The School Bell
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
Friendship and Wellbeing Week
Dear Mams, Dads, Pupils and Staff,
Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS is a hive of activity this week. The girls are busy learning about wellbeing, kindness and friendship. Each day, we are focusing on a different topic and there is a lovely, friendly, happy feeling around the school. We can’t wait to see the girls dressed in their colourful clothes on Friday for our annual “Wear your Bright Colours Day”. A big thank you to Miss O’Reilly for updating our website and sharing our daily message with parents. We hope everyone is enjoying this special week.
Remember to wear your brightest colours tomorrow.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Shanahan
National Parents Council Helpline
If you know any families that have recently arrived from Ukraine, this helpline may be useful for them.
Bike Week
We have a fabulous bicycle shelter and we would love to see it full during Bike Week which takes place from May 14th to 22nd. Girls, if you are cycling or scooting to school, please keep yourself safe. Wear your helmet and your high-vis jacket. The girls in Fourth Class have recently completed a Safe Cycling course so this is a good opportunity to put what they have learned into practice.
On Wednesday 18th, we will be counting the number of girls who cycle to school and we will submit the numbers to a national count of cyclists on that date.
First Holy Communion
Our very best wishes to all the girls in Second Class who will receive their First Holy Communion on Saturday next. They have been preparing well with Miss Hall, Ms. Fenton and Fr. Kieran and they are ready for their special day. We hope that the girls and their families will enjoy this lovely occasion.
Very Important People!
On Wednesday, four girls from our school travelled to Dublin to take part in a consultation with the Department of Education (DE). The DE is reviewing its procedures for Anti-Bullying Policies in schools and they wanted to hear the views of children. Out of 3,200 primary schools, only 13 were invited to attend so we are very proud that the girls from Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS were included. Well done girls! We know that you made a great contribution to the discussion, and we hope that you enjoyed meeting with the Minister of Education, Ms. Norma Foley. Thank you to Mrs. Shanahan and Tracey who travelled with the girls and who looked after them so well.
On Wednesday, we attended the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in Dublin. The
Department wanted to consult with children to get their views on the anti-bullying action plan 2013
and make suggestions how to improve it.
We met with government officials and 12 other schools. We were put into our class groups. We
spoke to new people and even made new friends. We were lucky enough to meet with the Minister
of Education Norma Foley. She explained they wanted to get children’s point of views and
suggestions for improving the anti- bullying plan.
She asked us about our opinion on bullying and what we would do if someone got bullied. She asked
us how we could improve our school’s anti-bullying policy. We did lovely activities to explore the
above. We were able to tell the other schools about all the wonderful stuff we do in our school.
We were treated very well in Dublin and had lovely pizza, goujons and chips for our lunch. A big
thank you to, Miss O’Reilly, Mrs Shanahan and Tracey for organising the trip.
By – Alianna, Charlotte, Ella and Amelia
Senior Infant Future World Champions!
Miss O’Reilly has had visits this week from some of our Senior Infants. The girls have been taking part and winning cups and medals in lots of different competitions, from Irish dancing to athletics. Well done Amber, Charlotte, Ella and Ciara and keep up with your exercise.
Reminder
As far as possible the girls are expected to be in their line and ready to come in the gate at 9.10 every morning. The gate will be closed at 9.20a.m.
Important Note
Staff members have to undertake one more in-service training session during this school year. We have agreed with St. Mary’s BNS that both schools will close early on Friday June 3rd to facilitate the training. The girls will go home at the following times on that date:
Junior and Senior Infants @ 12.15p.m.
First and Second Classes @ 12.25p.m.
Third to Sixth Classes @ 12.30p.m.
Congratulations
We send a big welcome to little Bobby Dooley who arrived safely in the world last week. Warm congratulations to Bobby’s Dad, Mr. Dooley, to his Mam and big sister.
Poetry Day Ireland
Dear Mams, Dads, Pupils and Staff,
Welcome back to school for the final term of the 2021-2022 year. We have had a busy start this week with the girls participating in outdoor activities such as cycling, basketball and camogie. Well done to our Camogie team who played an away match against Kill NS on Wednesday and thank you very much to the staff members who give their time (and their lunchbreaks) so willingly to give the girls the opportunity to play sports.
