the school which will be donated to a local worthy cause. They have also put a poster together which you can see below as to the types of food that can be donated. If you can and would like to make a food donation to the school please send it in by Wednesday, December 18th.
Thank you to the Wellbeing Warriors and Mrs. Shanahan for all of their hard work in putting the appeal together!
Late Late Toy Show
We all watched the Toy Show with great anticipation over the weekend as three girls from the school were selected to be on this years show. Well done to Sophie, Dorka and Lilly from 6th class who were dancing on the Toy Show as part of the Synergy Dance group. The girls have been practicing hard over the last few weeks and months and all of their hard work paid off! Well done from all here in Good Counsel!
You can see the dance here – Late Late Toy Show – Pop Princess Medley
Parents’ Association Fundraiser
The Parents’ Association bingo night takes place in the Forum tonight, Tuesday December 10th with doors opening at 7pm. Thank you to the Parents’ Association for organising the fundraiser and the prizes for the raffle on the night. Thank you also to the parents for their generosity and support as ever. We look forward to seeing some of you on the night!
Drop off and collect area
Our drop off and collect area has been a big success so far and we are delighted with how it is going. Getting in and out of school in the morning and at home time has gotten so much easier and more importantly, safer for everyone. Please note that when you are parking your car, there is no need to leave big gaps between cars as we are trying to fit as many cars in as safely as possible in the set down areas especially at home time and on wet days. Thank you.
Important Dates
Friday December 20th – Half Day
Junior and Senior Infants – 12.10pm
1st to 6th class – 12.15pm.
Return to school
Monday January 6th @ 9am.
We looking forward to seeing many of you over the next week or so.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from all here in Our Lady of Good Counsel.
Yours sincerely,
J.Nagle
Principal
November Update!
Dear families and friends of the school community,
Hope you are all well? It is now definitely feeling like winter, with the drop in temperature and
the dark mornings. We are well and truly progressing through November and what a busy
few weeks we have had here in Our Lady of Good Counsel. Please read below to catch up
on all the recent happenings and learning that has and is going on in our school.
Have a lovely weekend.
Miss Kelly.
(Deputy Principal)
Congratulations!
We are delighted to inform you that Mr. and Mrs. Nagle welcomed a new baby in to their
family recently. Everyone here at Our Lady of Good Counsel sends their congratulations to
Mr. and Mrs Nagle and his family on the birth of their beautiful baby daughter. We are
thrilled for them. We wish them every blessing and happiness in the future.
Upcoming Closures
School closed Friday November 29th as the school will be used as a polling station for the General Election.
School Closed on Monday December 2nd due to professional development day for staff.
November – All Saints and All Souls
During the month of November we remember all those who have died, especially family
members and friends of our school community. Mrs. Ryan’s Third Class prepared an
Assembly of Remembrance accompanied by beautiful singing during our first week back.
We continue to remember all those people in our prayers every Friday during Assembly.
May they all Rest in Peace. Amen.
Science Week Ireland 2024
We celebrated Science Week Ireland last week. There were various science activities and
games taking place in the classrooms, corridors and GP area. The pupils learned a great
deal from one another and they put their scientific skills and scientific language to use.
Miss Behan, Mrs. Hayes and First class visited SETU for a ‘Bubbly Science’ show which
really wowed the pupils so much that they continued further experiments with bubbles in
their classroom on their return.
During Assembly, third class scientists treated the school to a live experiment –
demonstrating how a volcano explodes and causing an eruption. We have some future
scientists among us in Our Lady of Good Counsel. Well done girls and teachers.
Advent – the time when we prepare for the birth of Baby Jesus
Mrs. Burke’s Sixth class will be busy preparing for a special Assembly for the beginning of
Advent. Advent always starts four Sundays before Christmas. This year, Advent begins on
Sunday 1 st of December, and the start of the new church year. We are looking forward to
seeing the Advent wreath and to learning why Advent is so important.
