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Today, as this term draws to a close we hope all our families can gather today to enjoy the holiday season in peace and health and to reflect on the best parts of the year gone by.

We’ve enjoyed a great term in school and are grateful to so many people for making this possible, parents, staff and especially our pupils. The boys have been real troopers right from the start, sticking to the rules which keep them safe, embracing all that school has to offer.

And every class did sterling work today preparing their books and classrooms for the next term.

That new term begins on Thursday 6th January. We have opted not sent home the books for Christmas, but instead have the books sorted, boxed and ready to be collected if a stint of remote learning is called for in the New Year.

Our enrolment process for September 2022 has now closed. With many houses nearing completion in various estates around our school, we have had many enquiries for enrolments next term. The enrolment application process can me  started by emailing us on office@donacarneyschool.ie.

Meanwhile, we are looking forward to meeting the Junior Infants of September 2022 and their parents next term. Late applications for these classes can also made via our office.  Places for our classes for children with ASD will be offered to pupils on the waiting list for those classes.

Given the number of pupils walking to school from the Church Road end, we are delighted to hear this term that children from Whitefields estate will have a new pathway in the near future. This should considerably ease the risks and expenses involved in getting children to and from school in this area.

Unfortunately we could not host our Christmas concert this year but are delighted with the Christmas compliation video that Ms McWeeney and Ms Mullen coordinated for our families' viewing pleasure!

Luckily, the publication of our annual school calendar has gone ahead. It has been eagerly supported by our sponsors and wonderfully co-ordinated by Mrs Eimīle Byrne. And copies have been flying out the door in the past week!

Finally, it just remains for me to say, on behalf of all our staff

Nollaig shona dhaoibh go léir! Wishing you all the blessings of the season and looking forward to seeing the boys again on January 6th!

Head along to Twitter for more updates on our school this term.

After seven weeks of school, we celebrated our achievements and work with two assemblies- one for the Infants and a second one for First through to Sixth class. A very special presentation from the boys in Sixth class added enormously to the occasion, as they regaled their audience with some of the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries.
Meanwhile the Infant Assembly was presided over by Cruella de Ville, a.k.a. Mrs Quinn.
Yes, Friday is fancy dress day too, with many Halloween inspired outfits on display. Some of our pupils prefer not to engage with any Halloween traditions and so opted to wear their uniforms or favourite football jerseys.
Now, let’s hope they’re all having a healthy and enjoyable break!

From watching our little ones settle into Junior Infants....

..to being with the boys in Gliondar Mara as they worked on their Pumpkin Patch....

...to celebrating with the Meath Minors...

...and taking all kinds of classes outdoors...

…and having Mornington Preschool Playgroup visit us…

We've really enjoyed these last few weeks!

Follow us on Twitter for more updates @donacarneybns

We were delighted to celebrate the First Holy Communion with our very patient Third Classes and Gliondar Mara yesterday!  Mr Duffy and Ms Smith were disappointed when the planned ceremony could not go ahead last year. But they were delighted to join the boys and their Third Class teachers and welcome the families into Mornington Church for this very important Mass.

It was a different ceremony from previous years as the congregation had to adhere to public health guidelines, but it was, if anything, all the more emotional and reverent because of that. The First Holy communicants sat with their families and prayed together and Joanne Kierans delighted, as always, with her wonderful music.

Fr Joseph encouraged parents to continue to hand on their faith to their children and reminded the congregation of Mass times in the parish.
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Our Junior Infant classes have settled in wonderfully. They-and their Mams, Dads and carers-are adapting well to the school routines. Our photos show them engaging in free play and story time. They have also enjoyed playing in the Infant yard, PE in the big yard. And they have also had two fire drills this week! 

The sun beamed down on our June Assembly yesterday as we gathered to celebrate great work and great improvement in our school.

Over the course of the day we held three assemblies. We encouraged them to keep up their fitness, praised them for their excellent co operation and play in the yard, and urged them to continue reading and playing outside over the summer holidays.

The Student of the Year awards were presented to pupils in every class, along with awards for Most Improved Student and for Best Effort.

It's been a challenging year for all. But this is always time to appreciate everyone else. The boys thanked their teachers, and special needs assistants, they gave themselves a rousing applause and promised to thank their families on their return home.

Here's hoping they remembered!

A lot of you know Joe's story already. He's committed to running 10km every day for a year in aid of Crumlin Children's Hospital.

Joe's goal is ever closer. He started out on this mission on July 1st 2020 and now, over 3,500km later he's on the countdown to the end.

He was the perfect inspiration for Ms McBride's Sixth classes when they arrived in the Lourdes Stadium Drogheda to try out their running on the track there.

Our other inspiring guest was Mrs Olivia Bennett. Member of our Board of Management, founder member of Colmcille's Athletic Club and a familiar face at marathon meets, Olivia spoke to the boys about her athletic club and presented them with medals.

The medals acknowledged the boys own interest in running. Our Run Around Ireland initiative, organized by Mrs Byrne, saw Ms McBride's class win the coveted trip to the Lourdes Stadium.

They had lots of questions for Joe after he spoke to him about his year of adventures. Spinach and salmon and strength work are the secrets of his running success. After completing a warm up led my Olivia, he and the boys set out on a nice easy trot around the track.

Best of luck over the last few days of your running challenge Joe!

Oh what a talented bunch we have in our parent body! And generous too!

Arlene Smyth, Mum to Noah, came to our school to lead our four infant classes in four free dance sessions. Socially distanced in our huge hall, they had the perfect venue-and a truly inspiring teacher!

Arlene has been dancing since she was six years old. She's a qualified dance teacher and runs the Theatre Learning Centre in Artane. 

​We're really keen on dance and performance for our boys. It builds fitness and confidence, along with developing new interests.  Our Junior and Senior Infants certainly had lots of fun! Definitely something we'd love to see in our school when after school activities resume!

Click on the file below for more information on Arlene and her classes.

Thank you Anne Marie Nulty for gifting our two sixth classes with complimentary Drama lessons today! They both thoroughly enjoyed the fun of performing and working together, under your direction.

Some of our boys have been students of Anne-Marie for a few years and all have missed out this year on this enjoyable and beneficial after school activity. So Friday's session was a good chance for our students to tune back in to these drama sessions albeit for a shorter period than they would previously have enjoyed.

Anne-Marie Nulty has been teaching speech and drama for 20 years and she has been teaching at Réalt Na Mara for the past 9 years. Her classes are designed to give each child confidence, not only on the stage but in life. This is taught through plays, poetry, mime, movement to music, improvisation, speech exercises and drama games. 

Each term consists of 8 weeks, with 4 terms throughout the school year. Classes will resume when it is safe to do so.  And we really hope that her after school drama schedule will run again from September.

You can contact Anne-Marie on 0876071856.

Check our “Anne-Marie’s school of speech and drama” on Facebook.