The School Bell
Thank You
Dear Mams, Dads, Pupils and Staff,
Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for our Information Evenings on October 6th. I hope that you felt welcome and that you enjoyed the opportunity to meet with teachers, and to see where your children learn.
Thank you too to our school’s Parents Association for being with us and congratulations to Damien Walsh who was elected as a Parent Nominee to the school’s Board of Management. The Board’s role is to govern and manage the school and we are very fortunate to have people who are willing to volunteer their time and who are so committed to providing the best possible environment for the children. The current Board will serve until November 2023 and it has eight members:
Chairperson/Patron’s Nominee: Dermot Walsh
Patron’s Nominee: Fr. Kieran O’Shea
Parent Nominee: Michelle Daly
Parent Nominee: Damien Walsh
Staff Nominee: Mary Ryan
School Principal: Catríona O’Reilly
Community Nominee: Sr. Mary Gough
Community Nominee: William Doyle
This little quote from Patricia Gandara seems very appropriate: ‘There is no better place to create a caring community than in our schools – – – the heart of our future’
Yours sincerely,
Catríona O’Reilly – Principal
Mayor’s Visit
On Tuesday last, Cllr. Jason Murphy, Mayor of Waterford Metropolitan Area visited our school. He presented the Good Counsel Cup to Mrs. Power’s Second Class because they were the class with the best overall attendance in our school during 2021-2022. Well done to the girls, their teacher last year Miss Cunniffe and of course their Mams and Dads who made such a great effort to bring them to school.
The Mayor also raised our Amber Flag. The school was awarded the flag to recognise the efforts we make to promote positive mental health. Thank you to Mrs. Shanahan who led the campaign and of course a huge well done to the Wellbeing Warriors, the girls, and staff for making our school a happy place in which to learn.
Mission Week
Mission Week is a very long-standing tradition at Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS. It is three years since we have had Mission Week, which has always been one of the highlights of the school year and the girls are very excited that it is back!
The girls from Sixth Class to Third Class take a day each and set up stalls in the school hall. They sell cakes, buns, unwanted toys and books to the other children in the school, and they run lots of fun competitions as well.
This year’s sales are as follows:
Monday 24th – Sixth Class
Tuesday 25th – Fifth Class
Wednesday 26th – Fourth Class
Thursday 27th – Third Class
On Friday 28th, Sixth Class will organise and judge a Talent Competition. (The girls may wear their Hallowe’en costumes to school on that date. If your family does not celebrate Hallowe’en, your child may wear any other special outfit/costume/dress. There is no obligation to dress up.)
All the money raised during the week will be sent directly to a project in the developing world. In recent years our Mission Week funds have been sent to Uganda where Opportunity Knox is supporting girls to go to school.
It is a good idea for the small girls to bring a ‘shopping bag’ to school next week. There are usually lots of goodies for sale so it’s handy to have some way of carrying them.
Over the years, the girls and their families have been very generous and I’m sure that will be the case again this year. A little goes a very long way in the developing world.
If you are baking, please be kind enough to remember that Good Counsel is a ‘Nut Free’ school.
Hallowe’en
The school will close on Friday 28th October for the Hallowe’en Break.
Junior and Senior Infants @ 12.30p.m.
First and Second Classes @ 12.40p.m.
Third to Sixth Classes @ 12.45p.m.
Stay Safe at Hallowe’en.
Maths Week – News from Mrs. Ryan
Maths Week Ireland takes place from October 15th to 23rd. Maths For All is at the core of everything we do. This simple phrase encapsulates our belief that no matter what age, background or ability, Maths is useful, and it can enrich your life.
Maths Week promotes awareness appreciation and understanding of maths through a huge variety of events and activities. This year our school will get involved through online events. activities/games and in-school activities. Every girl in our school will receive a Maths Week Certificate for their participation. We have also been using our Maths Eyes to learn about Maths all around us. We hope the girls will enjoy using their Maths eyes at home. Try this Maths Riddle at home.