Christmas Crib Design Competition
It’s that time of year girls to design the background for our school’s Christmas Crib. It’s time to get creative again girls. Put your design on an A4 page and put it in the box in the Front Hall before Thursday November 28th You can work by yourself or with a group of friends. Make sure to put your name and your class on the back of your entry. The winning design will be used as the background for our school’s beautiful, handmade crib and all the entries will be displayed in the school.
Outdoor Learning – GIY Grow at School.
The gardening gladiators and Miss Kelly have been planting daffodil and tulip bulbs around
the school during early October and we await their budding in February and March time.
In September, our school was selected to participate in the GIY GROW at School
programme as Miss Kelly knew a lot of our pupils are interested in outdoor learning and
gardening. Through garden based learning and hands-on growing experiences, children
develop a deeper and understanding from where heathy and sustainable foods come from.
This concept encourages children to appreciate the importance of healthy food and
understand the process it goes through before reaching their plates.
As part of our participation in GIY GROW at School, we received 4 Raised Garden beds
before the Hallowe’en break. Mark kindly assembled them for us. Our Gardeners have so far
planted onion sets and garlic bulbs. Further planting and sowing will continue in the new
year.
The halls are alive with the sound of music!
Recently, a school choir has been formed in Our Lady of Good Counsel. Miss Hutchinson
and the girls in the school choir are busy learning some songs and carols on the lead up to
Christmas.
Wellbeing Warriors Committee
We are delighted to have established our new Wellbeing Warrior Committee. We had our first short meeting last week. The girls brainstormed how they could make a difference in our school. We look forward to sharing some of our ideas over the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned!!!!!!
Lámh
Ms. Rellis has being demonstrating a selection of Lámh signs to the school during assembly.
We have been learning how to sign words associated with home and houses, which is our
Oral Language theme for November. The pupils have also learned how to sign the days of
the week.
Winter Weather
As we progress through the season of Winter, and temperatures drop, please ensure your
daughters are well-prepared for the chilly weather. Please make certain your daughter
comes to school with a warm coat, hat, scarf and gloves, Your support in this is greatly
appreciated, as it helps us maintain the well-being of all our pupils during these colder days.
Mission Week – Thank you
Thanks to everyone for their support throughout Mission Week which was a great success., €1128 was raised which is a huge amount of money! Well done everyone! The money raised will go to Opportunity Knox providing access to primary and secondary education to families in Tiira Village, Uganda. http://opportunityknox.ie/
Hallowe’en time!
Dear Parents, Pupils, Guardians and Friends of the school,
I hope you are all well. As the Hallowe’en break approaches, it is a good time to update you all on some of the different activities and happenings in our school.
Parents Information Evening
We were delighted to welcome so many of you to the Parent’s Information Evening at the start of October. We hope you got something from it and enjoyed the opportunity to see your daughter’s classroom and to say hello to her teacher. Thank you to all of the parents who took the time out of their evening to attend and to the teachers for the time and effort they make in order for the evening to run as it did!
Mass
As previously communicated, we will celebrate Mass with St. Mary’s B.N.S. tomorrow, Thursday @ 11.15am in the Sacred Heart Church here in Ferrybank. The mass will be attended by 1st to 6th class pupils and parents/grandparents are welcome to attend if they wish.
Hallowe’en
The girls are welcome to dress up for Hallowe’en on Friday, October 25th.
Communion and Confirmation Dates
The Bishop has been in touch with a date for Confirmation which will take place on Thursday, March 13th @ 11am in the Sacred Heart Church, Ferrybank.
We hope to have a date for the Communion soon and we will let parents know when we know.
Assembly update!
Every Friday at 12.10pm, all classes gather in the GP room for assembly. Assembly time is a great opportunity for all staff and children to come together to reflect on the week and look forward to what’s coming up. We have different things that we do during assembly including Birthdays, Class Reports from two classes, general updates/upcoming events, litter and rubbish report and Good Counsel Good Citizen where girls who are good citizens in our school are nominated by a member of staff following a good deed during the week. We also encourage girls to share their achievements during assembly with the school when time allows.
