Message from our Principal Thank you to every member of our remarkable school community for making our time in school this term so vibrant and happy. The whole school community continues to provide wonderful opportunities for students, whilst maintaining a safe learning environment. An enthusiasm prevails in every aspect of our school. Activities and events this term have included choir, dance, swimming, forest school, sports team events and more recently The Book Fair, attended by parents, friends, and neighbours in the local community. Senior students are engaging in the School Leaver’s programme and preparing for the next step in their educational journey. LCA students have excelled in their contribution and commitment to year 1 of this course. Junior Certificate students are preparing for exams and putting the finishing touches to their portfolios. In addition, wonderful progress continues in the Primary school, with emphasis on literacy skills and the new Primary Language Curriculum. Spring is most definitely in the air, as we look optimistically to our new term which begins on Monday, 17th April 2023. In the meantime, I wish you all a very happy Easter!! Glenda.
Events and Celebrations
Wear Green for St. Patricks Day.
World Book Day
This year we celebrated World Book day on March 2nd. We had zooms with authorsVisits to Book CentreUsed out tokens to buy books down townRecorded Story tellingRead eBook’s online.Dress up Day on Following Monday.Thank you Miss Sinnott for organising the activities.
Book FairWe held our very first Book Fair March 15th. We sold new books from Scholastic Books and Preloved books, from donations. We sold over 170 Preloved books. We received Free books from Scholastic Books to start our new School Mobile library.
Thank You All So Much!! Miss Sinnott
School Based Summer Provision ‘Building Confidence and Connections’ It is our intention to offer School Based Summer provision this year under the Special Schools Pilot Scheme. The Board of Management have approved the initiative for two weeks this summer: From Monday July 3rd to Friday July 14th. Miss Melissa Sinnott will be the Programme Manager.
The students will be offered four hours per day of student centred, play based engagement. The school day will be from 10am to 2pm. School Transport will be organised. There will be no lunch Breaks or School Lunches! There will be snack breaks which each parent will need to provide for their own child.
It is our wish to accommodate all interested students, but if we cannot recruit enough staff we will be starting with the youngest learners. Staff will be recruited and paid by the department in accordance with student enrolment and attendance. If you wish to enrol your son/daughter, please contact Miss Sinnott. msinnott@ladyoffatimaschool.ie or Class teacher for a school application form.
Senior Primary The pupils in Senior Primary have been very busy. We are preparing for our Confirmation which is on the 12th of May. We are learning about the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, the Ten Commandments and the Seven Sacraments. We are also researching Saint names that we identify with. We are really enjoying drama. We have just finished dance. It was great fun! We are starting swimming this Friday, which we are super excited about!
Preparation Class
News from PC, we have had a great term. WE had dance with Johnny, Guitar with David and Forest School. We also have 5 students making their Confirmation in May, preparation is ongoing along with 10 students from Mrs Ryan’s Senior Primary. Amy, Kyle, Leighton and Scott will be making their Confirmation with students from Senior Primary on May 12th. Issac will be making his in his local parish in April.
Post Primary 1. Busy term for our students in PP1. Sarah , Caroline and Ms O’Meara have been very impressed with the students hard work and dedication. We would like to thank the parents for donating board games to the classroom. The kids are going to enjoy playing these moving forward on wet days and at golden time. It’s important to learn skills such as turn taking, losing graciously, and winning while remaining humble. Congratulations Pierce !!!on his success with his dancing. His trophies are testament to the work he has put in. He has been busy practicing for the parade in Dublin as well. Well done to Mia on her boxing success this term as well. They are both doing themselves, their families, and the school proud. Well done to the pupils on their dance term. A special mention to Eoin who put us all to shame with his dance moves . I don’t know how the kids memorise the routines as I forget them weekly. It was great to be able to use the kitchen again this term . Learning life skills such as cooking and cleaning are invaluable lessons for the students, and they seem to be benefiting no end from the experiences they are having in the kitchen . I would also like to mention the fun that they have been having at drama. The acting skills at times with the improvisations they do are fantastic. The students had great fun for St. Patrick’s day doing activities in the hall and a big march around the school. Much fun was had . The students continue to participate in learning how to care for themselves and the world around them. Personal care has been a topic we have really focused on this term and how to take care of our bodies and what to fuel our bodies with . We have also focused on creating some fun board displays in our classroom. Focusing on our emotions, food and wellbeing and finally, the Egyptians . Students are learning the time and are practicing this skill. Keep practising at home everyone as it’s an important skill we would love to learn this year . We have also listened to music and responded to how it makes us feel This is part of their Junior Certificate level 2 programme. Sincerest thanks to parents for your continued support throughout the year. We look forward to working with you for the summer term . Thank you to Sarah and Caroline for all your support and the care you give the children . You are invaluable to the children and to me .
News From Post Primary 2. Typing Club Everyone in PP2 Class are learning to position their fingers properly on a keyboard and learning to increase their speed in typing.
KINDNESS BOARD
PP2 MADE A KINDNESS BOARD WHERE EVERYONE IS REMINDED OF THE IMPORTANCE TO BEING KIND TO EACH OTHER. Students could share hearts, with kind words on it and everyone enjoyed looking at the board.
GARDEN PROJECT COMPETITION Class PP2 is going to do the Budding Gardener Project which is sponsored by Woodies. The project starts on the 10th of March 2023. We have to plan where we are going to place our garden patch. We have to select the area to place the garden. The area has to be 1.5 metres x 1.5 metres exactly. We can grow flowers and vegetables from seed and plant them when they grow a bit.
Every student filled an egg carton with soil and seeds and we hope to have loads of Vegetables and Flowers ready to eat in June. If we win the competition we could win 2000 Euro for the school. Woodies kindly gave us 50 euro to buy the seeds. The parents council gave the teacher, 20 euro also so we will spend that also on more plants. The sleepers and the soil were sponsored by the Principals Husband. Thank you to everyone for their help and hopefully we will win.
