Scealta Scoile! Meitheamh 2015 It’s Summertime! School’s Out! Marymount Hospice Our rang a sé pupils gave us yet another reason to be proud by making a wonderful Confirmation commitment to improving the gardens around nearby Marymount Hospice. Gardening gloves, buckets, forks and hoes were to be seen in action on Friday mornings during the final term, in what is a heart-warming example of how young people can be a force for such good. Aside from the spectacular transformation of the beds and planted areas around Marymount, not to mention the addition of hundreds of euros worth of beautiful flowers, paid for by a cake-sale organised by the pupils, their lively presence around the facility was welcomed and enjoyed immensely by the community there. Sincere thanks to our trusty band of rang a sé parents who did so much to facilitate this work. Is álainn agus is iontach an saothar a deintear i Marymount. New Infants Induction Day / Ár Naonáin Nua The school welcomed in glimpse of “big school” while excess of forty incoming parents enjoyed a welcome junior infants to an “cupán tae” in the Scout induction afternoon recently. Den, courtesy of our PA. Ms. Cullen & Ms. Hourihan Céad fáilte romhaibh go gave their new recruits a very Scoil Bhailenóra, a pháistí warm Ballinora welcome agus a thuistí! and gave the children a Scoil Bhailenóra, Waterfall, Cork. Keep up to date with all the latest news and Tel: 021-4871664 information on our school website. E-Mail: [email protected] Ballinorans.ie or scan the QR code using a Twitter: @SBNORA smart phone. Many of my friends and colleagues willSúil know SiarRang a sé exit the stage next week with that I’m a fan of Twitter. My wife certainly does! pastures new awaiting them. Their time among A few years ago, I started a school Twitter us gave us cause to be very proud of them on account and in the section where you briefly many occasions, not least recently when they describe your organisation, I said of Scoil gave so much of themselves to Marymount Bhailenóra that it is “a happy, happening place”. Hospice. Go dté sibh slán a cháirde, agus go If I were asked to backup that assertion, n-eirí go geal libh. I might well produce this edition of Scéalta Scoile as proof! Brand new pastures of a different sort also await us all during the coming year, however! The briefest of glances through the pages of Our extension is rapidly taking shape and will our latest offering reveals many happy children welcome its first residents early in 2016. engaged in a myriad of activities. Children learn best when they’re happy and we try to We wish you all a long and sunny summer. do “happy” and “happening” a lot in our school. Re-charge those batteries and we’ll meet again It requires effort, energy and needs everyone in September for another happy, happening pulling in the same direction. Thankfully, we year, le cúnamh Dé. Bíodh samhradh have teachers, pupils, parents and a Board of sonasach againn uilig! Management who do that very well. Go maire sé i bhfad. I hope these pages reflect the wonderful work of everyone in the school. It’s been a busy year Mícheál Ó with many accomplishments that we can all be proud of. Buíochas ó chroí libh uilig / Thank Draighneáin you all for playing your part in a memorable year. Priomhoide We’re Building! / Cúrsaí Tógála! e Easter holidays nally building fund, which now heralded the beginning of our stands at €50k. Forms building programme. Having which allow those who secured additional funds from contributed during the 2014 the DES to meet the cost of tax-year to claim relief which will relocating prefabs elsewhere on benet the school, have been our school site, two large cranes sent to relevant parents. We moved in during the Easter would be delighted if those holidays and got things moving! in question would complete e project has progressed well and return to the school, in since then, with foundations order to allow the building poured and block-layers on site. fund to benet from the relief It is hoped that the recent ne available. New school parents weather will allow our of incoming junior infants are contractors to maintain their asked to contribute as per the recent rapid progress. information sheet which Many thanks to all existing was dispersed at the recent and recent contributors to our incoming parent information meeting. Communion / Commaoineach Confirmation / Cómhneartú Forty-three rang a dó pupils celebrated the A special day in April saw our Rang 6 pupils receive sacrament of Holy Communion in May. All the Sacrament of Confirmation. In the presence of participated magnificently in a ceremony extended families, teachers and clergy, the pupils which will live long in the memory. Guímís participated in a ceremony rich in symbolism. Guímís gach rath agus beannacht Dé ar ár gach rath ar na páistí a chuaigh faoi lámh Easpaig. ndaltaí uilig. Ár mbuíochas le cuile dhuine Buíochas ó chroí