A grandfather, two fathers and two sons went to the cinema together and everyone bought a cinema ticket each. How many tickets did they buy in total?
Wellbeing Warriors – News from Mrs. Shanahan
We are delighted to announce that we have selected our Wellbeing Warriors Committee. We were absolutely thrilled with the number of children interested in joining the committee. The names were chosen at random last Friday in each class from Third Class to Sixth Class. We will have our first meeting tomorrow and we look forward to sharing news with you regularly.
Our committee members are
Claudine, Tiffany Third Class
Marcella, Sharon Fourth Class
Sophie, Natalia Fifth Class
Arina, Emili, Limar, Mia Sixth Class
Congratulations from All of Us
Last week we heard the great news that Mrs. Power’s husband, Ian had won an individual silver medal at the World Surfkayaking Championships – what a fantastic achievement! Ian also won a bronze medal with Team Ireland in the team competition. Go Ireland!
Happy Diwali
We wish a very Happy Diwali to anyone in our school community who is celebrating on Monday 24th. May the light of Diwali brighten each day of your life.
Reminder for Sixth Class
Abbey C.C. has asked us to remind the girls in Sixth Class to make sure that their applications for places in First Year 2023 are submitted before the closing time and date of 11a.m. on Tuesday 25th October.
Looking Forward to Meeting You
Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,
We are looking forward to our General Information Meetings this evening. The last time we were able to invite all parents to the school together was in October 2019 so after three years, it is good to welcome you back again. Please join us for a cupán tae at 6.45p.m. Classroom meetings will begin at 7p.m. and your Parents’ Association will meet with you in the school’s GP room at about 7.45p.m. You should be well on your way home by 8.15p.m.
Yours sincerely,
The Staff of Good Counsel GNS
Drop Off and Pick Up
Thank you for your continued co-operation in making sure that the Drop Off and Pick Up works safely and well for all the girls. You can help us by:
- Forming four lanes of cars
- Staying in your car
- Staying in your lane
- Not reversing
We thank you for your patience if you need to wait for the cars in front of you to move – the staff will get you moving as quickly as possible.
Garden Gladiators
Well done to Miss Kelly’s Garden Gladiators who have been enjoying the outdoors and looking after the school environment.
Solas Centre
The Solas Centre Run/Walk for Life is back and will take place on Sunday next 9th October. The Solas Centre provides great care and support for families that have experienced a cancer diagnosis and it is wonderful to have this facility available in Waterford.
To raise awareness of the Run/Walk for Life, the school staff will wear something orange tomorrow and you may even see us doing our ‘Daily Mile’ around the yard before school. If you would like to contribute to the Solas Centre, please send your donation to your child’s teacher and we will pass it on. https://solascentre.ie/run-walk-for-life-2022/
Headlice
Unfortunately, the headlice are back! Last week every family received a leaflet with information and advice. Please check your child’s hair and treat it if necessary. It is also important to check everyone in the household if one person is infected.
Please make sure that your child’s hair is in a plait or a bun coming to school – it really does help to stop the spread of infection.
Appointing the next Principal
The position of Principal of Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS has been advertised by the Board of Management. This is an open competition meaning any teacher from within the school or outside of the school who is suitably qualified may apply. The process takes some time:
- A Selection Panel is formed to shortlist candidates.
- The Panel is chaired by the Chairperson of the Board of Management and the Patron (Bishop Denis Nulty) will appoint at least two Assessors who are completely independent of the school and Board to work with the Chairperson.
- The Panel will set criteria for the position.
- The shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview.
- The Panel will conduct interviews and make a recommendation to the Board of Management.
- After the Board ratifies the successful candidate, the Patron is asked to approve the appointment.
- When the Patron formally approves the appointment, the position will be offered to the successful candidate.
- After the offer has been accepted in writing, the school community will be informed.