Post Primary 3.
PP3 are busy few months since Christmas. They have been working through our Level 2 work. The students have been hard at work to achieve their goals. They put the knowledge that they learned in class to make some interesting and yummy items! Using a measuring jug, they measured out the ingredients they needed to make some slime! They then put their weighing skills to the test to make their ultimate pizza. Everyone was very brave and tried a new topping on one of their slices.
We are bringing a bit of nature into the classroom by planting some seeds and our bird feeder on our windows. Hopefully we’ll get a few new visitors! We also created our own little bit of nature with our daffodils. To celebrate St. Bridget, the class was inspired by her story and created their very own cloak which grows and grows. For something different the class tie dyed their unique bags and t-shirts.
Post-Primary 4 PP4 worked really well throughout this term. The students have engaged enthusiastically with their Junior Certificate subjects. The students continued completing their art portfolio’s. We had wonderful recipes made during Home Economics class. The students began attending integrated PE lessons at The Presentation Secondary School.. The students enjoyed the games and integrating with the students from the Presentation. To quote Reece and Oona “It was very very enjoyable” and “the school is really cool”. We would like to thank the students for being so welcoming to our students and also to PE teacher Mr. Doran for his time and support. See pictures of great fun and enjoyment below at the Presentation. The students took part in the St Patricks Day events within the school and really enjoyed the Book Fair. Students took part in the Green Schools, World Water Day activities. They enjoyed each activity and see below students undertaking the Walk for Water challenge. Thanks for organising great events.
Leaving Cert Applied L.C.A.
The LCA class had such a busy term completing their assignments. As part of their social studies course they went on an educational trip to the 1798 centre and Enniscorthy castle. An extremely fun and interesting day was had by all. The class went to visit the revamped Art centre where they saw an exhibition by Serena Caulfield. They were also given a tour of the facilities by a wonderful guide who has worked there for 25 years.
Finally, the students in LCA have set up their own business ‘Chirpy Logs’. These wonderful Decorative Easter logs will be on sale from next week. This is part of their vocational education task.
Vocational Training
Vocational Training have had a busy term taking part in various activities such as Dance, Guitar, Cooking and the Touch, Type, Read Spell programme in Wexford library. Some of the members in our class have won various medals in swimming, gymnastics, and special Olympics. Carima Murphy joined the glee club in Paris where they had a fabulous time! Both Jennie and Carima enjoyed their week of sampling in Windmill Adult services in February.
Post Primary 6PP6 has being very busy the last 3 months. There have started their Junior Cycle woodwork projects and worked hard on their woodwork portfolios. PP6 through Maynooth University have been taking part on Microsoft Dreamspace activities. As part of this we went to the Microsoft headquarters in Dublin and spent the day learning about coding. We got a tour of the amazing building worth €135 million. PP6 had a great day. At the moment, we have 2 students from Maynooth visiting us every Thursday and we are on the process of coding our own individual games. A lot of PP6 students have completed sampling/ work experience as part of their school leavers programs with some more sampling taking place after Easter. As part of the School Leavers Program we also visited, Youth-Train, Rehab and the National Learning Network recently. Alongside all this PP6 have been working very hard preparing for their Junior Cycle exams in June. Enjoy your well-earned break over Easter.
World Water Day Walk
On Wednesday 22nd of March, students in Our Lady of Fatima took part in various activities for World Water Day. Students learned about the scarcity of clean water in less developed countries and how women and children walk miles every day for a water source. To show our support students “Walked for Water”. Students also took part in a Water Droplet hunt. 116 water droplets were hidden across the school. Sean in PP5, Bruce in PP1 and Tyler in SP collected the most droplets. Students were also asked to create posters on what water meant to them and why it is such an important resource. Well done to everyone for getting involved!
Winning Project for Water Week. Junior Primary decided to make a well as they had been discussing the distance people had to walk to access fresh water. Lots of Cross curricular links.
WELL DONE J. P.
Photo’s from Ms Leacy
Home Economic s and Quiz Team
Senior Sports
Sports Teams in Basketball, Soccer and Rings travelled to Kilkenny recently for some friendly games.
Advent is a time to wait – It’s not quite time to celebrate! Count the days down one by one Until the Advent time is done. Christmas Day will soon be here! Time for joy and time for cheer! (Grow in Love, Junior Infants)
Welcome!
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you, the entire school community, to our first newsletter of the School Year 2022-23. Ms. Melissa Sinnott, is the current newsletter editor and we look forward to her exercising her journalistic skills in communicating all school news over the future school terms. Thank you Mr. Niall Bridges for his creative contributions as editor over the past year. The newsletter is a very good means of connecting with all stakeholders, and offers a glimpse into the busy, active and hard-working life of staff and students of our wonderful school. I would encourage you to subscribe to it. Click here: https://ladyoffatimaschool.ie/newsletter/
For now, I would like to thank you all for your positive contributions and continued support . We look forward to the next newsletter (and last one for 2022) which will be published before the Christmas holidays. Best wishes Glenda – Principal
In School Management (ISM)
In-School management Team: Our current ISM Team consists of 5 staff members:
Glenda McKeown – School Principal Bridget Leacy – Administrative Deputy Principal, LCA and JCT Coordinator Alison Sheehan AP11; ASD Support Teacher with responsibility for Assessment, Sports and ASD Niall Bridges AP11, PP4 Class Teacher with responsibility for Well-Being, Health and Safety and JCL2 Melissa Sinnott AP11, Literacy Resource Support Teacher, with responsibility for Digital Technology, Newsletter and Primary Curriculum
This team meets on a monthly basis to ensure efficiency and further facilitates the smooth running of the school. In OLF, we aim to foster collegiality. All staff in our school contribute positively to organisational and curricular areas and contribute equally in providing a happy, efficient and child-friendly school environment.
