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Art Link

Congratulations to the two girls from 6th class who received Merit Awards for the wonderful pictures they completed titled 'Picture the Moment'. Well done girls, what a great achievement.

Ice Cream Van

We would like to thank Fr. Brendan for organising an ice cream van to dispense cones to one and all on Tuesday. What a treat!

Green School: Travel Games

On Tuesday our pupils engaged in a wide variety of travel games to enhance their concepts of areas in relation to transport. 

Road Safety (Travel Flag)

Some pupils in our school were treated to road safety awards from Mrs Doorey (An Taisce). Congratulations to all our winners!

Travel Flag: Space Travel

All pupils were treated to a special insight about the stars, planets and space travel when Kevin Sweeney from Astronomy Ireland held a demonstration on Wednesday. Astronomy Ireland is the largest national astronomy club in the world and promotes astronomy and space interest and education in Ireland.

Travel Flag: Helicopter Visit

The Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) is Irelands 4th Blue Light service and provides a nationwide maritime emergency organisation as well as a varety of services to shipping and other government agencies. In partnership with the other Divisions of the Irish Maritime Administration the purpose of the IRCG is to promote safety and security standards, and by doing so, prevent as far as possible, the loss of life at sea, and on inland waters, mountains and caves, and to provide effective emergency response services and to safeguard the quality of the marine environment.

The Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) has responsibility for our national system of marine communications, surveillance and emergency management in Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and certain inland waterways. It is responsible for response to, and coordination of, maritime accidents which require Search & Rescue and Counter Pollution & Ship Casualty operations. It also has responsibility for vessel traffic monitoring.

 

Well done ladies on completing the Mini Marathon on Monday 1st June 2015.

The Parents Association, on behalf of the parents, would like to extend a huge thanks to these ladies who gave up their June Bank Holiday Monday to help raise much needed funds for our school.  

Thanks also to everyone who sponsored the following ladies.

Trish Fox                         Sandra White

Margaret Moore              Caroline Ghazouani

Liz Gough                         Hilary McIvor

Caragh Murtagh               Lara McCormack

Ruth Dunican                    Deirdre Cooney

Margaret Cashen             June Fanning

Sarah Travers                 Anne Caffery

Helen Martin                   Deborah O’Sullivan

Jane Andrews                  Lorraine Kavanagh

 

Travel Flag: Map of  our Local Area

A map of our local area was supplied by Meath County Council to help our pupils investigate where all the families in the school currently live. This will act as an incentive to those who live locally to incorporate active travel into their school journey. We would appreciate if all families clearly mark their home on the map. If your home is not located on the map please make reference to this. 

 

Book Fair

Tuesday 19th May 2015 - 1.15 till 2.30pm

Wednesday 20th May 2015 - 1 till 1.30pm

We thank the Parents' Association for organising this annual event.

Trip to Dáil Éireann

An important way to introduce students to our Democratic System is to bring them into Dáil Éireann to see how our Democracy operates.

WOW Day 2015

Though the weather was chilly for the time of year, the showers stayed away so that all participants could enjoy our annual WOW Day. Mr O’ Mahony was delighted that most of the 115 children in St. Patrick’s N.S. participated. Although St. Patrick’s N.S. boasts three Green Flags, a Green Flag for transport is more problematic because most of the relevant decisions are taken outside the school by adults who realise that unsupervised juvenile pedestrians and motor vehicles are an uneasy combination.'This school is making great strides towards a greener and cleaner Ardcath!' according to Mr O’Mahony. All participants were treated to a healthy lunch on their arrival to school.

WOW (Walk on Wednesday, 13th May)

Mrs Susan Doorley (An Taisce) and Ms Friel will meet pupils at the car park opposite St. Mary's Church at 8.45 a.m. Mrs Doorey will present pupils with balloons, stickers and a WOW banner. She will also distribute high vis jackets. Pupils who participate will receive a healthy breakfast on their arrival at school. 

Anti-Bulling Week

Our school is currently involved in the Blue Shield Anti-Bullying Programme. The programme offers a positive and proactive response to bullying in schools. To enhance the success of this programme we are hosting an Anti-Bulling Week from 11th – 15th May. To initiate our Anti-Bullying Week we are launching an anti-bullying slogan competition. Pupils are invited to come up with a suitable slogan which will be displayed prominently in the school and will be used on worksheets, website, etc. We would also like to compliment our Blue Shield Committee who gave their input regarding the review of the school’s anti-bullying policy. There was a very mature discussion and consideration of the issue with some very salient points put forward. The pupils’ input is invaluable in this process as they are the ones ‘on the ground’, who know about the real issues surrounding the problem of bullying and who are seeking solutions that work for them. 

Road Sign Competition Winner

Our Green School committee had a very difficult task during the week selecting the winning entry to their road sign competition. However, after much deliberation, Larry Andrews was selected as this year's winning entry. Congratulations Larry!