May Our Lady of Good Counsel guide the Selection Panel and the Board of Management in their decisions.
Future Leaders
Today, Sixth Class is taking part in Aspire Higher. This is a programme that teaches team building and leadership skills in a fun and interactive way with a mix of games, presentations and activities. As the older girls in our school, Sixth Class has an important role to play in leading the way for all the other children. Hopefully, they will enjoy their day and learn lots of skills that they can put to good use in the future.
Understanding Anxiety & Supporting my Child
Archways is a national organisation working in collaboration with local and national agencies.
At Archways, we are delighted to invite parents and guardians to attend a free live webinar “Understanding Anxiety & Supporting my Child”.
When: Thursday, the 10th of November 2022.
This 90-minute webinar will take place twice on this date, in the morning from 11am – 12.30pm, and in the evening from 7pm – 8.30pm, so if you are interested in attending, you can register for the time that suits you best.
To book a place at the morning webinar taking place from 11 am to 12.30 pm, please click here.
To book a place at the evening webinar taking place from 7 pm – 8.30 pm, please click here.
The webinar aims to help parents and guardians of children from birth to 18 years to:
• Understand the difference between worry, stress and anxiety
• Develop an understanding of how worry, stress and anxiety can affect children and young people
• Develop tools and strategies to support children and young people
• Better understand factors which affect and influence children’s development
• Explore self-care tools and strategies
Back Together Again
Dear Mams, Dads, Pupils and Staff,
We are very happy to have a new outdoor learning space available to us at our school. Lots of people have been working hard over the summer months to get it ready and I know that the girls will thoroughly enjoy using it. I have already seen some of our pupils and the staff out there digging, weeding and planting, enjoying reading and playing team games.
Last Friday, we held our weekly Assembly in the new space. In this Season of Creation, we enjoyed being outdoors, listening to the birds singing, feeling the grass under out feet and the sunshine on our backs, and looking at the beautiful blue sky overhead. It was great to have all the girls and the staff together again and we look forward to making great use of the space as the year goes on. Thank you to Miss Kelly, Mark and the Board of Management for the work they have done to create this lovely addition to our school.
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
European Languages Day
As you know, we are fortunate to have so many girls in our school who are not only bilingual (can speak two languages) but multilingual (can speak many languages). It brings a richness and diversity to our school community and it has helped us to appreciate and value our own wonderful language – Gaeilge – even more.
Next Monday, is European Languages Day. To mark the day, some girls from Sixth Class have kindly volunteered their language skills and will share/read a story to the Junior classes in their home languages using our lovely dual language books.
Camogie News – Mrs. Shanahan
Yesterday, we began a six-week block of camogie in Ferrybank GAA club. All classes from First Class to Sixth Class took part. It was brilliant to see so many enthusiastic girls trying their best and enjoying the coaching. The coaches John and Sarah were impressed with the girls. A huge thank you to Sheila O’Donoghue, Waterford Camogie and Aisling Heffernan, Ferrybank GAA club for their help in organising the coaching.
School Mass
After three years, we can finally return to the Parish Church as a school community. On Tuesday 27th September at 11.30a.m. Fr. Kieran will celebrate Mass for the beginning of the school year. If any of you are free that morning, you are very welcome to join us as we ask God’s blessing on our work and our play.
School Rules
Expectations
The school rules apply to all our pupils. All pupils are expected to follow the rules and teachers and staff members are expected to treat all pupils equally by implementing the rules consistently.
General
Be polite at all times.
Arrive on time for school.
Present yourself for school in a tidy manner.
Respect yourself and your belongings.
Respect others and their belongings.
Complete all homework to a high standard.
Uniforms
Wear your full school uniform every day, except on PE days.
Pinafore/skirt, school shirt, tie, jumper, navy or white socks /tights, flat shoes
Wear your tracksuit on PE days (or when asked to do so by your teacher) Please note, 1st Class to 6th Class will have Camogie every Wednesday from now until 26th October so the girls should wear their tracksuits.
