Newsletter - December 2019

16/12/19

Dear Parents/Guardians

It’s the season to be jolly and so just a few items of good news before I write the final chapter!

Colin Murray – Artist

Congratulations once again to Colin Murray our 6^th Class student who won the RTE News2day Christmas Art Competition with the theme “Christmas is for Everyone”.

We were all very excited and proud of him here in Our Lady’s N.S. and of course we submitted our own tribute as he appeared live on T.V.

Taylor Rose Rice – Credit Union Competition Winner

Congratulations to our First Class student Taylor Rose Rice who won a prize  in the recent Credit Union Art Competition.  She won second prize in the Aged 7 and under Category with her beautiful drawing.

J.E.P (Junior Entrepreneur Programme)

I would like to commend and congratulate 5^th/6^th Class who took part in the J.E.P this year, for the first time in Our Lady’s N.S.

This is a very exciting and beneficial initiative which will hopefully develop entrepreneurial and business skills for our students.  There were eight products vying to be the “Big Idea”.  In the end the Dragons agreed that “Planet Pens” was the product which ticked the most boxes.

The brainchild of Colin Murray, Planet Pens are reusable pens made out of recycled materials.

Well done to Colin and his team of Oisín, Emman and Michael.

I would also like to thank Mr Gleeson for all his hard work in encouraging and taking the students through the process.

Thanks also to local business woman Jenny Brewer who was part of the Dragon’s Den panel.

Reminders:

·        Christmas Mass/Raffle , Wed 18^th at 11am in School Hall

·        Non Uniform/Christmas Jumper Day on Thursday and Friday

·        Holidays at 12noon on Friday 20^th.

·        School reopens on Monday, January 6^th 2020

New Staff Arrangements for January 2020

·        Mrs Deirdre Egan – Principal(Jnr/Snr Inf)

·        Mrs O’ Dea - 1^st/2^nd Class

·        Ms Cody – 3^rd/4^th Class

·        Mr Gleeson – 5^th/6^th Class

·        Ms O’ Connor – Support Teacher

·        Ms Fitzgerald – Support (Part-Time)

Final Farewell!

As I bid farewell to Our Lady’s N.S. I would like to thank the many members of my team who worked so hard over the past nine years.

The Board of Management, the amazingly devoted and hard working staff, our very supportive and co-operative parent body, our P.P Fr Quirke who visits regularly, Evelyn our multi-talented cleaner, Pat our caretaker and Michael Kavanagh who so caringly looked after the grass cutting and painting.  They have all contributed to the success and the many achievements of our school.

I was blessed to be surrounded and supported by such a team of people and I want to express my deep gratitude to each and everyone for making the past nine years such a happy, memorable and successful time in my teaching career.

But of course a very important part of Our Lady’s are the students.  I have really enjoyed working with all classes over the years and I have been very proud of their many achievements in Primary and secondary School.

The Slieveardagh Hills and Ballingarry and it’s people will always hold a very special place in my heart and I will always cherish the great memories created and shared over the years.

I would like to once again congratulate my successor Mrs Deirdre Egan and wish her every success as the new Principal.

Finally I want to wish all my school community a very happy and peaceful Christmas and a New Year full of joy and happiness.

Le gach dea-ghuí

__________________

Ms O’ Sullivan - Principal                                           

Members of Board:

Fr Derry Quirke                Sheila O’ Sullivan               Deirdre Egan          Áine McGrath      

Anne Croke                         Willie McGrath                Tom Butler              Tadhg Vaughan