Dear families and friends of the school,
Happy New Year to you all. We hope we all enjoyed a nice break at Christmas and are looking forward to
a good 2025. Please see some updates on the happenings in the school below.

School Closure due to the Red Weather Warning
Our Lady of Good Counsel will close tomorrow, Friday January 24th due to the Red Weather Warning. The school will reopen on Monday, January 27th from 9am. Please stay safe!

Food Hamper Appeal 2024
Our Food Hamper Appeal before Christmas was very successful with a large amount of food being
donated to the school. All donations were given to St. Vincent de Paul who distributed it out to families in
need both locally and in Waterford. Thanks to the girls and their families for their generosity for such a
great cause. Thank you also to Mrs. Shanahan and the Wellbeing Warriors for coming up with the idea
and for looking after all of the donations!!!

Catholic Schools Week
The girls and staff here in Good Counsel celebrated Catholic Schools Week in the school this week. To
celebrate Catholic Schools Week, 2nd to 6th class went to mass on different days during the week and classes did different lessons and activities on this year’s theme ‘Alive in Christ’.

Admissions for 2025
Admissions for Junior Infants are now closed for the 2025/2026 school year but if you are looking for a
place for your child for the coming school year, please contact Tracey in the office on 051-832984.

Parent-Teacher Meetings
We will hold Parent-Teacher Meetings next week, starting Monday January 27th. It is vital that all parents
attend their meetings in order to discuss their child(ren) with the class teacher and SEteacher (where
applicable).
Parents this year, can book their meetings on the Aladdin App. If you have yet to book a meeting or have
any issues, please contact Tracey in the office

.
Beat FM visit our school!
On Wednesday we had a visit from BEAT FM radio station for ‘Cool to School’ where three of the girls,
Sophie, Dorka and Lily were brought to school by the BEAT fleet. We welcomed the presenters into
school where the had the opportunity to have a chat with 6th class and their teacher Mrs. Burke. The girls really enjoyed it and thanks to BEAT FM for their visit to Good Counsel.

New School Gates
The work on the outside area of the school is coming to a finish. We recently had new gates installed
which we are delighted with. From Monday January 27th, the external school gates will be locked at the end of the school day for obvious health, safety and security reasons.
In the mornings, the main school gates (nearest the Abbey C.C.) will be opened from 8.30 am to allow
access for both pedestrian and car traffic. The pedestrian gate (next to the school yard) will open at 8.50
am in order to minimise unnecessary pedestrian traffic going through the drop off and collect area. Girls
who are in before 8.50am can walk to the main entrance in order to gain access to the school grounds.

Please note; Supervision on the school yard begins from 9am each morning. Any children on school
grounds or waiting outside the school before this time are the responsibility of their parent(s)/guardian(s)
and are not covered under school insurance.

Chinese New Year 2025 – The Year of the Snake is coming!
Chinese New Year begins on Wednesday, January 29, and lasts for about 14
days, culminating in the Lantern Festival on Wednesday, February 12. Chinese
New Year 2025 is the year of the snake. The Snake is associated with wisdom,
charm, elegance, and transformation in Chinese culture. The Chinese believe
that people born in a particular year take on characteristics of the animal
associated with that year. So, if you were born in a year of the snake, you are
charming and a good thinker. You love the finer things in life, so only the best is
good enough. You are good at making and saving money. You are patient, charming and wise.
One in every six people in the world celebrate Chinese New Year. Customs vary
in different parts of the world but the main idea is to remember family and to
wish everyone pace and prosperity in the coming year. Happy Chinese New Year to all people celebrating.
Thank you to Team Languages United and Miss Kelly who created a lovely
display in our school for the Chinese New Year. You can all see this display just
outside Halla at the end of the corridor.

Peace Proms
The girls in 4th and 5th class have been preparing over the last few months for Peace Proms which takes
place in the SETU arena on Sunday evening coming. Best of luck to everyone! We hope you all enjoy the
evening!

Dates for your diary

School Closed
Monday February 3rd – St. Brigid’s Day
Thursday and Friday February 20th and 21st – Mid-term Break

I will be in touch again in a few weeks,

Your sincerely,
J. Nagle
Principal