Our Lady of Fatima Special School Parent’s Association
The P.A . plays a significant and valuable role in OLF as it helps the school achieve its aims and provides practical help when required. Our Lady of Fatima PA liaises with the staff, consults with principal on relevant issues and provides support and social opportunities for parents. We are very grateful for their constructive impact and assistance. Recently, they have contributed in the following areas: Fund-raising for the refurbishment of Junior playground; decorated GP hall for Halloween celebrations and judged in-school competition (“Best decorated classroom door”). This term, they are involved in the following: Christmas Raffle Christmas Story Telling Christmas Grotto, Santa, Party for Students Spin-a-thon Wellread Initiative.
Christmas Activities
1st December – One School/One book Reading for Pleasure and Leisure 6th December – Regional Quiz, Talbot Hotel. 7th December – LCA – Leisure & Recreation Task – Sports Day – Junior School. 12th December – Project X – Christmas Games for Junior Classes. 14th December – Christmas Door Competition, ‘Live on location with Fatima FM’. 13th December – Primary School Trip to Wheelock’s. 15th December Christmas Jumper Day & Lámh X – factor Christmas Concert 16th December – Whole School Cinema Day in the Arc 19th December – Nativity (JP & MP) & Prizegiving. 20th December – School Christmas Party including a visit by Santa in the Talbot Hotel 21st December – Christmas Holidays 12 noon closure
Latest HSE Guidelines – Covid 19
Stay safe! COVID-19 is still with us. These are important things that we can all keep doing to help reduce infection and protect the entire school community: · Isolate if you are symptomatic (even if you are fully vaccinated and boosted) or if you are diagnosed with COVID-19. · If you have symptoms, stay at home until 48 hours after symptoms resolve. · Complete your primary and booster programme of vaccination. · Continue to manage risk for yourself and others who are more vulnerable. You can do this by wearing masks, physical distancing and avoiding crowds as well as maintaining basic hand and respiratory hygiene
Junior Certificate Level 3 Examination Results
On November 23rd the long-awaited Junior Certificate results were issued to schools. Our students achieved fantastic results and they are a credit to the hard work and determination that each student endured particularly after the difficult years impacted by Covid.
Home Economics examination results:
– 6 Merits and 1 Achieved.
Art examination results:
– 5 Higher Merits.
The school treated the students to a wonderful dinner at the Talbot Hotel in celebration of their excellent achievements.
Well done to all the students We are so very proud of you all!!
NEWS AROUND THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY
Positive Parenting: Recently this course took place in the school facilitated by the HSE. It was attended by a small group of parents (10+) who described it as a worthwhile and very interesting session. Partnership Schools Ireland (PSI) This is a joint initiative by the National Parents Council Primary (NPC) and the Irish Primary Principal’s Network (IPPN), working together to achieve better outcomes for children is the main objective of a “Partnership School” – Two Training Dates 8th December & 13th December, these will both be held in the school. 9:30am – 12:30pm.
Total Raised from the Spin-a-thon Fundraiser = €4,251.11
Fatima House Cup Winners will go bowling in Leisure Max on Friday 9th December.
WellRead Initiative
Reading For Pleasure and leisure is going well so far. Our Activities for December are:
Parents Association reading to the Primary School
One Book One School
Primary School are reading:
‘The First Christmas Jumper’ Ryan Tubrity Post Primary School are reading: ‘A boy called Christmas’ Matt Haig
Please encourage and help your son or daughter to engage in this festive reading activity.
Reminder: Get your Readathon Cards back in ASAP.
Sporting Activities and Events
The following Sports and Extra Curricular Activities have been enjoyed throughout the school since September: Horse riding, Forest School, Soccer and Drama.
We are also delighted to have Yoga and Guitar lessons back plus, we have introduced ‘ fit4all’ sessions with the senior students.
In September, the whole school enjoyed a full day of Circus Skills. Amazing!
Our New Girls Soccer Team participated in their first blitz in Waterford in November.
Some Staff have gained some extra training in Sports and Recreation, including: Mr. Lehane and Ms. Murphy on how to teach badminton, Mrs. Kehoe received orienteering training.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Leinster Quiz
The school will be hosting the ‘South Leinster Quiz’ on December 8th, in the Talbot Hotel. This event is being organised by Ms. Leacy and Ms. Sinnott.
Indoor Soccer
Friendly matches with Carlow and Kilkenny schools, are being planned for next year, as well as an Indoor Soccer Tournament in January.
Parent Teacher Meetings
Thank you to all parents that took time out of their busy days to meet with teachers, for our Parent Teacher Meetings. It is really important for your child’s progress to meet their teacher and SNA, face to face, at least once per school year. We love meeting our students’ parents and updating them on all their children’s wonderful talents and achievements.
Mobile Phones
If it is necessary that your son / daughter needs to bring a phone to school, it is VITAL that they hand it up to their teacher on arrival to Class.
In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.
– John Steinbeck
June 2022 Principal’s Letter
Dear Parents/Guardians, Summer holidays have arrived and I would like to wish all our families a fun-filled summer.
I would like to congratulate our June 2022 graduating class. Many of them have just completed their final exam and all have had a remarkable year! We wish them all the best as they embark on the next leg of their educational journey!
I would also like to welcome all new students to our school and look forward to them joining us in September 2022.
As we leave for the summer, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our staff. Their dedication to student success and the many extras they provide mean a great deal to the students and make this a wonderful place to learn and grow. Sadly, we say goodbye to Mrs. Katie Elliott, Home Economics teacher, who will be leaving us at the end of the school year. Students and staff will miss your vibrancy and energy. We acknowledge and appreciate the wonderful learning experiences that you have provided for the many students in your care, over the years that you have taught in OLF.
