My Heroes
Dear Good Counsel Girls, Mams, Dads and Staff,
We’ve heard a lot of talk about heroes since March 12th and there is no doubt that the people who have been on the frontline to keep our country going, have been absolutely heroic. But there have been other heroes too and as we bring this school year to a close, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them.
Hero Mams and Dads, since March 12th you have taken on the huge task of helping your children to continue learning. Not only have you become teachers, you were also carers, cooks, cleaners, workers, positive role models and organisers of entertainment in your homes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your kind messages of thanks and support to the staff have helped to keep us going. You have done an amazing job, so take a bow and take a well-earned break from Home Learning!
Hero Staff members, you are dedicated and caring at all times, and this has never been more evident than during the school closure. You cheered me up every week at our virtual Staff meetings, and your positive messages to the girls and their families were very much appreciated. Enjoy the summer break with your own families and loved ones and take some time to relax and refresh yourselves.
Hero Good Counsel Girls, what an amazing group you are! As your school principal, I am always proud of you and I am especially proud of you this year. You did everything you were asked to do to keep yourself and the people around you safe. You have worked hard at home, you have learned wonderful new skills and you have gotten to know your family better. Remember this time – it’s hard to imagine right now but in years to come you will tell your children and grandchildren all about it, and they will find it hard to believe. For your special effort, I am nominating each of you for a great big Good Counsel Good Citizen Award. Continue to stay safe and well, and have a wonderful summer break.
On a very personal note, I’d like to thank each and every one of you who sent me messages of sympathy and support when my mother Eileen, one of my very special heroes, died in March. I could not have managed without the support and help of Miss Kelly, Tracey, the staff and the entire school community.
Heroes are brave and they have courage, they are determined, helpful and honest, they inspire us to be better than we think we can be, they make personal sacrifices and protect others, they are selfless and strong. You have been, and continue to be all of these things and more. I pray that the sun will shine for us all over the summer months, and that Our Lady of Good Counsel will continue to keep us in her loving care until we meet again.
Yours sincerely,
Catríona O’Reilly
Dear Good Counsel Girls, Mams and Dads,
I hope that you and your family are keeping well, staying safe and looking after each other. No one could have imagined how much our world and lives would have changed since March 12th when we closed the school door at 3 o’ clock that Thursday afternoon. Here’s my message to you all. Stay Safe:
School closed on March 12th. Preparations are going on in the background with all the relevant education partners and at present our school is due to reopen 1st September. This will bring us all back to some kind of normal. It is good to have a date and focus.
Thank you to our Board of Management, Miss O’Reilly, teachers, SNAs and staff for their commitment and dedication to our pupils and school over the last few months. A big thank you too to our Parents Association and ALL our PARENTS for your kind comments, patience and support for the work of the school at home. It has been amazing. There may have been illness in some homes, some of our parents may have lost their jobs, and some of our parents are going out to work every day. Let’s look after each other.
A big well done to all our wonderful girls in Our Lady of Good Counsel School. You are wonderful children. You all have been learning at home over the last few months in different ways. I commend and thank you most sincerely. Thank you too for helping out at home and for being kind. Keep doing some jobs helping your Mams and Dads. Be kind and help.
Yes, all of us have been disappointed that we didn’t get to finish out the year as we had planned. No First Holy Communion but Fr. Kieran came up with a plan to mark that day virtually. I’m sure Fr. Kieran will give us a date to do it for real, when he knows for sure it is safe. And 6th Class, what can I say…We know you were looking forward to doing lots of the many activities that 6th Classes always do. Mrs. Power and you all worked hard over the last few weeks to make your graduation a reality. In years to come, you will always be able to say ‘We were the 6th Class of Our Lady of Good Counsel 2020’. Best wishes to you all as you begin a new and exciting chapter in your lives.
Stay safe at all times and Girls that includes online. Yes it is important to stay connected to our friends, but online activity comes with some risks and parents should always know what our children are doing on line and that they are safe. Please keep your devices in your living areas with your parents/guardians present.
Active – keep the balance right. Be active for short bursts of time, three or four times a day. Walk a mile with a smile every day. Play Frisbee together. Cycle your bike. Practice your GAA or football drills. Or skip! It is brilliant for us all. So is downtime and chill out time. So is family time, meal-times and gardening time. It is important also to get a good sleep every night. Be it holiday time or not!
For now, it is important that we keep going and that we continue to keep ourselves safe. We can see our friends but keep social distance at the same time. Remember to keep washing those hands and practice good cough/sneeze hygiene!
BE your best, don’t worry and have a great summer! We will all meet up again when we get back to school in September. Summer 2020 – here it comes! Have a safe summer.Miss Kelly – Deputy Principal
