A very happy and peaceful Christmas to you all. The girls have been busy elves over the last number of weeks.
They finished their final draft of their report genre – The Barn Swallow. They worked through many stages to create these amazing texts. From researching on our school tablets, to planning frameworks, to first drafts, editing and final final drafts. They can’t wait to read them for their families over Christmas.
In Maths, the girls have been busy shopkeepers buying and selling and learning how to calculate change. Great group work from 2nd class here. They will be ready to buy and sell anything during Mission week next year.
We had some lovely History lessons about Christmas traditions around the world. It was so lovely to show videos from home from some of the girls in our class. Thanks mams and dads for getting involved.
The girls should be super helpers at home over the holidays as we learned what we can and can’t recycle; what goes in each bin; and what can be brought to the bring bank. They separated out many items successfully into the right bins in class.
We’ve had some wonderful winter and Christmas Art. We learned about shading using charcoal. We also made some 2nd class memory baubles. Each year, the girls can take out this bauble as a memory of 2nd class 2022.
In PE the girls finished 6 weeks of swimming classes in Kingfisher. They improved so much over a short space of time.
These are only snippets of all the wonderful work the girls do for me each and every day. They have been a pleasure to teach.
I wish you all a wonderful relaxing break. I look forward to smiling faces in 2023.
Nollaig shona daoibh go léir,
Mrs Power
15th of December 2022
Dear Mams, Dads, Staff, Pupils and Friends of Our School,
As we approach the Christmas break, we have had a very busy first term here in Our Lady of Good Counsel School. On Friday 2nd of December, we bade a fond farewell to our Principal Teacher, Miss O’Reilly. Catriona gave 36 ½ years of service to the teaching profession. A native of Co. Longford, when Miss o’ Reilly first came to Waterford, she joined the staff of the Presentation girls’ school on September 1st 1998. A few months later, she crossed the bridge and joined the teaching staff of Our Lady of Good Counsel, GNS on November 16th 1998 and here she spent many years as a classroom teacher and also as a teaching principal. Miss O’ Reilly has been the Principal in Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS for 17 years. The Pupils, Staff and Board of Management in Our Lady of Good Counsel, GNS would like to express their thanks to Miss O’ Reilly for her dedication, kindness and patience and for making a real difference in the lives of all she encountered. We will all miss her and we wish Miss O’Reilly great happiness and health in her well-deserved retirement.
Save The Date! We are delighted that we will be able to come together for our Carol Service in the Sacred Heart Parish Church on Monday 19th of December at 1.30pm. All families, friends and Parish are warmly invited to join with us. Please remember, that all pupils will be returning to the school with their teachers after the Carol Service. Junior and Senior Infants are to be collected from the school at 2.15pm and the rest of the classes at their usual home time.
Cold Weather Alert! Brrrrrrrrr! As the days have been getting colder with the temperature dropping, don’t forget to dress warmly for this cold weather.
Christmas Holidays – Our school will close early on Wednesday 21st of December 2022 for Christmas Holidays and will reopen at 9.10a.m. on Thursday 5th of January 2023.
Last Day of Term – Early Finish on Wednesday, 21st of December, please note times for collection:
Junior and Senior Infants collection at 12.15p.m.
First and Second Classes collection at 12.20 p.m.
All remaining Classes from Third to Sixth Classes collection at 12.30p.m.
I would like to sincerely thank all members of our school community for the incredible support you have given your children and our school this term. It has been a time of change for us all and we have kept the good ship Our Lady of Good Counsel School afloat. Thank you all! On a closing note, I would like to wish all our families and everyone in our school community a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas and I look forward to welcoming everyone back in the New Year. Nollaig shona agus Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh go lèir.
Wesołych Świąt, sretan Božić, Feliz Natal, счастливого Рождества, Joyeux Noel, Vesel božič, สุขสันต์วันคริสมาส, Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus, Nadolig Llawen, sretan Božić, щасливого Різдва, ბედნიერი შობა, E ku odun keresimesi, E ku odun keresimesi, срећан Божић, Boldog Karácsonyt, Linksmų Kalėdų, ക്രിസ്മസ് ആശംസകൾ, veselé Vánoce, y Feliz Navidad!
Stay safe and take care.
Miss M. Kelly – Acting Principal
News from the Wellbeing Warriors
Litter Monitors
Our litter monitors will check the top and bottom yard for litter after big lunch every day.
Each class selects children to pick up litter with the litter pickers provided. Some of the committee members are helping the Junior Classes. The monitors will then count how many pieces of litter on each yard. There are two classes on every yard section. Each section will start on twenty points every Monday.
A point is lost for every piece of litter found. The results are recorded read aloud every week at assembly.
Tips to Reduce Wrappers
Put crisps, sweets and popcorn into a container on Treat Days. Fridays are our only Treat Day!
Do not use tin foil, tissue and cling film in your lunch box.
Do not drop uneaten lunch on the yard. Put it back in your lunchbox.
New Litter Pickers
We recently wrote a letter to the Board of Management requesting new litter pickers. They replied to our request stating we could get six litter pickers. We are waiting for their delivery, and we will put them to good use.
Anti- Bullying Week
We also led a special assembly to mark Anti- Bullying Week
The girls are starting their preparation for Christmas. We are opening a new door of our advent calendar each day, with a chocolate surprise and an act of kindness towards others inside.
We are preparing our Christmas song for the Carol Concert.
We we busy elves this week, practicing sewing skills. Each girl measured and cut thread, threaded their needles, sewed a stocking with a trim amd wrote a name. The girls really enjoyed practicing these skills and got a gorgeous stocking, ready for Christmas.
This week the girls attended chime n’ play with Audrey. They enjoyed singing Christmas songs, using some instruments, and even used their imagination to ice skate! We have also been practising for our Nativity play and are very excited to perform for the school and for Mams and Dads next week.
Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS is a Catholic Primary School for girls. Our school is committed to fostering the development of the whole person, in partnership with parents and guided by Christian values and principles, in an environment that is happy, caring and enriching.
A School Creed This is our school. Let peace dwell here, Let the rooms be full of contentment, Let love abide here, Love of one another, Love of mankind, Love of life itself, And love of God. Let us remember That, as many hands build a house, So many hearts make a school.
Traditional (Source: The Works 2 – B. Moses and P. Corbett – Macmillan)
Curriculum
Our School Plan for teaching and learning is derived from The Revised Primary School Curriculum (Curaclam na Bunscoile), which was implemented by the Department of Education and Skills in 1999.
It consists of the following subjects:
Languages
English, Gaeilge
Mathematics
Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE)
History, Geography and Science
Arts Education
Visual Arts, Music, Drama
Physical Education
Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE)
Relationships and Sexuality Education, The Stay Safe Programme, Walk Tall
Religious Education
All of these subject areas are taught from Junior Infants to Sixth Class.
Each teacher draws up a Yearly Plan for the children in her/his care. Every fortnight, teachers develop a Short Term plan from the Yearly Plan and at the end of every month, teachers report on progress to the Principal.
If you would like more information on the Revised Primary School Curriculum, please go to www.curriculumonline.ie