I would also like to thank the students, parents and others in our community for contributing their time, energy and positive efforts that keep the momentum and spirit of OLF alive! As we cannot publish class lists/name on our website, parents/students have been informed directly. We will also like to make you aware that class names have been changed for September 2022. This is to reflect changes in the curriculum programmes being offered in our school. All information will be updated on our website (see below also)
We look forward to welcoming all students back on the following dates: Post-Primary 6 ONLY – 29/08/2022 Post-Primary 5 ONLY – 30/08/2022 All classes EXCEPT PP5 & PP6 – 31/08/2022 ALL CLASSES from 01/09/2022
School will begin at 9 am and dismissal time will be at 2.40pm. Supervision of students begins 5 minutes before our official day begins (8.55am).
Please feel free to call/email the office during the holidays if you need assistance in any area. eMail: info@ladyoffatimaschool.ie Tel: 053 9123376
Have a safe and enjoyable summer with your family!
Best wishes, Glenda McKeown
School Programmes
Below highlights a description of the school programmes that Our Lady of Fatima School offers and the changes that are being implemented in the new 2022-2023 academic year.
Primary School: Our Primary School consists of Junior Primary, Middle Primary and Senior Primary Classes. All subjects of the Irish primary curriculum excluding Irish are taught. These subjects are broken down into Learning Outcomes and taught at the student’s own pace with Wellbeing and Learning towards Independence at the forefront. Aistear is used in the primary school and learning through play is integral to both teaching and learning. Literacy, Numeracy and SPHE are the 3 main subject areas with great focus on phonics, read along and early numeracy skills. SPHE and life skills are also seen as crucially important. We provide a broad range of extracurricular activities for our pupils including Forest School, swimming, gymnastics, GAA, Drama Art and horse riding. We also incorporate and encourage Lámh, coupled by Visual Learning Aids as an important means of communication.
Post-Primary School: The Post- Primary School includes classes from Post-Primary 1 up to Post-Primary 6 classes. There is also a Vocational Training class.
Junior Certificate level 2, Level 3 and Leaving Certificate Applied are offered to students. Classes are differentiated to ensure an inclusive and accessible educational experience for students at post-primary level. In addition, Asdan and/or a school leaver’s programme can be provided to students in the Vocational Training class.
Level 2: Level 2 Learning Programmes (L2LPs) and qualification are targeted at students who have general learning disabilities in the higher functioning moderate and low functioning mild categories. There are five Priority Learning Units at the heart of this Level 2 Learning Programme. These prepare students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult and working life and lifelong learning. The five PLUs are communicating and literacy, numeracy, personal care, living in a community and preparing for work. Students must also complete two short courses as part of the JCL2 curriculum. Further information can be accessed here http://www.jct.ie/l2lp/l2lp
Level 3: This is offered in parallel to the Level 2 programme. Students participate in specific elements of the courses available that best suit their individual educational needs. Students are challenged to work to reach their full potential alongside being mindful that the students are enjoying self-paced learning. Subjects offered at the Junior Cycle Level 3 are Home Economics, Art, English and Woodwork. These subjects are taken at Common and Ordinary Level. PP1 – Junior Cycle Level 2 & 3 (English, Home Economics Theory & Art) PP2 – Junior Cycle Level 2 & 3 (English, Woodwork Theory, Art, Home Economics) PP3 – Junior Cycle Level 2 & 3 (English, Woodwork CBA1, Home Economics CBA1, Art CBA1) PP4 – Junior Cycle Level 3 (English CBA2, Woodwork CBA2, Home Economics CBA2 & Art CBA2) Final Exams will take place in PP4
Further information regarding the curriculum follow the link below
LCA will be offered to PP5 and PP6 students. The LCA aims to get young adults ready for work and/or further education. It is a 2 year course. There is a different way of passing your Leaving Cert and this is it. Lots of projects, interviews and tasks as well as exams. Subjects
School closes Wednesday 21st December @ 12 noon.to Wednesday 4th January 2023 inclusive.
Return to school Thursday 5th January.
February Bank Holiday
Closed Monday 6th February.
Spring Mid Term
Closed Mon 13th — Fri 17th Feb inclusive.
St. Patrick’s Day
Thursday 16th & Friday 17th March.
Easter
Closed Mon 3rd April to Fri 14th April inclusive.
Return to school Monday 17th April.
May Bank Holiday
Closed Monday 1st May.
June Bank Holiday
Closed Thursday 1st June to Monday 5th June inclusive
Summer Holidays
School closes on Thursday 29th June.
NB: Copy of our School Year Calendar can be found here
Mrs Elliott’s Retirement
Mrs Elliott our Home Economics Teacher made the big decision to retire from her Home Economics teaching post this year. The school all got together to provide Mrs Elliott with a well deserved send off. We had a wonderful Wellbeing Day of treats, dance and fun organised by the Wellbeing Committee. We wish Mrs Elliott all the best in her future adventures. She will be sadly missed at Our Lady of Fatima School but she has promised to visit us regularly. All the best Mrs Elliott.
Sports Day 2022
Please find attached information to connect to Aladdin. Aladdin is the official communication tool between school and home. Teachers use other platforms (seesaw/class dojo/MT for class/homework/ePortfolios. In order to receive important school information, you need to be able to access Aladdin.
If you are not able to access Aladdin, please contact Ms. Bridget Leacy (Deputy Principal) and she will assist you.
Tel: 053 9123376 Aladdin Connect allows parents to register.