Hair
Keep your hair neat and tidy at all times – in a plait or a bun. This rule helps us to keep head lice at bay!
Make Up
Remove make up and nail polish before you come to school
Jewellery
For your safety, you may wear only one pair of stud earrings in the ear lobe and a watch.
Mobile Phones
The girls are encouraged not to bring mobile phones to school. If it is absolutely necessary to do so, the phone must be switched off outside the school gate and handed to the teacher as soon as the child comes into school. Phones will be returned at the end of the day and must not be switched on again until the child is outside the school gate. Phones that are not handed up will be confiscated and will be returned only to an adult.
Green School Policy
Use reusable tubs and containers for your lunch and your drink.
Keep the school and the school grounds clean and tidy.
Bullying
Make sure that Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS is a ‘bully free’ zone. At school, tell a teacher if you are being bullied or if you know that someone else is being bullied.
Rewards
As a school, we encourage and reward positive behaviour in many ways – for example: a mention at Assembly, a Good Counsel Good Citizen Award or a mention in ‘The School Bell’.
Each teacher will also promote and reward good behaviour in her classroom – for example: a sticker chart or Golden Time.
As a citizen of Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS, it is your responsibility to make our school a happy, safe place for everyone.
In My Line for 10 Past Nine
School hours are as follows: 9.10a.m. – 1.45p.m.Junior and Senior Infants, 9.10a.m. – 2.45p.m First and Second Class 9.10a.m. – 2.50p.m Third Class to Sixth Class. Staff will be outside the gate to receive the children until 9.20a.m. and the gates will then be closed. On wet mornings, to allow for more traffic, the girls should arrive no later than 9.30a.m. – this allows 20 minutes assembly time for the children, plenty of time for them to come in, get organised and be seated in their classrooms for the roll call at 9.30a.m.
Save the Date
Thursday October 6th – General Information Evening for Mams and Dads
Smoothie Recipe
Can you guess what ingredients we used to make these delicious smoothies?
Go to the Latest News tab of our website to find out.
Fáilte Ar Ais – Welcome Back
Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,
You are all very welcome back and we hope that you are settling into the school routine again.
We extend a very special welcome to the families that are joining us for the first time, and of course we have to give a special mention to our wonderful Junior Infants who have made a great start.
Miss Power, Ms Harney and Mrs. Evans will be with us again this year and the whole staff is looking forward to lots of hard work and fun during the school year. Special congratulations to Ms. Harney who got married during the summer and to Miss Walsh who got engaged recently. We wish them both every happiness.
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 will be joining the other girls for the morning drop off from Monday onwards.
As our Junior Infants begin their Primary school journey, I want to share the news that I am coming to the end of my time ‘at school’. After a long and very happy career as a teacher and school principal, I will retire from my position on December 4th this year. The Board of Management will shortly begin the process to appoint a new principal and you will be kept up to date on any news. Whoever is appointed will be fortunate to be the principal of this wonderful school community, but in the meantime, it will be business as usual😊
Our newsletter, The School Bell, will be published on the school website every second Thursday – keep an eye out for lots more news as the year goes on.
May Our Lady of Good Counsel guide us and look after us during this school year.
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
We’ve Been Busy!
The school may have been closed over the summer, but it was still a hive of activity.
All the corridors, hallways and public areas of the building have been painted and the floors and windows have been cleaned and polished.
Our Outdoor Learning area is taking shape – it has been fenced and painted and we are looking forward to making use of the tables and seating for lots of learning outdoors.
Each classroom now has a smartboard installed and the girls and their teachers have already been enjoying using them.
Sincere thanks to our Board of Management for supporting all the improvements and to our In-School Management Team – Miss Kelly, Mrs. Ryan and Mrs. Shanahan – for giving their time so generously over the summer months.
