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Our boys are passionate about physical exercise and, thanks to our healthy eating policy and our great parents, they are very aware of the importance of eating properly.
We welcomed the team from Fyffes Fitkids training into our school this week to underline this message: Fitness and Good Food are vital for great health! Every class from 1st through to 6th had great time going through all the exercises with the Fitkids team, listening about the importance of good food. And queuing for their free banana afterwards! Everyone needs great food and fitness! We invited Cyber safety experts, Garda Barbara Kelly and Garda Derek Halligan to chat to our Fifth and Sixth Classes last week.
They had plenty of good advice for everyone.
We have seen a rapid rise in engagement in social media and online gaming by our pupils in recent years. Children as young as Junior Infants are playing games such as Fortnite even though it has an age 12 rating! We have increasing incidents of children sending hurtful comments online or excluding others. Some pupils are also spending an enormous amount of time engaging online to the detriment of their sleep, physical exercise and learning opportunities-and, ultimately, their well-being and relationships. On the plus side, from talking to our pupils this week, we know that very many of them are wise to the dangers of over engagement online. They need the support of their families with this!
There was a distinct smell of pancakes in our school today as many of our classes got cracking with eggs, flour and milk to make some delicious batter! Some resorted to the ready made batter of course but all hands were on deck when it came to adding some favourite traditional and non traditional toppings!
The boys in Ms O'Brien's class favoured maple syrup and blueberries on their pancakes. They also recited this favourite Pancake Day verse. Pancake Day, Pancake Day Hungry we hurry in from play. Teacher will make them as fast as she can. Already she's heating the frying pan. Up and over! There it goes! Mind it doesn't land on your toes. These pancakes are as nice as can be. Lemon juice for you, And jam for me! These two boys brought lots of cheer around to the school staff with their special Valentine's Day goodies. Sam was up at the crack of dawn icing his delicious buns, while Tristan enjoyed a bake off with the rest of Ms Carragher's class when they made red velvet cake in our kitchenette.
It was so lovely to have the aroma of freshly baked madeira sponge wafting through our corridors. And even nicer to enjoy these very special treats! Thanks boys!  We had a lovely evening yesterday when we met with the parents of incoming infants in our school. It was a great opportunity to showcase our school and all that we offer our boys. We were delighted with the turn-out and the feedback we received and are looking forward to working together over the next eight years.
The evening also marks that first step in parents and staff working together and in building those bonds for the good of the next generation. Our next step now is to meet the new pupils with their parents and with that in mind we have organized dates for the next term to give them a chance to see the school in a small group setting. These mini-tours will commence in the first week after Easter. They will take place each Wednesday at 11.30am from the 22nd April right through May. Our experience of these school visits in the past are that they help allay any concerns the children may have in advance of starting school and are also an opportunity to share information and tips which may help their parents. Some of our tours have been booked up. But there is a little availability on the 22nd April and also on the 13th and 27th of May. If you are a parent of an incoming pupil and would like to view our school please email office@donacarneyschool.ie A sincere word of thanks to all of our `new`parents. The journey has begun and we are looking forward to the road ahead. All roads led to Drogheda Institute of Further Education on Friday evening, as the crowds poured in for the annual Credit Union Quiz. This is always an exciting evening with schools from all over Drogheda and East Meath taking part. Two competitions run side by side with the Senior Competition having two extra rounds of questions at the end of the evening.
And what an end there was to the evening! As the scores were announced it was clear to everyone that our junior team had come out on top to be clear winners! Then scores for the Senior team were then announced. In an unusual twist there were seven teams all tied on a score of fifty five points for third place. But, with just one point between them and second place, our Senior Team were also declared winners! The boys had bagged us a double first! The secret of the boys success is just that- a secret! Suffice to say the eight boys worked very hard with their teachers on their general knowledge and on quiz technique. And had worked equally hard at home with their parents and families. We are immensely proud of their achievement on Friday evening. They go on to represent us again in the next round of the competition Friday 7pm in the Pillo Hotel, Ashbourne. St Brigid's Day is celebrated on the 1st of February. Our boys in Gliondar Mara have enhanced their corridor with a stunning picture of the great saint spreading her cloak over the lands of Kildare.
Meanwhile Fifth Class have a huge selection of Monaghan rushes from which to fashion St. Brigid's Crosses. The making of the crosses reminds us of the legend where St. Bridget attended a dying chieftain and spoke to him about Jesus, making a cross from the rushes which lay on the floor of the chieftain's house. And, before he died, the chieftain converted to Christianity. St Brigid's Crosses were traditionally hung by the door and in the rafters of homes to protect the house from fire and evil. After a new one is made, and the old one is burned to protect the house from fire. |
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