Late/Early Collections
Absence Notes
Return to School Declaration Form
Parent Teacher Meetings
Report Cards
School calendar
School Awards/Prizes 2021 – 2022
Junior Student of Year: Daisy Mae Whitty
Middle Student of Year: Lauren Pettit
Senior Student of Year: David Brown
Overall Student of Year: Mia Dixon
Sportsman: Eric Woods
Sportswoman: Jenny Keeling
Spirit of Leon: David Moran
Tyler Murphy Attendance Award: Jason Hartigan
Home Economics: Lee Kelly
ASD: Gerard Reck
Literacy Resource: Stephen Furlong
Numeracy Resource: Gabriella Whelan
Art: Oona Keevey
Outstanding Student (Leaver): Sean Nolan
Well done to all our wonderful students! We are very proud of each and everyone of you!
Junior 4
Junior 4 had a great year! We had a lot of fun, but we also worked really hard! We enjoyed swimming, forest school and lots of fun activities! We went to Clara Lara with Junior 3 for our school tour. It was a blast! As you can see from our class pictures! We also went on a lot of fun day trips such as, Ballycross Apple Farm, Min Ryan Park, Redmond Park and Wexford Fire Station. We went to Clara Lara with Junior 3 for our school tour.
Chris, Mary-Ann, Caroline and Miss Ryan would like to say a huge well done to all the students of Junior 4. Enjoy your Summer holidays and we will see each other again in September.
Senior 1
The students were very busy in Senior 1. The exam students undertook their Home Economics Junior Certificate Examination on the 15th of June. The students incredible work and dedication paid off and they all were delighted with how the examination went.
The students were assessed for their Art Examination. The examiner was very impressed with the work that the students produced. Some of this artwork is now on display along the school corridors and can be seen below under the art work section.
The class went on its school tour with S2, S3 and S4 to Tayto Park. We had a lovely day and so much fun together.
Senior 1 had great fun at our annual Sports Day and competed in all the events.
Senior 1 visited Forth Mountain to view the Carrigfoyle Lake. They learnt about the formation of the lake and the local wildlife that thrive due to it.
Have a lovely summer everyone from S1.
Senior 2
Senior 2 had a busy month. We completed our marathon and received our medals. This was 26 miles in total.
Senior 2 had a wonderful action packed day at Tayto park for their school tour. The students really enjoyed Dino dash, Rotator, Viking splash and flight school.
On Friday the 24th of June we took a history tour of the town. We learned about the many historical wonders in Wexford town. We saw John Redmond tomb, a highly celebrated historical figure in Wexford’s past which we studied.
Senior 2 students had an awesome day at the school sports day. They all won individual medals in the various races. Sporting superstars
Senior 3
Senior 3 had a very busy and fun last few weeks in Our Lady of Fatima. We enjoyed lunch out 2 afternoons in Rob’s Ranch and The pantry. We had an amazing day in Tayto Park and even dragged Ms Murphy onto a Roller coaster and the Viking Voyage. We went bowling and had another turn at Forest Schools. We really enjoyed Sports day and the end of Year School Picnic.
The class had great success at this Year’s Awards Well done to: • Richard Duggan: S3 Student of the Term • Matthew Cleary: S3 Student of the Year • Sean Nolan: Overall Student of the Year
We would like to wish Matthew, Sean and Ella (School Leavers) all the best with the next Chapter in their lives. You will be greatly missed.
Home Economics
See below all the latest work from the Home Economics classes!!
Junior Certificate Artwork
Take a look below at some of the incredible artwork created by students in M4 and S1. Great work and lots of compliments from the Art Examiner. Ms Gallagher would like to remind staff to look out for the works on the walls!!
The Parents Association are organising coffee morning’s/ play dates for families of our Lady of Fatima School to come along have a chat & a cuppa while our kids have fun in the playground together
We have a WhatsApp group & a Facebook page.
Michelle Cogley’s no is 0872065433 if anyone would like to be added to the group thanks
No matter what you’re going through, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to our newsletter! The summer term has got off to a great start. Read below about the activities that have already taken place, and you will appreciate the energy and industriousness of staff and students in our school. From participating in Wexford’s Fittest Schools (staff and student teams) to teacher training in Finland (Erasmus + KA1 project), it is evident that our school embraces and is very much involved in activities at Local, National and European level. This term we have a had a visit from an MEP (Grace O’Sullivan), who advised our Green School Committee on their latest venture – Water Flag; our Junior students have returned to the swimming pool and our soccer teams have represented the school at an interschools tournament in Waterford. Well done to everyone involved.
An Important date in our annual school calendar is Fatima Day (13th May) and this year it will also be Confirmation Day. We wish all candidates our best wishes on this very special occasion in their lives.
Other events that will take place this term include Sports Day, Graduation and Prize-giving. I would also like to draw your attention to the section under School Uniform. A link is provided for parents to pre-order/purchase the new school sports wear. It offers style and comfort, and is provided by a local company. We hope you like it!
Let’s hope for a sunny summer term!
Best Wishes,
Glenda McKeown
(Principal)
Junior 2
J2 started forest school this term and are loving it so far! We have been looking for tadpoles, making a fire, toasting marshmallows and doing lots more cool stuff in the outdoors. A big thank you to our forest school teacher Austin for having us.
We made some yummy cornflake nests as a special Easter treat. We melted chocolate, mixed in the cornflakes and decorated with chocolate eggs. We were delighted with how they turned out!
We had an Easter egg hunt around the school, we got a chance to practice our rhyming words while solving the clues!! Thankfully we found the treasure at the end!