Mission Week
We will have Mission Week next week in Good Counsel. A message has been sent out on Aladdin today to inform parents. Mission week is a highlight every year in the school. During the week, the classes from 3rd to 6th set up stalls and sell items such as buns, cakes, books, toys etc. On Friday, we have a talent show to finish off the week! The girls are welcome to bring a small amount of money in (up to the value of €2) and all money raised at the end of the week will be donated to charity. Last year we donated all money to the Opportunity Knox charity – https://opportunityknox.ie/.
Maths Week
Maths Week Ireland will be held on the 12th October – 20th October 2024.
In our school we always promote a positive attitude towards maths and the importance of maths in our lives. Maths Week promotes awareness, appreciation and understanding of Maths through a huge variety of events and activities – mathsweek.ie This year our school will be involved in live events, online activities, Maths TV, Maths Eyes competition and games. Please check out mathsweek.ie/2024/parents for lots of information for parents including:
– Maths at home activities
– How to help children with math anxiety
– Maths Puzzles
– Top tips for parents
– Maths in everyday household tasks
– Growth Mindset
– Mathematical thinking for younger children
– Holiday maths
Mayor’s Visit
Every year we are delighted to welcome the Mayor. The City and County Mayor, Jason Murphy will visit our school on Tuesday coming, October 22nd to talk to the girls and to make some presentations on the day.
Dates for your diary
Half Day Friday October 25th – Junior and Senior Infants finish @ 12.15pm
1st to 6th class finish @ 12.20pm
Mid-Term Break – Monday October 28th to Friday November 1st
Hope you all have a lovely Hallowe’en and I will be in touch again when we return.
Yours sincerely,
J. Nagle
Principal
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.
Parents Information Evening
Our Annual Parents Information evening will take place on Thursday October 3rd . Parents are welcome from 6.45pm with events getting under way from 7pm sharp. We will send out a message on Aladdin Connect with regards to any further information.
The Information evening should take no longer than an hour, finishing around 8pm. We look forward to seeing all parents there.
Tesco Community Fund
We were delighted to get a call from the local Tesco here in the Ferrybank to inform us that we will receive €369 in funding for new music equipment. Thank you to all parents, children and shoppers for supporting our school over the last few months. Thank you also to Tesco for their generous donation.
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.
Hot Meals
The hot meals have been very well received throughout the school since they began in late August. The girls throughout September have enjoyed tasting the different meals and many seem to have settled on what they like. We are conscious of waste and are happy to say that so far, little to no waste has been left. We kindly ask that if your daughter is going to be absent from school and you know about it in advance, that you cancel the hot meal for those respective days with Freshtoday via their app/website.
Photocopying/Art and Craft fees
Thank you to many of you who have paid the photocopying/art and craft fees via Aladdin Connect. The fee is €30 for the school year and it is kindly asked that if you have yet to pay this, please do so.
Many parents have availed of the Allianz insurance that is offered by the school which is also paid for via Aladdin Connect. If you have availed of this insurance and have paid via Aladdin Connect, please ensure that the insurance form is filled in and returned to the school.
Solar Panels
We were delighted to have solar panels installed during the summer break on the roof of the main building. We now have 16 panels which produce electricity making our school greener and more environmentally friendly. We also have a new information screen installed in the entrance hall to educate us on how much electricity is being produced.
European Day of Languages 2024
On Thursday, 26 th of September, we will celebrate European Day of Languages in our
school. This years theme is ‘Language for Peace’. Our Senior pupils will share and read
some traditional fairytales and stories with all the classes during the day. All pupils will be
encouraged to have a go at saying ‘hello’ and ‘welcome’ in the different European languages
that our pupils speak along with our native language, Gaeilge, and English. We are looking
forward to hearing and having a go with some of the languages.
External Works
The external works on the drop off and collect area are continuing. The new boundary wall is almost complete and we hope to have new fencing and gates installed in the next couple of months to finish off the job.
