Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Twelfth Green Flag: We will hold a Day of Celebration in the school on Wednesday next, 17th June, at which our newest 12th Green Flag will be raised by Vanessa Mack of Rathangan Tidy Towns. To celebrate, we will hold a whole-school picnic at school following the raising of the flag and children are invited to bring along a teddy and a small treat (and a picnic blanket if they wish). I want to thank our wonderful Parents’ Association, who are funding an ice-cream van to come to the school. If your child has an allergy to ice-cream or cannot have ice-cream, please send a message to her teacher before Tuesday next via Aladdin Connect so an alternative can be provided.

• School Tours: We are in the midst of school tour season, with a busy schedule of school tours taking place over the next fortnight. Dates and venues of our school tours can be found on the Aladdin app calendar. Photographs will be available to view on each class blog at www.bunscoilbhride.ie .

• Camogie: Congratulations to our fantastic camogie team on reaching the semi-final of the Cumann na mBunscol Cill Dara competition. The girls have shown tremendous skill, teamwork, determination and commitment throughout the year, and their hard work has been rewarded with a place in the semi-final. They will take on Crookstown National School this Friday at 11.00 a.m. in St. Laurence’s GAA pitch. We wish the team the very best of luck as they continue their exciting journey in the competition. 

• Reminder: No medicinesare allowed at school or on school tours, unless authorised by the Board of Management. If your child has a medical condition for which medicine/inhaler etc. must be administered, please contact the school, as Board of Management approval must be granted for this. Please see our administration of medication policy at www.bunscoilbhride.ie for more information.

• Non-uniform Days: To facilitate the Uniform Swap Day being organised by the Parents’ Association on the day of the holidays (details to follow), Thursday 25th and Friday 26th June will be non-uniform days. This will give parents the opportunity to get the uniforms ready for the Swap Day. We will be looking for donations of good quality uniforms that no longer fit your child. These can be dropped to the school on either Thursday (25th) or on Friday morning (26th). We would encourage all parents to come in on the Friday and take a second-hand uniform for their daughter(s) for next year.

• Schoolbook Scheme Book Collection: All schoolbooks will be collected from children on Friday 19th June. Please ensure your child’s books are in good condition and ready for inspection on that day. There should be no marks on these books as they are the property of the school. 

• Library Books: All library books should be returned to our school library by Wednesday 17th June. Charges will be imposed in the case of damaged / missing books.

• Assembly: Our whole-school assembly for the month of June will take place on Tuesday 23rd June and will be led by Ms. Coughlan’s and Ms. Marinan’s Sixth Class girls.

• Sixth Class Graduation: The End of Year Mass and Graduation Ceremony for our Sixth Class girls will take place at 10am on Wednesday 24th June in the church, followed by a celebration for our Sixth Class girls in our school hall. They have been an amazing group of pupils, who have been motivated and eager to give of their best and who, most importantly, have emanated our school ethos and have displayed kindness to the younger members of our school community. We are very proud to have had the pleasure of teaching this group of girls over the past eight years and we wish them the very best of luck as they transition to secondary school. I would like to thank the parents from our current fifth class, who have volunteered to bake for the event and to serve tea/coffee. I also want to thank Mr. Murphy from Ardscoil Rath Iomgháin for kindly donating us a giant graduation picture arch and a beautiful graduation banner for our ceremony.

• End-of-Year Reports: End-of-year reports will be released to parents on the Aladdin app later today. Results of the Drumcondra Primary Reading Test, the Drumcondra Primary Mathematics Test and the Drumcondra Spelling Test (for first to sixth classes only) will be included in the report card (as Standard Scores). It is important that specific results are not shared or discussed with children. I have attached an explanation sheet to this newsletter explaining the standardised tests and what the results mean. It is important that all parents read this information sheet. 

• Free Schoolbook Scheme: The Free Primary School Book Scheme will continue in September, with all books, workbooks and copies provided for all children, removing the cost from families of funding school books for children enrolled in primary schools, as there is no charge to parents/guardians for this.  The schoolbooks and workbooks will be on loan to the children. They must be returned at the end of the school year, or if the child leaves the school.  It is important that books are kept in good condition so they can be reused. Please help make sure your child/children keep the school books safe and take care of them, so they can be used again by another child. 

• Stationery Lists and Photocopying and Art Fee: The Stationery List for each class will be issued at the end of next week via Aladdin Connect and can be viewed at a later stage on the Parent Notice Board within the Aladdin Connect app. You will just need to purchase the items of stationery from this list. A payment link will be sent in the coming days for the €40 fee for Photocopying and Art Supplies (max €80 per family). This can be paid in instalments up to and including 27th August 2026.

• Rathangan Tennis Club: We would like to say a sincere thank you to the wonderful Gary Beresford, of Rathangan Tennis Club, who gave his time so freely to give each class in the school a tennis lesson during Active School Week. The lessons took place at the local tennis club which is located beside the GAA pitch. He demonstrated the basic skills of tennis to the girls and they had ample time using their own racquets to try each skill. They even got an opportunity to serve and rally with their partners across the net!  Gary runs weekly lessons and summer camps at the club, please see the posters attached.

• After-School Activities: This year saw a number of different after-school activities take place for the children in the school. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of the teachers who were involved in the after-school programme of activities.  These teachers voluntarily gave up their free time to organise and run the activities and we are very fortunate to have such a dedicated staff, who are willing to take on this task with such great enthusiasm.

• Thank you: As this is our final Fortnightly Bulletin of the year, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the teachers, SNAs, Catríona, Gerry and Nataliia for all their hard work and dedication in what has been another busy and exciting year for the school. We are really blessed to have such a fantastic staff. I would also like to thank our Parents’ Association who have shown such generosity of time and energy and are a true credit to the school. Our Board of Management also deserves our praise and thanks. All members of the Board work quietly behind the scenes in a voluntary capacity to ensure the smooth running of our school. Their generosity of time and dedication to the school cannot be overstated and we all owe them a debt of gratitude. Finally, I would like to thank all the pupils and parents of our school, who have made my job as Principal a pleasure and who make Bunscoil Bhríde the wonderful school that it is. 

• Summer Holidays: School will close at 11.45am on Friday 26th June. Medicines and inhalers will be sent home with all relevant children on that Friday. Our school will reopen for the new school year at 8.50am on Thursday 27th August. I look forward to meeting and working with you all in the next school year. The calendar for the 2026/27 school year is available on our school website at the following link: https://www.bunscoilbhride.ie/school-calendar-2026-27/ 

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Active School Week: All classes are enjoying this weeks’ Active School Week, with lots of activities across the school all week. I want to thank Ms. Frawley and the Active Schools Committee for all their hard work in organising such a fun-filled week. I also wish to remind all parents to ensure children are wearing sun-cream to school every day for the rest of the term.

• Football: Well done to our amazing footballers who became Cumann na mBunscol Senior Girls Division 3 Football champions yesterday, after overcoming stiff competition from Scoil Phádraig Naofa, Athy in the final! They were phenomenal; displaying super teamwork, determination and skill in very hot conditions. We had tremendous support with a huge number of supporters, and this made the occasion all the more special for the team. This morning the girls, along with their Cup, were treated to a warm reception by the whole school.