Middle 2
Since January, Middle 2 have been very busy. We completed 4 weeks in Forest school, an experience that was enjoyed by all and hope there will be a new adventure to experience next year. Middle 2 completed a Sketchnoting webinar. Sketchnoting, also commonly referred to as visual notetaking, is the creative and graphic process through which individuals can record their thoughts with the use of illustrations, symbols, structures, and texts. This webinar was enjoyable and showed us how to draw our feelings, emotions and a variety of adjectives which also really encouraged the students to build on extending their vocabulary. We also were in attendance for a live interview webinar with the Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. Chris has a wonderful and positive mindset; his interview was both inspiring and informative. We learnt lots of interesting facts about living in Space, the complexities of adapting to life on earth after spending a significant amount of time in Space was something we had not thought about before the interview. Our dancing shoes were dusted off and strapped on with enthusiasm when we heard we were being given the fantastic opportunity of dance classes with Jonny. It has been so much fun. All the students have embraced the dance routines with gusto! It has also the closest Ms. Harney has been to a nightclub in many years! We are also participating in Soccer training, and it has been going well. We have some very talented soccer players in our class. We have started horticulture as a project with Ms. Leonard and we have started planting seeds. We are very grateful to Ms. Leonard for her kindness and offering her time to assist us with this. Next term we will be able to update you on our progress.
Middle 3
The class visited Johnstown Castle and had a great day walking around the lake. Another great place to visit in Wexford. See below some of our excellent work. Ms Carter and SNA Gavin and Patricia also enjoyed the day.
Senior 1
Senior 1 begun a very busy term by completing their CBA’s (Classroom Based Assessments) for both Home Economics and Art.
The students then undertook their cookery assessment on the 3rd of May and received excellent feedback on their delicious meals. We definitely have some budding Michelin Star Chefs in Fatima. With fifty percent of the subject completed the students are now studying hard for the written examination, the morning of June 15th. Best of luck!! The students completed their art assessment and the work is amazing in terms of creativity and individuality. We are eagerly and confidently awaiting the art examiner and wish these students the best of luck.
Following this effort and dedication Mrs Mckeown spoke of how proud she was of the class and surprised the students with a class visit to the Talbot Hotel to celebrate their exams. The students relaxed and enjoyed a hot chocolate and biscuits.
The students took part in the first aid and defib training which they really enjoyed. A massive thanks to Terry Whitty and Michelle Cogley for their time and efforts in teaching the students life saving techniques.
Senior 2
Senior 2 had a busy month. We took part in a 6 week digital leadership programme. The course covered exciting topics including computational thinking, coding, pixel art and game creation. The students thoroughly enjoyed their experience and gained a wealth of new skills.
We also went to see the exhibition in the County Council which was inspired by the famous wexford artist Eileen Gray. This exhibition was curated by a local wexford man, Richard Malone. The students loved seeing the wonderful creations such as pottery, sculptures, iron works and spectacular rugs.
Senior 3
Senior 3 enjoyed lot of activities this term (Forest Schools, tennis, GAA and dancing)
Forest Schools
Forest School was the highlight of this term for all students. We really enjoyed our block at Forest Schools. We found frog spawn and kept an eye on how the tadpoles were developing from week to week. We researched the life cycle of a frog. Each week we set up a campfire and toasted marshmallows/ made popcorn or made hot chocolate. We also made pendants, log cabins and a raft.
Tennis
Senior 3 are continuing to improve our tennis skills from week to week. All the students are very good at serving the ball now. Keep practicing Senior 3.
GAA
Senior 3 also enjoyed GAA the last few weeks. The leaned how to hand pass and to kick the ball correctly. They had great fun participating in the fun warm up and cool down drills.
Dancing
Dancing was another popular activity this term. Senior 3 liked learning lots of new dance moves from Johnny.
Senior 3 won the St Patrick’s Day class award. Well Done
This term the school learners also began to get more prepared for moving on to the next chapter in our lives. They have been working on communication/passport booklet with Amy. We have started to visit some of the places our school leavers will be attending next year, and we will continue to do this after Easter.
Senior 4
Senior 4 have been having fun planting their vegetables for their Incredible Edibles Project.
All students had great fun dressing up for World Book Day 3rd March.
Senior 4 organised the St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations which were held outside in the basketball court. Each class performed their party piece. Senior 4 students danced “The Walls of Limerick”.
They coupled this up with a fundraiser for Ukraine. Students made Ukrainian badges and sold them to everyone. They raised €200.00 for the cause.
On 21st and 22nd March, the Senior classes attend a First Course facilitated by Terry Whitty and Michelle Cogley from our Parents Association.
Some students from Senior 4 have been attending Work Experience at Rehab Care, NLN and the Railway Gallops.
Tuesday 5th April the school quiz team travelled to Portlaoise Parish Centre for the Regional Quiz. The came second and have made it into the All Ireland final, which will be held in Portlaoise in May.
Home Economics Class – Preparation for the Practical Examination
Senior 1 students undertook their Cooking Practical Assessment on Tuesday May 3rd. It went very well for all students thanks to their hard work.
Middle 4 – Craft Work for their Home Economics CBA – See Below
School Uniform: From September 2022
Sports Uniform: New Official School sports wear can be purchased using the link below. Portal closes 22nd May 2023. Parents can do this directly.
Official sports top (order using link) or Navy school jumper/sweatshirt with crest
Blue Polo shirt
Official School sports bottoms (order using link) or plain navy bottoms
No other sports wear to be worn please.School Uniform (No Changes)
Blue Polo Shirt
Navy trousers/skirt
Black shoes or all black runners
Navy jumper (with crest) only available from Hore’s Stores).
School Badge available in the office for €3 each
Soccer Blitz
Our girls took part in a soccer blitz in Waterford WIT on Thursday 28th April. They played 3 matches and won 3 matches winning the tournament. They scored lots of great goals, showed great skills and conducted themselves perfectly on and off the pitch. They made us very proud!
Parents Association – News
Terry Whitty message to our school community.
The Parents Association would like to thank the volunteers for the church gate collection, it covers the Wexford district. Thank you for giving up you time any raising much need funds to help support Our Lady of Fatima.
The Parents Association would like to congratulate the senior classes on the completion of Basic life support which include CPR and Defib training. Great to have these life saving skills well done all.