Stay Safe
During this first term, teachers will teach the Stay Safe Programme to each class from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. Mams and Dads are encouraged to check out the programme through these websites: http://www.staysafe.ie/parents.htm https://www.webwise.ie/parents/ and www.pdst.ie/staysafe We also encourage you to discuss the lessons with your children.
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. In our school, we follow the nationally agreed procedure for dealing with any concerns or problems. Thankfully, it is our experience, that we very rarely need to go past No. 1 or No. 2 as most problems can be sorted out quickly when adults can 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 speak with the class teacher. To do this, call the school office on 051 832984.
Problem solved? Yes – procedure finished No – Go to next step
2. Make an appointment to speak with the school principal. To do this, call the school office on 051 832984.
Problem solved? Yes – procedure finished No – Go to next step
3. Make an appointment to speak with the chairperson of the Board of Management. To do this, call the school office on 051 832984.
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.
Save the Date!
We are delighted that we will be able to invite parents to the school on October 6th for a General Information Evening. You will have the opportunity to see where your child learns every day and to meet with your child’s teacher. The teacher will talk to you about the curriculum for the year and give you some ideas about how we can all work together to help the children progress. You will receive more information about the meeting before then, but for now, please save the date!
School Calendar 2022-2023
Term 1 begins Thursday, 1st September 2022
Hallowe’en Closed Mon. 31st Oct to Fri. 4th Nov
School re-opens Monday 7th November
Last day Term 1 Wednesday 21st December
Christmas Holidays School closed Thursday 22nd Dec. to Wed 4th Jan. 2023
Term 2 begins Thursday 5th January 2023
Bank Holiday School closed Monday February 6th
Mid-Term Break School closed Thursday 16th and Friday 17th February
St. Patrick’s Day School closed Friday 17th March
Last day Term 2 Friday 31st March
Easter Holidays School closed Monday 3rd April to Friday 14th April
Term 3 begins Monday 17th April
May Bank Holiday School closed Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd May
June Bank Holiday School closed Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th June
Last day of school year Wednesday 28th June
End of Year Report
What We Have Achieved Together this Year
Dear Mams, Dads, Pupils and Staff,
We have made it to the end of our first full school year since June 2019. Phew! Thanks to everyone who makes Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS such a special place, we have dealt with the challenges and made great progress. There is always room to improve but as we finish for the summer break, here is a little reminder of just some of our achievements this year.
- The girls and their teachers have worked extremely hard to achieve the targets in our School Improvement Plan. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, we have had enormous improvement in our test scores for Vocabulary Development. We will continue to review and evaluate so that the great work continues.
- We enjoyed celebrating and taking part in Science Week, Maths Week, Engineers Week, Fire Safety Awareness Week, World Book Day, Intercultural Week, Seachtain na Gaeilge, Mother Languages Day, Africa Day, Friendship and Wellbeing Week, Poetry Day, Internet Safety Day, Sports Day and the list goes on!
- Our school was well represented by our Camogie and Basketball Teams, and over the past week, the girls have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the Poc Fada and GAA skills competitions on the school grounds. Well done to Mr. Dooley, Mrs. Shanahan, Mrs. Foley and Mrs. Burke for giving so generously of their time.
- Our weekly Assembly on Zoom was a great success, and we looked forward to hearing the report of the week’s activities from each classroom. The children and staff also prepared beautiful, reflective Special Assemblies for the many Feast Days and Holy Days during the school year.
- Wednesday 22nd June was a very special day because it was the first time since 12th March 2020, that all the children and staff in the school were able to get together. We gathered outside in the lovely Outdoor Learning space that Miss Kelly is developing. It was an opportunity to celebrate the girls in Sixth Class who are moving on to Secondary School and it was a truly wonderful morning. Our thanks to Sr. Mary for taking the time to join us.