Last Tuesday was the feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel. The story of the painting of Our Lady is on the Latest News tab of the website. Two terrific readers from Sixth Class shared the story with us over the school’s intercom system – thank you girls. We are also celebrated Poetry Day Ireland this week and I am looking forward to reading the many poems that the girls have submitted for our annual Poetry Competition. I will share some of their wonderful work with you at a later date.
For your reference, here are the planned closures for the rest of the school year. The calendar for next year will be published as soon as it has been agreed.
Term 3 begins April 25th
May Bank Holiday School closed Mon. May 2nd
June Bank Holiday School closed Mon. June 6th
School year ends Fri. 24th June 2022
May Our Lady of Good Counsel guide each and every one of us through a safe, happy term full of learning and fun.
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
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 and even though times are different right now, the procedure still applies. Conversations may now need to be held over the phone, and if necessary, we can arrange meetings in a manner that keeps everyone safe, but we can still work things out. 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. Problems will not be addressed by email.
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.
May, the month of Mary
Can you believe that it is already time to set up our school May Altar? This is a beautiful tradition that has been part of our school for many years, and the girls always make a great effort to bring flowers for Our Lady. All the classes will take turns looking after the Altar.
Week beginning May 3rdth: Junior Infants and Third Class
Week beginning May 9th: Senior Infants and Fourth Class
Week beginning May 16th: First Class and Fifth Class
Week beginning May 23rd: Second Class and Sixth Class
There is no need to buy any flowers. If everyone brings one or two blooms from the garden or a bunch of wildflowers, they will be just beautiful. As our school is dedicated to Our Lady, our May Altar is a lovely way to honour her. Sixth Class will lead a special Assembly tomorrow for the month of May.
‘Mary, our mother, the Lord is with you.
Guide us, protect us, in all that we do.’
Eid Mubarak
We wish a happy and holy day to all the families in our school community who will celebrate Eid next Monday and Tuesday. Eid comes at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. We are full of admiration for the girls in our school who have been fasting during Ramadan and we hope that you enjoy celebrating with your families. Check out this little video where four children explain Ramadan and Eid in their own words. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OF4HEGNBRQ Eid Mubarak!
Give It a Try!
Waterpark Rugby Club on TUesday May 3rd @ 6p.m. Under 8 to under 14 year old girls welcome. Scan the QR code below to register.
Census 2022
Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,
It has been a busy week so apologies for the late arrival of this School Bell.
Sunday, April 3rd is Census Night. On that night, every household in the country is asked to record how many people are in their house, how many children there are, what jobs they do, etc. The information collected in the Census is used to plan for facilities and other resources in the years ahead.
This year, there is a special section on the Census where families can record whatever they like about their lives in 2022. This information will be saved in a time capsule for one hundred years so that the people who live in Ireland in 2122 will know what it was like for us in our time.
Check out this link for more information www.census.ie.
Have a great weekend.
Your sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
Mother’s Day
Our Junior Infants have great reasons to love their Mammies everyday and not just on Mother’s Day. Here are some of the things they said.
I love my Mammy because:
- She loves me
- She is good at cooking, gives me water and packs my lunch
- She gives me apples
- She makes good dinners
- She is always kind
- She helps me and she learns with me
- She makes me happy
- She lets me go to the park
- She makes me crisp sandwiches!
Kilkenny One-Parent Community
This is a volunteer-led network providing supports to one-parent families. For more information, go to www.kilkennyoneparentcommunity.ie or Facebook Kilkenny One Parent Community
Reminders
School will close for the Easter holidays on Friday 8th April. Pick up times are as follows:
- Junior and Senior Infants @ 12.15p.m.
- First and Second Classes @ 12.20p.m.
- Third to Sixth Classes @ 12.25p.m.
Birthday Invitations – We would appreciate your support in not sending birthday invitations into school. They should be distributed outside of school time.
Camogie
Our school Camogie team who will play their first match in the u13 League yesterday afternoon and they had a narrow defeat to Ballyduff NS. However, the Good Counsel girls played very well and we are so proud of them. The girls have been training at lunchtime and their coach, Mr. Dooley is delighted with their progress. There will be four or five matches in the competition, and we look forward to supporting the girls. Go Good Counsel!
