Christmas Message
As we close the doors today, I would like to wish all of our school community a happy and peaceful Christmas and all the best for 2026.
I thank the pupils for their enthusiasm and spirit, the parents/guardians for all their support and I thank the staff for making this place a happy, safe and stimulating environment. We look forward to coming back together here on Mon. Jan. 5th.
Audrey
A message from the Chairperson of our Board of Management, Mary Hayward.
As ever, Christmas has crept up on us catching many out, myself included, in last- minute preparations. The Autumn term has a habit too of passing all too speedily due to the multitude of activities, events, meetings and projects we have seen since the start of the Academic year.
I had the pleasure and privilege of accompanying Ms. McCarthy and Ms. Franey on an Erasmus trip to Turin, Italy, in early October. We visited three schools with the purpose of forging links for future partnership and visits between our school communities. Our focus was on the inclusion of pupils with additional needs within mainstream. The trip gave us an interesting insight into the Italian school system and their approach to inclusion. It is always so enlightening to compare and contrast educational practice with other schools and to have international scope through the Erasmus scheme to enable this, which is of huge benefit to our school. There are two further trips in the pipeline; Murcia in Spain and Bari in Italy which have the aim of building connections for next year’s pupil trips.
This term, funding from the Rosepile Solar Farm has been secured which has given us the go ahead for the design and construction of a sensory garden. This is very exciting news for our school community. An outside space such as this will bring a ‘hands- on’ dimension to learning in biodiversity and ecosystems as well as providing an outside space to absorb and observe our natural habitat. We look forward to seeing this project become reality very soon.
Another exciting opportunity for next year is the Teacher Artist Partnership Programme (TAP). This is a Department of Education initiative which provides funding for an in-school residency for an artist to work in school with certain classes to develop Artisitic potential and an appreciation of Art.
It cannot escape notice that the projects I have highlighted seek to enrich pupils’ educational experience not only in the classroom but outside it as well. Education should be a broad and life-enriching journey. We are fortunate to have such initiatives sitting alongside our conventional curriculum with a view to cultivating the curious and enquiring nature of young minds.
Finally, we celebrated recently a School Mass to commemorate 50 years of Primary school Boards of Management. Boards of Management rest entirely on the voluntary spirit of parents, teachers and community representatives. Without them, our schools could not function in their present form. I would like to pay tribute to all past Board members and thank the present Board of Management for their commitment, energy and time, freely given for the educational betterment of our children.
On behalf of the Board of Management, I wish staff, pupils, families and carers a very happy and peaceful Christmas and every joy and good wish for the New Year.
Mary Hayward
Chairperson of the Board of Management