ST. BRIGID’S GIRLS’ SCHOOL,

THE PARK, CABINTEELY.

SPRING NEWSLETTER

Dates to Remember :

In-service Training Day                       Monday March 3^rd               School closed to Pupils

Easter Holidays                                     Friday, 14^th March               School closes for Easter Holidays at 11.50a.m.

                                                                Monday, 31^st March            School re-opens after Easter

Reminder Dates for 2^nd and 6^th Classes :

Tuesday, 11^th March                            First Penance – St. Brigid’s Church, Cabinteely  - 7.30p.m.

Wednesday 12^th March                      Service of Light Ceremony – School Hall – 7.30p.m.

Chinese New Year :

Many thanks to Kimberly  and her Dad for arranging a visit from artists from the Sichuan Provence, China.  They presented a wonderful show to mark the Chinese New Year.  Many thanks to our girls who donated €800 to the Charity supporting children’s heart surgery in China.

Green Schools Award :          

Congratulations to all the girls in school and especially the Green Schools Committee, Ms Keane, and all the teachers involved  -we have successfully renewed our Green Flag.  The Transport Initiative is a great success and an ongoing project. Ms. Keane and members of our Green Schools Committee will attend a Reception on Thursday, 28^th February, to formally receive our new Green Flag.

Competitions :

Congratulations to two of our 5^th class pupils, Shauna Griffith and Sophie Sherry, who won the “Design a Postcard” competition for National Day of Languages.  Congratulations too to Ms Kelly who co-ordinated the entries for the competition as part of our “Modern Languages in Primary Schools” programme.

Ms Kelly’s pupils have also entered another European Sponsored Competition “Mandarins and Clementines” and their entry for the Bank Of Ireland “Business in the Community” Competition is almost ready for submission.

Cycling Course :

Our 4^th Class girls are almost finished their Cycling Safety Course. The last day is Monday 25^th Feb.  This course has been a great success and most worthwhile activity. The course ensures that the girls learn how to cycle safely for pleasure, or to school.   The 3^rd classes will commence this course on 10^th March

“Seachtain na Gaeilge”

Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge ag teacht  -  Márta 3^rd – 17^th.

Yes it’s that time of year again, when we really make an effort  to use the “cúpla focail”. Take time to listen to your children read “as gaeilge” and plan to tune in to T.V. 4   Listen to our traditional music and  songs and why not organise a “céilí” ?

Walton’s School of Music are coming to the school with the “Sounds Irish” workshops for the girls from 2^nd – 6^th classes to help us celebrate our Irish Culture and Tradition.

Trek Little Tibet :

Rob Watson, Ellie O’Hara’s dad, Ms. Burke’s Junior Infants, will be  “trekking Little Tibet” in October 2008 in aid of The National Children’s Hospital, Tallaght.  Funds raised from this venture will help  the hospital to purchase vital equipment, support research and development into new and better treatments, in addition to providing small comforts for children during their stay in the Children’s Hospital.   Here in St. Brigid’s we will have a “no uniform day” on  last day of term, Friday 14^th March, to help support this very worthwhile cause.

www.stbrigidsgirlsschool.com

Our school website is up and running. Please keep an eye on the “marquee” (the scrolling text on the home page) as it is up-to-date with school closures etc.  The School Diary is also published on the web, just in case you have mislaid the copies issued at the start of the year.   The website is a work in progress and we are adding gradually to it.  The Parents’ Association Page is also very informative, and includes the standardised holidays, as issued by the Department of Education and Science, for the next three academic years.

Change of Address and Phone Numbers :
Please  let us know if you have changed address, and more importantly landline or mobile phone numbers. Changes should be notified in writing to our Secretary, Ms Toomey, so that our records can be kept up-to-date.  This is vitally important in the event that we need to contact a parent at short notice.

Please Note :

Children are not permitted to bring MP3 / MP4 players or Games Consoles (Nintendo DS etc) into school.  These are expensive items which can be easily mislaid and are better kept at home.  We encourage the girls to interact with their friends on the yard, and not to sit, in isolation, playing games consoles.

An important reminder too – girls may bring mobile phones to school, with their parents permission, and at their own risk.  However, phones must remain switched off and in school bags at all times during the school day.  They may be switched on after school, once off the school grounds, to communicate with parents.  The Class Teacher may authorise the use of the mobile phone in exceptional circumstances. When really necessary, a child can contact a parent by coming to the office and using the school phone, with the permission of the Principal.  Mobile phones should not be kept in coat pockets and should never be taken to the school yard.  Texting, on any device, is strictly prohibited during the school day.

Aedeen Sweeney

Principal

February 2008.