Denise the photographer came to our school yesterday. She works for The Drogheda Leader and wanted to take photos of our Junior Infant classes for the newspaper. It was a tough assignment for Denise. Everyone was excellent at getting into position but after that, getting everyone to say "Cheeeeese!" while looking at the camera and all at the same time was tricky!

​But Denise persevered. And got lovely photographs of the Junior Infant classes, their teachers, Ms Rice and Mrs Martin and SNA Adrienne! Can't wait to see them all in The Drogheda Leader!

We were delighted when Mrs Quinn announced that the Garda Band would be visiting us at the start of the new school year. And, after a busy September, the live music session was just what we need to encourage us all in our musical ambitions!.

The Garda Band travels all over the country entertaining a wide range of communities. One member, Helen Doyle happens to be a mam to one of our pupils, so she took a special interest in playing for our school. 

A rousing and entertaining programme on the day, included such favourites as Sponge Bob Square Pants, Ghostbusters, The Pink Panther and-a chance for the saxophone to shine-the Theme Tune from The Simpsons.

The whole school delighted in the music. And hopefully, the performance will add now to the ambition of our pupils as they get ready for another year of music in school. Preparations are already steaming ahead for our Christmas concert in December, third classes will be taking tin whistle lessons from Mrs Quinn, while Ms Milne and Ms McWeeney are tuning up our brand new ukeleles for their lessons with Fifth Class.

Thanks to Mark Wilde, conductor and the Garda Band for their inspiring performance and to Mrs Quinn and Mrs Helen Doyle for making it all happen!

Our giant footprint track is proving just as popular as ever after the summer break.  The track marks a 500 metre track around our school and the boys make the most of it whenever they can, knowing that four laps marks one kilometre. 

Running is a simple way to build fitness and the benefits of running in schools are evidence based. For us, the emphasis is on fun rather than speed. If children enjoy this activity, they are more likely to stick with it. 

And, as our photos testify, Mr Ryan's class were having lots of fun last week!

Thanks to our Parents`Association and very talented teachers, the creative arts are flourishing in Bunscoil Buachaillí Réalt na Mara!

We are one of the one hundred and fifty schools in the country who have been selected for the Creative Arts Initiative. 

Our boys have enjoyed performing for their parents and the wider school community in our concerts and shows.

And now, this great work is set to flourish with the purchase of thirty four ukeleles by our fantastic Parents' Association! We are deeply grateful for this gift. We are fortunate to have some great musicians on our staff, and this year, Ms McWeeney and Ms Milne will teach ukelele to both fifth classes.

Meanwhile, Mrs Quinn is passing on her musical expertise to the boys in both Third Classes. She will teach tin whistle to both classes. 

Our pictures show Ms McWeeney and Fifth Class boys being presented with ukeleles by the Chairperson of the Parents`Association Mrs Eimear Donnelly, accompanied by Treasurer Mrs Ruth Sherry and Secretary Gemma Carton. Also featured is Ms Milne putting the teachers through their musical paces. 

Both Second Classes, along with their teachers, Ms Smith and Ms Callan, celebrated Roald Dahl day yesterday with a host of Oompa Loompas, Willy Wonkas, Charlies, Twits and Jameses! And, indeed, the author himself!

The boys also brought along their projects on Roald Dahl. It was evident from reading the projects that the boys really enjoyed learning and reading about Roald's life and work.Quentin Blake`s illustrations also inspired some lovely portraits of the writer and his characters.

Well done to all the Mams and Dads who had the unenviable task of finding or devising costumes for the boys! They showed a high degree of creativity and added to the magic and drama of the day!

Mr Lynch`s and Mr Culligan`s classes are currently enjoying their stint of Guided Reading. This methodology involves the class breaking up into groups to have specific instruction with teachers and independent work at various stations.

Reading, and talking about the text are at the heart of every Guided Reading session. Strategies, such as contextual analysis and pre-reading are used to help tease out more challenging vocabulary.

Everyone is expected to engage with the story, thinking critically about the plot, visualizing the story, predicting the outcome and making connections with other stories or their own experience.

Another really important aspect of Guided Reading sessions is that the books are taken home, to be enjoyed again each evening. We really appreciate our parents' involvement with this wonderful work.

Guided Reading is an evidence based strategy for meeting pupils`individual literacy needs and improving their reading skills. And, best of all, our boys just love it.

The spirit of the Cooney Cup prevails as we embark on another year of gaelic football. Our teachers were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the boys as forty five boys turned up for the first early morning training session last week.

The chance to grasp another trophy for the school, and a glory year for them, is the glistening prize to be fought for,

Being on the winning team will take commitment and a long run ahead.  A healthy diet, attendance at training, and a commitment to their school work and fellow classmates are all they need. Along with a little talent and a lot of luck, of course.

Today saw their first match of the season. This was on home turf, against Dunboyne Senior School.And it was a lesson in how to lose. Dunboyne fielded two excellent teams. And while our lads battled manfully, it was not their day. Missed chances at the goal posts left them floundering.

So they have a challenge. Each of them has to put in the work and make the commitment. Eat well, work well, train well and be a respectful team player. All of those skills will take them to the matches, take them to the big prize and further into the future.

Let's have another great GAA year!

A few notices for your attention...
The Family Resource Centre in Bettystown have courses scheduled for this term which would be of interest to all parents and guardians. See the photos here for more details and contact the centre on 041 9812230 or 087 6443364.

CPR training has been organized by Colmcille's GAA club and the Irish Heart Foundation for this Saturday 14th Sept in the girls' school hall. The training is FREE! Each session is one hour long and runs at 10am, 11.30 am and 1 pm. Please register your interest here if you wish to book a place on one of these sessions. The course is for adults only.

Our Parent Teacher Meetings will take place this year on the 20th and 21st November.

Staff training is scheduled for the 22nd of January. Our school will close that day to facilitate this. The training is part of the implementation of the Primary Language Curriculum.

Confirmation in our parish will take place in the Star of the Sea Church on March 5th at 3pm. As before, both the boys and girls schools will work together in preparation for the Sacrament but, with growing numbers in both schools, and the need to accommodate families in the church, the girls will be confirmed at an earlier ceremony that day.