The Parents Association would like to thank Kilmore Quay savings club who kindly donated €500 to the Lady of Fatima school. The club was discontinued this year and surplus monies donated to different charities.
Erasmus KA1 Mobility
Three teachers undertook an exciting and rewarding trip to Helsinki in Finland as part of training required under our Erasmus+ KAI. Ms Sinnott, Ms Ryan and Ms Shannon went for a week to train within the Finnish education system which has been proven to be one of the best in the world, scoring consistently at the top of different international studies (PISA, The UN Education Index, etc.). They were given a chance to discover, discuss, share knowledge, exchange ideas and experience everyday Finnish schools. They learnt first-hand how the Finnish education system operates at all levels.
Ms McCormack is undertaking an exciting visit to Spain this week as she was successful in securing a place on the KAI course also, which will complete all our mobilities. We wish her good luck on her trip and look forward to hearing from her when she returns.
Wellbeing – First Aid and Defib Training
Both Terry Whitty and Michelle Cogley spent two days in school undertaking first aid and defib training with the senior classes. It was a very valuable experience and possibly life saving. A huge thanks you to Terry and Michelle for their time. Some pictures of students in action during their training….
Ms Harpur organised Food Dudes which started after Easter on April 25th.
It was very successful in supporting healthy eating and lifestyles.
What is the Food Dudes Programme?
In Ireland, the EU School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme is delivered through the Food Dudes Healthy Eating Programme. It works by changing children’s attitudes towards healthy eating, allowing them to cultivate a liking for fresh fruit and vegetables. Built and developed on three pillars of scientific merit, (1) repeated tastings, (2) rewards and (3) role modelling, Food Dudes has proven itself as an effective evidence-based school-based healthy eating programme.
Take a moment to read through examples and see how much time you give to the actions each day. Life can be hectic at times, but taking time to incorporate one or more of the Five Ways to Wellbeing can improve wellbeing.
Wexford’s Fittest School
For the second year Our Lady of Fatima has entered a team for ‘Wexford’s Fittest school competition’. This is a fundraiser to raise money for GAA coaching in schools and is a fitness competition based around the popular TV programme ‘Ireland’s Fittest Family’. This has been organised by the Wexford GAA with first prize being €5000 worth of O’Neill’s sports equipment for the winning school.
The four team members representing our school include, teachers Mr. Lehane and Mrs. Sheehan and SNA Chris and new to the school this year SNA Lyn. On Monday 5th of May, two student school teams competed in a student event and both our teams were just amazing. The entire school shouted and roared in support of our students in Wexford Park. Inspired by the students the staff team put in a mammoth effort as they battled it out against other schools in the county, in timed trial events to see if they can make it through to the semi-final. They deserve a good rest!!
Confirmation
We had a double celebration on May 13th with Fatima Day and Confirmation. Students enjoyed a wonderful time that included a visit from the Ice Cream Van. Pictures to follow in next edition.
The Schools Sports Day will take place on Thursday 23rd of June. We look forward to another fun packed day for the students to enjoy. All parents are welcome to attend the sports day at St Marys GAA pitch.
Class Platforms Remember to check the Class Platforms for updates on the events and dates until the end of the school year!!!!
Remember IMPORTANT Upcoming Dates No School OFF – 01/06/2022 TO 06/06/2022 Return to school on Tuesday 7th of June. Have a lovely/safe break to all!!!
Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there’s footprints on the moon.
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to our Spring Newsletter. We have had a busy and productive time in school, since our return following the Christmas holidays. As you are aware, the Covid-19 guidelines have stayed the same for special schools and we await an update from the DES at the end of the month. We will inform you of any changes but for now, we thank you for your cooperation in ensuring OLF remains safe and operational. Below you will read of the many activities that have been happening: Green schools initiative; Student Council elections; eTwinning promotional video; Erasmus KA1 mobility, planting in the garden etc. None of this would happen without the input and dedication of our very committed staff. We hope to continue and add to the variety of activities offered by the school in the term ahead, so keep an eye on Aladdin and/or your child’s class platform. I wish everyone from the entire school community, a relaxing and enjoyable mid-term break.
Kind regards Glenda
Junior 2
We have been having a super time learning how to dance with Johnny. We look forward to our class with him each Wednesday and are so excited to learn more moves for our dance.
We took a trip to Min Ryan park as a treat for working so hard in school. We had a great day playing and got lots of fresh air.
We have done lots of artwork for Spring and Valentine’s Day. We hope you all like it.
Junior 4
Middle 3
Middle 3 class are in the middle of Horse-riding and they are having a great time. They are learning all about how the horse is minded and what food the horses eat. Everyone of the students adore horse-riding and you never know they might make great Jockeys!!!!!
Ms Murtagh was away for a few weeks and Ms Carter did fantastic work in the class when she was away. They finished a project on The Oceans of the World which is up on the board for all to see. They presented their projects on video and Ms Murtagh was very very impressed with their work. Ms Carter did a Valentine Box for all the students, which will be given to each student on Valentines day to share the love amongst each other. Each box is full of treats and surprises for all in the class.
The class took part in an art competition for the Green Schools which Ms Kent is running. The Theme of the Competition was “Ground Water, Our Hidden Treasure”, they really enjoyed that also. Dancing classes has commenced as well as soccer. The students are really looking forward to their Mid-Term as they all need a well deserved break and Patricia the class SNA is about to fall down after all the work they did over the last term.
Senior 1
Senior 1, returned to school after a well deserved break and continued working at pace particularly now that they are heading towards accomplishing their learning goals in their Junior Certificate Art and Home Economics subjects.
In Art, the students completed their portfolios, with their artistic talents really coming to fruition in the amazing work they are producing.
In Home Economics, the students made the difficult decision with regards the choice of meal to cook for their practical element of their examinations. They showed great maturity and decision making in deciding on their meals.
