NEWS

Newsletter – Term 1 (november 2024)

  New School Website

We have launched our new website. It can be reached at www.stlorcans.com. It is still in the early stages of development. Certain pages still need to be updated and staff training on how to do this will take place over the coming weeks. Watch this space!

 

Admissions

Admissions for 2025/26 are now open. Application forms can be found on our new website


New Classroom – Room 17

Our new Autism Class opened in September. The class are doing wonderful work with their teacher Ms. Herbert and SNAs, Ms. O’ Kearney and Ms. Greene. This class is a wonderful addition to the St. Lorcan’s community.


Parent Teacher Meetings

PTM will take place next week, 25th November. Aladdin Connect is now closed for making appointments, so your son’s teacher will contact you to assign a time. Please arrive at your son’s classroom at your allocated time, bearing in mind that meetings will only last approximately 10 minutes. This is a great opportunity to ask questions about your son’s progress or any school related issues.


  Assembly

Our monthly assemblies take place on the last Thursday of each month. Classes are recognised for their great work and individual awards are presented.

As principal, I take morning assemblies with the classes each week and use this time to chat with the boys about school and everything that is happening in St. Lorcan’s. We always use this time to go over the school rules and expectations for behaviour

  Maths Week

Maths Week took place on the 14-18th October in our school. 

The boys took part in lots of fun activities, and used their Maths Eyes to see that Maths is all around! Each class paired up with another to complete a Maths Trail. 

We set up a Maths Room with lots of fun activities that each class got to participate in, like Sudoku, Time and Problem-Solving activities. Each class looked at riddles and dingbats and tried to solve them. 

Boys participated in a competition to estimate “How Much Pasta is in the Jar?” We had great fun counting 772 pieces!

The IT Committee also taught each class some basic coding skills on Scratch app!

It’s fair to say, we all enjoyed Maths Week in our school!

 

  Book Fair

There was great excitement in the school when the Book Fair arrived. The children from all classes had a wonderful time choosing from the lovely selection of books on offer. Thank you to the Parents Association who helped to ensure the fair ran smoothly.

 

  Green Schools

The Green School Committee in our school is making impressive progress in promoting

sustainability and environmental awareness. Recently, we welcomed four raised

gardening beds from 'Grow at School,' which will enhance our outdoor learning

opportunities. Ben Molloy, 6th Class, also made a remarkable contribution over the mid-term break by creating a detailed habit map of our school that will be instrumental in our efforts to achieve the next green flag focused on biodiversity. Additionally, our dedicated committee members have been actively involved in litter picking every Monday and Friday, working tirelessly to keep our school grounds clean and green. Together, these initiatives reflect our collective commitment to a greener future!


  New Primary Curriculum

The Department of Education have developed a new curriculum for primary schools. This curriculum will be implemented over the coming years. Wellbeing makes up a large section of the curriculum. In our efforts to ensure wellbeing among our pupils, we have commenced a community choir. This choir is led by Ms. Cummins. Classes from 3rd to 6th gather in the school hall to sing songs which they have chosen. The

community choir is all about singing for enjoyment. We hope to build on this initiative     in the future and look forward to seeing how it develops.

 

Bí Cinealta – New Anti-Bullying Framework

The Department of Education have released a new framework to deal with issues of bullying in schools. This framework is called “Bí Cinealta,” which means “Be Kind.” During this academic year, schools are required to engage with the framework and have a draft policy in place to be ratified by the Board of Management, ready for September 2025.

 

  Child Safeguarding

All school staff members are Garda vetted in line with up-to-date Child Safeguarding procedures. The school’s Principal, Ms. Greally, is the Designated Liaison Person (DLP) for Child Safeguarding and Ms. Geraghty (the Deputy Principal), is the Deputy Designated Liaison Person (DDLP).

Please be advised that all teachers are Mandated Reporters. This means that if a child makes a disclosure, we must contact Tusla for advice, which we will always follow. Often, this can lead to a report being made to Tusla. All such incidents are treated with discretion and confidentiality is upheld.

 

  Sport

Peter Elliott continues with coaching every Friday.

Gaelic Football: Gaelic Football has ended for this year, however our football team had an outstanding season, finishing at the top of their division with some brilliant performances and a true team effort. Their hard work and determination throughout the campaign were clear, but despite their impressive run, they were unlucky to fall short in the county quarter-final, losing to Our Lady of Good Counsel BNS from Dun Laoghaire in a tightly contested match. While the result was disappointing, the team's achievements this year are a testament to their skill and commitment, and they can take pride in the progress they've made. 

 

As we look ahead to the new year, our school has several exciting events to look forward to.

Chess: We’ll be sending a strong team of 32 pupils to the chess tournament in Diswellstown, where we’re confident of making a strong showing. Mr. Graydon is currently working to introduce Chess in some of our middle classes as part of our Wellbeing work.

Soccer: In addition, our senior boys’ soccer team will be competing in both the FAI league and cup competitions, with high hopes of success.

Hurling: We also have the Cuman na mBunscol hurling competition on the horizon, where our players will be aiming to showcase their skills and represent the school

with pride. It’s shaping up to be an action-packed year filled with opportunities for growth and achievement.

Rugby: Rugby coaching has finished until after Christmas. We are delighted to hear of boys joining local rugby clubs and many are enjoying watching Autumn International Series.

Swimming: Swimming lessons are taking place in Stewarts Sports Centre every Wednesday. Mr. O’Mahony’s 4th Class have completed their block of lessons. Ms. Devine’s Class are currently attending.

Cycling: Our two 5th Classes are partaking in a seven-week programme which teaches the boys about how to be safe while cycling on our roads. This programme is an initiative of the South Dublin County Council and An Taisce. Thanks to Hugh Flood for introducing and leading this initiative. The boys are thoroughly enjoying it.

 

 Healthy Eating

A reminder that St Lorcan’s BNS is a Healthy Eating School with a small treat allowed on Friday’s. Please note we are also a Nut-Free School due to allergies

 

  Parents Association

Our wonderful PA have been working hard to raise money for our school. They have purchased some lovely colourful benches for the yard, along with lots of wall games and activities which the pupils can enjoy during their break times.

The Halloween Bucke Raffle raised €1,160. The children were delighted to be gifted a Halloween bag full of treats.

 

  Christmas Bake Sale

We are holding a Christmas Cake Sale on Friday 13th December. All pupils are invited to bake treats to sell on the day. The Parents’ Association will be holding a raffle with exciting prizes to be announced.

 

REMINDERS

 

  School Uniform

It is a requirement for all boys to wear their school uniform as outlined in our school’s dress code policy.

 

  Homework

I encourage every parent to monitor and support their child with their homework each day. If your child is having trouble with homework, please contact your son’s teacher as soon as possible to discuss.

 

Punctuality

We remind parents of the importance of your son coming to school on time. A good start to the day supports your child settling into class and being ready for learning. Classes start at 08:50. The school gates are open between 08:40 and 09:00.

 

  Dates for your Diary

School Closure: Friday November 29th for elections.

Bake Sale: Friday 13th December. Please extend an invitation to friends and   family to join us as we prepare for Christmas.

Christmas Holidays: School closes on Friday 20th December @12noon and reopens Tuesday 7th January 2025.


  Sacraments 2025

  Sacrament of First Holy Communion

Ms. Somers’ 2nd Class - 10th May 2025

Mr. Walsh's 2nd Class - 17th May 2025

  Sacrament of Confirmation 

Ms. Hodgin's 6th Class - 9th May 2025

Mr. Lee's 6th Class - 16th May 2025