- Sixth Class treated us to a wonderful end of year show yesterday, and it was so good to be able to invite their family members to join us. Girls, we wish you well as you move on. We have watched you blossom into young ladies, and we know that you will continue to bloom in the years to come.
- Achieving our first Amber Flag to recognise the school’s efforts in promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing for all was a highlight. Mrs. Shanahan and her Wellbeing Warriors deserve great credit for all they do. Our school lights are now amber to reflect our special status.
Congratulations to all the girls who took part in various competitions and events during the 2021-2022 school year. Some special awards were presented at Assembly on Wednesday last.
- School Camogie Player of the Year 2021-2022 – Megan (Sixth Class)
- Good Counsel Good Citizen of the Year 2021-2022 – Amelie (Sixth Class)
- Poc Fada – Lilly May (Sixth Class)
- Staff Poc Fada – Mrs. Power
The children may be on holidays but the school will be a busy place during the summer months.
Mrs. Ryan has been working hard upgrading our ICT systems during the year, and during the coming break, she has arranged for the installation of smartboards in every classroom.
All the corridors and hallways will be painted and freshened up before the next school year, and work will continue on our Outdoor Learning space.
Two teachers will be recruited for First Class and for Special Education.
The end of the school year is always a time for ‘Farewells.’ Over the past few days, the children and the staff have been celebrating Mr. Dooley’s contribution to Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS over the past six years, including the achievement of a STEM Plaque Award this year. We wish him every success in his new role as Principal of Ballyneale NS.
We also send our thanks to Miss Harney and Miss Power who were with us this year, and we wish Miss Harney the happiest of days for her wedding during the summer.
We are delighted that Miss Hall will be joining us as a permanent member of staff from September onwards.
As a school principal, I have the special privilege of seeing all the fantastic things that happen in our school on a day-to-day basis. What stands out most, is the genuine care and concern that every single member of staff has for every child, so to my wonderful colleagues, thank you for all you do.
Our school progresses because parents, staff, the Parents Association and Board of Management are focussed on a single goal – making our school the best in can be for all our children. Thank you sincerely for your ongoing support and encouragement and we look forward to working with all of you again in the new school year.
Enjoy the summer break – we will be in touch with you in late August with any updates for re-opening on September 1st. May Our Lady of Good Counsel continue to guide and bless us.
Yours sincerely,
Miss O’Reilly, Miss Kelly and the staff of Good Counsel GNS
Great News!
Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,
I am delighted to let you know that our school has received two very special awards in the past couple of weeks.
The first is an SFI Discover Science and Maths Award. Thanks to all the wonderful work that the girls and their teachers took on in Science, Engineering, Maths and Technology (STEM), we have been awarded a Plaque of STEM. We look forward to the presentation ceremony which will take place online next Friday 17th June. Well done to Mr. Dooley who co-ordinated the project and who submitted the application.
Our second award is the 2021-2022 Pieta Amber Flag and it recognises the school’s efforts to promote positive mental health by encouraging teamwork and contributions from peers. A huge ‘Well Done!’ to the girls and the staff for making our school a happier place for everyone, and a special word of thanks to Mrs. Shanahan and her Wellbeing Warriors for managing the activities and for submitting the application.
The final School Bell for 2021-2022 will be published on June 23rd. Until then, we look forward to a busy end of term.
Kind regards,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
What the STEM Assessor had to say!
Well done to staff and pupils in Our Lady of Good Counsel. It was a pleasure to assess you Plaque application. Your Log was clearly laid out and provided lots of evidence of the many STEM activities going on in your school. You acknowledge that Technology is an integral part of every school and yet you are using it to provide so many learning opportunities to explore coding, circuits, programmes, throughout the school – even your younger students are doing coding. You used Tree Week to great advantage to examine the many trees in your locality. I particularly liked that you appreciated Mark the Caretaker’s input into STEM and the new greenhouse he constructed from old timber will give your bedding plants a great start before going out into the flower beds. What a great idea to showcase one of your projects for the school on ZOOM. presentation and communication are some of the important STEM skills – also building your confidence in front of the camera. You are worthy recipients of the Plaque of STEM for 2022.
