The School Bell
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
April Update!
Dear Parents, Pupils, Guardians and Friends of the school,
I hope you all had a lovely Easter and are enjoying the nice weather at the moment. As the summer approaches and we enter into our third and final term for this school year, we look forward to finishing off all of our good work that has continued throughout the year and some fun activities as well.
Warm Weather
Please ensure that your daughter has suncream on coming to school on very warm days. We encourage parents to ensure that all girls have enough drinks coming to school also.
On warm days, the girls are allowed to wear their short sleeved t-shirt with their full school uniform. Blue school shorts maybe worn with the school tracksuit on P.E. days.
Clothes Collection
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our clothes collection last week. A special thanks to the Parents Association for organising the fundraiser. We managed to collect a huge number of bags which accumulated to €400 raised for our school. Well done to all!
Friendship/Wellbeing Week
Mrs. Power has been busy organising Friendship/ Wellbeing week which will take place next week starting Monday April 29th. Lots of different activities have been organised across all classes to promote both Friendship and Wellbeing throughout the week.
On Friday we will have a ‘Wear Your Bright Colours Day’ where the girls are encouraged to dress in their brightest clothes coming to school. We will have a small fundraiser on the day where the girls are asked to bring €2 to school in aid of Amnesty International where they will receive a friendship bracelet in return which will be presented to them on Friday by their secret friend.
School Tours
We look forward to school tours again this year in late May early June. The teachers have been busy organising different outings and will be in touch in the next few weeks with information regarding your daughter’s tour.
ePayments
ePayments are now up and running. This will now allow you to pay for school related expenses such as school tours electronically. We will send out a letter in due course to all families to explain how it works.
Sacraments
Best wishes to Mrs. Power’s 2nd class who have been busy preparing for their First Holy Communion on Saturday coming, April 27th. We hope that you all have a great day and that the sun shines! A note was sent home to all parents on Monday of this week regarding arrangements for the day and photographs on Monday. Please contact the office if you have any questions.
Best of luck to Mrs. Burke’s 6th class also who have their Ceremony of Light in preparation for the Confirmation on Wednesday next, May 1st.
Camogie Fixtures
Camogie fixtures have been made for both U-11 and U-13. Both competitions will take place in a blitz format with the U-11 over two days and the U-13 over one day. Of course, these dates are dependent on the weather and subject to change.
U-11; Day 1 – Thursday May 16th in Ballygunner GAA grounds @ 11am.
U-11; Day 2 – Thursday May 30th (venue to be decided) @ 11am.
U-13; Wednesday May 15th in Stradbally GAA grounds @ 10.15am
Condolences
We would like to extend our sincere condolences to Mrs. Aine Morrissey who is a valued member of staff here in Good Counsel on the passing of her brother Michael Mulhall. May he Rest in Peace. Our thought and prayers are with you and all of the Mulhall family.
North Quays Development
BAM, the company who are carrying out many of the works in the Ferrybank area currently have asked us to inform you that as part of their works, the area in front of the bus depot in Ferrybank will be closed commencing at the end of June 2024. The entire area (hatched in red below) will be inaccessible to the public for vehicles or pedestrian use. This means that there will be no room for dropping off or collecting children for school as the area is presently used for.
School Closures
School closed for the week from Monday May 6th and will reopen on Monday, May 13th @ 9am.
That’s all for now, I will be in touch again in a few weeks time.
Today is a special day in our school as we remember Our Lady of Good Counsel’s feast day.
Our Lady of Good Counsel
The 26th of April every year we acknowledge Our Lady. The word ‘counsel;’ means advice. Our Lady of Good Counsel is ready to listen to our problems/concerns and to give us good advice. Thank you to all the girls who told the story about our Lady of Good Counsel at assembly today. Our Lady of Good Counsel, pray for us. Amen
Yours sincerely,
J. Nagle
Principal
The School Bell 21.03.2024
Dear Parents, Pupils, Guardians and Friends of the school,
Our school has been a busy place since our last School Bell update especially with the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Please see the update below for more information.
Seachtain na Gaeilge and Intercultural Week
The last two weeks we have celebrated Seachtain na Gaeilge and Intercultural Week in our school. The girls really enjoyed all the activities from Seanfhocail an lae to Tráth na gCeist sa halla. Bhí mórán imeachtaí ar siúl. During Intercultural week, the girls loved having the responsibility of sharing their languages and reading skills with all the classes. We listened to different national anthems from around the world and listened to greetings and conversations in different languages. Junior Infants and Miss Hall treated us to a beautiful assembly about the life of St. Patrick, Our Patron Saint. Our annual St. Patrick’s day parade was lively and full of colour as our school community visited the residents in The Little Sisters of the Poor and the Sisters in Madonna House. There was music, song and dance on display. On return to school we had our Céile Mora, where everyone danced with delight to Shoe the donkey, the Siege of Ennis and the Walls of Limerick. Thank you to Miss Kelly and Mrs. Burke for organising events.
Happy Ramadan
Ramadan Mubarak to all families who are celebrating this Holy month. May your special month bring peace, happiness and infinite blessings.
Parents Association Fundraisers
The Parents Association have been very busy organising fundraisers to help our school. As you know, we had an Easter Raffle today. Thank you to the everyone who sold and bought tickets and congratulations to all of the prize winners. The prizes were given out today with the winners announced over the school intercom. Thank you also to the members of the Parents Association who put all of the excellent prizes together.
Clothes Collection
The Parents Association have arranged for another fund raiser in April. We will have a clothes collection on Wednesday, April 17th. If you are doing a spring clean over the Easter break or have clothes, curtains, shoes and handbags that you would like to get rid of, please pop them into a black bag and send them into us here in Good Counsel between Monday April 8th and Wednesday April 17th (after we return from the Easter break). We have some recycling bags here for anyone who wants them. We will happily recycle your items while raising some funds for our school. See poster below for further information. Please note that all money raised will be used towards activities and resources for the girls.
Basketball
The girls in 6th class represented our school in the Interschool Basketball yesterday in the Mercy Secondary school yesterday. They played great and managed to win silver medals as they got to the final where they were just pipped by Butlerstown N.S. Well done and congratulations to everyone!! Thank you to Mrs. Burke and Mrs. Morrissey who looked after the team on the day.
Irish Dancing
We completed our 10 weeks of Irish Dancing with Dawn McGrath last week. I know the girls really enjoyed it and learned some new steps as well. Mrs. Power’s 2nd class showed some of their new dancing skills to the residents in the Little Sisters of the Poor last week which was well received. Thanks to Dawn for all of her work over the 10 weeks. If any parents are interested in further information regarding Irish Dancing with Dawn, please see the note that went out this week or you can contact Tracey here in the office.
School Closures
Easter Holidays – The school will close tomorrow (half day) Friday, March 22nd(Half Day) and reopen on Monday, April 8th at 9.00am.
Collection Times tomorrow;
Junior and Senior Infants – 12.10pm
1st and 2nd Class – 12.15pm
3rd to 6th Class – 12.20pm
Dates for your diary
First Holy Communion – Saturday April 27th
Ceremony of Light in preparation for Confirmation – Wednesday evening, May 1st
Confirmation – Saturday May 18th.
Wishing you all a very happy Easter!
Yours sincerely,
J.Nagle
Principal
