SCHOOL NEWS, April 2008

Ms. Edel McGlynn got a very positive response to our Green Schools application in the form of a letter from An Taisce. There were just a couple of suggestions made and there have now been sent on to the committee.

The Bí Gnóthach project “Baking Blasters” went really well this term and a total of €351.51 was raised by the children in 5th and 6th class. This will be sent to the Peoples Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). 5th and 6th class went to the secondary school finals and award ceremony on Friday 7th March. It was very interesting to see the work produced by the secondary schools.

We are delighted to welcome back three past pupils currently in Transition Year in St. Mark’s, to teach volleyball to the senior children. It’s lovely to have Stephanie Graham, Rebekah Connolly and Ailish Berkeley with us again for 6 weeks.

The children in Junior and Senior Infants with Edel and Ms. Geraldine Healy, Special Needs Assistant (SNA), went to the playground at Jobstown Enterprise Centre on Friday 7th March. Started out as a beautiful morning but…!

We returned to school after the Easter vacation on Monday 31st March and we have a very busy term ahead of us.

On Wednesday 2nd April the children from 5th and 6th class are going to the Arts Centre for a Drama Workshop.

Edel is taking the Infants to Newgrange Farm on 10th April. The Infants with Edel, Ms. Caroline Rountree’s 1st and 2nd class and Ms. Annette Boles’ 3rd and 4th class are participating in the Skipathon, for the Irish Heart Foundation on Friday 11th April.

1st and 2nd class with Caroline and Ms. Bernie Dixon, (SNA) and 3rd and 4th class with Annette are going to Glenroe Farm on Friday 18th April.

The staff is attending an Active Playground Workshop on Wednesday 23rd April. We feel that the new games are badly needed for the play-times.

The school photographer will be coming on Thursday 24th April and we will be involved in the National Spring Clean on Friday 25th April. The children will be dressing up in “Fancy Head-Gear” for the event!

On Tuesday 29th April, our DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) cuiditheoir, Ms. Erica Mulholland will be speaking to the staff about the programme, Ready Set Go Maths.

Finally children from 5th and 6th class are participating in a Basketball Tournament, organised by the Gardaí on Wednesday 30th April, in the National Basketball Arena. Ms. Karen Mooney, our multi-talented secretary, coaches the Basketball Team.

School News March 2008

The first event that the children were involved in since we came back to school was during Christian Unity week, when we attended the Ecumenical Service in St. Maelruain’s Church, in Tallaght village. The children from 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th class sang 2 songs and did a reading. This was a very worthwhile experience and the children sang beautifully.

It’s all systems go for Ms. Edel McGlynn and the Green School Committee. Edel has spent a huge amount of time putting together our “Application Folder,” well done to her. The children and parents on the committee are doing a great job too. We now have a Green Schools Code, selected by competition and written by Hannah Barrett.

“St. Maelruain’s School is green and cool
Recycle the waste without a trace
So go on give it a bash,
Take out the trash.”

Edel hopes to apply for our Green Flag before the 1st March deadline. Well done everybody, now watch this space!

This is the International Year of the Potato! Every school in the country has received a “Grow your own Potato” kit from Agri Aware; we planted our potatoes on Thursday 7th February at Assembly, they should be ready to harvest in June.

The 5th and 6th class “Bí Gnóthach” project is going very well. They have decided to do a Baking Project. They have called it “Baking Blasters.” Their slogan is “Baking Blasters, faster than light, we make ‘em just right.” They are doing a great job so far!

The children in 1st and 2nd class with their teacher, Ms. Caroline Rountree are going to the Civic Theatre on Friday 29th February to a production of “The Bus” by Maeve Ingoldsby and Philip Hardy. The theatre is within walking distance.

A football team coached by Ms. Karen Mooney, our secretary, took part in a Football Blitz event organised by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) in the National Basketball Arena on Friday 8th February. Great fun was had by all. The team were given t-shirts and medals for participating.

School News - Oct 07

The start of the new school year is always a busy time in schools, but there’s a great buzz around the place with lots of happy faces! The sunshine certainly helps to lift our spirits. Our shared Learning Support Teacher, Ms. Breda Rouillier has been made permanent in her base school and we will be interviewing shortly for her replacement.

We are glad to have, Ms. Edel McGlynn, Ms. Caroline Rountree, and Ms. Annette Boles still in the classrooms and Ms. Jane Barnes is our Resource Teacher. Ms. Adrienne McKevitt, Ms. Geraldine Healy and Ms. Bernie Dixon are our Special Needs Assistants and Ms. Marion Hefferon is our Home/School/Community Liaison Co-ordinator. Of course our school would not be complete without our Secretary, Ms. Karen Mooney and our Caretaker Ms. Lesa O’Dowd. Great to have everyone back!

We were delighted to welcome in the new families into Junior Infants and 2nd class, everyone has settled in well.

This year we will be putting on an extension, the architect has drawn up the plans and we are looking forward to seeing them. The room will be used for Parents, HSCL and Resource.

The Breakfast Club, which is run by Lesa and the Homework Club, which is run by Annette starts on Monday 17th September. The School Completion Programme, which is co-ordinated by Ms. Emily Ryan finances these initiatives.

Marion will be running a course for parents called, “Take a Fresh Look at Parenting.” The course will start on Tuesday 25th September.

Edel and the Principal will be attending a seminar on Monday afternoon 17th September in relation to a Critical Incident Policy. Sadly it seems necessary in today’s world to have such a policy.

On Friday 21st September the Principal will be attending a Training Day in the Religious Education Programme, Follow Me.

Our school has been invited to participate in two exciting programmes during the academic year.

In October we will be part of the Food Dudes Healthy Eating Programme. Annette will be
co-ordinating this. The programme itself will last for 16 days during which the children will each receive fresh fruit and vegetables daily. There are lots of incentives and it should be fun as well as healthy. As a follow-up to our Golden Tree Project in June 2000 we have been invited by Alternative Entertainments to do an Arts’ Week in the summer term, it sounds really exciting, watch this space!

Edel is organising the new Green Schools Committee at the moment, we hope to get our Green Flag before the end of this academic year.