Sample Page - Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS

Our annual Wellbeing/Friendship Week was a big hit this year. Thanks to Mrs Shanahan for all her organisation.

We were learning about capacity in Maths. We used various containers and measuring jugs to calculate half, quarter, three-quarter and whole litres and their equivalent measurements in millilitres. It was quite a fun (and wet!) lesson.

We worked with some materials to discover static electricity in Science and learn about positive and negative energy. It was showing how everyday items, once charged, can create a force and make your hair stand, move aluminum cans, attract paper and attract or repel balloons.

We moved on to learning about electrical circuits and built a simple closed circuit using wires, batteries, bulbs and paperclip switches. The girls also experimented to discover how the light could shine brighter.

We celebrated intercultural week and Seachtain na gaeilge with multiple activities. Here are the girls just before we head off on our St. Patrick’s day parade followed by an Céilí mór!

We worked with clay in Visual Arts and created some celtic design necklaces as well as coil pots to hold our jewellery in!

The New Year wouldn’t be the same without the Little Red Kettle theatre group paying a visit. The girls look forward to it every year, mostly because some lucky stars get picked to perform. You might recognise some people in these photos!!

In Science we were investigating light and how shadows are formed. It depends on where the light source is coming from and how high or low it is. We investigated using torches and toys!

In preparations for the start of Spring, we made connections with History, Religion and Art. While learning about St. Bridget’s day, we learned the skill of weaving rushes to create St. Bridget’s crosses.

We explored what is in soil in Geography class and there is no better way to find out than to get your hands dirty! We compared various soils and discovered leaves, stones, moisture, even some organisms both dead and alive! and some roots. We then went on to compare garden soil, sandy soil and rocky soil. We planted some cress seeds and observed over time which soil had the best conditions for growth.

In Maths class we were investigating 3D shapes and made lots of polyhedra using cocktail sticks and playdough. We discovered what 2D polygons are used, how many vertices, edges and faces on each shape. We also learned what creates a pyramid and a prism.

We investigated how heat travels in Science by using some camping equipment. With these simple utensils the girls learned what conduction, convection and radiation are.

We also learned about some new fractions in Maths class to build on their knowledge of halves and quarters, we added fifths, eighths and tenths too.

Fresh today did a really interesting talk on healthy eating and what exactly is in our food and how much we need to eat of each area of the food pyramid. They also shocked some of the girls about some of the unhealthy foods and drinks that are available on the market.

As it was pancake Tuesday in February, I treated the girls to some pancakes at the end of the day! They seemed to enjoy!

In Science the girls were learning about materials used in our homes. They investigated lots of materials and sorted them into venn diagrams showing hard/soft, flexible/rigid and transparent/opaque.

They were quite creative in Visual Arts designing and making soft toys using fabric and fibre.

We had a lovely SPHE lesson where the girls brought in some photos of their lives through time. We put these in a human/photo timeline and used this to discuss how we have all grown and changed in so many ways over time.

We continued learning about materials used to build houses in Ireland in Science class. We investigated lots of different materials such as wood, plastic, iron, glass, fabric. We tested how strong they were, how flexible, how waterproof, and recorded our findings on a table.

We spent a few weeks creating string prints using string, glue and card in Visual Arts, and when they were dried we used printing ink and rollers to print our images. We also continued with the printing strand and did some monoprints.

We created some family stories in History of what life was like in the past when our parents and grandparents were young and made these into a class book for our library.

In the lead up to Christmas we used lots of household materials in Visual Arts to invent a snow mobile. It was a lot of fun (and mess!), team work and very interesting creations.

We investigated a number of materials in Science to find out which materials were better conductors of heat and better insulators.

In Geography we learned about the lives of people living and working in Waterford and on the Aran Islands. The girls worked in teams and at the end of the few weeks they created posters comparing and contrasting life in both areas, and presented these to the class.

And to add to our Christmas trees, we designed and created a Christmas tree ornament out of clay in Art, which the girls will have as a little memorbilia of 3rd class in the years to come.

The girls rejoined their same old teacher and classroom and looked forward to new adventures in Third class. Here are a few snippets of just some of their activities.

In Geography we explored our school surroundings as well as looking at the environment around our school. The girls used some worksheets and worked in groups to discover the attractive and unattractive features of our environment.

The girls used some inspiration from their friends and created a life size image of three of their classmates in Visual Arts. They look great hanging in our corridor.

They also designed and created some clown collages using fabrics and fibres.

We created some patterns using matchsticks in Maths. The girls were able to predict, continue, represent and generate patterns.

We also enjoyed listening to a 6th class student reading a story to us for International languages day, translated by a 3rd class child.

The highlight of our first half-term was Mission Week. The girls were outstanding when they designed, created and advertised for their sales day during Mission week. They had an abundance of items for sales and worked tirelessly all day selling cakes, buns, books, toys, games, jewellery and lots more. They finished the week with the Talent show and a whole lot of smiles!

Dear Parents, Guardians, Pupils, and Friends of the School,

I hope this newsletter finds you all well. As we move through the final week of term two, there is a real sense of anticipation in the air as Easter approaches and our Lenten journey draws to a close. This season invites us to pause, reflect, and renew our focus on what truly matters—kindness, compassion, and care for one another.

During this time, we encourage our school community to keep in their thoughts and prayers those who are experiencing hardship, particularly individuals and families affected by war and conflict across the world.

We look forward to celebrating the joy and promise of Easter together, and we thank you, as always, for your continued support of our school community.

Confirmation

Our 6^th class girls celebrated their Confirmation on Thursday, March 12^th with St. Marys’ Boys National School. Unfortunately, we currently have no bishop in Ossory due to Bishop Coll’s recent relocation to the diocese of Raphoe in Co. Donegal. In his absence, we were treated to a beautiful ceremony as ever from Fr. Whearty. A big congratulations to the boys and the girls who received their Confirmation. We hope you and your families enjoyed the day. Thanks to Mrs. Burke for her work in preparing all of the girls for Confirmation and for the Ceremony of light.

The Waterford News and Star have included some photos of families from the Confirmation Day which can be seen here – Ferrybank Confirmation Newspaper Photographs

World Book Day

World Book Day was a wonderful celebration in our school again this year, highlighting the joy and importance of reading in the development of literacy. Reading plays a vital role in expanding vocabulary, improving comprehension, and fostering imagination, all of which are essential for our students’ learning and development.

A special word of praise must go to the girls and their families for the fantastic effort put into dressing up as characters from their favourite books. The creativity on display was very impressive, and it was a great to see the girl’s favourite characters brought to life throughout the school.

We would also like to recognise the important role of our local library in supporting our school. The girls greatly enjoy their regular visits throughout the year, where they have the opportunity to explore new books, discover different authors, and develop a lifelong love of reading.

St.Patrick’s Day/National Colours Day

We had a wonderful time celebrating St. Patrick’s Day/National Colours Day in our school. The girls made a fantastic effort in dressing up, with a great display of colour and creativity on show

We were delighted to visit Madonna House and the Little Sisters of the Poor, where, as always, we received a very warm welcome. These visits are a special part of our celebrations and are greatly enjoyed by all involved.

It was also lovely to see so many of our girls taking part in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the city. Its great to see such strong participation from our school community, with the girls involved in a wide range of local organisations and activities.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all!

Irish Dancing

The girls from Juniors to 2nd class enjoyed their final lessons with Dawn this week. Many thanks to Dawn for her work again in our school this year. The girls always enjoy Irish dancing which can be seen below during our St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Camogie

Our 7-a-side camogie team enjoyed two fantastic days of competition over the past few weeks. The girls performed brilliantly in the opening rounds and were successful in qualifying for the Eastern Finals Day.

On the second day which took place in the De La Salle Gracedieu sportsground, the team faced strong opposition from Newtown N.S., Ballygunner, and St. Ursula’s. Despite their best efforts, we came up just short on this occasion. We are delighted with how the girls represented both themselves and the school throughout the tournament with such skill, determination, and sportsmanship.

Looking ahead, our next set of games will begin after Easter with the U-13 competition. We have been placed in Division A/B, which will present a significant challenge, especially as we have been competing in Divisions C and D in recent years. However, we will look forward to the challenge over the next few weeks. Mrs. Shanahan

Primary Game Representative

Congratulations to Holly in 6th class on being chosen to represent our school for the Primary Game trials. The Primary Game is a great initiative for primary school children as those selected get the opportunity to play at half time of a Senior Hurling Intercounty Championship game. Wishing all the very best of luck!

Wellbeing Warriors – Wellbeing Week

The girls are busy planning Wellbeing Week which takes place in April. Stay tuned for more information in the next edition of the School Bell.

Gymnastics lessons after Easter

Term three, which begins when we return after Easter promises as ever to be very busy. We are delighted to welcome Kenny Hassett who is a gymnastics coach into our school every Wednesday for six weeks to work with all classes. Kenny will use our General Purpose Room or work outside with the classes if the weather is kind to us! Many thanks to the Board of Management and the Parents’ Association for funding these lessons.

Parents’ Association Easter Raffle

Our Parents’ Association will held an Easter Raffle this week. Raffle tickets went out to all families last week and we are delighted with the response that we have received. As ever, the Parents’ Association made a huge effort in putting a list of prizes together. €575 was raised and all of the funds will go to the benefit of all of the girls in the school. Well done to all of those who had a little bit of luck in the raffle!

Attendance

Attendance in school is a hugely important factor in enabling all children to reach their full potential. While we are pleased to see a steady improvement in attendance rates following the Covid-19 pandemic, there is always room for further progress.

If your child is too unwell to attend school, they should of course remain at home. However, it is vital that all other absences are kept to a minimum. Consistent attendance supports not only academic achievement but also helps children to build friendships, develop routines, and feel fully part of school life.

We greatly appreciate the continued support of parents and guardians in ensuring that children attend school regularly and punctually. By working together, we can help every child make the most of their educational opportunities.

Drop off and Collect Area

Our drop off and collection area is working very well, and this is largely thanks to the cooperation and support of parents and all those involved in collecting children. Your continued efforts to follow the procedures in place are greatly appreciated and help to ensure a safe and efficient environment for everyone.

As a gentle reminder, we ask that all drivers please pull fully into a designated space when dropping and collecting children and avoid stopping on or blocking the entrance road. This is particularly important in the mornings when staff need access to the staff car park. Keeping the roadway clear helps traffic to flow smoothly and safely at all times.

We also encourage everyone to continue to exercise patience, especially on wet days when there is an increase in the number of cars dropping off and collecting children. A little extra care and understanding during these busy times makes a big difference.

We are delighted to share that the shelters in this area are now fully complete, with sides added to provide additional protection from the elements. This will help to keep both parents and children dry and comfortable on wet days.

Finally, we would like to emphasise the importance of supervising your child(ren), particularly before the school opening time at 9.00am and at the end of the school day. Children should remain on the pathway and stay off the road at all times, as there is a high volume of traffic using this area. Working together, we can ensure that the drop off and collection area remains safe and efficient for all.

Trócaire Lenten Campaign 2026

Lent is the season of preparation which comes before the celebration of Easter. During Lent,
our Trócaire Ambassadors from fouth class have been busy visiting the classrooms weekly
and collecting coins and coppers for the 2026 Lent appeal. This year’s Trócaire Box story is
about a family in Rwanda. In 2024, severe weather across Rwanda killed and injured
hundreds of people and left thousands of homes destroyed and other homes damaged. Each
season brings new destruction to homes and crops before the last can be repaired. Trócaire
tells us it is often the women who are carrying the heaviest load. By this they mean, the
women do most of the farming, they gather the water, they put food on the table and rare their
children. Trócaire programmes in Rwanda support women to lead community groups and
have a say in the choices that affect their families’ lives. All our donations will help rebuild
homes destroyed by floods – providing water tanks, planting kitchen gardens and helping
women to support their income.
Well done girls. Thank you to everyone for your generosity and support. As we approach
Easter, we wish everyone and their families a Happy Easter. Miss Kelly

School Garden – Spring 2026 Update
Over last number of weeks, girls in second class, fifth class and sixth class have been busy
planting a variety of vegetable seeds. Although the weather hasn’t been so kind to our garden,
we still managed to get out seeds started. The girls learned about ‘chitting’ potatoes and
watched how they sprouted on the classroom window sills. To date, we have sown early
potatoes, strawberry plants, turnips, broad beans, beetroot, and radish. In April, when we
return to school we will sow more seeds such as salad leaves, carrots, peas and tomatoes.
Our garlic and onions were sown in November 2025, and are making good progress in the
raised bed.
Our school is yet again involved in the Incredible Edibles Programme 2026. We are hoping to
retain our Gold Standard status that we have achieved for the last two years. This year, we
continue to be engaged in the GIY, GROW at school garden project. This is a wonderful
project to be involved with as it is local and on our doorstep, out on the Dunmore Road.
With the warmer weather returning around Easter and a little luck, as the song says “ inch by
inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow”, we will have our vegetable garden
blooming. Planting is part of our science studies, and learning about growing your own plants
and vegetables is a great life skill. It’s a wonderful experience for the girls to see and learn
about the seeds and to feel and to work with the soil and compost. We love looking after
nature and we benefit when we celebrate its wonder. Miss Kelly

Intercultural Week and Seachtaine na Gaeilge 2026

We had a wonderful few days celebrating Intercultural week and Secahtaine na Gaeilge 2026.
Great fun and learning was shared by all from Trat na gceist, to hearing stories in different
languages, to sharing the daily news in different languages, leaning basic greetings and
hearing different countries National Anthems along with out own National Anthem and
Gaeige. Thank you to all school staff and all pupils who took the time to prepare and share
their language skills with our school community. This is an important to our school and
learning as it helps us celebrate and embrace all our cultures and native languages that as a
school we share. Miss Kelly.