Check our school’s STEM website here: https://sites.google.com/view/olgcstem/home
Amber Flag Award
We are delighted to announce we were awarded our first Amber Flag on Friday June 3rd. The Amber Flag is an initiative run by Pieta House. It recognises the efforts of schools, clubs and community groups to support mental health. We were not surprised because everyone makes a huge effort to support positive mental health in our school. Pieta House was extremely impressed with our application which included many of our initiatives such as the Good Citizen Good Counsel Award, Pieta House Fundraiser, Wellbeing Week, staff-pupil meet and greet every morning, The Daily Mile, The Stay Safe Programme, the Zen Den and Internet Safety Day. The list goes on. A huge thank you to the Wellbeing Warriors, Staff and all the special girls in our school who make Our Lady of Good Counsel such a happy, safe place. The Amber Flag will be flown proudly outside our school when we receive it.
Mrs Shanahan and her Wellbeing Warriors
Sports Day
We have fingers, toes and everything crossed that we will have some fine weather tomorrow for our school Sports Day. No matter what the weather is like in the morning, we will make the best of the day.
The girls should wear their school tracksuits and bring some spare clothes with them (a spare leggings, top and socks). Wear your rain gear Girls and be prepared to be outside (if it is not too wet or windy!) Drop off and pick up times are as usual. Bring lots of drinks too.
Book Rental
There has been a great response to our new online payments system for the Book Rental scheme. Thank you to everyone who has already paid the Book Rental fee for September. We cannot order books for or provide books to pupils who have not paid the Book Rental fee. Please contact Miss O’Reilly or Tracey in complete confidence if you have any difficulty in paying and another arrangement can be made.
To take part in the Book Rental scheme (First Class to Sixth Class) please:
- Register on the Databiz Portal (www.databizsolutions.ie) If you have not already received an email from Databiz, please contact the school office as soon as possible.
- Once you have registered, you will receive a request to make an online payment.
- Make the payment and you will receive a receipt.
- Sign the Book Rental Contract that your child brought home and return it to her teacher.
This is a new system for all of us, so if you have any trouble, please contact the school office on 051-832984.
Good Luck and Congratulations
During the month of June, we will pray during our Friday Assemblies for all the students who are sitting their Junior and Leaving Certificate exams at the moment.
Special congratulations from everyone at Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS go to the girls in Sixth Class who were confirmed in the Parish Church on June 2nd. They were a credit to their families and their teacher, Mrs. Power. We are very grateful to everyone in the Parish community who helped to make the occasion so special – Fr. Kieran, the ushers, the Sacristan, those who prepared the Church so beautifully, the Parish Secretary and the Choir.
Classes for September 2022
The new school year will begin on 1st September 2022 and classes have been allocated as follows:
Junior Infants Miss Ciara Hall
Senior Infants Ms. Carmel Fogarty and Mrs. Feana Foley
First Class To be appointed
Second Class Mrs. Maeve Power
Third Class Mrs. Mary Ryan
Fourth Class Miss Ann Cunniffe
Fifth Class Miss Eilís Walsh
Sixth Class Mrs. Clare Burke
Special Education/EAL Team Miss Monica Kelly
Mrs. Aisling Shanahan
Ms. Susan Rellis
To be appointed
Ferrybank Library
Dear Mams, Dads, Pupils and Staff,
We are so fortunate to have a wonderful public library in Ferrybank. Our staff and pupils visit regularly and we are very grateful to all the staff who work in the Library for their kindness to us. Joining the Library is free for everyone, adults and children,and even if you forget to bring back a book, there are no fines. The summer break will soon be here, so why not make use of this fantastic facility? In the meantime, some of our girls may be interested in the LEGO workshop that will take place on June 11th. Check out the information below and pay a visit. You will be made very welcome.
