Clarecastle NewS
“ I have come so they may have life and live it to the full” April 2019
natIonaL aWarD In students from 120 schools in 18 Important counties across Ireland took part InteL mInI-sCIentIst Dates in the competition since last CompetItIon September. The Grand Final April 12th 2019 Three Fifth Class students brought together the top 23 School closes at 12noon achieved wonderful success at projects from across the country for Easter Holidays the Intel Mini Scientist Grand and was filled with innovative Final which was held on and imaginative projects, put th together through months of hard th Tuesday March 5 in Maynooth April 29 2019 University. work. The judges, after a very School re-opens. difficult task of deliberation, Parents Week selected the winning projects. and Technology Week The hard work and commitment shown by Addison, Freya and
th Clara was praised by the judges May 4 2019 Clara Powell, Addison in each round of the competition First Holy Communion O’Loughlin and Freya Starr and led to their wonderful at 11am Amran were awarded the ‘Most achievement. Innovative Idea’ Award with
th their project ‘The Solar Powered May 6 2019 Car’. The girls demonstrated Bank Holiday - School how solar power works by VIsIt from mInIster Closed making a solar powered car. jIm DaLy tD
They qualified to bring their On February 12th, Jim Daly TD
project to the Grand Final in and Minister of State at the May 20th to 24th 2019 December. In each round of the Department of Health visited the Healthy Eating Week competition, Freya, Clara and school. He was joined by Mr Joe Addison exhibited their project Carey, TD and by Councillor June 3rd and 4th 2019 which included a visual display, Paul Murphy. School Closed a project book and a Having been made aware of the demonstration of their solar Internet and Technology powered car for a panel of Agreement, which provides June 17th to 21st 2019 judges. guidelines on best practice on Active Schools Week the use of technology by children and gives resources to parents to help monitor and th June 28 2019 secure their child’s use of School closes at 12 noon technology, by his cabinet for summer holidays colleague, Joe Carey TD, he decided to visit the school to further discuss the agreement August 29th 2019 and to address pupils in the School re-opens school. He was welcomed to the The entire school community are school by the Student Council. The Trad Group enhanced the very proud of the girls’ achievement as almost 8,000 welcome with some lovely tunes. He then proceeded to the how to do so, please contact the condition in your home, it would School Library where members school office after Easter. be greatly appreciated if you of the Learning Squads would donate them to the demonstrated some of the sUrVey on school. Before dropping them in, technological equipment being please check on used throughout the school. LIteraCy anD IrIsH www.arbookfind.co.uk to ensure Members of the Board of A survey for each pupil was sent that they can be added to the Management joined parents, to parents on Literacy and Irish stock in the school library. staff and children from Third to via SurveyMonkey. The Similarly, if there are school Sixth Class in the School Hall to response rate has been excellent uniforms in good condition that hear Minister Daly praise the and the results will be very are no longer needed in any initiative and the foresightedness useful for the school. The household, please drop them of the school and of the Board of feedback will be analysed after into the school. Management with the guidance the Easter holiday. If you have and assistance of Dr Maureen not yet completed the survey, we Griffin, Forensic Psychologist invite you to do so over the Green sCHooLs and Director of MGMS Training holidays. We have decided to Clarecastle NS has applied for Ltd. in devising the Agreement. leave it open until we return on its sixth Green Schools’ Flag th 29 April. The survey should be based on the theme ‘Global in your email Inbox but if you Citizenship – Litter and Waste’. cannot find it, it might have On March 14th, a visit to the gone into Promotions or Spam. school was conducted by a staff
He also sought permission from member of the Environmental Department at Clare County Mr Moloney to bring the parents Internet and Technology Use Council, on behalf of An Taisce. Agreement to the attention of an assoCIatIon This visit was part of the assessment process to ascertain interdepartmental working The Sensory Room has been if the school should be awarded group, with the view to completed and is a most the flag. Members of the Green implementing similar enjoyable and relaxing area for Schools Committee guided the agreements in schools students to visit. Thanks to the visitor around the school. They throughout the country. continued commitment and discussed the work of the His visit was completed with a fundraising from the Parents committee and shared their performance by the School Association for all their work in knowledge on the various Choir. Minister Daly thanked furnishing this valuable and projects that had been completed and praised the children for their much needed space. wonderful performances and for over the past