Dates for your diary
Parents Information Evening – Thursday October 3rd
Mid-Term Break – Monday October 28th to Friday November 1st
That’s all for now. I will be in touch again in the next few weeks.
Yours sincerely,
J.Nagle
Principal
Return to School -August 2024
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
I hope you all had a lovely summer. As we are fast approaching our return to school, please find an update below with regards to access to our school, hot meals and Aladdin Connect among other things.
Access to the school
If you have passed the school over the summer, you will see that the largescale works have been ongoing. We are delighted to have a new Drop Off/Set Down area to the front of the school along with a new yard including a basketball court.
I have attached a two videos below to go through how access and exit will work on a daily basis. If you have any difficulty playing the videos, you can access them on the school bell on the school website here – https://goodcounselgns.ie/category/school-bell/.
Please note that BAM construction will have traffic management in place to facilitate the movement of traffic when the schools reopen.
Opening Times
School gates open; 9.00am
School Starts; 9.10am
Please note that supervision will not be provided before 9am.
Collection Times
Junior Infants; 12 noon for the first 7 school days.
Senior Infants; 1.45pm
1st and 2nd Class; 2.45pm
3rd to 6th Class; 2.50pm
What to bring to school
All books and copies will be provided here in the school. Your daughter may bring stationary to school but we will have some here available for the girls who need them as well.
Your daughter needs to bring;
A school bag
A small lunch box with a healthy snack for morning break
A drink (no fizzy drinks allowed)
New pupils
We are delighted to welcome the new pupils starting in our school this week and we hope that they enjoy many happy years with us here in Good Counsel. If your daughter is starting with us and is not in junior infants, please bring her to the gate on her first day and we will look after her from there!
Junior Infants
A gentle reminder to Junior Infant parents that the incoming junior infants will start school a little later @ 9.30am on their first day (Thursday). Ms. Hall will collected them from the yard at this time and bring them to their new classroom!
Hot Meals
We are delighted to have Mrs. Michelle Grant on board as the Hot Meals Operative for Fresh Today. Hot Meals will be provided to all pupils throughout the year starting on Thursday. Login information has been sent out by Tracey our Secretary at the end of the last school year. If you need to get your login details, please contact Tracey here in the office via email or phone – secretary.ferrybankgns@gmail.com or (051) 832984
Please note that you need to have your options selected for Hot Meals by Thursday @ 5.00pm for the following school week. If you have yet to make any selections, your daughter will receive the default meal which is chicken curry and rice.
The girls on their first day of school will be provided with a lunch box for their hot meal. When they finish their meal in school, they will put whatever is left over in their lunch box and bring it home. Parents will be able to see what they have eaten from what is left in the lunchbox. Please ensure that your daughter’s lunchbox is empty and clean and that she brings it to school the following day and every other school day.
Aladdin Connect
We have begun using Aladdin Connect in Good Counsel this year. Aladdin Connect is a school software that enables the school to communicate with parents and families. Some of the features include the noticeboard where we will send out notes and general information, online payments, absence reasons, homework, permissions, report cards etc. We will send out further information regarding Aladdin Connect and how to use it throughout the year.
Login details have been sent out via email and many parents and families have logged in. If you have yet to do this, you are kindly asked to login as we will be communicating via Aladdin Connect going forward. This also means that notes will no longer be sent home with the girls but will be sent directly to you via Aladdin Connect.
Uniform
The Good Counsel uniform consists of;
Royal blue tunic or skirt
Yellow blouse
Royal blue jumper
School tie
White/Navy socks or tights (no leggings are allowed)
Flat shoes
P.E. Gear (on P.E. days only which will be given by the class teacher)
Blue Tracksuit
Yellow polo shirt
Rubber soled runners
Pupils are expected to be neatly presented at all times. Please ensure that your daughter is wearing the correct uniform coming to school.
Looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday,
Yours sincerely,
J. Nagle
Principal
June Update!