Ramadan Mubarak
Ramadan began on Friday April 1st and will end on May 1st. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is a time of fasting and many Muslims fast during daylight hours. Suhoor which means ‘of the dawn’ is the meal eaten before the sun rises. The fast is broken after sunset with a meal known as Iftar. At the end of Ramadan there is a big celebration called ‘Eid ul-Fitr’,
To all the families in our school community whoa re observing Ramadan we say, Ramadan Mubarak.
Chime ‘n Play
Junior and Senior Infants had a lovely surprise on Thursday. Each class had a Chime n Play session with Audrey and they had such good fun.
Children’s Creativity During Covid
We know that many of the girls used their time during school closures to create all kinds of wonderful art works. The Ombudsman for Children wants to hear from young people (10-17year olds) about how they have responded to all the changes brought about by Covid. Here is some more information.
The project is looking at the creative and innovative ways children have been responding to the changes during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
CoVision is asking for children aged 10-17 to answer a very short survey and to submit their artwork, videos, stories – anything thing creative that they made during the pandemic that helped them or those around them – to the study team.
Children can upload their submissions here: www.covision.ie/your-art through a secure app.
More information about the project can be found at www.covision.ie and www.covision.ie/your-art
Special Assembly
We are looking forward to a special Assembly next week. Miss Cunniffe’s First Class will lead us in preparing for Holy Week. The girls have been learning the Easter story and all about why it is a very special celebration.
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig – Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,
After a long wait, it is wonderful that we can look forward to celebrating Ireland’s National Day and our country’s Patron Saint.
We have been celebrating our Irish culture this week through language, music and art. Here are some of the activities that have been taking place, with thanks to Miss Kelly for organising everything.
From March 1st until today, the girls from Fifth Class have been broadcasting Nuacht an Lae (News of the Day) over the school’s intercom system. We also had Seanfhocal an Lae (Proverb of the Day).
The girls made a big effort to learn our National Anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann, and Third to Sixth Classes enjoyed a quiz, as Gaeilge – thank you Miss Power for asking the ceisteanna.
A huge ‘Well Done’ to all the girls, their parents and our staff for making such a great effort for National Colours Day – the school was a riot of colour – and a special thank you to Tracey for decorating the inside of the building.
We brought our celebrations to a close today with our very own St. Patrick’s Day parade – thanks to Mrs. Foley for the music. You can see some photos on the Latest News tab.
Due to the extra Bank Holiday, school is closed until Monday 21st. We wish all of you a happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day. Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig.
Yours sincerely,
C. Ní Raghallaigh – Príomhoide
Special Assembly
On Monday 14th March, Miss Power’s Senior Infants led a Special Assembly to help us to get ready for St. Patrick’s Day. The girls told us the story of St. Patrick. They explained why we celebrate and remember St. Patrick on March 17th and why we wear shamrock. Well done girls!
Congratulations
Congratulations to all the girls in Second Class who made their First Penance on Tuesday evening. Thank you to Fr. Kieran for a lovely ceremony. The girls had prepared well with Miss Hall and Ms. Fenton and we know they are now looking forward to starting their preparations for First Holy Communion.
Holi
Holi is a Hindu festival that marks the end of winter and honours the triumph of good over evil. It is a bright, colourful festival when everyone has lots of fun. This year Holi takes place on March 18th. We hope that everyone in our school community who celebrates this special occasion will have a wonderful day.
STEM
Remember to check our school’s STEM website where you can read about just some of the fantastic Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics activities that take place in our school. https://sites.google.com/view/olgcstem/home
Try the Pipes – Music Generation Kilkenny
Music Generation Kilkenny is offering a free uilleann pipes taster session to young people as part of Kilkenny Tradfest 2022. The event will be held on Friday 18th March 2022 from 11am – 1pm at the Parade Tower, Kilkenny Castle.
Members of the public will have the opportunity to try out the instrument for themselves with the assistance of an experienced player. Try the Pipes is open to ages 10 – 18 and uilleann pipes will be made available on the day.
Tickets are free and can be booked from the event brite on the following link:
Tickets can be booked for children taking part and anyone can book to come and watch. Children must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event.
Please Let Us Know
Please continue to let us know if your child is staying home because she has tested positive for Covid-19. There have been a number of positive cases in the school in the past week, so we all need to be vigilant.