• Open Afternoon for New Junior Infants: Next year’s Junior Infants (2026/27 school year) and their parents are invited to an open afternoon in the school on Thursday next, 4^th June at 1.45pm. The children will get the opportunity to visit their new classrooms, meet their teachers and mingle with their new classmates. We look forward to meeting with them and their parents.

• Fifth and Sixth Class Heritage Trips: Ms. Flood’s,Ms. Marrinan’s and Ms. Coughlan’s classes will visit the rath and the old graveyard on Thursday next, weather-permitting, as part of their local history / heritage studies. On their trek through the town, they will examine all the Georgian buildings and learn about the history of our village. We hope the girls have a thoroughly enjoyable day and gain a deeper appreciation of the wonderful village in which we live.

• Dance workshops: Dance Sing Act (DSA) will engage all of our classes in dancing workshops on Friday 5^th and Wednesday 10^th June. I want to thank our wonderful Parents’ Association for funding the workshops. We look forward to seeing the girls showcase their new moves, build confidence, and most importantly, have a fantastic time dancing together!

• Junior Infant Vaccinations: The Junior Infant vaccinations will be administered by staff from the HSE on Tuesday 9^th June.

• Assembly: Our whole-school assembly for the month of May took place this morning and was led by Ms. Feeney’s Junior Infants and Ms. Brogan’s Fourth Class. We heard all of the news from around the school, celebrated the May birthdays and were treated to some fabulous performances.

• Twelfth Green Flag: We plan to hold a Day of Celebration in the school on Wednesday 17^th June, at which our newest 12^th Green Flag will be raised. I would like to congratulate Ms. Ryan, Ms. Geraghty, Ms. Beary and Ms. Freeborn and their fabulous Green Schools Committee on such a remarkable achievement. There are not many schools in the country that can boast having twelve green flags. We are so very fortunate to have an outstanding committee, as well as an extremely supportive whole-school community. Well done everyone! Next fortnight’s bulletin will contain further details of this celebration.

• School Tours: School tour season is just around the corner, and we’re looking forward to a busy and exciting few weeks ahead. Senior Infants will kick things off with a visit to Caragh Pet Farm on Tuesday 9^th and Fifth and Sixth travelling to Athlone to engage in an activity-based fun-filled day at BaySports on Thursday 11^th June. We hope all the girls have a thoroughly enjoyable experience and look forward to hearing all about their adventures.

• Reminder: Phones, smart-watches, digital devices or toys are not allowed at school or on any of our school tours. Please see our Mobile Phones and Electronic Devices Policy and our Code of Behaviour on our school website.

• Sixth Class Graduation: Graduation Mass for our sixth class girls will take place at 10am on Tuesday 24^th June in Rathangan Church. All parents and family members are welcome to attend. All pupils will attend this Mass, which also marks the end of a busy school year. Our sixth class will participate in the ceremony and our school choir led by Ms. Rowley, Ms. Dillon, Ms. Brogan, Ms. Marrinan and Ms. Gorman will provide the music and singing. Following the Mass we will host a celebration for our sixth class pupils and their families back in the school hall. As has been the tradition in the school over the last number of years, we are asking again this year that the parents from our current fifth class would help to host the celebration for us by baking for the event and serving tea and coffee.

• Attendance: We are delighted to announce that following a successful application, our school has been selected to participate in the Tusla Anseo School Attendance Initiative starting next year. Anseo (meaning “here”) is a supportive program aimed at raising awareness about the vital importance of regular attendance for a child’s development. This initiative comes at a crucial time, as we currently have a significant number of students meeting Tusla’s criteria for “at risk of chronic absenteeism” (attendance below 95%, or 8+ days missed to date) and “chronic absenteeism” (attendance below 90%, or 16+ days missed to date). Missing this much school has a massive, negative impact on a child’s academic, social, and emotional growth, and frequently correlates with lower test scores, school refusal behaviours, and missed potential. Because every single day counts, Anseo focuses on encouragement rather than penalties; we look forward to partnering with you next year through fun, school-wide initiatives to celebrate excellent and improved attendance, ensuring all our students can thrive and proudly say, “Anseo!”We are asking you all to prioritise your daughter’s attendance at school and to support us in bringing about an improvement in our whole-school attendance. You can check your daughter’s attendance statistics on the Aladdin Connect app (in the menu under ‘Attendance’).

• Names on Uniforms: Please ensure that your child’s name is clearly marked on her uniform and tracksuit jumper.

• June Bank Holiday Closure: The school will be closed on Monday 1^st June for the June Bank Holiday. We hope you all have a lovely long weekend.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Active School Week: Active School Week will take place from Monday 25^th to Friday 29th May. This is always a fantastic week of activity for the girls. Events across the week include tennis lessons with Gary at the local tennis club, our junior and senior classes sports day, teacher challenges, active walkway activities and learning about famous Irish sports women! Encouraging our girls to be physically active from a young age is so important for long, healthy and active lives. I would like to thank Ms. Frawley and the Active Schools Committee for their hard work in organising and coordinating Active Schools Week activities across the school.

• Football: Congratulations to our football team on their outstanding victory over San Carlo Senior N.S., Leixlip on Tuesday, with an impressive final score of 4-19 to 0-3. A huge well done to all the players and everyone involved, as they now progress to the semi-final of the Cumann na mBunscol Competition. We wish them and their coaches, Ms. Marrinan and Ms. Brogan the very best of luck.

• Transition to Secondary School: The home-school liaison coordinator, Nuala Connolly and Guidance Counsellor, Olive Keenan from Ardscoil Rath Iomgháin will meet with our Sixth Class pupils here in the school on Tuesday next to speak with them about the transition to secondary school. They will answer any questions the girls have. We look forward to welcoming them to the school.

• First Holy Communion: Ms. Geraghty’s and Ms. Dillon’s Second Classes will be receiving the sacrament of First Holy Communion in Rathangan Church on Saturday 23^rd May at 11am. They have been busy preparing and practising and are very much looking forward to receiving their third sacrament. We wish them and their families a very special and memorable day. I want to thank Ms. Rowley, Ms. Dillon and Ms. Brogan, who will lead our choir for the ceremony, and our wonderful girls from fourth to sixth class, who will form our choir. We are very grateful to them. Parents of children from Fourth to Sixth Class – please ensure you have responded to the permission request in relation to the choir, on Aladdin.

• Communion Photograph: County Photos will visit the school on Tuesday 26^th May to take the First Holy Communion group photograph and individual. We ask that the First Communion class come into school wearing their Communion outfits for the photographs on that morning and that they bring their school tracksuit in a bag to change into afterwards. I will send a text to parents of the children in the class when the photographs are finished and they will have the option of coming in to help change their daughter and take home the dress. There is no requirement for parents to come in. The teachers will ensure that the children are changed and the dresses are hung on hangers or placed into bags as specified.

• Junior Infant Café Visit: Next Thursday, Ms Costello’s and Ms Feeney’s Junior Infants will visit Ma’s Kitchen as part of their learning about cafés and restaurants. The children are excited to see how a café works in real-life, learn about the different jobs involved and maybe even enjoy a small treat! A big thank you to everyone at Ma’s Kitchen for so kindly accommodating us. 

• Sixth Class Education Passport: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has developed a suite of materials to support the reporting and transfer of pupil information from primary to post-primary schools. The materials are presented under the umbrella title of “Education Passport” and are available at https://ncca.ie/en/primary/reporting-and-transfer/education-passport/ . Schools are required to use the NCCA Education Passport materials to support the reporting and transfer of pupil information at the end of sixth class. The Education Passport will be sent to the relevant post-primary school following confirmation of enrolment. Parents of children in sixth class have today received the ‘My Child’s Profile’ sheet for completion by parents/guardians and the ‘My Profile’ sheet for completion by pupils. We ask that you and your child fill these out and return them to the school by Friday 29^th May. They will be sent, along with your daughter’s end-of-year report to her secondary school.

• Assembly: Our whole-school assembly for the month of May will be led by Ms. Feeney’s Junior Infants and Ms. Brogan’s Fourth Classes and will take place in the halla on Thursday 28^th May.

• Rathangan Football Club: Please see message below from Rathangan Football Club.

• Department of Education survey: Please see message below from the Department of Education re. a survey on Wellbeing

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Message from Rathangan Football Club

Rathangan Football Club. We are currently looking to expand our girls’ squads for the upcoming 2026 season and would love to invite your students to join us.

We are proud to already have several of your students playing across our various age groups, and we would love to welcome even more of their classmates to the club. Our teams provide a fantastic environment for girls to stay active, have fun, and make new friends through sport.

We are specifically recruiting players in the following categories:

• Girls born in 2013–2014: Please contact Karen at 087 239 4327.
• Girls born in 2015–2016: Please contact Natalie at 087 961 1525.

Additionally, we are excited to announce that our Girls Academy has returned. This is a girls-only program that runs on Friday evenings at 6:30pm at Canal Rd. It is open to all players over 4 years old and consists of a 10–12 week block of football and fun.

I have attached two posters with further details: Players Wanted Girls 2026 and the Girls Academy announcement. 

Department of Education Wellbeing Survey

With the Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice Implementation Plan having come to its conclusion in 2025, the Department of Education and Youth is currently undertaking a review and assessment of the progress made and are now planning for its successor.

As part of this review, the Department is seeking the views and experiences of students, parents/guardians and school staff across primary and post-primary schools. Your school’s participation is important in ensuring that the policy reflects the lived realities of school communities and supports positive wellbeing outcomes.

We are therefore requesting your assistance in circulating an online survey to the following groups within your school community:

 Students: Click here to complete the student survey

 Parents / Guardians: Click here to complete the parent/guardian survey

The survey has been designed with accessibility in mind, and you can change how things look or sound to make them easier to use. Accessible options include Easy read (student only), Irish Sign Language, Read Aloud, Theme Contrast, and up to 10 separate languages (English, Polish, Ukrainian, Brazilian Portuguese, Arabic, Irish, Simplified Chinese, Lithuanian, Romanian & French) . 

The survey is designed to gather feedback on current wellbeing practices, identify strengths and challenges, and inform future policy development. All responses will be treated in confidence and used solely for the purposes of the policy review. Surveys are open until 2 June 2026

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Confirmation: Our Sixth Class girls are receiving the sacrament of Confirmation at 11am this morning in Rathangan Church. We pray that the blessings of the Lord will come to the girls as they are strengthened in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We hope that they, along with their teachers, Ms. Coughlan and Ms. Marrinan, who have helped to prepare them for this sacrament, will have a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable day. I would like to thank the girls from fourth and fifth class who will be adding so much to the ceremony through their beautiful singing in the choir, directed by Ms. Rowley, Ms. Dillon, Ms. Brogan and Ms. Rogers (from the Boys’ School).

• Bluebells Day: I want to thank you all most sincerely for your generous support of our Bluebells Day, which took place at school yesterday. A total of €2078 was raised, which will go towards the purchase of sensory equipment for our school.

• Football: The girls’ team got off to a fantastic start in their league with a brilliant first-round victory over Scoil Mochua last week, winning on a scoreline of 2-9 to 0-2. The girls followed up this success yesterday with another excellent performance against St Joseph’s N.S., Kilcock, coming away victorious on a scoreline of 2-7 to 0-3. The team has shown great determination, teamwork and skill in both matches. We are all very proud of their efforts. After the week off in May, the girls will return for their third-round game at home in Rathangan, where they will face San Carlo SNS. We wish the girls the very best of luck in their next match!

• Junior Infant Vaccinations: The Junior Infant vaccinations will be administered by staff from the HSE on Wednesday 13^th May.

• Code of Behaviour: Our Code of Behaviour is available to view at www.bunscoilbhride.ie . I wish to remind you all that, as stated in our Code, jewellery (with the exception of small stud earrings at the bottom of each ear and a watch) is not permitted at school. Children should not come to school wearing hoop earrings / dangly earrings / earrings that are larger than a small stud, which are in breach of the code and pose a health and safety risk. Please ensure that children are wearing the correct uniform and that long hair is tied up. Mobile phones / electronic devices are strictly prohibited and should not be brought to school. Your cooperation in the implementation of our Code of Behaviour is very much appreciated.

• Anti-Bullying Policy: The annual review of our anti-bullying policy will take place during term three. It can be viewed on our school website www.bunscoilbhride.ie. It addresses cyber-bullying, which as we know has become an issue of national concern. I’m sure you are all already aware that there are risks and dangers associated with your child using social media. If you allow your child to use social media, parental supervision is required at all times. I would like to make you aware of the fact that the legal age for using most social media apps is thirteen. Our school has safeguards in place with regard to pupil internet/website access at school. It is important that all parents are aware that use outside school falls under parental responsibility.

• Library: Our school library has become a vibrant hub within the school, with weekly visits for all classes, allowing all children to take advantage of the huge array of books on offer. It has been well proven that reading regularly increases your child’s reading ability, improves academic ability, nurtures a love of reading for life and helps your child to learn about the world. Please ensure that your child treats the library books well and returns them for exchange as soon as she has finished reading them. A fee will be imposed to cover the cost of lost/damaged books.

• Oral Language: The theme for the month of May is ‘Debating’. All classes will be focusing on this theme for the month and we would ask that you support us at home, by questioning your child, asking her to justify her choices and to support her arguments. Oral arguments that cause your child to have to reason with you and formulate and deliver a response reflecting a point of view are always to be encouraged, even in Junior Infants!

• Dates for the Diary: All dates for the diary for this term are marked on the calendar in the Aladdin Connect app and we would ask you to keep an eye on this. Please note these dates are subject to change. Any changes to events will be recorded via the Aladdin Calendar.

• May Bank Holiday Closure: The school will be closed for midterm break next week (Monday 4^th to Friday 8^th May inclusive). We hope you all have a lovely break.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Green Flag: I am thrilled and immensely proud to be able to inform you that we have just been awarded our 12th green flag. The focus of the work leading to the awarding of this flag was ‘Nature Restoration’. The Green Schools Committee would like to thank all the pupils, parents and teachers for their support of Green Schools. I would like to congratulate Ms. Eimear Ryan and the Green Schools Committee on this fantastic achievement. There are very few schools in the country that can boast having TWELVE green flags. We are so very fortunate to have such an amazing committee and such wonderful support from the entire school community. We are currently planning a whole-school celebration of this remarkable achievement and will share these plans in the next Fortnightly Bulletin.

• Bluebells Day: Tomorrow we will celebrate Bluebells Day to promote understanding and awareness of autism. Bluebells Day will be a non-uniform day, with all children invited to ‘Go Blue for Bluebells’, by dressing in blue. Throughout the day, each class will learn more about autism and have the opportunity to visit the Bluebells Classroom, where they can experience our sensory room, designed to be a welcoming and supportive space. We are asking all families, where possible, to make a donation for Bluebells Day, which will go towards the purchase of sensory resources for our Bluebells Class and our mainstream classrooms. Donations can be made via the ‘Money’ tab on Aladdin. Alternatively, children can bring in a small donation tomorrow. All donations received will go towards the cost of sensory equipment for both our Bluebells Class and our mainstream classes. I want to thank Ms. Gleeson and Ms. Rowley for organising our Bluebells Day and Ms. Gorman, Laura and Mandy for facilitating visits to our Bluebells Class.

• Attendance Drive: As you will be aware, our Attendance Drive will start on Monday next and run for the next two weeks. We really appreciate your support in helping improve attendance and punctuality across the school. Details of the Attendance Drive can be found in the message that was sent to all families yesterday via Aladdin Connect.

• Heritage Trips: Ms. McEvoy’s third class visited the Bog of Allen Nature Centre on Tuesday, where they learned how the bog was formed and explored its flora and fauna. Ms. Frawley’s and Ms. Brogan’s fourth classes will visit Pollardstown Fen and the Curragh next Thursday, while Ms. Marrinan’s and Ms. Flood’s fifth classes will carry out a habitat study of the Canal on Friday. All trips are guided by heritage specialist Nuala Madigan. It is hoped the children will develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of these local natural sites. The trips form part of our Whole School Geography Plan and are fully funded by the Parents’ Association.

• Gardening Workshops: Gardening expert Paddy Madden will work with all classes in hands-on workshops at the school next Monday and Tuesday. Pupils have been busy planting seeds over the past few weeks and are looking forward to transferring them to the raised beds in our school garden, with Paddy’s guidance and expertise. Photographs of the planting will be available on our school website: www.bunscoilbhride.ie

• Football: The Senior Ladies Cumman na mBunscol Football League kicks off next week, with an away game for our girls against Scoil Mochua, Cellbridge on Wednesday next, followed by a home game the following week against St. Joseph’s N.S., Kilcock. We wish the girls and their coaches, Ms. Marrinan and Ms. Brogan the very best of luck.

• Cycle Safety Training: Ms. Marrinan’s and Ms. Coughlan’s Sixth Classes will take part in a six-session block of cycle safety training, beginning on Monday next. The course is aligned to Cycle Right, the National Standard for Cycle Safety Training in Ireland, and is delivered by qualified trainers from the national register. As we are a Green School, An Taisce are heavily subsidising the course, with the cost to pupils reduced to €5. At the end of the course, each pupil will receive a digital certificate of participation. Bicycles and helmets will be provided, but if the pupils wish, they can bring along their own bicycle and/or helmet (not needed for the first day – 20^th April). The dates of the sessions are as follows: 20^th April, 18^th May, 26^th May, 8^th June, 9^th June and 16^th June.

• Bicycles: We love to see children cycling/scooting to school. There is a covered bicycle shelter to the rear of the school available for the parking of bicycles/scooters. As bicycle/scooters are parked here at the owners’ risk, we strongly advise that they are locked while parked.

• Confirmation: Our Sixth Class girls will receive the sacrament of Confirmation on Thursday 30^th April at 11am in Rathangan Church. We pray that the blessings of the Lord will come to the girls as they are strengthened in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We hope that they, along with their teachers, Ms. Coughlan and Ms. Marrinan, who have helped to prepare them for this sacrament, will have a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable day. I would like to thank the girls from fourth and fifth class who will be adding so much to the ceremony through their beautiful singing in the choir, directed by Ms. Rowley, Ms. Dillon, Ms. Brogan and Ms. Rogers (from the Boys’ School). A photographer from County Photos will be set up in our school hall directly after the ceremony to take individual and family photographs of the girls.

• Final Farewell Fair and Bake Sale: I want to congratulate our entrepreneurial Sixth Class girls, who with the help of their wonderful teachers, Ms. Coughlan and Ms. Marrinan, organised the most wonderfully entertaining and successful Fair in our school hall before the Easter holidays. I am thrilled to report that they raised €1275; enough to fully cover the cost of their graduation hoodies and a small excess that they will donate to a charity of their choice. They are currently in consultation around the choosing of a charity. Thank you so much to all of our families who contributed to the Fair and who generously donated baked goods and items to be sold.  Your support, as always, is greatly appreciated.

• Assembly: Our whole-school assembly for the month of April will be led by Ms. Costello’s Junior Infants and Ms. Flood’s Fifth Class and will take place in the halla on Tuesday 28^th April.

• Addition to our staff: We are delighted to welcome back Mary Cunningham to our staff this term. Mary is a client of KARE and is engaging in work placement carrying out cleaning duties around the school for an hour every Tuesday in term three. I know the staff and children will be delighted to see her smiling face back in the school again.

• Oral Language: The theme for the month of April will be ‘Idioms, Riddles, Jokes and Proverbs’. All classes will be focusing on this theme for the month and we would ask that parents support us at home, by sharing some proverbs, jokes, riddles and idioms with children and discussing with them what they’ve learnt in school on this topic.

• Uniform: Please ensure your child comes to school wearing the correct uniform. Canvas runners (including Converse) are not permitted at school. All footwear worn to school should be suitable for running, as children will be active at school every day.

• Hair: In accordance with our Code of Behaviour, all hair should be tied up where possible.

• School Closures: School will close on Monday 27^th April to facilitate teacher inservice in the new Primary Curriculum Framework. School will also close for midterm break from Monday 4^th May to Friday 8^th May inclusive.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Seachtain na Gaeilge: Táimid ag ceiliúradh Seachtain na Gaeilge faoi láthair. Tá gach duine ag déanamh a ndicheall cúpla focal a labhairt. We are celebrating Seachtain na Gaeilge at the moment. All classes thoroughly enjoyed the Céilí on Tuesday last, which was very kindly facilitated by Carmel Somers. We were treated to some wonderful performances from many of our talented girls. There are also lots of exciting games and activities happening in all classes throughout the school this week, including, senior classes ag léamh (reading) to the junior classes, quizzes and the “bosca glas”. We will conclude this week with our Lá Glas tomorrow, Friday 13th. All children are invited to dress in green and bring in a teddy and small treat for the Maidin Caife. A big thank you to our wonderful Coiste na Gaeilge and Ms. Ruttledge for all their work in organising a great week. Please continue to encourage your daughter to use her cúpla focal at home everyday. Photographs of Seachtain na Gaeilge, together with the Céilí will be available to view on www.bunscoilbhride.ie

• Debating Final: Excitement is building as our fantastic debating team prepares for the Concern Primary Debating Competition Final, which will take place tomorrow, in Kildare County Chambers, Naas. Our team, who have reached the final for the second consecutive year, will debate Scoil an Linbh Íosa, Ballycane, proposing the motion: “In ten years time, no country should be using fossil fuels.” The whole school is very proud of our debaters and their mentors, Ms. Costello and Ms. Dillon, and we wish them the very best of luck on Friday!

• Maths Easter Egg Hunt: Our annual Bunscoil Bhríde Maths Easter Egg Hunt will be running over the next few weeks, with all classes getting the opportunity to take part. Children, in teams, have to use their orienteering skills to find and solve maths clues and puzzles around the school grounds. There are lots of Easter Eggs up for grabs, so a fun-filled hunt is guaranteed!

• Cross-country: The annual Cumann na mBunscol Cross-Country competition will take place on Thursday 26^th April in Rathcoffey GAA ground. Our cross-country coaches, Ms. Costello, Ms. Marrinan and Ms. Brogan will accompany sixteen girls from third to sixth class, who will run the 1200m race. We wish them the very best of luck. Well done to all the girls who have been taking part in cross-country training in the school. We will host an in-school competition for all of these athletes during Active Schools Week later in term three.

• Farewell Fair: Our Sixth Class are holding their annual ‘Farewell Fair’ on Wednesday 25^th March. They are fundraising to raise money for their graduation hoodies. The fair will involve a now annual bake sale, but in addition to that, the children will have various other items on sale such as books, toys, jewellery etc. Any donations of books in good condition, as well as the donation of baked goods would be greatly appreciated. There will be a nail painting station at the fair. If you would not like your child to get their nails painted, please send a note on Aladdin to their teacher. There will also be a crepe and waffle station, together with a cookie dough station. Again, please message your child’s teacher on Aladdin if you do not wish her to consume these products. All children must have coins to buy items for the Fair. Items will range between 20c and €2.

• Bluebells Day: On Friday 17^th April, we will celebrate Bluebells Day to promote understanding and awareness of autism. Bluebells Day will be a non-uniform day, with all children invited to ‘Go blue for Bluebells’, by dressing in blue. Throughout the day, each class will learn more about autism and have the opportunity to visit the Bluebells Classroom, where they can experience our sensory room, designed to be a welcoming and supportive space. 

• Donation Request: We are asking all families, where possible, to make a donation for Bluebells Day, which will go towards the purchase of sensory resources for our Bluebells Class and our mainstream classrooms. I will share an optional payment link with all families in advance of Bluebells Day, or children are welcome to bring in their donation in cash on the day.

• Enrolment Meeting: A meeting with the parents of children enrolled in the 2026/27 Junior Infant class will be held in the school hall on Wednesday 25^th March at 7.30pm. The new parents will get the opportunity to meet with our current Junior Infant teachers and to mingle with one another over a cup of tea, kindly provided by the Bunscoil Bhríde Parents’ Association.

• Heritage Trips: Ms. McEvoy’s third classes will visit the Bog of Allen Nature Centre on Tuesday 14^th April. Our fourth classes and fifth classes will travel to Pollardstown Fen (and the Curragh), and the Canal later in April. They will be guided on their trips by heritage specialist, Nuala Madigan. It is hoped that the children will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of these local natural sites. The trips are part of our Whole School Geography Plan and will be fully funded by the Parents’ Association.

• Swimming: All children in Second, Third and Fourth Classes will begin their block of swimming lessons in Portarlington Pool on the week following the Easter Holidays. Please see Aladdin Notice sent to the parents of children in these classes. The cost of the swimming has been very heavily subsidised by our Parents’ Association. I want to thank our Parents’ Association for prioritising swimming in their fundraising efforts.

• Assembly: Our whole-school assembly for the month of March will be led by Ms. Geraghty’s Second Class and Ms. Frawley’s Fourth Class and will take place in the halla on Thursday 26^th March.

• Permissions: We are currently seeking consent for involvement in after-school cross-country training for our Third to Sixth Class students. Please check if there are any permissions pertaining to your child on the Permissions tab of Aladdin Connect and accept or decline as appropriate.

• Oral Language: The theme for the month of April will be ‘Idioms, Riddles, Jokes and Proverbs’. All classes will be focusing on this theme for the month and we would ask that parents support us at home, by sharing some proverbs, jokes, riddles and idioms with children and discussing with them what they’ve learnt in school on this topic.

• Reminder regarding Absences: Under the Education Welfare Act 2000, where a child is absent from school on a school day, the parents must notify the school of the reasons for such absence. This can be done via the Aladdin Connect app. Please contact the office if you need assistance with this. We are required under the Act to notify Tusla; The Child and Family Agency of any child being absent for 20 days or more. Our student administration system automatically sends texts to parents reminding them of this when a child misses 10 and 15 days.

• Dates for the Diary: All upcoming events for the remainder of the school year, as they become known to us, will be recorded on the Aladdin Connect app, in the ‘Calendar’ section.

• School Closure for St. Patrick’s Day weekend: The school will close for St. Patrick’s Day on Monday and Tuesday next and will reopen on Wednesday 18^th March.

• Easter Holidays: School will close for Easter holidays on Friday 27^th March at 11.45a.m. and will re-open on Monday 13^th April. We wish everybody a happy and holy Easter.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Debating Final: Excitement is building across the school as our fantastic debating team prepares for the finals of the Concern Primary Debating Competition! Having secured a place in the top two teams across Kildare and West Wicklow for the second consecutive year, this is a truly remarkable achievement for our school. The final will take place on Friday 13^th March in Kildare County Chambers, Naas, where our team will face Scoil an Linbh Íosa, Ballycane, Naas, proposing the motion: “In ten years time, no country should be using fossil fuels”. Our debaters, guided by Ms. Costello and Ms. Dillon, have dedicated an incredible amount of time and effort to their journey through the competition. Their research and delivery have been inspiring, and the whole school has learned from their insights. In preparation for the big day, all Third to Sixth Class pupils will have the opportunity to hear the team’s speeches in the halla. This session will also include an open debate, where pupils can challenge points and engage in discussion. We are immensely proud of the team and their mentors and wish them the very best of luck in the final!

• Cross-Country: Cross-country training for children from 3rd to 6th class will begin this year on Wednesday next and will be ran by Ms. Costello, Ms. Marrinan and Ms. Brogan, who are very generously giving their time. The training will run every Wednesday from 2.30pm to 3.15pm here at the school. All parents of children in 3^rd to 6^th class are asled to please give / do not give permission for your daughter to attend cross-country training on Wednesdays and to attend the Cumann na mBunscol Cross-country Competition in Rathcoffey on Thursday 26th March, should she be selected for the team.

• World Book Day: We will celebrate World Book Day this year on Friday next, 6th March, with all classes participating in various different book-related activities. Our aim is to encourage children to read at home and to learn to love books. We would ask that you support us in this endeavour by encouraging reading and by taking your child to the library regularly. All children are asked to dress as a character from their favourite book on Friday (ensuring that they are appropriately attired for the weather). Book tokens to the value of €1.50 will be distributed to all children next week.

• Third and Fourth Class Quiz: The 3rd and 4th class boys joined us for our annual Rathangan table quiz yesterday. The teams were a mix of boys and girls from both 3rd and 4th class. Our classrooms hummed with chat and excitement as the enthusiastic quizzers put their general knowledge skills on show! Well done to the winning teams. 

1st place: Evie Coss, Eimear O’Loughlin, Joey Cassidy and Shane Dunne

2nd place: Amy Nenestean, Alex Smullen, Diarmuid Lynch and Noah Ledwith

3rd place: Amedeea Petrescu, Billy Dempsey, Rebecca Kearns and Ollie Dunne

• Fifth and Sixth Class Quiz: Ms. Flood’s, Ms. Marrinan’s and Ms. Coughlan’s Fifth and Sixth Classes will walk up to Rathangan B.N.S. tomorrow morning to take part in our annual quiz, in which they will work in mixed teams with the boys. We wish them the very best of luck, as they compete for medals and homework passes!

• First Confessions: We would like to wish the very best of luck to our Second Class pupils, who will receive the sacrament of First Penance on Wednesday 11^th March at 7pm in Rathangan Church. They have been busy preparing and practising their prayers and hymns for the occasion with their teachers, Ms. Geraghty and Ms. Dillon. We hope it will be a very special, holy and memorable occasion for them.

• Seachtain na Gaeilge: Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge beagnach buailte linn arís (9ú – 13ú lá de mhí Márta). Beimid go léir ag úsáid cúpla focal chomh minic agus is féidir i rith Seachtain na Gaeilge. Beidh an Céilí Mór ar siúl againn ar an Máirt, an 10ú lá de mhí Márta. Beidh ‘Lá Glas’ ar siúl ar an Aoine, an 13ú and beimid go léir ag caitheamh éadaí glasa ar an lá sin. Beir bua agus bain taitneamh as Seachtain na Gaeilge!

Please attempt the cúpla focal at home with your child(ren). We will kick off Seachtain na Gaeilge with An Céilí Mór sa halla on Tuesday 10^th March, with all classes getting the opportunity to practise their Irish dancing. All the classes will engage in various activities to mark Seachtain na Gaeilge throughout the week. Friday 13^th March will be a non-uniform day to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge and we will dress in green on that day. Photographs of Seachtain na Gaeilge, together with the Céilí will be available to view on www.bunscoilbhride.ie

• Assembly: Our whole-school assembly for the month of February takes place in the halla today and will be led by Ms. McEvoy’s Third Class and Ms. Dillon’s First and Second Class.

• Vision and Hearing Screening: Staff from the HSE will carry out vision screening and hearing screening with our Junior Infant pupils here at the school today and tomorrow respectively.

• School Tours: Parents of children in all classes have received payment links for the school tours for this year. Payments can be made in installments up to Friday 29^th May. You can make a payment by clicking on the ‘Money’ tab in Aladdin Connect.

• Parking: Please share this information with anyone who drops off / collects your child: Parents are asked not to drive around the church or park alongside the church wall facing the school, not to park in the yellow boxes, in the wheelchair parking spaces or between the wheelchair parking spaces. Parking is in a single row alongside the Noone Engineering wall and in THREE ROWS along the middle white lines. Let’s keep everyone safe!

Also, let’s all remember we are a Green School (with eleven Green Flags!). If at all possible, we would encourage as many families as possible to leave the car at home and children to walk or cycle to school.

• Oral Language: The theme for the month of March will be ‘Descriptions and Descriptive Language’. All classes will be focusing on this theme for the month and we would ask that parents support us at home, by using rich, descriptive language as much as possible, drawing children’s attention to such language in stories and discussing with them what they’ve learnt in school on this topic.

• Punctuality: School starts at 8.50am. It is vital that your child attends for school on time. Arriving even 12 minutes late for class each morning effectively means your child is missing out on one hour of tuition every week.

• Footwear Reminder: For health and safety reasons, canvas runners (e.g. Converse), Ugg boots etc. cannot be worn in school. All footwear must provide sole support and be suitable for running.

• Parent Volunteers: We frequently require parent volunteers to accompany us on school trips, work with classes or get involved in various activities here in the school. Under the National Vetting Act, all volunteers coming into our school must be Garda vetted through our diocesan office (Kildare and Leighlin). The process is very straightforward, but can take up to four – six weeks to complete. Please let us know if you wish to be vetted. We would urge as many of you as possible to do so.

• Our website: Please check out our wonderful website www.bunscoilbhride.ie. It contains lots of photographs and information about all the events taking place in the school and in the individual classrooms. Each class has a blog under the ‘Classes’ tab on the home-page. Some of our school policies are also available to view on the site. A substantial amount of work goes into regularly updating it and it is well-worth a look.

• Calendar for 2026/27: Our school calendar for the next school year (2026/27) is available to view on our school website at https://www.bunscoilbhride.ie/school-calendar-2026-27/

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Concern Primary Debating Competition: The Bunscoil Bhríde debating team will travel to Kildare Education Centre on Tuesday next to compete in the semi-final of the Concern Primary School Debating Competition. We will take on Scoil Bhríde, Clane in our first face-to-face debate of the competition this year. The girls are opposing the motion that ‘Universal internet access should be the world’s top goal in 2026’. The team are putting in immense efforts in preparation for the upcoming debate. We will also hold a preparatory debate for all classes from Third to Sixth in the halla today, in which all children will hear the speeches and will get the opportunity to challenge the girls on the points made, in an open debate. We wish the debaters and their mentors, Ms. Costello and Ms. Dillon the very best of luck!

• Grandparents’ Day: I want to sincerely thank our wonderful Parents’ Association and the many parents who voluntarily gave up their time on Friday last to help serve tea and coffee to our visiting grandparents and who baked for the occasion. We really are blessed to have such generosity and kindness in our parent body. Allowing our grandparents to congregate over a cup of tea and a treat in the hall made a really fabulous day all the more special. I also want to thank our hard-working staff, who put so much work into preparing for Grandparents’ Day with their classes, ensuring that all our visitors had a day to remember.

• Quiz: Our Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Class pupils are busy preparing for our annual quizzes, which will take place on Wednesday 25^th (Third and Fourth Classes) and Friday 27^th February (Fifth and Sixth Classes) in our school and in Rathangan Boys’ School respectively.  Teams will be mixed and the children will get the opportunity to work with the boys in practising their general knowledge and having lots of fun in the process. We would urge you to help the children develop their general knowledge at home over the coming weeks in preparation.

• Chess: We are delighted to announce an upcoming chess tournament taking place in St. Brigid’s Primary School, Kildare. It will take place on Thursday next, 12th February. This promises to be a brilliant day out for the girls, giving them an opportunity to showcase the chess skills they have been developing and to build confidence in a friendly, supportive environment. The tournament is non-competitive, allowing the girls to enjoy the game while meeting and playing against children from other schools. We wish all the girls the very best of luck. I want to thank their teacher, Ms. Marrinan, who has been generously volunteering her time to run our wonderful Chess Club.

• Basketball: We are delighted to announce that we will be taking part in the annual Cumann na mBunscol basketball blitz on February 16^th in Kilcullen. We will bring a team of our Sixth Class girls to participate in the blitz on the day, where we will have the chance to play in a number of basketball games against other schools in our division. Ms. Gleeson and Ms. Flood will host a training session before the blitz on Wednesday next, February 11th, from 2.30pm to 3.15pm. As we have only been allotted one team entry, the Sixth Class girls taking part will be informed before training on this date. We wish the team and their coaches the best of luck on the day. 