Thumbs up to our Anti-Bullying Policy!

Our Blue Shield Committee have given their thumbs up to our school’s anti-bullying policy. The whole school community were consulted in the policy formation process during which the following relevant resource documents and legislation were researched:

Road Sign Competition Entries

We were overwhelmed by the large number of entries to our Road Sign Competition. 

Anti Bullying Week

St. Patrick’s N.S. will host an Anti Bullying Week from 11th-15th May. The issue of bullying will be addressed in all classes and across the curriculum. In accordance with the new 'Guidelines for Post Primary and Primary Schools' we revised our Anti Bullying policy recently. We would like to thank our Policy Review Committee and Board of Management for their input and committment to policy development. 

Anti Bullying

If you would like to report an incident of bullying at our school please click on the link below. This online form allows the reporting of bullying concerns to be made by individuals who may be directly involved in or witness to bullying. 

https://www.ispcc.ie/

Our Shield Committee

Members of the Shield committee were chosen using the random selection method. The “Shield My School” programme is designed to assist schools and wider community groups in responding proactively and positively to bullying behaviours. In recognition of the hard work that schools invest into this programme the ISPCC now awards its “Blue Shield Flag” to schools that complete a strict set of criteria.

The Shield Flag

In recognition of the strong efforts being made by schools in counteracting bullying behaviour, the ISPCC have established The Shield Flag. This award scheme has been developed to publically recognise the efforts of schools who are taking a positive, proactive approach to bullying. Our school is working extremely hard towards being awarded this prestigious flag.

‘Green Friday’ Success!

The result of our recent travel survey showed that on average over 78% of our pupils come to school by car - resulting in traffic congestion at school gates, increased air pollution at school gates as well as safety issues. Therefore, to launch the ‘Green Friday’ Campaign we asked pupils/parents to make the journey to their school a greener and healthier one on 17th April. The results from this day of action were astounding. 82% of pupils participated in the initiative.

Congestion outside the school in the morning and evenings is a concern so we appeal to parents to use our park ‘n’ stride location (area opposite St. Mary’s Church) especially now as the weather is improving. We are looking into more ways to promote sustainable travel options for our school, but in the meantime please try to walk, cycle park ‘n’ stride and car-pool to Scoil Phádraig! We thank all those who participated as this will greatly help in obtaining our fourth green flag. The green flag promotes a positive image of our school; it portrays an energetic and pro-active school community and shows pride in one’s environment and community. 

Road Sign Competition 

Our Green School Committee are busy analysing entries to our competition. Well done to all the pupils who participated. 

Environmental Review

The results from our environmental review were as follows:
 
How our pupils travel to school:
18.8% walk
1.3% cycle
78.8% car
0.0% private school bus
0.0% public transport
1.3% park n' stride.
 
If pupils travelled to school by car or park n'stride 29.7% carpooled and 70.3% did not. 
 
How our pupils travel from school:
15.0% walk
1.3% cycle
82.5% car
0.0% private school bus
0.0% public transport
1.3% park n' stride
 
If pupils travelled from school by car or park n'stride, 44.8% carpooled and 55.2% did not. 
 
Pupils were asked how they would prefer to travel to school and the results were as follows:
22.5% walk
51.3% cycle
2.5% car
13.8% private school bus
5.0% public transport
2.5% park n' stride
 
From the pupils who own or have use of a bike:
80.6% cycle their own bike at home.
98.6% own a helmet
77.8% wear a helmet
34.7% have lights on their bike
72.2% wear a high visibilty vest when cycling.

 

We would like to thank the Parents' Association for hosting the Movie Night on Friday 24th April 2015 in the school, thanks also to all the pupils who attended.  

Total raised from this fundraiser was €310 which was lodged to the Parents' Association account.

 

Road Sign Competition

As part of our participation in the Green School’s programme we are focusing on the travel theme. To enhance this we are promoting awareness of road safety. Young children are especially vulnerable to traffic. They're much shorter, so the world seems a lot bigger, and so a car may seem further away than it really is. Their eyesight and hearing are still developing, so they don't see or hear traffic in the same way as adults. They can't focus quickly, and so may not be able to tell if a vehicle is moving or not. Their language skills are still developing, so they may not know the meaning of unusual words like kerb or pavement. Most of all they can't judge the speed or distance of traffic; it's not unusual for them to think that cars aren't as fast as buses or lorries. For young children, big means fast.

To promote awareness of road safety, we are asking pupils to design and decorate a road safety sign of their own. It can be a circular sign (order), triangular sign (warning) or a rectangular sign (information) on an A4 sheet of paper. Pupils entering the competition should include a short description of what their sign means. The closing date for the competition is Friday, 1st May. 

