Garrydoolis National School
Garrydoolis, Pallasgreen, Co Limerick
Phone: 062-57343 Email: garrydoolisns@gmail.com Website: www.garrydoolisns.com
June Newsletter
Principal’s Prize:
The Principal’s Prize for April went to our fabulous second class for the second time this year, while third class was successful in May. Congratulations to both classes. We eagerly await the June result on Thursday!
Green Schools:
We were thrilled to receive confirmation that we had secured our third green flag. Ms. Ryan, Susan Leaden (parent representative on the Board of Management), Jack and Barnaby (green team members) travelled by train to the Silver Springs Hotel in Cork on May 28th to collect our flag. There they took part in the presentation ceremony, received gift bags and enjoyed a celebratory meal. The staff and pupils of Garrydoolis N.S. are very proud to have achieved our third green flag.
Graduation:
Our graduation ceremony will take place in the senior classroom tomorrow, Tuesday June 24th at 1pm, to mark the “stepping on” of our sixth class pupils to secondary school and the “stepping up” of our second class pupils to the senior classroom. We are currently busy preparing and practicing for this special event. It will be a lovely occasion to highlight the achievements of our children during their time in the school, to recall their special memories and to hear their hopes for the future. We again invite all members of the school community to attend in order to show support and send good wishes to our graduates. Following graduation we will raise our third green flag and everyone will be invited to enjoy delicious refreshments in the support room as provided by our wonderful Parents’ Association.
Seven-A-Side Hurling:
We must acknowledge the great effort put in by our hurling team as they participated in the seven-a-side tournament last month. While we didn’t enjoy victory this year, the team spirit, dedication and skills development of all involved must be highly commended.
Update on Computer Upgrade:
This year has seen much refurbishment of our I.T. resources as follows: three new PCs for classrooms, new software and subscriptions, a set of four tablets and educational apps to be timetabled and rotated in the coming academic year, a new router, two new visualisers and an upcoming tidy of laptops. All of this was made possible through fundraising, namely our table quiz, Parents’ Association donation and the silver circle. We are sincerely grateful for the immense parental support which is consistently observed in our school. Your generosity makes a significant difference to our facilities.
Student Council:
The establishment of our first student council last September was a tremendous success and we thank Peter, Catherine, Lisa, Róisín and Joan for their huge contribution to school events during the year. In April the council organised a Teddy Bears’ Picnic with a healthy eating theme while they helped organise our ice cream party on Sports Day. Anticipation is already building for next year’s student council elections!
First Holy Communion:
First Holy Communion was celebrated in Templebraden Church on Sunday May 18th. Fr. Donnelly was celebrant in Fr. Burn’s absence. The rain on the morning did not take from the sincere and excited atmosphere in the church as our seven candidates; James, Matthew, Grace, Lillian, Sinéad, Bree and Claire received their First Holy Communion. We acknowledge the work of Ms. Hickey and Fr. Burns in preparing the children to receive this sacrament.
Relationships and Sexuality Presentation:
Fifth and sixth class pupils participated in a presentation based on the curriculum content for their age group in RSE (Relationships and Sexuality Education) on Thursday May 22nd as presented by Ms. Mary Dillon. Our Parents’ Association generously funded the associated parents talk.
Stay Safe:
Teachers have implemented the Stay Safe Programme during the month of June. The Stay Safe Programme is part of the school curriculum from junior infants right through to sixth class and is a requirement of the National Child Protection Procedures. The aim of the Stay Safe Programme is to teach children personal safety skills which will enable them to look after themselves in situations which might be potentially upsetting or dangerous.
Farewell Ms. Ryan:
Ms. Ryan finished her time in the senior classroom on June 4th. We thank her for her contribution during the year and send best wishes for her future teaching career.
Anti-Bullying Review:
The Board of Management completed the annual review of our anti-bullying procedures and its implementation on June 11th. There were no issues arising from this review.
School Tour:
Much excitement was observed at school on Friday morning, June 13th as pupils and teachers boarded the bus and set off on our school tour. At King John’s Castle we enjoyed dress up, took cannon shots, read interesting facts, observed artefacts, visited the underground tunnels, enjoyed an engaging performance of “The Salmon of Knowledge” and took part in a picture trail around the courtyard before heading up to the top of the tower. We then proceeded to Thomond Park where we embarked on a guided tour of the stadium and enjoyed a pitch-side view. A trip to McDonalds rounded off a most enjoyable day!
Active Week and Sports Day:
Last week saw Garrydoolis N.S. first Active Week. There was a focus on additional activity each day as pupils took part in a range of activities including ski jumps, “Keepy Uppy Challenge”, “Drop Everything and Dance”, penalty shoot outs, “Simon Says” and “Step Up.” Fifth and sixth class took part in the Safe Cycle Programme as organised by Limerick Sports Partnership and it was wonderful to see some pupils taking advantage of the glorious weather during the week and cycling/ walking to and from school. Homework also had an active theme which proved extremely popular!
The event came to an end on Friday with our Sports Day. Pupils enjoyed “Fill the Bucket”, puc fada, spud and spoon races, tug of war and relays. Our student council organised an ice cream party in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland at break time. All participants received a certificate and took part in the lucky dip for active prizes at the end of the day. It was lovely to see so many parents present to join in the fun!
Ice Cream Party:
Sincere thanks to all families who so generously supported our ice cream party. We are delighted to announce that €190.80 was raised. All money goes to Down Syndrome Ireland.
Knockane GAA:
We extend sincere thanks to Knockane G.A.A. for their sponsorship of our new goalposts. The posts were purchased from Goalposts Ireland, are fully compliant with health and safety regulations and have already made pupil break times even more enjoyable.
Sammy Savings Stamps:
Our savings scheme has proved most popular during the year and we extend thanks to all parents who were involved, especially Fiona for her significant contribution.
Confessions:
Fr. Burns heard the confessions of pupils from second to sixth class at school on Thursday June 19th.
St. Anthony’s Nursing Home Art Competition:
We extend congratulations to Lisa McGuinness, fourth class and David Wolfe, sixth class who were both winners in St. Anthony’s Nursing Home Art Competition. They will attend a prize giving ceremony at the nursing home this afternoon.
School Self-Evaluation:
Our school officially began the school self-evaluation process last September. Following a review which identified strengths and areas for improvement, it was decided to focus on literacy during the year with emphasis on oral language development. The associated improvement plan was recently presented to our Board of Management and is currently available for parents to view via our website.
School Garden:
Plans are underway for the development of Garrydoolis N.S. Garden in the coming year. It is felt that this project will provide many valuable learning opportunities for all class levels, as well as opportunities for integration across a range of subjects. We thank Fiona and Sally-Ann for their enthusiasm and commitment to the project already and we encourage any other parents who would like to get involved to let us know. Equally we welcome the donation of any spare/ unwanted garden tools which may prove useful.
Summer Works Scheme:
As previously communicated our application for funding to address issues with sewage in the school has been successful as part of the Summer Works Scheme. Work will involve the replacement of piping and also an upgrade to the boys’ toilet. All work will be completed during the summer holidays.
Tracksuits:
Parents who have ordered tracksuits should note that Carmel will bring all orders to the school on Tuesday evening, August 26th at 6p.m. This provides an opportunity for you to collect your order in person, pay the balance directly to Carmel and raise queries as necessary. If you are unable to make this collection time, your child will receive the order on return to school and the balance may be paid through the school.
School Calendar 2014/15:
The school calendar for the coming academic year has been circulated. Please note that school will reopen on Wednesday 27th August.
Junior infant pupils will go home at 12.15 until Friday 5th September. (We close for summer holidays at 12.30 this Thursday 26th.)
New School Opening/ Closing Times:
We wish to remind you that a decision has been made by the Board of Management to bring school opening time forward to 9 a.m. as of our return on 27th August 2014. Pupils will be received at school from 8.50 a.m. As a result of earlier opening time, infants will go home at 1.40p.m. while first to sixth class pupils will go home at 2.40p.m.Please find a summary of our new school times below.
- 8.50 a.m. Pupils received and supervised at school
- 9.00 a.m. School starts
- 1.40 p.m. Infants go home
- 2.40 p.m. First – Sixth class pupils go home
Parents’ Association:
Our fabulous Parents Association has been busy as usual. We thank them for organising our Spring Clean and extremely popular Easter Hunt. We extend gratitude to those parents who gave so generously of their time on Monday June 16th to cover books for our rental scheme. Thanks go to Kathleen, Liz, Noreen, Marie, Michelle, Breda, Fiona and Susan and also to Riah for organisation of the event. Our P.A.s final event of the year relates to post-graduation refreshments so we look forward to the treats and thank them for all the hard work!
Uniform Swap:
Our uniform swap will take place on Thursday June 26th. Riah will be in the support room at 11.45 should you wish to partake in the initiative.
Welcome back Fr. Burns:
We extend a warm welcome back to Fr. Burns. His absence was keenly felt in Garrydoolis N.S. and it is wonderful to again enjoy his regular visits, valuable input and consistent support.
Farewell Sixth Class:
We extend sincere wishes for continued happiness and success to Joan, David, Jack and Jessica as they finish their time in Garrydoolis N.S. and embark on the next stage of their education at second level. They have had happy times, worked hard, achieved much and shown a wonderful example as the senior pupils of our school. It has been wonderful to get to know each of them and they know that our door is always open for a visit! “Let no one steal your dreams. Your only limit is the sky.”
Garrydoolis 2013/14- What a Year!
I wish to extend sincere thanks to all who have helped me to make this year in Garrydoolis N.S. such a success. It has certainly been a whirlwind and non-stop since I was appointed principal last July but I am truly proud of the happy and respectful atmosphere, strong work ethic and spirit of collaboration which permeates right through our school.
Sincere thanks go to both the teaching and ancillary staff for their consistent hard work and exacting standards. I wish to particularly thank Ms. Hickey who has shown such support throughout the year and has been consistently enthusiastic and co-operative as I put many positive initiatives in place. The support and generosity of the parent community must also be acknowledged. Your commitment to your children and support of the school truly make our job a pleasure. Most importantly, I wish to thank the thirty six pupils who welcomed me so warmly on September 1st last. Their behaviour, hard work, sense of fun and caring natures have been exemplary throughout the year. The children of Garrydoolis N.S. are a credit to their parents and sincerely a joy to work with.
While it is wonderful to reflect on the achievements of the past year, we already look forward with enthusiasm to the year ahead; particularly to meeting and making friends with our new pupils. Pupils eagerly await details of the new activities associated with our Active Flag project, while the prospect of growing our own food in the school garden is causing much excitement. Suspense is also building in the senior classroom regarding a new and exciting programme for which they have been enrolled. However, they must wait until September to hear more!
Therefore may I wish each and every family a happy, relaxed and fun summer break. I look forward to greeting you all again, refreshed and rejuvenated, on August 27th!
With sincere best wishes and thanks,
Heidi Jordan
Principal
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