• Irish Dancing: Carmel Somers has, yet again, kindly volunteered her time to teach Irish dancing to our girls. Every class in the school is getting the opportunity to work with Carmel over two weeks, starting on Wednesday 18^th February. Carmel has also offered to help with our Céilí Mór during Seachtain na Gaeilge. We would like to thank Carmel sincerely for her kindness and generosity in giving up her time for the benefit of the pupils of our school.

• Oral Language: The theme for the month of February is ‘Socially functional language’ (introductions, giving thanks, complaints). All classes will be focusing on this theme for the month and we would ask that you, the parents support us at home, by encouraging your child to use appropriate socially functional language and by modelling good use of such language at home. We would also encourage you to discuss with them what they’ve learnt in school on this topic.

• Vision Screening: Vision screening of Junior Infant pupils by staff from the HSE will take place in the school on Thursday 26^th February.

• Homework: Homework is an important link between home and school and offers children the chance to consolidate their learning. Please ensure you check your daughter’s homework each evening and sign her homework journal, where applicable.

• Party Invitations: Party invitations should not be handed out at school. This can instead be done outside of the school, in order to avoid upset to children not invited.

• Change of Contact Details: Please check that your contact details are recorded correctly on the Aladdin app and notify the school if you have changed your contact details (phone, email or address). It is important that we keep our records up to date, so that we can always get in contact with you should the need arise. Please ensure you have listed at least two emergency contacts on the app (contact the office if you need assistance with this). Please also let us know if you have not been receiving Aladdin app messages from the school.

• Midterm Break: The school will be closed on Thursday 19^th and Friday 20^th February for midterm break and will reopen on Monday 23^rd February. We hope you all have a lovely break.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Catholic Schools Week: Catholic Schools Week will be celebrated in our school next week, from 27^th to 30^th January.  This year’s theme is ‘Normal lives, Called to Holiness’.  Because we are a Catholic School, this is a very special week in our calendar and it will be celebrated in many different ways in each classroom.

• Grandparents’ Day: As part of Catholic Schools Week, we will celebrate Grandparents’ Day on Friday next. I want to thank the Bunscoil Bhríde Parents’ Association who will be providing tea/coffee for the visiting grandparents in our school hall. If anyone is available to help them out with the serving of tea/coffee, we’d be really grateful if you would contact Catríona in the office to let her know. Any donation of baked goods for our grandparents would be greatly appreciated and can be dropped to the school on the morning of Grandparents’ Day. We understand lots of children will not have grandparents available to attend, which is why teachers will be ensuring that the visitors will be shared out amongst all the children, to include everyone. If grandparents find that their grandchildren’s classroom times overlap, they can simply visit one classroom first and then join the second classroom afterward. We will be very flexible and accommodating with timings. Importantly, we are asking that no photographs be taken in classrooms by our visitors. Photos will be taken by teachers and will be available to view on our website www.bunscoilbhride.ie

Timetable for Grandparents’ Day

Friday January 30th

Time	Class	Classroom
9am – 9.30am	Junior Infants – Ms. Feeney   Jun & Sen Infants – Ms. Costello	Room 1   Room 2
9.30am – 10am	Senior Infants – Ms. Gleeson   1st Class – Ms. Beary & Ms. Greally	Room 5   Room 3
10am – 10.30am	2nd Class – Ms. Geraghty   6th Class – Ms. Coughlan	Room 4   Room 6
10.45am – 11.15am	1st & 2nd Class – Ms. Dillon   3rd Class – Ms. McEvoy	Room 11 (upstairs)   Room 8 (upstairs)
11.15am – 11.45am	4th Class – Ms. Brogan   4th Class – Ms. Ruttledge	Room 10 (upstairs)   Room 9 (upstairs)
11.45am – 12.15pm	5th Class – Ms. Flood   5th & 6th Class – Ms. Marrinan	Room 12 (upstairs)   Room 7 (upstairs)

• Cumann na mBunscol Quiz: Aoife O’Loughlin, Becky Walsh, Saoirse Mullally and Libby O’Loughlin will travel to Newbridge today to represent our school in the Cumann na mBunscol Quiz.We wish the girls the very best of luck.

• Rathangan Quiz: Our Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Class pupils are busy preparing for our annual quizzes, which will take place in February in our school and in Rathangan Boys’ School respectively.  Teams will be mixed and the children will get the opportunity to work with the boys in practising their general knowledge and having lots of fun in the process. We would urge you to help the children develop their general knowledge at home over the coming weeks in preparation.

• Rushes wanted: All classes will begin making St. Brigid’s crosses next week. We are in need of rushes to make the crosses and will need a large number. We would be really grateful if you were in a position to gather rushes for us and drop them into the school. Our Parents’ Association will also be making crosses, which they will sell to raise money for our school.

• Oral Language: The theme for the month of February is ‘Socially functional language’ (introductions, giving thanks, complaints). All classes will be focusing on this theme for the month and we would ask that you, the parents, support us at home, by encouraging your child to use appropriate socially functional language and by modelling good use of such language at home. We would also encourage you to discuss with them what they’ve learnt in school on this topic.

• Lego Donation Request: We are seeking donations of Lego for some of our classrooms. If you have Lego at home that is no longer in use, we would be really grateful if you would donate it to the school.

• Heavy school-bags: We are attempting to address the issue of children carrying school bags that are too heavy to and from school, by asking them to unpack fully their bags every morning and only repack books marked for homework. Your help in tackling this issue is required as many of the items contained in school-bags are unnecessary ancillary items e.g. multiple heavy pencil-cases etc. Please go through your daughter’s bag with her and remove any unnecessary items.

• Dates for the Diary for this term: All important events and dates for the diary for the remainder of the school year can be found by clicking on the calendar icon within the Aladdin Connect app. Please keep an eye on this calendar as events will be added throughout the year and may be subject to change.

• School Closure and February Bank Holiday: The school will close on Monday next, 26^th January, for staff inservice in the new Primary Curriculum Framework. We will also close on Monday 2^nd February for the February Bank Holiday, and will reopen on Tuesday 3^rd February. We hope everyone enjoy the long weekend.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

Happy new year! We hope you are all well and that you had a lovely Christmas break. Our news is as follows:

• Welcome: I want to warmly welcome Ms. Fitzgerald and Ms. Burrell to our staff. Ms. Fitzgerald and Ms. Burrell, who are job-sharing, are permanent members of the staff of Kildangan N.S., and have joined our Special Education Support Teaching team. They will remain with us until the end of February.