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
Welcome
Kilkenny County Council Library Service would like to welcome you to our library service.
You can join the library through our website: www.kilkennylibrary.ie, or by calling into your local branch.
Where we are
| Ferrybank | X91 D211 | +353 51 89 7200 | ferrybank@kilkennylibrary.ie |
Joining the library is free for everyone
- Our libraries offer a warm, safe and inclusive spaces and are free to use by all.
- Joining the library is free. With library membership you can borrow books, audiobooks, DVDs, music CDs and much more from your library.
- We also have printing, photocopying and scanning services.
- You can access internet, WiFi and computers for free.
ONLINE SERVICES
- PressReader provides access to thousands of newspapers and magazines from around the world
- PressReader offers instant translation in up to 18 different languages for most articles and even full publications in as little as three clicks.
- Log in to your account with card number.
- Then simply click on the three dots in the top right corner of the PressReader screen.
- Select Interface Language and translate into the language you want.
- Borrowbox is our eBook and eAudiobook service. You log in with your card number and PIN. Borrowbox provides a large range of digital books and digital audiobooks, including books in 10 different languages.
- Transparent Languages is our online language learning app. To sign up, you will need your library card number and an email address. There are 29 English language courses for speakers of different languages.
- Follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and keep up to date with what is happening. @kilkennylibrary
Book Rental Scheme 2022-2023
This week you received a letter about the Book Rental Scheme for 2022-2023. The information is also available on the Latest News tab of the website. Thank you to everyone who has already used our new and easy online payments system.
Congratulations
Congratulations to the girls in Sixth Class who had their Ceremony of Light on Thursday last. The ceremony symbolises the handing on of faith from one generation to the next. It is one of the final steps in preparation for Confirmation which takes place on June 2nd @ 7p.m. We look forward to a very special evening in Ferrybank Parish Church.
Africa Day
On Wednesday, we celebrated Africa Day in our school. Miss Kelly put together a display of books, artefacts and projects for the girls to enjoy. Well done to Rang a Trí for their lovely artwork and to Dorka for her terrific project on Egypt. Each class listened to a story on an African theme.
There are lots of cultural events taking place in Waterford this weekend
Polish Community
The Polish Community in Waterford is organising a Family Fun Day in De la Salle College from 10am – 3pm on Saturday. All are welcome.
Ascension Thursday
Today is Ascension Thursday. In the Catholic faith, Ascension Day traditionally falls 40 days after Easter, which is a Thursday. It used to be a holy day of obligation, but the celebration has been moved to the following Sunday, the seventh Sunday of Easter.
When Jesus ascended into heaven, he told the apostles to wait on the Holy Spirit to come upon them. They stayed and prayed for 9 days until Pentecost Sunday, making the first novena.
The ascension of Jesus is the 2nd glorious mystery of the rosary!
Calendar 2022-2023
The calendar for the next school year has been agreed with St. Mary’s BNS. Please keep it for your own reference. You can also access the calendar through the free Text-a-Parent App.
School Calendar 2022-2023
Term 1 begins Thursday, 1st September 2022
Hallowe’en Closed Mon. 31st Oct to Fri. 4th Nov
School re-opens Monday 7th November
Last day Term 1 Wednesday 21st December
Christmas Holidays School closed Thursday 22nd Dec. to Wed 4th Jan. 2023
Term 2 begins Thursday 5th January 2023
Bank Holiday School closed Monday February 6th
Mid-Term Break School closed Thursday 16th and Friday 17th February
St. Patrick’s Day School closed Friday 17th March
Last day Term 2 Friday 31st March
Easter Holidays School closed Monday 3rd April to Friday 14th April
Term 3 begins Monday 17th April
May Bank Holiday School closed Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd May
June Bank Holiday School closed Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th June
Last day of school year Wednesday 28th June