Map of Our Local Area

We were delighted to receive a map of Ardcath from Meath County Council. Map reading and map drawing are important skills to learn in geography. Young geographers need to be able to understand symbols. All these symbols help us to visualise what things on the ground actually look like.

Most Environmentally Friendly Classroom

Congratulations to Junior and Senior Infants who were awarded the 'Green Boot Award' on Monday. Christian presented representatives from the junior room with their award. 

‘Green Friday’ Survey

Many thanks to Emily and Amy who conducted a survey on Friday, 17th April to analyse how successful our ‘Green Friday’ initiative was. When Emily and Amy analysed the information they concluded that 82% of the whole school population used an environmentally way to travel to school. 

Analysing Our School Building

Our Green School Committee analysed drawings of our school building and discussed ways in which we can reduce congestion at drop off/pick up times. 

'Green Friday' Survey

Our Green School Committee are busy getting prepared for the survey they are conducting on Friday!

Draw Results 2015

1st Prize -  €150      Martin Boys

2nd Prize -  €100      Anna Allison

3rd Prize -  Blanchardstown Vocuher      Joseph Ghazouani

4th Prize -   €50      Brendan McKenna

5th Prize -   Easter Egg & Wine      Catherine Campbell

6th Prize - €30 of Handmade Cards      Lisa McCormack

7th Prize - 2 Hand Decorated Candles      Fabio & Isabella DaSilva

Thanks to all who supported this fundraiser and to those who sponsored prizes.  

Following a Bonus Raffle, Patricia Fox has been successful in obtaining her child’s book rental for 2015/16 paid in full.

Many thanks to our sponsors : Lara mcCormack, Helen Martin, Patricia Fox and Roger Semple.

 

Easter Bakesale

We would like to thank the Parents' Association for co-ordinating the Easter Bakesale.  Thanks also to all who generously supported the event which raised a total of  €441.  Thanks to Ann Kelly for the donation of a lovely Easter bunny cake which was raffled on the day.  Congratulations to Eoin McLoughlin who won the cake and to Caragh Murtagh who won 2nd prize. 

School Uniforms

It is important to wear the full uniform to school every day.

No jewellery/earrings are allowed (watch is permitted).  Please ensure that your child/ren's uniforms are clearly labelled so that they can be identified if lost.  Indoor slippers/shoes should be worn in class.

The current school uniform is as follows:

Girls

Colour

Boys

Blouse

Light Blue

Shirt

Skirt/Pinafore/Trousers

Grey

Trousers

Jumper/Cardigan

Dark Grey

Jumper

Tie

Navy

Tie

·  Jumpers to be v-neck. 

·  Grey jumpers to have a grey school crest which can be purchased from the school at €4 each.

·  Young children cope better with garments having zips rather than buttons.

School Tracksuit

School tracksuit consists of a navy bottom and top and a light blue shirt.  The school crest is embossed on the tracksuit which is purchased from the school.  Alternately you can purchase a navy school crest from the school (€4),

Indoor Shoes

Indoor shoes must be worn and may be left in school during term. Juniors need slip-ons until they are able to tie their laces.

Summer

During summer months pupils are permitted to wear school uniform shorts.       

Uniform days – grey shorts (plain)

Tracksuit day – navy shorts (plain)

Many valuable items are lost in school because they are not labelled.  Therefore we ask you to please put your child’s name on ALL their belongings; lunch boxes, plastic bottles, shoes, slippers, jumpers, cardigans, ties, etc.  This helps children to distinguish their property from that of others.  It also saves valuable class time on dealing with such matters.  Co-operation is requested in ensuring that your child wears the complete uniform to school each day. 

The whole school will participate in a six week gymnastics programme commencing on Wednesday, 15th April 2015.  This course is provided by JAP Sports.  We ask pupils to bring in €1.50 every week for the duration of the course.  The balance of the cost of this programme will be funded by Board of Management.  School tracksuit must be worn.

 

 

Launch of 'Green' Friday Campaign

We are currently working towards obtaining our fourth green flag, the Travel Flag. Travel is the fourth theme of the Green-Schools programme. The Travel theme is funded by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and supported by the National Transport Authority. As part of our Action Plan we have set our own Travel targets, with the ultimate aim of increasing the number of pupils walking, cycling, park 'n' stride, and carpooling which will ease congestion by reducing the number of private cars arriving at the school gates.

By promoting sustainable transport modes (walking, cycling, car pooling), our school will also improve pupils' safety, health and fitness. The journey to school is an ideal way for children to take part in regular physical activity, to interact with their peers, and to develop the road sense children need as pedestrians and cyclists. Alternative modes of transport also improve children's alertness. The schools will also lessen their overall impact on the environment, by reducing emissions and pollution.