Songs for St. Patrick’s Day
Paidir ar son na Síocháin Prayer for Peace
Dear Mams, Dads, Pupils and Staff,
Everyone in our school has made a promise that during Lent, we will pray for peace.
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
Lord Jesus,
We ask you to bring us peace.
Peace in our hearts and in our minds.
Let your peace reign in our families, in our school
and in the world.
Prince of Peace, pray for us. Amen.
Seachtain na Gaeilge Irish Week
Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge buailte linn! Seachtain na Gaeilge is here again. Over the next few weeks in the run up to St. Patrick’s day we will be doing our best to speak the cupla focail. We will have a daily broadcast of Nuacht an lae and we will be learning some Seanfhocail.
Seachtain ‘Scoot ar Scoil’ Scoot to School Week
Scoot to School Week begins on March 7th. We’d be delighted to see the girls scooting safely to and from school. Look out for pedestrians, cross the road safely, wear your high-vis vest and your helmet. Happy scooting.
Tionól Speisialta – an Charghais Special Assembly – Lent
Thank you to Mr. Dooley’s Fourth Class for leading us in a very special Assembly to mark Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. The girls reminded us what Lent is about and we are all excited to begin our journey towards Easter.
For the next few weeks, the focus for our Interfaith Space is ‘Fasting’. Fasting is common to many faiths. No matter which faith they follow, most people fast to try to become closer to God and to try to become better people themselves.
Dánta – an tEarrach Poems – Spring
Mrs. Burke’s Fifth Class girls have been writing poems on a spring theme. Here is just one example. Well done to all of you girls!
Spring
By Megan
Goodbye winter, spring is here
Beautiful flowers start to appear.
Children playing without a care
The smell of spring in the air.
Daffodils are as yellow as the sun
Little baby animals begin to run.
Goodbye to the dark, hello to the bright days
Winter has slowly faded away.
Ullmhúchán Sacraimintiúil Sacramental Preparation
Parents of children who have been registered with the Parish for the sacraments of First Penance, First Holy Communion and Confirmation have been invited to the Parish Church tonight to pick up their Information Packs and codes for the online preparation programme.
First Penance and First Communion packs will be available between 7p.m. and 7.30p.m.
Confirmation Packs will be available between 8p.m. and 8.30p.m.
Cuirí Breithlá Birthday Invitations
Now that restrictions are lifting, birthday parties may be taking place. Please remember that the girls should not bring birthday invitations to school. Any invitations should be shared outside of school time.
Súgradh agus Spraoi Play and Fun
The girls always enjoy their time in the school yard, and there is even more opportunity for fun thanks to the great new games and activities that have been painted on the yard. Thank you Miss Kelly for organising this with Waterford Sport Partnership.
Go nÉirí an tÁdh Libh Good Luck
We wish the very best of luck to the girls who are doing their Entrance Assessments for Secondary School on Saturday. We know that you are ready girls. Follow the advice of our school’s Wellbeing Warriors – make your best effort and all will be well.
Lá Domhanda na Leabhar World Book Day
Miss Trunchbull was very happy today to see the school full of so many different characters from your favourite books 😊. Well done girls and continue to enjoy reading. Thank you, Mams and Dads, for the great effort you made.
Amber Flag News
Our Wellbeing Warriors have been busy helping us to develop a positive mindset. Here are some things you can do!
Instead of saying, “this will do”, try saying “is this my best work?”
Instead of saying, “I just can’t do it”, try saying “I am going to try a different strategy”
Instead of saying “I’ll never do it! It’s too hard”, try saying “This may take some time and effort” Also, a little breathing activity that is easy and useful when we get overwhelmed or upset.
Lá Idirnáisiúnta na Máthairteangacha
International Mother Language Day!
International Mother Languge Day
We had a magical few days in our school celebrating International Mother language Day. Thank you to all the girls who shared with the school community their first languages. We looked forward each day to hearing a selection of different languages that our girls speak with their families. All girls in each class coloured in a flower, showing their languages. Each flower has been included in our Language Garden displays. We had a selection of our Dual – Language storybooks for the girls to browse and see their languages and the English language in print and in story. We are proud of the many languages spoken in our school community and how the girls use their language skills to help their learning. We are looking forward to sharing more of what we do with our languages during our Intercultural Week and Seachtain na Gaeilge.
Miss Kelly