two years. the warm welcome shown to Classes were also visited as part him. of the assessment and pupils were questioned on associated Thanks also to all those who project work and on their contributed to the recent Cash knowledge of the theme. Fifth aLaDDIn ConneCt for Clobber collection. A large Class enjoyed performing their Just over 70% of parents have collection of ‘clobber’ was ‘Green Schools Bop’ which was signed up to Aladdin Connect, gathered which will raise written by Thehan Jayasinghe.. an App on your phone through welcome funds for the school. which you receive information Please have a look around at about your pupil and the school. home during the Easter break for School reports will only be any school library books which circulated by Aladdin Connect have been read by your child The work, knowledge and this year – they cannot be and return them to the library in interest shown by the children emailed due to GDPR the new term. on the Green Schools regulations. If you have not Committee was commended on done so, please set up the App the day, as was the amount of on your phones and if you have projects completed and the any difficulty or questions on If there are any unwanted interest and knowledge of the children’s books that are in good pupils throughout the school. Members of the Green Schools They learned all about the cook and taste the fruits of the Committee are: Darragh importance of pollination in the work! O’Callaghan, Lauren Cusack, lifecycle of plants. They Lee Moloney, Caoimhe Parry, observed a map of the school Molly Potter, Liam Lynch, grounds and discussed areas Marcus Sheahan, Cathal within the school grounds where Murphy, Carly McDonagh, additional plants could be sown Keeva Moloney, Elliot Madden, to aid pollination. Robyn Tuohy and Harry The Green Schools Committee Morrisroe. travelled to Irish Seed Savers in The school motto for this green Scariff on April 4th. They had flag is: the opportunity to see the CoICís na GaeILGe Pollution! Pollution! organic seed gardens and the Bhí Coicís na Gaeilge ar siúl ón Let’s find a solution! heritage orchards. Activities on 1-17ú Márta. Bhí a lán imeachtaí the day included seed sowing, a ar siúl sa scoil i rith na coicíse treasure and plant hunt, plant chun na páistí a spreagadh chun CyCLe traInInG identification and a woodland an Ghaeilge a úsáid go minic The Green Schools Committee trail. A most enjoyable time was agus go nádúrtha. Bhí organised Cycle Training for had by all. “Taispeántas” ar siúl sa halla ar Fifth Class pupils. This was an 15ú Márta. Bhí gach rang ag provided by ‘Cycle Right’ and canadh, ag déanamh ceoil, ag was funded by An Taisce, Clare InCreDIBLe eDIBLes déanamh aithriseoireacht nó ag County Council and the Parents The Green Schools Committee déanamh dráma. Bhí Tráth na Association. registered the school for the gCeist ar siúl freisin do na Agri Aware Incredible Edibles ranganna sinsearacha i rith na initiative. This is a healthy seachtaine. Bronnadh duaiseanna ar na páistí a bhí ag eating programme for Primary Pupils had the pleasure of taking School pupils and encourages déanamh sár-iarracht ag an to their bikes in the school yard schools across the country to get nGaeilge. on Thursdays for four weeks. busy growing carrots, lettuce, Ná déan dearmad cúpla focal a The final session involved a potatoes, strawberries, turnips, úsaíd sa bhaile chomh minic supervised cycle whereby spinach and herbs. agus is féidir. “Beatha an teanga groups left the school grounds í a labhairt.” via the People’s Park and came back to school on the road. It was a great opportunity to build cycling confidence in a Schools are supplied with a safe environment and to develop grow pack which contains competence in road cycling. everything necessary to grow a poLLInator feast of healthy foods. Third Class will focus on the WorKsHop initiative and have visited the Fifth Class pupils also had the Community Garden to sow a pleasure of attending a variety of vegetables. They will Pollinator Workshop in the be caring for the food produce in school grounds. This was the coming months. Children in A fortnight of Irish took place in organised by the Green Schools Senior Infants and First Class the school from 1st to 17th Committee and was provided by have also been busy sowing fruit March 2019. There were many Irish Seed Savers Association. and vegetables recently. All events in the school to children will have the chance to encourage the children to use observe these fruits and Irish frequently and naturally. A vegetables growing in the “Taispeántas” took place on coming months. There might March 15th in the school hall. even be a chance for them to Each class sang, played music,
Page 3 recited a poem or performed a participating in a unique choral and their opinions were greatly drama. There was also a Table event which will be held in valued. Quiz for senior classes during Limerick and will see a number the week. Prizes were awarded of schools join together for a to the children who made an fun, non-competitive choral excellent contribution to the workshop day. They are looking Irish language. Don't forget to forward to these upcoming use a few Irish words at home as events. often as possible.
enGIneers WeeK They are now part of the Busy feILe na H-Inse Bee Squads where they will Engineers Week was held from I mbliana, ghlac páistí ó Rang 5 research topics that they would March 11th to 15th. Classes agus Rang 6 páirt sa chomórtas like to learn about and report prepared a variety of interesting Feíle na hInse san their findings to their classes. projects which were displayed aithriseoireacht agus i dTráth na Some topics that were suggested for all to see. Thanks to all the gCeist. D’eirigh go maith leo. were sports, World War II and parents who volunteered to visit even chocolate! They have classes and to share their researched chocolate and will expertise, knowledge and advice visit classes to share a few about working in the interesting facts and reward each engineering industry. class with an Easter egg to
raffle. They are also busy deciding on This year, children from 5th and th their summer fundraiser which 6 class took part in recitation will take place in June. Last and in the quiz at the Féile na year’s Crazy Hair Day was a hInse Competition. Well done to great success and the proceeds the pupils who represented the paid for a tasty visit from an ice school. cream truck and K-nex.
steam sCHooL CHoIr stUDent CoUnCIL The Students Council have Thanks to the generosity and The school choir have been very created a rota for the use of support of Roche Ireland, the busy learning new songs in the hula-hoops in the yard at school has been in the position past two months. They lunchtime. They also make sure to purchase another bank of performed for Junior Minister that all the basketballs and iPads. There are now 34 iPads Jim Daly and also sang at the footballs are pumped. available for pupil use and each Grandparents' Mass in early A suggestion was made by the mainstream teacher has been March. council to have learning allocated their own class iPad. homework only on Thursdays. Knockanean National School This was accepted by all have teamed up with us, which teachers and is currently being provides the opportunity to visit implemented on a trial basis. and share ideas during the Teachers will review this after school year. the Easter holidays.
They are currently undertaking their biggest challenge yet - they are learning a four part piece Micro:bits have also been which will be performed as part of their repertoire at Féile an Consultation took place with the purchased and the learning tSamhraidh choral competition Student Council regarding the squads are beginning to explore in Midleton, Co. Cork in May. Internet and Technology these with the view to showing The choir will also be Agreement and school policies, classes how they work. parents WeeK A School Support Team has recently been established. This Parents Week will be held from team is available to children April 29th to May 3rd. Parents who wish to talk to an adult working in a variety of different about any worries they might enterprises have volunteered to have. come and talk to different classes about their particular ConfIrmatIon career. National Technology marIon Keane Congratulations to the pupils in Week will also be marked BasKetBaLL Sixth class who received the during that week. toUrnament Sacrament of Confirmation on February 15th. They were a The girls and boys in Sixth Class credit to their families on the participated in the Marion Keane day and were complimented by Basketball Tournament in Ennis Bishop Fintan Monahan. National School in February.
They played Ennis National Many thanks to the parents who School, Holy Family National gave their time to prepare and aCtIVe sCHooLs School and Gaelscoil Mhíchíl provide the very welcome Cíosóg. The boys had a good refreshments in the School Hall WeeK win against the Holy Family. after the ceremony. Active Schools Week will be th st Well Done to all who played on held from June 17 to June 21 . the day! Children will be given the aCCeLerateD opportunity to take part in a variety of physical activities CUmann na reaDer while having fun. Sports Day Since September, pupils from st mBUnsCoIL will be held on Friday, June 21 . First to Sixth Class have read 9,246 books and approximately Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Class 85 million words. It is possible boys and Fifth and Sixth Class that last June’s record of 10,500 girls participated in the Mini books will be broken this June!! th Sevens in Gurteen on March 26 Continue to remind your child to st and on April 1 . Third and read during the Easter holidays. Fourth Class boys attended a stUDent WeLLBeInG schools blitz in January in Healthy Eating Week will be Gurteen. held from May 20th to May 24th. Well Done to all students Children will be encouraged to involved! bring healthy lunches to school and the emphasis will be on eating fruit, vegetables and sCHooLs soCCer healthy sandwiches. Healthy Four teams entered the Clare Happy easter to foods should be part of every Schools soccer competition this child’s daily diet as it promotes week. Two girls’ teams and two aLL! wellbeing and enhances a boys’ teams travelled to Lees Mr Moloney and all the staff in child’s ability to concentrate at Road and had a most enjoyable the school wish you all a very school. day. Two teams won their Happy Easter. Enjoy the break matches and are through to the and we’ll see you all again on th next round in early May. Well April 29 . done to all and wishing the winning teams the best of luck in the next round!