With this in mind, we are pleased to announce the launch the ‘Green Friday Campaign’. We are appealing to pupils/parents to make the journey to school a greener and healthier one on 17th April. On that Friday morning, pupils are encouraged to –walk/cycle/scoot, car pool or ‘Park ‘n’ Stride’. Please note the following information:

·         Please discuss road safety with your child prior to Friday, 17th April.

·         Those participating in ‘Park ‘n’ Stride’ may use the car park opposite the church.

·         Pupils participating in any way may wear green clothing instead of their uniform.

·         A survey will be taken on the day and the results will be collated. The ‘greenest’ class will be presented with the ‘Green Boot Award’.

Travel Flag

St Patrick's has an active green school committee. Every two years the committee applies to have its work evaluated and if successful it may be awarded the prestigious award of a green flag by An Taisce. St Patrick's has already been awarded three green flags. One for the theme of recycling, one for the theme of energy and the other for the theme of water. Much hard work went into these projects and a lot of time and effort had to be put in during and outside of school hours. 
 
We are currently working towards our fourth green flag and we are studying the theme travel. As you are now aware, we are working towards obtaining our fourth flag for travel. We cannot do this without your help! Things that you could do to help us win the flag are: 

·        Encourage your child to walk or cycle where possible.

·        Carpool with another family

·        Park and stride 

 
Did you know?
Walking and cycling to school makes children more alert and ready to face the school day than if they had been sitting in a car. Research shows that educational achievement improves in line with increased physical activity. 
 
Did you know?
In Denmark bicycles outnumber cars two to one! This means there is less need for parking spaces or huge roads. 
 
Did you know?
Of the fuel put in the average car 80% of the energy is lost in heat and through the cars exhaust. Only 20 % is used to actually turn the wheels. 

Did you know?
That our 15 principal railway stations are named after leaders of the 1916 Easter rising. How many can you name?

Analysing Congestion at our School

Members of our Green School Committee were busy analysing traffic congestion at our school during peak times. This information will be collated and will form the basis of our action plan. 

A meeting of our policy committee will commence in the school at 2.45p.m. on Wednesday, 25th March. The agenda is as follows:

·        General overview of Plean Scoile.

·        Review of current organisational and curricular policies.

·        Analyse updated policy review timetable.

Literacy Lunch and Mad Hatter Tea Party

Letter from Taoiseach Mr Enda Kenny

Pupils were delighted to receive a letter of acknowledgement from Taoiseach Mr. Enda Kenny for the huge enthusiasm they have shown in their poetry compositions. These compositions will be published in our latest ‘We are Writers’ publication. In the letter Mr Kenny stated:

 

‘It is a fantastic opportunity for each one of your pupils to have their own poem published. I have always had a great love of poetry since my early school days, it is truly one of the wonderful ways to express yourself. I wish encourage all your pupils to write fearlessly and let their hearts rule their pens. Most importantly have lots of fun’. 

 

Pupils in St. Patrick's N.S. celebrated World Book Day on Thursday 5th March by dressing up as their favourite character from a book.

       

 

     

 

'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'

On Wednesday pupils attended a production of 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'. 

School Fundraiser

Last year six monthers decided to take part in the Mini Marathon to raise money for the school.  Following on from their success the Parents' Association have decided to make this year's Mini Marathon one of their key fundraising initiatives.  This is a 10k event taking place on Monday 1st June.  Entry opens on 11th February.  Cost of entry is €19 payable by participants.  We are looking for women to take part and help raise funds for the school by way of sponsorship  We will register all entrants online and collect and distribute numbers and packs prior to the day.  We will also provide sponsorship cards for all entrants.  The plan is to organise a bus (depending on numbers) from Ardcath into Dublin and back afterwards to Bennetts for some well deserved refreshments (details/cost of bus will follow).

Anyone interested in taking part and helping raise money for the school, please contact Margaret Moore (087 2775425) or Liz Gough (087 8349132).

 

 

 

School Development

We are delighted to announce that the Department of Education and Skills has sanctioned the build and establishment of an Autism unit and early intervention class for our school, along with an extra mainstream classroom and office.

This will enhance the inclusiveness and integration of our school community.  

The building and design phase is underway and hopefully work should commence during the summer holidays.

 

 

Literacy Lunch

Pupils from all classes were afforded the opportunity to engage in a literacy lunch on Friday. Literacy is fundamental to all areas of learning, as it unlocks access to the wider curriculum. Competence and confidence in literacy, including competence in grammar, spelling and the spoken word, are essential for progress in all areas of the curriculum. Because of this, our school promots language and literacy development. 

The theme for National Catholic Schools Week 2015 is “Catholic Schools: A Call to Serve.”

 

Programme: Don't be mean behind the screen - Cyberbullying Programme

Thanks to all the parents/guardians who attended the parent information evening on cyberbullying/internet safety on Wednesday 14th January from 7.30-9.30pm in the school.

Pupils from 3rd to 6th class also attended the children