Dear Parents, Pupils, Guardians and Friends of the school,
The girls have been working hard and enjoying some fun activities since the last School Bell update. Parents received a note home last week to keep them updated on some of the happenings here in Good Counsel. Please see a general update below.
Fundraiser – Cake Sale
The Parents Association have been very busy this year organising different fundraisers which have raised important funds for the school and for the education of all of the girls here. Their final fundraiser will take place on Friday June 21st where the Parents Association will hold a Cake Sale between 9am and 11.30am in the school. All donations to the Cake Sale are welcome and can be dropped to the school on the morning. You might even take time out to bake a few buns or a cake with your child and send them to the school to raise some money! We will send out a reminder to everyone nearer to the time.
Thank you to all parents for your generosity and good will throughout the year in the fundraisers already held. It is very much appreciated by all here in Good Counsel.
Sports Day
We plan to have Sports Day for the girls on Thursday June 20th. This will entail the usual activities set out by the teachers and it is always a popular day here. Sports day is for the girls only – parents are not invited into the school. We will be depending on dry weather to have Sports Day so hopefully the sun will shine!
School Reports
School reports will be sent out to parents in the post on the week starting Monday, June 17th. In your daughters report you will receive;
- Your daughter’s school report card,
- A School Calendar for 2024/2025
- Booklist including class teacher for the coming year (please remember that all books/copies will be provided by the school)
- Login details for the Hot Meals Scheme for September
If you do not receive a report card by Friday June 21st, please contact Tracey in the office.
Class Teachers for next year
The arrangements for class teachers will be communicated to parents in the school reports above. There will be some changes to our staff in the coming year as Ms. Cunniffe will be taking a career break and Ms. Walsh will be on maternity leave during the year. We wish both teachers the best for the coming school year and will look forward to welcoming them back when the time comes. The positions will be filled during the summer months and we will inform parents of the new teachers in due course.
School Tours
Almost all of the classes have been on their school tour. Only 1st and 2nd have yet to go but will be on the road to Ardmore Farm in the final week of term. Juniors and Senior Infants had a lovely day out in Nore Valley Park yesterday while 3rd and 4th enjoyed Rothe house and the Dunmore Caves in Kilkenny in late May. Last week, 5th and 6th class had a busy day in Kilkenny Adventure Centre and Dunmore caves also. Thank you to all of the staff here in Good Counsel for their efforts in organising tours and accompanying classes on the respective days. We hope that all of the girls enjoyed their day out!
Garda visit
The school is a hive of activity at the moment with all classes enjoying new experiences and getting the opportunity to do different things. We had Gardaí Brendan and Joanna from the Ferrybank Garda station in on Tuesday to deliver talks and a tour of their garda car to all classes. The visit highlighted to the girls that the gardaí are here to help people in the community in their role as the ‘Keepers of the Peace’. Thanks to Brendan and Joanna for taking the time out to visit us.
Camogie
Since the last School Bell update, we are delighted to say that we had a little bit of success in both the U-11 and U-13 camogie competitions. On Wednesday May 29th, the U-13 girls played Seafield/Knockmahon N.S. in the final of the Roinn D camogie in Walsh Park. The girls were really excellent on the day and managed to come away victorious. It is worth noting that this is the first title ever won by the school in camogie which is a great achievement for the team. Please see below a short report on the game written by Eve, Ella, Sophie and Natalia which was to be published in the Munster Express!
Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS Ferrybank vs Seafield/Knockmahon NS
Roinn D Camogie County Final
Walsh Park Wednesday May 29th, 2024
The final whistle blew, 30 minutes of hard work and pure dedication pays off. For the first time ever, Our Lady of Good Counsel has won a camogie final.
We arrived in Walsh Park, nerves and excitement filled our stomachs. We were playing the U-13 camogie final. This was it – we either win or lose!
The sliotar has been thrown in and it was time to get our heads in the game. Once we got our first goal, our confidence had risen but the score could change at any minute. At half time we walked to the sideline with the score 3-3 to 0.1 in Good Counsels favour.
