Dear Parents,
Safety with our Lollipop Lady, Marie
We’d like to remind all parents to please exercise good practice whilst crossing the road at the front of the school. The safety of our pupils is our primary concern. Following our lollipop lady, Marie’s, instruction is vitally important as we contend with what is a busy road.
Upcoming Parent Teacher Meetings – November
This year’s Parent Teacher Meetings will take place at the end of November. Organised through the Aladdin App, meeting slots will be released to parents on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. Families with three of more siblings will have access to booking slots on Monday evening from 8pm. Families with two siblings will have access from 8pm on Tuesday and all others slots will be released on Wednesday at 8pm.
Monster Mash
We’re gearing up for our annual Monster Mash fancy dress bonanza on Friday 28th October. Children are under no pressure to wear a costume but are more than welcome to do so on the day.
Maths Week
A huge thanks to Ms Brennan. Ms Quinn, Ms Clarke, Ms Cribbon and Mr Reynolds who coordinated Maths Week this week. Here’s a sample of what was going on throughout the school.
In the Oasis Class, the boys made patterns using beads and links. Ms Brennan’s Junior Infants played number games in PE. Ms Friel’s Junior Infants enjoyed learning to play board games such as Snakes and Ladders and Shape Bingo. In Ms Ward’s Junior Infants, the boys learned about two-coloured patterns using links, pegs and blocks. In Ms Killane’s Senior Infants, the boys made the Story of Five using playing cards. Ms Maguire’s Senior Infants had lots of fun using their counting skills to play board games and also made 2-D pictures.
Ms Geraghty’s First Class enjoyed competing in the Pig Dice Game! In Ms Ryan’s First Class, the boys played the Dotty Cards Games turning over two cards to make 19. Ms Copley’s First Class enjoyed making their own patterned mosaics. Ms Staunton’s Second Class played maths games, solved matchstick puzzles and explored shape in Tetris. In Mr Walsh’s Second Class, the boys enjoyed working in pairs to solve riddles and word problems. Ms Walsh’s Second Class enjoyed playing different maths games in class, using tangrams. They also completed an outdoor maths trail.
Ms Clarke’s Third Class made regular and irregular hexagons using lollipop sticks and played card games. In Ms Donovan’s Third Class, the boys played Noggle and made regular and irregular 2-D Shapes with lollipop sticks. Ms Quinn’s Fourth Class enjoyed solving maths problems and riddles in groups and explored lines by making houses out of lollipop sticks.
In Ms Hennessy’s Fifth Class, the boys worked together online to complete various maths challenges in competition with schools from around the country. Ms Murray’s Fifth Class boys user their mathematical thinking in the Gatekeeper game; figuring out algebraic rules and using measuring skills to create a scale model of the moon to their globe. In Mr O’Brien’s Fifth Class, the boys enjoyed working on word problems and creating shapes to figure out if the area and perimeter of shapes are always equal. In Mr Clandillon’s Sixth Class, the boys explored the clock trí Mheán na Ghaeilge, using a loop game. Mr Dineen’s Sixth Class timed themselves doing 50m runs whilst learning about Time, Speed & Distance.
Bob-a-Job – Last week
This is our last week for our Bob-a-Job fundraiser. We ask boys to give it one last effort, particularly over the weekend. The closing date for all cards and money will be Tuesday 25th October. Some boys are busy already and we received some photos by email during the week which will be uploaded to our Facebook page over the coming days so please keep those photos coming.
It’s another Michelin Star for Finn Crawford (Mr. O'Brien's 5th Class), James Dillon (Mr. Clandillon’s sixth class) and Daithí Quinn (Ms. Friel’s Junior infants). Their attention to detail when it comes to cooking and baking is on another level. The hoover brigade were out in force this week again with Christopher Stringer (Ms. Staunton’s second class) and Dylan Carthy (Ms. Tyan’s first class) cleaning everything in sight. The two Lukes don’t give those leaves any chance to settle as Luke Moore (Ms Ward’s Junior infants) and Luke Monahan take good care to collect all those lovely autumnal colours. Axel Nolan (Ms. Maguire’s Senior infants) has been the best helper doing his Bob-a-Job chores and is insisting on helping everyone around the house when he can. Dara Carthy (Ms. Friel’s Junior Infants) did a great job washing windows while Aiden Conroy (Ms. Brennan’s junior infants) was washing the dishes. Jack Connaughton (Ms. Brennan’s Junior infants) tidied his room before school to help his Mammy out and also had time to clean up his puzzle and make his bed before school. Ennis Walsh (Ms. Ward’s Junior Infants) was very helpful last weekend doing jobs. He helped his Gran put up her Halloween Decorations making her house spooky. He helped his big sister Sadie get her shampoo for the shower and also read a book for his baby sister Hazel. Is there anything Eli Carr (Ms. Clarke’s third class) can’t do with an allen key as he got stuck into some DIY at home. Wesley Yeap (Ms. Brennan’s Junior infants) helped put shoes back in place after returning from créche. Ruairí Dowling (Ms. Murray’s fifth class) had a busy weekend doing a sleep-out with his Mum for Focus Ireland - Shine a light. Then he hoovered the car and planted bulbs in the garden. Rian Twomey (Ms. Killane’s senior infants) did the washing up and brushed the floor. Michael Twomey (Ms. Staunton’s second class) made his lunch for school and baked a cake for his mother’s birthday. Evan Gormley (Ms. Murray’s fifth class) and Darragh Gormley (Ms. Clarke’s third class) were busy sweeping up the leaves for their Bob-a-Job. Ross Conway (Ms Walsh’s second class) was busy helping to stack boxes in the attic and his brother, Patrick Conway (Mr Walsh’s second class), helped to tidy the garden. Issac Samuel, (Ms. Maguire’s senior infants) helped his mother in the kitchen.
Pre-loved uniform & clothes sale – Friday 21st October
Need an extra school jumper or a spare track suit? Well, come to the school hall on Friday 21st October in the morning at school drop off or in the afternoon at school collection and pick one up for a very small price.
All money raised will go back into the school for the benefit of our boys! Thanks to our Parents’ Association (PA) for organising this fundraiser. All remaining clothes will be given to St. Vincent de Paul or the clothes bank.
Final reminder for Voluntary Contribution and School Insurance
Many thanks to all parents who have paid the voluntary contribution and insurance for this school year. The PA would like to remind parents that the final date for payment has been extended to Wednesday 26th October.
We would encourage all parents to ensure payment of insurance for their child for this school year. Payment can be made via Aladdin link.
Fourth Class tour
Our Fourth Classes have been working on projects on Dublin city in recent weeks. As a reward for their effort, they were able to sample the real thing by visiting Trinity College and the city centre today. They went to see the Book of Kells and visited the Dublinia Museum. Thanks to Ms. Quinn and Mr. Lynch for organising this trip.
Gaelic Football
Our Gaelic football season came to an end on Tuesday with a hard-fought victory for our Junior A foootballers who defeated St Pius X in Terenure College. Many thanks to all those teachers who coached the various sqauds over the last two months. Thanks also to all those parents who provided not only transport, but magnificent support along the way. Finally, a huge well done to our young footballers who represented St Mary’s so well. St Mary’s Abú.
Le dea-ghuí,
Fintan Clandillon
Deputy-Principal