le gach uile dhuine a chabhraigh a chabhraigh. linn. Nár laga Dia sibh. Cúrsaí Creidimh Each year, classes from Rang 2-6 prepare one religious ceremony loosely based around the significant themes in the church year, such as Easter, Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day etc. The ceremonies are popular with the classes, who all sing and participate in solidarity with the organising class and whose parents often come along to witness the effort of the páistí. Cuimhneachán Pioneers / Na Réadóirí Representatives of the local Pioneer Rang a sé pupil Eoin Twohig represented our Assoc. visited our rang a sé pupils following school at a moving service in Ballincollig to the Confirmation ceremony. The mission of remember those from our locality who died in WWI the Pioneer Association is to help build a . Pupils from each of the surrounding schools society where people can live full lives read out the names of the fallen. It is known that without being dependent on alcohol or Jeremiah Henerty, John Mc Carthy and Robert drugs. This year, twenty-four pupils chose to Warner, who all hailed from this area, were killed in take the traditional “pledge” to abstain from action in WWI. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamnacha. alcohol. Athletics Many parents will recall participating as children in what were known in yesteryear as the “City Sports”. Now titled the Cork Primary School Sports, this event still maintains its allure for over 6,000 primary pupils from over 350 Cork schools every year. The 91st edition saw the sports move to the CIT facilities, where thirty-two Ballinora pupils pitted themselves against eight other schools in the highest division of twenty-eight. After six weeks of before-school training, all were well prepared for competition and a number emerged from the individual events with silverware. Our four relay teams also acquitted them- selves extremely well by claiming three third place prizes while our girls senior relay team claimed a magnificent first place in the 4 X 100 mtr. event. Each year the Sports draw to a close with the running of the prestigious County Championship, which sees the 28 winners in each age-grade compete against each other in a “no-handicap” race for the title of County Champion . Clíona Dooley did Ballinora proud by becoming only the third pupil from our school in over ten years to claim the County medal in the U-13 category. Cómhgháirdeas to Clíona and to all of our pupils who represented Scoil Bahilenóra so well. Buíochas chomh maith leis na múinteoirí a d’ullmhaigh na páistí uilig. Oíche Spóirt Our sixth Oíche Spóirt was another resounding success, with large numbers turning out on the balmiest evening in May. As ever, competitors ranging from pre-schoolers to grand-parents and everyone in between, took part in all manner of events which focussed on fun, in the main. We also welcomed back our largest ever cohort of Transition Year past-pupils, whose invaluable help made everything run smoothly. The evening drew to a close amid great excitement as the parents took on the staff in a closely fought tug o’ war! While the jury remains out on who actually won, the staff have retained possession of the annual trophy. Possession is nine tenths of the law!! Scoil Bhailenóra enjoyed an unprecedented which demanded customary Ballinora year on the GAA playing fields. Our triumph at defiance and determination to see us over the the Sciath na Scol hurling and camogie line! The historic “ré órga” (golden era) which finals in CIT of late represented our seventh the school is currently enjoying is the result of successive final win! Our latest raid on the hard work of many, including dedicated Sciath na Scol silverware saw ár gcailíní blitz teachers, Ballinora GAA youth development Whitechurch NS in the camogie final, having coaches, and our joint school/club skills gone through the league section undefeated, programme. Go maire sé i bhfad! Heh “King while ár mbuachaillí got the better of Gaelscoil Henry”, we’re closing in on the “Cats” record! Charraig Uí Leighin in a pulsating encounter Bailenóra abú! Infant Sports Day / Lá Spóirt na Naonáin Our infant classes were treated to their annual Fun Day in the GAA pitch of late. Ms. Cullen and Ms. O’ Mahony laid on all sorts of fabulous attractions for the páistí, including no less than TWO bouncy castles, a disco with a DJ, games and activities! Ba mhór an craic a bhí ag gach éinne – idir daltaí agus daoine fásta! School Tours / Turasanna Scoile The more things change, the more they stay the same….For generations of Irish school children, “school tour” day was without doubt, the highlight of the year and nothing has changed! This year, classes charted a course for various destinations and had the proverbial “ball”! Green Schools Our Green Schools commitments continue to see us all make efforts to preserve our environment for future generations.