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 – 20th April). The dates of the sessions are as follows: 20th April, 18th May, 26th May, 8th June, 9th June and 16th 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 30th 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 28th 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 27th April to facilitate teacher inservice in the new Primary Curriculum Framework. School will also close for midterm break from Monday 4th May to Friday 8th May inclusive.
Kind regards,
Maria Rogerson