Author Archives: St Johns

June 2016 Newsletter

Upcoming School Closings:

 

CLASS GROUPINGS 2016/2017

The sixteen class groupings and teacher for 2016/17 are as follows:

Class 1        Junior Infants                 –         Ms. Cashman
Class 2        Junior Infants                 –         Mrs. O’Mahony
Class 3        Senior Infants                –         Miss O’Donoghue
Class 4        Senior Infants                –         Miss Doyle
Class 5        First Class                      –         Ms. O’Connor
Class 6        First Class                      –         To be appointed
Class 7        Second Class                 –         Miss Downing
Class 8        Second Class                 –         Miss O’Dwyer
Class 9        Third Class                     –         Miss Laffey
Class 10      Third Class                     –         Mrs. O’Connell
Class 11      Fourth Class                   –         Ms. Healy
Class 12      Fourth Class                   –         Miss Spillane
Class 13      Fifth Class                      –         Mrs. Lucey
Class 14      Fifth Class                      –         Mr. O’Sullivan
Class 15      Sixth Class                     –         Mr. Devane
Class 16      Sixth Class                     –         To be appointed

BOOK LISTS/RENTAL SCHEME

UNIFORM 

REPORT CARDS

By now all parents should have received a Report Card giving details of their child’s progress during the school year 2015/16.

SCRÍOBH LEABHAR WINNERS

Comhghairdeas le gach duine a ghlac páirt sa chomórtas scríobhleabhar le deánaí.
Rinne gach rang sár-iarracht. Bhuaigh an scoil tríocha duaisenna sa chomórtas seo. Maith sibh go léir!

HOSPICE SUNFLOWER DAY / NON-UNIFORM DAY

WEDDING BELLS

Congratulations and best wishes to teacher, Grace Healy who is getting married in July.  Best of luck to Grace and Ken!

Congratulations and best wishes to teacher, Roisín O’Sullivan who is also getting married in July.  Best of luck to Roisín and John!

SUMMER CAMP

SPORTING SUCCESS

Teams from St. John’s N.S. have been on a winning streak lately with success in the girls Cumann na mBunscoil final with a great win over Presentation Convent Listowel to take the title.

The boys hurling team also had an impressive victory against Scoil Mhic Easmainn, Tralee and were winners in the division 2 final.

Congratulations to Amy Harrington and Mark Casey both sixth class pupils who have been selected to represent Kerry in games to be played at half-time in championship matches this summer.

Congratulations also to the pupils of St. Johns who had wonderful success in the Schools County Athletics Finals held recently in Castleisland.

DISCOVER PRIMARY SCIENCE AND MATHS AWARDS

Congratulations to St. Johns N.S. on achieving the Discover Primary Science Award recently. Well done to all the classes who took part in the various activities associated with the project.

Many thanks to Deputy Principal Ónait Ní Loingsigh who coordinated the Project.

GREEN SCHOOLS FLAG / BILL’S KITCHEN

The school has been awarded its Sixth Green Flag at a ceremony held recently in Cork.  The theme for award of this Green Flag was Global Citizenship and Waste Management.  Well done to the hard working school committee and co-ordinator, Miss Carrie Spillane.

We have invited Mrs. Geraldine Topham, wife of the late Bill Topham, to officially raise the Green Flag at a ceremony taking place on Tuesday, 21^st June.  Geraldine will also officially open a kitchen attached to our Autism room, “Bill’s Kitchen”, which is now going to be dedicated to the memory of Mr. Bill Topham who had worked on installation of appliances and lighting prior to his untimely death in January 2016.

Bill had also worked on many projects during the completion of the newly amalgamated school and subsequent extensions.  He was well liked by pupils and staff so it is fitting that our new kitchen facility is to be dedicated to him.

TEXT-a-PARENT

 

Best wishes to the 43 – 6^th Class girls and boys who are leaving us.

 

On behalf of all the Staff, I wish you all a safe, healthy and enjoyable summer.

Thank you all once again for your help and co-operation.

Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.

 

_____________________

Denis Courtney,
Principal & Staff.

February 2016 Newsletter

Upcoming School Closings:

Closed:
Thursday, Feb. 18^th and Friday, Feb. 19th – Mid-Term Break
Friday, Feb. 26^th – General Election Polling Day

Wednesday, March 16^th at 12 noon – Easter Holidays
Re-opening – Monday, April 4^th

Monday, May 2^nd – Friday, May 6^th – May Break
Monday, June 6^th – Public Holiday

Thursday, June 30^th at 12 noon for Summer Holidays

1916 Commemorations:

On Wednesday the 27^th of January, 2016, our school was visited by three representatives from the Irish Defence Forces, Commandant Michéal O’Mahony, Gunner Paul O’Rourke and Lieutenant James McKeon. They presented us with an Irish Flag and a copy of the proclamation of the Irish Republic. The proclamation was read by Lt. James McKeon with the help of two pupils from 6^th Class, Isabel McCarthy and Eve Roberts-White. The oldest and youngest pupils in our school, Tomásin Orpen and Fearghal O’Sullivan received the flag. Lt. McKeon spoke to the children about taking care of the flag and about the 100^th Anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. The ceremony was attended by staff and pupils of St. Johns as well as Representatives of the Board of Management and Parent’s Association and Local Politicians. It included a range of acts including Irish Dancing, drama, music and singing. We will raise the flag on March 15^th, Proclamation Day, to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising.

 

Fundraising Cake Sale:

 

 

 

Parent / Teacher Meetings:

 

Enrolment Week 2016/2017:

 

 

Catholic Schools Week:

 

February 1^st to 5^th is Catholic Schools Week. The theme for Catholic Schools Week this year is Catholic Schools: Challenged to Proclaim God’s Mercy.

During the week classes have been engaged in a variety of activities where we have explored with the children how they can be the face of God’s Mercy in our classroom, playground, our school, our families and our community.

 

Confirmation: 

 

 

First Holy Communion:

 

 

 

 

Credit Union Quiz:

 

 

 

 

Spikeball:

 

 

All Ireland:

 

 

 

 

Le gach dea ghuí,

 

 

 

 

 

_________________________

Denis Courtney,

Principal & Staff.

December 2015 Newsletter

Upcoming School Closings:

Closing:  Tuesday, December 22^nd at 12 noon for Christmas Holidays.

Re-opening:  Thursday, January 7^th 2016 at 9.20 a.m.

 

Carol Service:

A reminder that pupils from 3^rd – 6^th class will present a service of Christmas Carols in Holy Cross church tomorrow, Thursday 17^th  at 12.45p.m. and pupils from Junior Infants to 2^nd Class will perform their Carol service on Friday, December 18^th again at 12.45p.m.

Please note collection of all pupils will be from the school only at 2p.m and 3p.m.

 

Carol Singing:

Please support Carol singers from St. John’s N.S. who will perform a medley of Christmas favourites on Monday, December 21^st:

10.30a.m. – 12 noon in Bank of Ireland and from

1.00p.m. – 2.30p.m. in SuperValu Centre, Kenmare.

All proceeds collected will be donated to Cork Simon Community Homeless Fund / Local St. Vincent de Paul.

We would really appreciate your support.

Carol singers have also provided Carol singing entertainment for Kenmare Community Hospital during the past week.

 

 

 

 

Road Safety Calendar Winner:

Congratulations to Adomas Narusis in Sixth Class whose art work was chosen to be included in Kerry County Council’s Road Safety Calendar 2016. Adomas is travelling to Tralee today Wednesday, December 16^th for the launch of this calendar. He will receive an individual prize and calendars for all his class.

 

Setanta Book Club:

Sincere thanks to all parents who purchased books from Setanta book club. By buying books not only have you assisted us in promoting reading in the school but as a result we have received book rewards to the value of €470. Books purchased with these vouchers have stocked libraries in our two new classrooms. Many thanks again and Happy Reading.

 

M.S. Readathon:

Well done to all our pupils in 1^st and 4^th classes who took part in the recent M.S. Readathon. The final amount collected was €1,893 and 10% of this is retained by the school and will go towards funding of class reading resources.

This was an exceptional amount in view of the present financial climate. Many thanks to all! Pupils who collected money will be receiving prizes in the near future and the school will also be entered for prizes in a nationwide draw. Many thanks to school co-ordinator Evelyn Curtis,

to everyone who contributed money and, of course, to the pupils for reading hundreds of books. This has its own benefits and we hope that the reading will go on into the future. We continue to encourage you, your friends and relatives to give books as presents this Christmas.

 

Active Schools:

The school is well into its process of applying for an “Active Schools Flag’ which promotes and recognises sporting activities within the school and its community. This is a whole school approach to physical activity. This year we have participated in “Super Troopers” from Junior Infants to 6^th class. This encourages children to partake in physical activity daily. Spikeball is up and running again this year for 5^th and 6^th classes and is proving very popular.

We will keep you informed of the new and upcoming initiatives.

 

 

Parents Association:

The Parents Association are currently distributing pupil designed Christmas Cards which they have organised throughout the school.

Well done to all the hard work of the organising committee. Funds raised will be used to purchase additional P.E. equipment in the school.

The Parents Association have also organised for Santa to visit all our classrooms on Monday, December 21^st from 10.00a.m. – 11.00a.m.

 

New Board of Management:

The newly elected parent representatives on the Board of Management are Linda Woods and Padraig Rochford. They will join six other Board members representing the patron, teaching staff and school community.

The new Boards term is from December 2015 to December 2019.

 

New Classrooms:

We are delighted that the construction of our two additional classrooms is nearing completion. As a result our two fourth classes will be moving to their new accommodation before Christmas thanks to the efficiency of our building contractors Kenmare Plant Hire who have done a wonderful job in completing the extension ahead of schedule. On completion of the classrooms and associated groundwork we will also be able to regain access to the Junior yard for assembly each morning.

In the coming days we are making the pupils and staff aware of the new entry and exit procedures at school opening and closing times.

Again we would appreciate if pupils only go to the assembly area prior to school opening time. Pupils are well familiar with assembly procedures by this time of year and teacher supervision of pupils is also in place.

We look forward to many happy years of learning in our new state of the art classrooms.

 

On behalf of all the staff and pupils of St. John’s N.S. we would like to wish you a Happy, Holy and Peaceful Christmas and New Year.

 

Many thanks for your co-operation during 2015.                                                                               

 

____________­­­________

Denis Courtney,

Principal & Staff.