December 2019 School News | Illistrin National School

Christmas Holidays

The school will close for the Christmas Holidays on Friday 20th December at 12.00p.m. for Junior and Senior Infants and at 12.30p.m. for all other classes. School will reopen on Monday 6th January at 9.00a.m. for all pupils. We wish all our pupils, their families and loved ones a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas.

Nollaig Shona Daoibh go Léir.

Parents’ Association Christmas Draw

The Parents’ Association Committee would like to thank everyone who supported their Christmas Draw, bought tickets and sponsored prizes. Tickets were sold at the Christmas Party and at the Christmas Shows. The following is the list of winners:

1st Prize Terry McGowan €500 home hearing voucher sponsored by A & N Fuels

2nd Prize Luke Kilcoyne Hamper sponsored by McGee’s Chemist

3rd Prize Brian Peoples Hamper from Parents’ Assocaition

4th Prize Louise Flanagan Bottle of Gin sponsored by Bernie Devine

5th Prize John Duffy Bottle of wine sponsored by Bernie Devine

Our Christmas Crib

Our Christmas Crib is placed in the lobby of our school. It reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas. As we celebrate the birth of our saviour, Jesus, we give thanks to God for giving his only son to us.

Mass times for the cathedral over the Christmas season can be accessed here:

https://www.steunanscathedral.ie/mass-times/

Advent

Advent, began on Sunday, the 3rd of December. The advent season is the time of preparation for our hearts and minds for the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas. The advent wreath has four candles, one for each week of advent. One candle is this each Sunday. The wreath signifies continuous life. The circle, which has no beginning or end, symbolises the eternity of God and the everlasting life we find in Christ. We are grateful to Vera, from the Cathedral parish, who visited our sacrament classes in early December to explain the significance of the advent wreath.

Christmas Shows

The children have really enjoyed preparing their Christmas Shows. It’s great to see so many parents and family members coming along to see the children perform. Thank you to their teachers and assistants for all their hard work getting the children ready.

Ms Lafferty’s Junior Infants

Ms Stewart’s Junior Infants

Ms Doyle’s Junior Infants

Ms Rodgers, Ms Smith & Ms McGee/Gormley’s – Senior Infants

St Vincent De Paul Appeal

Several carloads of goods left the school last week and the local St Vincent De Paul group are now arranging its distribution to local families. Thank you to all who supported this great charity.

Christmas Presents from pupils

This year pupils and parents are asked not to bring presents to staff members. Each staff member will place a charity jar on their desk. Pupils may place a small donation for charity in the jar on any day during the last week of school or on Christmas Jumper Days (Thursday 19th & Friday 20th). Staff members are very conscious of the cost burden that Christmas can place on families and would prefer if pupils made a donation to charity in lieu of a present. All monies received will be forwarded to Temple Street Children’s Hospital Loving Arms Christmas Appeal.

Christmas Shows

Ms D. McGee’s 1st Class

Ms McLaughlin’s 1st Class

New Year Resolutions

It may be a little early to be thinking of these but as a school we are going to make 2 resolutions:

Banning single use plastic bottles: Following on from the Irish Aid Award project completed by Ms Toner’s class last spring, we are banning the use of single use plastic bottles from 6th January. While researching their project, Ms Toner’s class calculated that if each pupil and staff member used and discarded one plastic bottle on every school day then 3,000 bottles would be used in one week. In a school year more than 100.000 bottles could be used. All pupils and staff are asked to use a refillable and reusable container for juice/water from 6th January 2020.

Tech Free Thursday: in conjunction with Active Homework on a Thursday parents will be asked to enforce a rule of no technology on a Thursday. This will be effective from 9th January 2020.

New Board of Management for 2019-2023

A new Board of Management of the school has been appointed by the Patron, Bishop Alan McGuckian. The board’s main function is to manage the school on behalf of the patron and for the benefit of the students and to provide an appropriate education for each student at the school. The 8 members of the Board are as follows:

Patron’s Nominees: Fr. Kevin Gillespie & Mary Hegarty

Principal Teacher: Luke Kilcoyne

Teachers’ Nominee: Mary Larkin

Parents’ Nominees: Vicky O’Rourke & Fergus McGroary

Community Nominees: Michael Hannigan & Enda Mulligan

Christmas Shows

Mr. J. Gallagher’s 2nd Class

Ms K. Dunne’s 2nd Class

Ms Larkin/Ms McGroarty’s 2nd Class

Ms Ferry’s 3rd Class

Ms Molloy’s 3rd Class

Collection times

The Board of Management is very aware of how busy the car park can be at collection times daily. The Boord’s main priority is the safe collection of all pupils. Sometimes this may result in delays but the patience of everyone is required. You are reminded that if your child leaves through the front gate at collection times, s/he must wait inside the gate, under the supervision of school staff, until a parent/guardian is present in the car park. Pupils should never leave school grounds on their own and make their own way from the car park and out of sight of staff before a parent/guardian is present in the car park. This is to ensure the safe collection of all pupils.

On behalf of everyone here in the school I wish you, your children, your loved ones and your family, at home and abroad, a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas.