April 26th 2010
Dear Parents/ Guardians,
Welcome to our February newsletter. We hope everyone had a pleasant mid-term break.
Confirmation - Our sixth class children took part in the Ceremony of Light last week in the parish church as part of their preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. We are very much looking forward to the big day itself which takes place this Friday the 30th of April at 11.00. We welcome the families of all our children in sixth class to have a cup of tea and chat in the school hall after the event and would remind parents to drop in some biscuits/cakes on their way to the church which the ladies of the ICA have once again very kindly volunteered to organize for us. I would also like to thank Ms. Fay, Ms. Lokko and the children in the school choir for their hard work in preparing for these special occasions. The choir are some of the unsung heroes in the school who are always there to support special occasions
Cash for Clobber - Ms. McWalter and the Green Schools Committee have organized our ‘Cash for Clobber’ day to take place this Wednesday the 28th of April. We are asking all families to bring in sacks of clothes which we will then pass on to the Mrs. Quinn Charity shops. Each full bag is worth one euro to the school. This is a great chance to kill several birds with one stone. We can do a little spring cleaning, recycle clothes, help a charity and provide funding for the school. Not bad for one days work. The committee have also been hard at work organizing our April Spring Clean. Once a week each class has tidied a certain area of the school to brighten surroundings
Parents Association - The Parents Association held a very interesting meeting this month with a guest speaker Ms. Deirdre McGuinness from the Dyslexia Association of Ireland. Ms. McGuinness had some very useful tips for all parents regarding how to support our children in their school years.
Buddy Reading - We are introducing a new pilot ‘Buddy reading’ project within the school in the coming month. For two weeks the children from fifth and sixth class will work closely on a reading project with younger children from first class. Where this project has operated in other schools both older and younger children have benefited socially and educationally from the experience.
Texting/ E messaging - I have recently sent out a letter to all parents regarding the challenges faced by our children dealing with communication through cyberspace. We would ask all parents to be vigilant regarding their children’s access to and use of texting or web communication. The contents of the letter can be viewed on our school website at www.lusknationalschool.org
Computer Club -Ms. Canny and Ms. Beattie have been running a free computer club for the children in fifth class for several weeks now. The children certainly seem to be enjoying the experience and are always very busy when I have visited.
Sport -As always our sports teams are proving great ambassadors for the school. Our Cross Country team, Girls Football, Boys Junior Football and Girls Basketball teams have all completed their seasons. The school hurlers are doing very well in their first competitive year. The Junior Soccer team is about to commence matches while the boys Senior Football team are preparing for their championship semi-final next week. A very busy schedule for all and thanks to all the teachers involved.
Country Crest -Our sixth class children recently visited Country Crest for a guided tour of the windmill which powers their plant. It was an extremely interesting visit as the children saw the benefits of green energy. We would like to thank Michael Hoey and Susan Hurley of Country Crest for being extremely welcoming and giving so much of their time to our children.
Visiting Author - We had an extremely successful visit from author Maeve Friel in late March which was funded by the voluntary contribution. A big thanks to Ms. Murtagh for organizing the event.
Dance Classes - Our dance classes for all the children from third to sixth class are also being thoroughly enjoyed by the children and this is once again a result of funding from parents contributions.
Dates for the Diary
Confirmation Celebration - Friday 11.00 - St. Maccullins Church
School close - Monday 3rd May - Bank Holiday
Staff Meeting - Wednesday 5th May - Children Home 1.50
Regards,
Paul Comiskey.
Principal.
Principal: Paul Comiskey, B.Ed., Dip. Ed. Man., M.St.
Deputy Principal: Peggy O'Connor N.T., D.A.I.
