For this half term, the girls in First Class are doing Gymnastics.
They are practicing rolls, jumps and different ways to move.
This week we got to put that all together in sequences. Each group practised different skills at each station, and really enjoyed themselves doing it.
27th of January 2023
Dear Mams, Dads, Staff, Pupils and Friends of Our School,
We extend a big welcome to Mr. Jamie Nagle, who begins his Principalship on Monday, the 30th of January in Our Lady of Good Counsel, GNS. We wish Mr. Nagle many years of enjoyable Leadership in our school.
Please remember Parent Teacher Meetings are starting this week. On Thursday 2nd of February, we will be closing earlier to facilitate the P/T Meetings. Please note the following times of departures: 2.20pm – 1st and 2nd Classes; 2.25 – 3rd and 4th Classes and 2.30 5th and 6th Classes.
Thank you all for your support and co-operation over the last 2 months.
As always have a safe and peaceful weekend. God Bless.
Miss M. Kelly
Dear Mams, Dads, Staff, Pupils and friends of Our School,
Welcome to this week’s newsletter. Next week marks the beginning of Catholic Schools Week 2023. The theme this year is ‘Walking Together in Faith and Love’. Each of us are on a journey in life. Every Catholic school seeks to help their pupils along their journey, nurturing their gifts and talents. This Catholic Schools Week, we celebrate the unique contribution our schools make to the lives of our pupils, community and Church. To help celebrate it, our pupils will attend mass in the local parish church. As we journey together, may we always be inspired by the Holy Spirit. May we talk together in faith and love.
I hope that you all have a lovely weekend.
God Bless
Miss M. Kelly
Parent Teacher Meetings
We are looking forward to meeting all of you, Mams and Dads, at our parent teacher meetings beginning the week of the 30th of January. You will receive an invitation to meet with your daughter’s teacher on Monday 23rd – if you have not received your invitation, please contact the school office immediately. To be fair to other parents, and to staff, please let the teachers know in advance if for some reason you cannot attend. While we try to accommodate everyone, we would like, as far as possible to keep the meetings to the times on your invitation.
Winter Season
With Winter weather here, please ensure your daughter has a nutritious warm breakfast in the morning and plenty of warm clothing to wear.
Attendance & Punctuality
The school gates open at 9.10am in the morning. School lessons, group sessions and individual support programmes begin promptly at the start of the school day.
If your child is absent, please contact the school on the first day of absence by email to the class teacher or by calling the school office on 051 – 832984 otherwise the absence will be entered as “no explanation received for the absence”.
Lateness impacts negatively on your child’s education and children find it upsetting and embarrassing, as they get older, to arrive late when lessons have already begun.
Wellbeing Survey
The Department of Education and Skills launched the revised Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice in October 2019. To implement this policy, every school is required to initiate a wellbeing promotion and development cycle by 2025. It is a six-step process. As a school staff, we have identified Relationships and Partnerships as an area we would like to focus on. The next step is to gather information and this is where we need your help. We need some data and information which will help us see where we can make improvements. We have parent-teacher meetings at the end of the month so we will leave the surveys outside each classroom. You can fill in the survey as you wait and pop it into the box outside each classroom. You are not required to put down your name.
Thank you for your continued support.
Mrs Shanahan
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is celebrated on Sunday, January 22nd. It is the Year of the Rabbit. Then the Lantern Festival will follow in 2 weeks. Happy Chinese New Year
Safer internet Day
Safer internet Day takes place on Tuesday 7th of February. On this day we will be joining people in more than 150 countries around the world in celebrating Safer Internet Day 2023. It is an EU wide initiative to promote a safer internet for all users, especially young people.
The website www.webwise.ie/saferinternetday has lots of information for parents, activities and videos. We would also like to highlight the child friendly search engines that we use in our school.
Theses are:
Our school will be engaging in class activities and we will be running a competition for each class to celebrate Safer Internet Day on Tuesday February 7th. We look forward to celebrating Safer Internet Day in our school. Mrs Ryan & Mrs Shanahan
Little Red Kettle
It was no surprise that Little Red Kettle put on a wonderful show for the girls on Friday 13th of January. There is always a high level of audience participation and as you see from these photos, great fun was had by all.
Diary Dates for Upcoming Events
Week Beginning 23rd of January Catholic Schools Week
Week Beginning 30th of January Parent Teacher Meetings
6th February: Bank Holiday – School Closed
16th February: Mid-Term Break. School Closed
17th February: Mid-Term Break. School Closed
20th February: Return to School.
Healthy Eating
A reminder that it is important that your daughter brings a healthy lunch to school. Please think of the type and the amount of food in the lunchbox. The amount of sugar consumed at lunch will effect a child’s ability to concentrate and learn in the afternoons. Please make sure absolutely no item containing nuts or traces of nuts is brought into school due to possible allergic reactions. Thank you for your support.
In The Event….
In the event of a school closure due to poor weather conditions, parents will be contacted via textaparent messaging service. PLEASE ensure that the office have any new or revised contact numbers for you. If you haven’t already done so, you can download the free textaparent app available on https://apptextaparent.ie/get/app. This will ensure we can contact you and you can also see what events are comping up on the app’s calendar.
We are learning to play the recorder in third class.
Being the first normal girls have had on school since starting, there are a lot of new and wonderful things they are experiencing.
Today the girls had their first time watching and partaking in a Little Red Kettle Production. Some got to be a part of the play and dress up but all very much enjoyed the show.
Dear Mams, Dads, Staff, Pupils and Friends of Our School,
Happy New Year! I do hope that you had a relaxing and peaceful Christmas holiday with your families. Today we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany marking the day the Three Wise Men visited baby Jesus, bearing gifts for the newborn King. We pray for the grace to recognise that which leads to our own encounter with Christ, as the Three Wise Men did when they followed the star*. As the new term begins, I hope the year ahead will be a happy and healthy one for you and your family members. I wish you all a lovely weekend.
Nollaig na mBan!
God Bless.
Miss M. Kelly – Acting Principal
A New Year Prayer
Thank you Lord for giving me,
The brand-New Year ahead.
Help me live the way I should,
As each new day I tread.
Give me gentle wisdom,
That I may help a friend,
Give me the strength and courage,
So a shoulder I may lend.
The year ahead is empty,
Help me fill it with good things,
Each new day is filled with joy,
And the happiness it brings.
Amen.
Applications for September 2023
Applications for Junior Infants for September 2023 need to be received by the school before the closing date on Friday, 13th of January 2023. See our school website www.goodcounselgns.ie on the policies tab and download 2023 GCGNS-Enrolment-and-Admission-Form.
Contact Details
Please ensure that we have any new or revised contact numbers for you in the office, especially if you have had a new phone over Christmas.
Absence – Contacting the School
If your daughter is too ill to attend school then we would ask that you please inform your daughter’s teacher by email on the first day of illness. All absences from school have to be recorded.
Online Safety – Keeping Safe!
The internet and digital technologies are becoming a bigger part of children’s lives and provide them with many benefits and opportunities. As parents it is important to keep our children safe online and this not only means getting involved and engaging with them about what they are doing but also developing and understanding of how the internet works.
For Christmas, Santa may have brought new phones, tablets, Ipads and consoles. www.webwise.ie have helpful advice for parents to ensure that children have a positive experience online.
Mrs. Ryan – Acting Deputy Principal.
Dates for your Diary
Friday 13th of January – Little Red Kettle visit to the school.
Monday 23rd of January – Catholic School Week begins.
Monday 30th of January – Parent Teacher Meetings begin this week. More Information to follow.
Monday 6th of February – Bank Holiday. School Closed.
Thursday 16th of February – Mid-Term Break. School Closed
Friday 17th of February – Mid-Term Break. School Closed.
Monday 20th of February – Return to School.
Monday 13th of March – Intercultural Week agus Seachtain na Gaeilge 2023
Friday 17th of March – St. Patrick’s Day Bank Holiday. School Closed.
Friday 31st of March – Last day of Term before Easter Holidays.
Easter Holidays – Monday 3rd of April to Friday 14th of April. School Closed.
Monday 17th of April – Return to School.
Significant Increase in Viral Infections
Please see below an important notice from the HSE