The second half was tight and Seafield/Knockmahon NS never gave up. When the final whistle blew, we realised we had won. Everyone was so delighted. Thank you to all of the teachers for their hard work in preparing the teams and thank you to Seafield/Knockmahon NS for the sporting games during the year.
U-11 Camogie
On the following day, we sent a group of 26 girls to Kill GAA grounds to play an U-11 camogie blitz. Again, the girls were great on the day and managed to win all of their games and were the outright winners of the blitz ensuring that a second piece of silverware arrived in the school in as many days. All of their hard work is paying off!
Thank you to Mrs. Shanahan and Mrs. Foley for their work in preparing the teams and bringing the girls to the games. Thank you to the parents who took the time out to attend the games and support the teams. Finally, a big thanks to all in Ferrybank Camogie club who are doing a huge amount of work in promoting the games and we, here in Good Counsel are only happy to help with your work. Well done everyone!
Infant Induction
We look forward to welcoming our new junior infants girls this month for their first visit into our school. Junior Infant Induction takes place on Tuesday, June 18th and all parent(s)/guardian(s) concerned have been informed of the arrangements. We hope all of the girls coming to us will enjoy many happy years here in Good Counsel.
6th Class Graduation
We look forward to welcoming the parents of the 6th class girls on Tuesday, June 25th for their graduation. Information has been sent home to the parents concerned and we look forward to seeing you all on the day.
Work During the Summer
We will see some big changes to the front of the school in the next few weeks. Large scale works are planned at the front of the school and all going well we will have a new, larger drop off and collection area and a new school yard come September! The works are planned to begin the week after we close for the summer so thankfully it will not affect us between now and the summer holidays.
Incredible Edibles 2024
Our school participated in the Incredible Edibles programme this year. A big thank you to the
pupils in First, Fifth and Sixth classes and their teachers, Miss Cunniffe, Miss Walsh and Mrs.
Burke.
The pupils had fun working on the project and learning loads about the food we eat
and its origin. They had hands-on-practical experience of sowing, planting, transplanting,
observing growth, recording and tasting good quality fruit and vegetables.
Here are some photos of the things the pupils and teachers engaged with during the year.
The Incredible Edibles Programme has helped us to work together, communicate
scientifically and take care of our environment. We are looking forward to tasting our school
grown potatoes, carrots, strawberries and herbs in the coming weeks.
We hope to continue our association with this programme in our school and learn more in the
coming years. Miss Kelly
Africa Day Friday 24th of May
Thank you to the parents who visited our school for Africa Day and for sharing stories and
songs with the pupils.
Trocaire 2024
A big thank you to all who contributed to our Trocaire 2024 campaign this year. We raised 90 euro within the school and presented our funds to the parish office. I would also like to say a massive ‘thank you’ to two young ladies in sixth class, who have been spearheading the Trocaire Campaign since they were in second class. Even through the Covid – years, they managed away around it, continuing to keep Trocaire alive in the run up to Easter of those years. Well done Lia and Amira. You both represent all the qualities that Our Lady of Good Counsel School pupils stand for – taking on responsibilities, leadership and courage, trustworthy, fairness for all, caring for others, patience and respect. Thank you both and I hope you will carry those qualities and skills with you, as you embark on the next phase of you educational journey. Miss Kelly
Amber Flag
Huge congratulations to everyone on our Amber Flag renewal. The Pieta Amber Flag Initiative recognises the efforts to create healthy, inclusive environments that support the mental well-being of schools and other organisations. A huge thank you to Mrs Power and her Wellbeing Warriors who did trojan work promoting the initiative throughout the year. They entered a very comprehensive application detailing all the fantastic work carried out during the year. A huge thank you to parents who supported our fundraiser day for Amnesty International. We look forward to raising our new Amber flag in the in the near future.
Important Dates
Friday, June 28th – School closed for summer holidays (Half day)
Closing times; Junior and Senior Infants – 12.10pm
1st and 2nd class – 12.15pm
3rd to 6th class – 12.20pm
I will be in touch again before we finish for the summer break.