• Grandparents’ Day: As part of Catholic Schools Week, we will celebrate Grandparents Day on Friday 30^th January this year. Grandparents Day is an initiative of Catholic Schools Week and it affirms and values the place of grandparents, not only in the lives of their grandchildren, but in the community in general. Grandparents are invited into all classes (see timetable below) and are encouraged to share their memories of school in the past and stories of the past with the children. The Bunscoil Bhríde Parents’ Association have kindly volunteered to provide tea/coffee for the visiting grandparents in our school hall. Any donation of baked goods for our grandparents would be greatly appreciated and can be dropped to the school on the morning of Grandparents’ Day. While we hope lots of grandparents will visit our school for Grandparents’ Day, we are very conscious of the fact that not all children have grandparents living and also that not all grandparents will be able to make it to our school. Every year there are a number of children in every class who do not have a grandparent attend, and, as always, there will be arrangements put in place in all classrooms for the sharing of available grandparents, so all children will be included and will get the chance to learn about life and school in the past. It will be a fun, warm and welcoming day for all grandparents and children.

Timetable for Grandparents’ Day

Friday January 30th

Time	Class	Classroom
9am – 9.30am	Junior Infants – Ms. Feeney   Jun & Sen Infants – Ms. Costello	Room 1   Room 2
9.30am – 10am	Senior Infants – Ms. Gleeson   1st Class – Ms. Beary & Ms. Greally	Room 5   Room 3
10am – 10.30am	2nd Class – Ms. Geraghty   6th Class – Ms. Coughlan	Room 4   Room 6
10.45am – 11.15am	1st & 2nd Class – Ms. Dillon   3rd Class – Ms. McEvoy	Room 11 (upstairs)   Room 8 (upstairs)
11.15am – 11.45am	4th Class – Ms. Brogan   4th Class – Ms. Ruttledge	Room 10 (upstairs)   Room 9 (upstairs)
11.45am – 12.15pm	5th Class – Ms. Flood   5th & 6th Class – Ms. Marrinan	Room 12 (upstairs)   Room 7 (upstairs)

• Rushes wanted: All classes will begin to make St. Brigid’s crosses in the coming weeks. We are in need of rushes to make the crosses and will need a large number. We would be really grateful if you were in a position to gather rushes for us and drop them into the school. Our Parents’ Association will also be making crosses, which they will sell to raise money for our school.

• Dates for the Diary for this term: All important events and dates for the diary for the remainder of the school year can be found by clicking on the calendar icon within the Aladdin Connect app. Please keep an eye on this calendar as events will be added throughout the year.

• School Closure: The school will close on Monday 26^th January for staff inservice on the new Primary Curriculum Framework.

• Chess Club: Chess lessons will be starting back up on Tuesday evenings after school from 2.30pm to 3.30pm for pupils in 5th and 6th class. We are also very excited about an upcoming chess tournament in February, where we will be travelling to St. Brigid’s Primary School to take part in a friendly event with three other schools. This will be a non-competitive day out, giving the children a wonderful chance to showcase all the skills they have learned, meet other young chess players and enjoy the experience of representing our school. I want to thank Ms. Marrinan and Ms. Brogan for kindly volunteering their time to run our chess club. 

• Relationships and Sexuality Education (R.S.E.): R.S.E. lessons will begin in all classes next week. You all received a letter from your daughter’s teacher via Aladdin this week, together with a Home/School Links sheet detailing the content to be covered with your child’s class. It would be very helpful if you could discuss what is being learnt at school with your daughter(s) at home. Please feel free to contact the school with any queries you may have.

• Stay Safe: Senior Infants, Second Class, Fourth Class and Sixth Class will begin the Stay Safe programme in the next few weeks and will continue with the programme over the coming months. I would like to remind you again about the importance of discussing the issues covered in class with your child at home. The lessons covered over the course of the programme are as follows: Feeling Safe and Unsafe, Bullying, Touches, Secrets and Telling and Strangers. More information about the programme can be obtained on the website; www.staysafe.ie

• January Assembly: Our whole-school assembly for January (marking Catholic Schools Week and St. Brigid’s Day) will take place on Tuesday 27^th January and will be led by Ms. Beary’s and Ms. Greally’s First Class and Ms. Brogan’s Fourth Class.

• School Tours: All teachers will be sending permission requests next week for attendance at their school tours in June. Please ensure you have responded to the permission request on Aladdin Connect. Payment requests will issue the following week to facilitate parents paying in instalments over the next few months.

• Cumann na mBunscol Quiz: The Cumann na mBunscol Quiz will take place on 10^th February next in Ballymany N.S., Newbridge. All pupils from Third to Sixth Class will take part in a quiz in the school in the coming weeks to determine the team that will represent our school in the competition. Please practise some quizzes (general knowledge questions) with your daughter in preparation for this and for our Annual Rathangan Schools’ Quiz later in February, in which all children from Third to Sixth Classes will take part.

• Running Initiatives: As an Active School, laps are an important part of our school day. As part of our efforts to encourage pupils to stay active and build confidence in their fitness, we have introduced a fun new way to motivate them during running activities. The girls will now use lollipop sticks to track the number of laps they complete. Each time a child finishes a lap, they will collect a stick as a visual reminder of their effort and progress. This helps pupils focus on improving their own personal bests in a positive and encouraging way. This approach promotes motivation, goal-setting, and a sense of achievement while keeping running enjoyable for all pupils. ‘Rathangan Runners’ have organised a 9-week Couch to 5k Programme taking place on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7.30pm at the soccer pitch. We would encourage all of our families to take part.

• Oral Language: The theme for the month of January is ‘Questioning’. All classes will be focusing on this theme for the month and we would ask that you support us at home, by encouraging your child to pose fully-formed questions and ensuring that they have knowledge of and make use of all the question words (What? Why? Where? When? Who? How? etc.). We would also encourage you to discuss with them what they’ve learnt in school on this topic.

• Aladdin Connect app: Please check your child’s details on the Aladdin Connect app (including the numbers you have listed as emergency contacts) and ensure they are correct. Please contact us if you need assistance making any updates to this information.

• Names on Uniforms: Please ensure that your child’s name is clearly marked on her uniform and tracksuit jumper, her coat and hat.

• Late Arrivals/Early Departures and Absences: Children arriving late to school or leaving early must have their arrival / leaving time recorded on Aladdin Connect. This can be done by parents. If your child is arriving late to school, please accompany her to the front door of the school. All absences must be explained. This can be done by selecting the reason for absence on Aladdin Connect. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. Please contact the school if you are having any issues with using the Aladdin Connect app.

• Coming to school: School begins at 8.50am and children should be dropped to school as close as possible to this time. The gate will open and supervision will be provided from 8.40am. The church car-park is a public space and children should not be dropped outside the school gate before 8.40am.

• Hot School Meals: While fruit will be available at school for children to take most days, they will still need a small snack for small break, as our Hot Lunch does not arrive until lunch-time at 12.15pm. If you know your child will be absent on a particular day, due to a scheduled appointment etc, please ensure you turn off the calendar on the app for that day to avoid food waste. As you know, the children have been provided with small lunchboxes into which their lunch will be placed to facilitate it being sent home for the first few weeks of the Programme. This will allow parents to see how much of the food the children are eating and to gauge which meals they like / dislike. It is important that this lunchbox is placed back in your child’s bag each morning to facilitate the carriage of the leftover food home (all packaging within this lunchbox is fully compostable). If you find your child is not eating the Hot Lunch, and you wish to discontinue it and send in your own lunch for her, please let us know, so that we can remove your child from The Lunch Bag order. The lunches are a considerable cost and as a Green School, we hate to see food waste.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson