https://sites.google.com/view/olgcstem/home
Have you checked out our school STEM website?
Fáilte Ar Ais
Dear Pupils, Staff, Mams and Dads,
A warm welcome back to school for our second term. We are very glad to be open, and with your help, we look forward to a safe, busy and happy Term 2.
Please continue to do everything you can to keep our school community safe. You will know from discussions on television and radio that it is difficult to find substitute staff at the moment, and that the transmission levels of Covid-19 are still very high.
As challenging as it is, we just need to continue doing what we have been doing since March 2020:
Keep a 2-metre distance from others
Keep our social contacts to as few people as possible
Cough/sneeze into our elbows
Wash/sanitize our hands regularly
If your child is unwell, please keep her at home until she is symptom free.
The girls from Third to Sixth Class have been making a great effort with mask wearing and we do ask that parents support the girls with this. It is especially important as we have a child in the school who has had an organ transplant, and she is very vulnerable as a result.
A new year brings new hope, and as 2022 progresses, my hope is that there will be no need for our school newsletters to contain information about how we are managing during a pandemic.
On this Little Christmas Day, I wish you and your family a healthy and happy New Year. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Yours sincerely,
C. O’Reilly – Principal
Condolences
We offer our sincere condolences to Miss McElroy on the death of her Granny Brenda on December 22nd. Ar dheis Dé go raibh sí.
Congratulations
Well done to Ms. Fenton who was conferred with a degree in Early Childhood Education and Care on January 5th. Enjoy your success after all your hard work.
Air Filtration
Just before Christmas, the Department of Education sent guidance to schools on ventilation and the possible use of Air Filtration units. While it may appear from media reports that HEPA filters are the answer to all our concerns, and that all schools will be installing Air Filtration units, that is not necessarily the case.
The funding provided by the DE may be used in the first instance for improving ventilation. If that is not possible, then Air filtration units may be considered.
If it is not necessary to improve ventilation, the funding may also be used to improve the outdoor learning environment of a school.
Here is some of the guidance that has been provided by the Department of Education and the CPSMA (Catholic Primary School Management Association).
What is an air filtration unit?
It is a self-contained unit that sits in a room and must be plugged into an electrical power socket. The unit usually contains a filter or multiple filters. One of the filters may be a HEPA filter. The unit also has a fan that sucks air from the room in over the filter system and sends purified air back into the room. This can make the unit noisy. As air moves through the filter, tiny pollutants and particles are captured.
Can we close the windows and use an air filtration unit instead?
It is very important to note that:
- Air cleaning devices are not a substitute for good ventilation.
- Air cleaners do not remove Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
- The best way to reduce CO2 levels in a room is to dilute it with fresh air, that is by opening windows.
How do we know if a room is adequately ventilated?
By using a CO2 monitor. (Each classroom and Learning Support Room in our school has a CO2 monitor. 5 monitors were provided by the DE and the Board of Management bought monitors for every other room.)
The Board of Management is considering the guidance and doing some further research, and as always, will decide in the best interest of the children and the staff in the school.
In Ireland, January 6th is known as Little Christmas or Nollaig na mBan (Women’s Christmas). On the feast of the Epiphany, here is a verse from a beautiful poem about the Magi.
The Three Kings
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Three Kings came riding from far away,
Melchior and Gaspar and Baltasar;
Three Wise Men out of the East were they,
And they travelled by night and they slept by day,
For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful star.
Third Class completed fantastic construction this week on the Christmas theme using Lego. Great work girls!
Congratulations to Robyn (6th Class) who won this year’s competition to create the background for our school crib
Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,
After a very busy, and sometimes challenging first term, it is time to take a break from school.
It has been lovely to have so many parents joining us for our Christmas Zoom calls last week and yesterday, and I hope that you enjoyed your virtual visits. The girls certainly enjoyed entertaining you with a variety of Christmas poems, songs and stories.
Christmas is a time to reflect on the things that we are grateful for. As the principal of Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS, I am grateful to have a school full of children who do their best and who are kind and caring towards each other. I am grateful for the most wonderful colleagues who work here with me, and for the girls every day. I am also grateful for the tremendous ongoing support from our Board of Management, Parents’ Association, Mams, Dads, Grans and Grandads and the wider community.
I wish each of you and your families the peace and joy of Christmas and I look forward to working with you again in 2022. No matter what the New Year brings our way, the last 20 months have taught us that when we work together, we can achieve great things.
Stay safe.
Nollaig Shona daoibh go léir.
C. O’Reilly – Principal
School Calendar Reminder
Please be patient tomorrow if there is extra traffic in the car park. We will get you on your way as quickly as possible. School closes Wednesday 22nd December at:
12.15 – Junior and Senior Infants
12.25 – First and Second Classes
12.30 – Third to Sixth Class
School re-opens for Term 2 on Thursday 6th January 2022
School Books
The girls are bringing home some books today to keep at home during the Christmas holidays. This is just a precaution to make things easier in case anything changes over the holiday period., Right now, the advice from the Department of Education is that schools will re-open as usual on January 6th.
Parents Association News
Some elves from the Parents’ Association made a Covid-safe visit to the school this morning to deliver treats to the girls from Santa. After that, Santa himself appeared on Zoom all the way from the North Pole, and we were amazed that he knew so much about our school!
The Parents’ Association wishes everyone in the school community a safe and a happy Christmas. We look forward to working together for the girls in 2022.
Covid Cases
A parent has informed Miss O’Reilly that a child in our school has tested positive for Covid-19 (coronavirus). The Public Health Department of the HSE is the agency responsible by law for dealing with positive cases of COVID-19, therefore, no further information in relation to this case will be shared by the school.
On the advice of NPHET, contact tracing of children in primary schools, who do not have symptoms is no longer recommended. So, all you need to do is read and follow the advice in this important message from the Public Health Team.
The important message for pupils and parents, and staff in schools remains that anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 should self-isolate at home immediately and contact their GP for advice and guidance, and to arrange a COVID-19 test if appropriate.
All public health guidelines still need to be followed to protect the health of children and staff. These include:
ü Wearing face coverings
ü Cleaning hands regularly
ü Maintaining physical distance from others
ü Being mindful of the ventilation of classrooms by opening windows and doors as appropriate
ü Encouraging all those who are eligible for vaccination, within your school or childcare facility community, to access appropriate information around this (available at https://www2.hse.ie/screening-and-vaccinations/covid-19-vaccine/). For those wishing to arrange vaccination, they can do so by either:
· Registering using the HSE Vaccine portal (https://vaccine.hse.ie/#register)
· OR phoning the HSE at 1800 700 700
Covid-19 Vaccinations for Children
The HSE has asked schools to share the following information about Covid-19 Vaccinations for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years.
COVID-19 vaccine information for parents of children aged 5-11
The HSE has published detailed information and guidance for parents about COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5-11. This aims to help parents and guardians of 5-11 year old children make an informed decision when it’s time for their child to be offered a COVID-19 vaccine.
Registration for the vaccine will open shortly, with priority being placed on children who are more at risk from COVID-19 or children who have a high-risk person in the family. Parents and guardians can read this information on https://www2.hse.ie/screening-and-vaccinations/covid-19-vaccine/get-the-vaccine/covid-19-vaccination-for-children/ or they can download these information booklets from HSE.ie.
Amber Flag News from Mrs Shanahan
Here is some information about the Amber Flag and the application process. The Amber Flag is an initiative run by Pieta House. The Amber Flag recognises the efforts of schools, clubs and community groups that support mental wellbeing. It recognises and promotes working together towards creating a happier, healthier Ireland. Over 1,000 flags have been awarded to date and we will apply for an Amber Flag in May 2022.
Here are the steps involved:
- Step1: Register the school for the Amber Flag Initiative √
- Step 2: The school must establish an Amber Flag Committee. √
- Step 3: Audit of past and current school activities in the promotion of positive mental health. √
- Step 4: Goals and Objectives
- Identify tasks we can do
- Hold a Wellbeing Week
- – Hold a fundraiser event √
- Halloween Dress UP €170 raised
- Step 5: Submission of completed Application booklet by May 27th 2022
The current Wellbeing Warriors Committee
Hi-visibility Jackets
Could I please remind everyone to wear their hi-visibility jackets coming to school every day? It makes it much easier for motorists to see the girls on these dark winter days.
Basketball News
Sixth class girls Robyn, Lily, Summer and Zara played their first indoor match for Waterford Wildcats on Saturday December 11th in St. Leo’s College, Carlow. While they did not beat the more experienced basketball team, they had a great time and learned a lot. These girls along with Annie and Amelie are looking forward to playing more matches next year. Mrs Burke and all the staff are so proud of your dedication to your training. Keep it up! Well done girls!
Why Jesus is Better Than Santa Claus
Santa lives at the North Pole…
JESUS is everywhere.
Santa comes but once a year…
JESUS is always there to help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies…
JESUS supplies all your needs.
You have to wait in line to see Santa…
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly…
JESUS has a heart full of love
Christmas is nigh and the girls will let out a sigh at 12.30pm tomorrow. It’s been a fantastic Term 1 and though we all need to recharge over the Christmas, I’m already looking forward to Term 2 and many more adventures.
We’re finishing up this week with some work on the Tablets. The girls are tessellating polygons online and using what we’ve learned in class and applying it in the games.
We started learning about computer coding in Scratch. We will try to do our own codes tomorrow and continue this in the new year.
Today the girls are playing board games as Gaeilge. It’s lovely to see the girls having fun in Irish. Here are some of the girls playing Biongo.
Finally, I would like to wish you all a really happy and fun-filled Christmas and a safe return in 2022.
Happy Christmas everyone.
Mrs. Power and 6th Class
Time is flying by so fast and the girls are excited but also exhausted at the end of the Term. We are all looking forward to the Christmas break. Today the girls will have a Zoom with their parents and this will be a lovely way to finish up before our holidays next week. The girls will be showcasing a variety of genres today: singing; playing recorder; making connections with their families around the world; showing how 6th class have been leading up to Christmas with our Fitmas Advent calendar, Wellbeing calendar and our Jesse Tree; displaying the stages involved in our Christmas 3D art projects; and our Christmas crib winner will show her backdrop to our school crib. Will we fit all this in our Zoom today??? I hope so!
Our final Art projects turned out pretty good and they are brightening our classroom in the lead up to Christmas. Well done to the girls on their team work and creativity.
Also this week, the girls discovered in Science that gas has weight. There was a little balloon popping to find this out but the girls discovered that gas (air) does have weight, as you can see here. There were two balloons balanced, when one was popped, the other weighed down proving that air does in fact have weight.
In our second experiment, the girls were given materials and they had to work out how they could use these materials to make an ‘Air-powered rocket’. Through a lot of discussion and questioning, we put all our ideas together to come up with this…
Only 2.5 more days of school, let’s make it a safe and peaceful one.
Best wishes,
Mrs. Power