Your sincerely,
J. Nagle
Principal
The School Bell – May Edition
Dear Parents, Pupils, Guardians and Friends of the school,
I hope you are all well. Please see below the relevant updates on what is happening in our school. As is usual at this time of year, it is extra busy here in Good Counsel!
Friendship/Wellbeing Week
We had an excellent week for Friendship and Wellbeing week before the break in May. The girls enjoyed a multitude of activities aimed at promoting friendship and wellbeing in our school. Thanks to Mrs. Power and all of the teachers for their work in organising and running all of the activities. On Friday for our ‘Wear Your Bright Colours Day’ we raised €360 for Amnesty International. Well done everyone!
Sacraments
Well done and congratulations to Mrs. Power’s 2nd class and Mrs. Burke’s 6th class who received their First Holy Communion and Confirmation recently. Thank you to the teachers who had the girls so well prepared. The girls themselves were excellent on the day and are a credit to the school and their families. Thanks you also to Fr. Whearty and Angela in the Parish Office for their hard work in preparing for the sacraments and for the ongoing support they provide to us. We hope that everyone enjoyed the celebrations.
RSC Athletics
Girls from 1st to 6th class went to the RSC during May to represent our school in the school athletics competition. The girls have been training hard throughout the year during the class Daily Mile. They had a great day out and ran in short, long and relay races. Thank you to Ms. Kelly and Mrs. Ryan for taking them to the event.
Camogie
The U-11 and U-13 Camogie girls have been busy over the last few weeks. The U-11 girls had a great day out in Ballygunner last week and managed to win a few games as well! The will have another day out on Thursday next, May 30th in Kill GAA grounds.
The U-13 girls are looking forward to the U-13 Roinn D County Final having qualified last week in a blitz competition in Stradbally GAA grounds. They will play Seafield NS in the final which is due to take place in Walsh Park on Wednesday coming, May 29th. We are awaiting confirmation of the time. Best of luck girls! Thanks to Mrs. Foley, Mrs. Shanahan and Mrs. Morrissey for looking after the girls on the days.
School Tours
We are in the process of sending out information regarding school tours for each class. You will receive a note with information about the relevant tour(s) and an email with a link to pay online in good time before your daughter’s school tour.
Healthy Eating
In line with our school Healthy Eating policy, we would like to remind parents to ensure that your daughter has a healthy lunch coming to school every day. One small treat is permitted on Friday only. Please avoid giving your daughter sugary foods coming to school and we strongly urge children to be environmentally friendly and to use only suitable recyclable containers for drinks and lunches.
School Closures
Monday June 3rd – Bank Holiday
Friday June 7th – Polling Station (The school will be closed due to elections)
Friday, June 28th – Last day of school (Half Day)
School Calendar for 2024/2025
Please find below the school calendar for the coming school year, 2024/2025 which is in agreement with St. Mary’s BNS Ferrybank. It is vital that all of the girls who attend our school are present every day possible so please keep this in mind if you are making any plans going forward.
School Book Scheme
The Department of Education have announced that the School Book Scheme will continue for next year. This means that all books and copies will be provided by the school. We will be in touch sometime next month with regards to arrangements for the coming school year.
Africa Day 25th of May
We will celebrate Africa Day in our school on Friday 24 th of May. Over the years our school community has developed many connections and friendships with different countries from Africa. We have a wonderful display of colour on the stairwell, showcasing all the all 54 Flags of Africa. There is also a display at the bottom of the stairs displaying artifacts, pictures and books about Africa, on the culture, geography and the beauty of the animals that live on the African continent. The pupils are busy creating pieces of Art for the art competition that is underway this week in school. All winners will be announced during assembly on Friday.
Best wishes to all our families who will mark and celebrate Africa Day this weekend.
Miss Kelly
That’s all for now, I will be in touch again in a few weeks’ time.
Yours sincerely,
J. Nagle
Principal
