As we come to the end of a busy and rewarding term, we look back on a wonderful December filled with festive cheer. Our Christmas shows and carol service were highlights of the season, showcasing the hard work and talent of our pupils, while our school fundraisers brought the community together in the true spirit of generosity. Thank you to everyone who supported these events and helped make the end of term such a memorable and joyful time for our school.
Christmas Performances
A huge congratulations to all of the girls at St Brigid’s who took part in their Christmas shows this year. A special thank you to their teachers and SNAs who helped prepare them for their performances. Thank you to all the parents who attended the shows on the day. We truly appreciate those who took time off work during this busy season to support the girls.
Fifth and Sixth Classes rehearsed extensively, particularly this month, in preparation for their Carol Service. The boys from St Brigid’s visited our school to rehearse, and our pupils then enjoyed a special visit to their school. On 16 December, both schools came together for a Carol Service in Foxrock Church. It was a huge success. A special thank you to Mrs Gillan, Ms McCarthy and Ms Morris for preparing the pupils for this special evening. Thank you to all who attended.
Ms. Barr’s Class visit to Bread 41
Ms Barr’s Second Class had a wonderful time singing Christmas carols at Bread 41. The children brought festive cheer to everyone there and were delighted to be warmly welcomed. A special thank you to Bread 41 for the delicious cookies afterwards. It was such a lovely treat and made the visit even more enjoyable.
St Vincent de Paul Hampers & Shoebox Appeal
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who generously donated items for St Vincent de Paul and supported our Shoebox Appeal. Your kindness and generosity are greatly appreciated and will make a meaningful difference to families and individuals in our community at this time of year. Thank you for your continued support and for helping us share the true spirit of giving.
School Fundraisers
A big thank you to everyone who sold raffle tickets and supported our school raffles. Your time, energy, and enthusiasm are greatly appreciated and played a huge part in making these events a success. Congratulations to all of our lucky winners, and thank you to everyone who took part.
Our Festive Fun Day took place on Saturday 6 December at the boys’ school. Thank you to them for kindly facilitating the event. It was a wonderful day, full of festive cheer for all the children. Like the raffles, this event forms part of our major fundraising efforts for both schools, and the funds raised make a significant difference to the resources and experiences we can provide for your children. We sincerely appreciate the continued support of all our families and the wider school community.
Advent
Throughout the school, the children took part in a variety of Advent activities to mark this special season. They used Advent calendars, learned about the significance of the Advent wreath, and took part in discussions about the true meaning of Christmas. These activities helped pupils across all classes reflect on the values of kindness, generosity, and giving, and brought the whole school community together in joyful anticipation of the festive season
Parent Association Christmas Message
As this school term comes to an end the PA would like to express their sincere thanks. We had a few Christmas fundraising events in recent weeks and they could not have happened without your support…
The Christmas cards have hopefully arrived to all families. This raised €3,711. A big thank you to Aisling and Alison for all their hard work on these
The raffle took place on Friday. Congrats to all the lucky winners! This raised €19,870. Thank you so much to all who donated prizes, to everyone that bought and sold tickets and the terrific raffle team themselves: Helen, Emma, Catherine, Louise and Maria
The festive fun day last week was a great day and we hope it was enjoyed by all. We raised €7,792. So many people helped with this. We’d like to thank the two schools, Mr Flood and Ms Carroll, Barry and the class teachers for giving up their rooms. Thank you to Denise from Dizzy Feet and the Roche and O’Neill families who donated festive food and drinks. Thank you to parents who donated bottles for Barry’s Wheel, the volunteers who kindly gave up their time on the day and everyone who supported by coming with their festive spirit, it was lovely
So all in all this term the parents of the school have raised a whopping €31,373. This will go towards vital supports for the schools and our children. So thank you thank you
Lastly the PA committee are made up of a small but mighty group of parents, without whom none of the above is possible. So a big thank you to Clair, Elaine, Jane, Naomi, Judy, Emma, Helen, Aoife, Olivia
We wish everyone a peaceful and merry Christmas
Natasha and Anne-Marie (Co-Chairs)
Dates for your Diary
Dates for Your Diary | |
5th January | School reopens after the Christmas break |
12th January | Wellbeing Talks with Fiona Forman |
14th January | 5th Class Grandparents’ Day |
26th-29th January | Junior Infant Parent Teacher Meetings |
Value of the Month
6th Classes showcased their artwork and projects from the term to the various classes. They were proud to show their hard work.
Knitting in 5th Class
Throughout the lead-up to Christmas, Ms. Mcarthy/Ms. Gavin’s 5th Class took part in a lovely knitting project, creating festive Christmas wreaths along with a range of decorations, scarves, hats and snoods. Each Thursday afternoon, mothers and grandparents joined the group, helping to create a warm, welcoming and wholesome atmosphere.
The sessions were thoroughly enjoyed by all involved and proved to be a very worthwhile activity. As well as producing beautiful handmade items, pupils had the opportunity to learn a new skill and share special moments with family members.
Christmas Baking
Say Yes to Languages
This year’s ‘Say Yes to Languages’ programme concluded in December with great success. The girls in 5th and 6th classes were very fortunate to have Sylvia, a native Spanish speaker, guiding them through Spanish in a fun and interactive way. Alongside learning the language, they explored Spanish culture and even used music as a lively and engaging tool to enhance their learning experience.
Christmas STEM
Special Visits
Forest School this Term
Christmas Reading 2025
Santa Claus likes to fill those Christmas stockings with books so here are some useful websites he uses to help him choose:
Children’s Books Ireland The section “Our Recommendations” will allow you to filter your search according to age, theme and genre.
RTÉ Christmas themed books as recommended by Ruth Concannon of Children’s Books Ireland
RTÉ best Irish children’s books of 2025
The Five Finger Rule is a useful tool for gauging whether or not a book is at a suitable level for your child. Read about it here.
Click here for information on Barrington Stokes books which are a dyslexia-friendly choice.
General advice for when children are reluctant to read books:
- Connect to their interests: Find books, magazines or online articles about dinosaurs, sports, coding or whatever they love. NatGeo Kids and Little Kids are beautifully produced magazines for those children who prefer fact-based reading.
- Explore different formats: audiobooks, graphic novels, comics and even instructions for building models count as reading.
- Read aloud together.
- Model reading: let them see you reading for pleasure (books, news, recipes) and talk about what you’re reading.
- Control and choice: let them choose books at the library or bookshop.
- Create routine and environment: A dedicated, cosy reading corner can make it feel special.
- Use technology wisely: Apps, e-books or reading websites can be engaging.
- Watch and read: Read the book after watching the movie or vice versa.
Christmas Artwork around the School
We would like to wish all of our pupils, families, and staff a very lovely Christmas and a happy New Year. We hope you enjoy a peaceful and joyful festive season, filled with time spent with loved ones. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school in the New Year, ready for another term of learning, fun, and community.