The students researched the dietary needs and nutritional requirements of their task and matched them to the meal they are cooking. See pictures of Lee’s, Eddie’s and Abigail’s macaroni and cheese meals.
The student’s decided as part of Wellbeing within the school they are going to choose a student or staff member to cook their meal for and provide them with a first class service. Fingers crossed they pick you!!
Senior 1 read different genres of books when they visited the local library.
The students tennis skills continued to develop and particularly their timing was getting better each week, as they undertook their tennis lessons at the local club.
Senior 3
Senior 4
Senior 4 Newsletter Items Jan/Feb
Senior 4 have been preparing for when they leave school by visiting different further education centre’s in Wexford.
On Tuesday 8th February students travelled to Intuition in Enniscorthy for a presentation.
Student Council: The Student Council Virtual Election took place 14th January 2022.
A suggestion box has been placed in the hall for staff and students to put in their suggestions.
David Brown, Chantelle Campbell and Muireann Hore were successful Candidates.
Senior 4 took part in a Live Wellbeing Webinar.
Senior 4 are attending Soccer in North End and Tennis every week.
Students in Senior 4 have been enjoying a little bit of freedom by going out to An Boker Nua for lunch every Friday.
Numeracy Support
Since Christmas all the children in the Junior classes have been having extra support for Numeracy with Ms Shannon. The children are withdrawn individually or in pairs. The work they cover is the same topic as they are doing with their teacher that week. They have extra time for hands on activities when concepts are revised and consolidated.
Here are some pictures of the children engaged in their work.
Green Schools
Parents Association – News
Terry Whitty message to our school community.
We have an upcoming parents association meeting on the 9th March @ the Maldron hotel at 11am, all are welcome.
We will also be looking for as many volunteers as possible to assist at the Church Gate collections this year. The collections will go on throughout the County from early March to Easter and any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Monies raised going towards supplementing activities within the school.
The Parents Association would also like to thank everyone who contributed to the raffle at Christmas which was a great success.
Over 8 thousand euro was raised for the refurbishment of the playground.
The Parents Association would like to thank Corrina Ormonde for all her hard work as secretary over the last few years, as she steps down from the position.
Safer Internet Day
A big welcome back to Ms. Harpur who resumed teaching in Middle 4. Thanks Ms. Harpur for organising the Safer Internet Day and arranging for Garda David Fitzgerald to visit the school and support the student’s online knowledge and awareness. The students learnt a lot of valuable tips on how to stay safe online.
Erasmus KA1 Mobility
Ms McCormack is going to undertake an exciting visit to the Netherlands in April as she has been successful in securing a place on the KAI course on Innovation in Dutch Education.
The School was awarded an eTwinning National Thematic Prize (Apple Store Gift of €500) for the entry of Mrs McKeown and her students into the competition. Well done!!!!
The school has been offered to part-take in a promotional video for eTwinning later in the next term. We will get a visit from Leargas and present our schools long history of success in promoting and learning from eTwinning.
Wellbeing Committee
The school had its Whole Staff Meeting on the 16th of February. A big thanks to Ms Leacy and Ms Harney for organising such a lovely Wellbeing Treat of delicious foods for all staff.
Student of the Term – February
Well done to the following students who received the student of the term award at the February Mid-term Prizegiving Ceremony:
Our Lady of Fatima School – NewsletterDecember 2021
Principal’s Message, As the festive season is just around the corner, I want to take a moment to thank the entire school community for your support and dedication in giving our students the best educational experience. We are very grateful for the wonderful contribution from the PA in organising a very successful Christmas raffle, coordinated to obtain funds to refurbish the junior school play area. In addition, they created a magical Grotto for Santa’s visit. A special mention to the Cogley family who presented each student in the school with a Christmas annual! Thank you for such a generous gift! As usual, the dedicated and hardworking staff of OLF have continued to adapt to the ever-changing covid-19 situation and have made Christmas a special time for us all. Our Christmas Wellbeing Committee worked tirelessly in ensuring we had fun filled activities and treats during the month of December. Thank you to the team, led by Mr. Bridges. As you will see below, the annual Lámh video is a sincere effort that displays a great sense of collaboration and fun amongst all staff in OLF. A big thank you to Emily and John for creating and directing another masterpiece! I would in particular like to thank our students, who come to school every day, happy and eager to participate, with little or no complaining of current restrictions! Have a wonderful holiday, and come back to school, refreshed and ready to take on 2022! We think of both The Murphy and The Kehoe family this Christmas. You are in our thoughts and prayers. We think of Leon, Tyler and Mikey and how lucky we feel, that they were part of our family in OLF. On a personal note, I wish to thank most sincerely our Board of Management, Parents’ Association, Ms Leacy (Deputy Principal) & ISM, Teachers, Special Needs Assistants, Secretaries, Caretaking, Cleaning Staff and LWR team who have all worked hard throughout this term to keep school life enjoyable, safe and happy for all our students. I wish all of you a very happy and restful Christmas holiday and look forward to the New Year ahead in Our Lady of Fatima School.
On the 17th of December the school community remembered our beloved Mikey Kehoe. Students and Staff took time out for some valuable reflection within our new sensory garden that was dedicated to Mikey. The day was marked with a visit from Mikeys parents and sister who gathered with Father Billy Swan, other BOM members and Mikeys previous teachers and SNA’s. Below are some images and the prayer that all classes took time to respectfully reflect upon, for our dear Mikey….. Christmas Activities at Our Lady of Fatima Our Lady of Fatima School has been very busy this Christmas with lots of fun activities to celebrate the season of goodwill. A Christmas Wellbeing Committee was set up and worked on organising and coordinating the Christmas activities. A big thanks to the Committee for their ideas, efforts and dedication. Thanks to all the staff that contributed to providing a wonder 2021 Christmas experience for everyone.
Christmas Door Competition
The Christmas Wellbeing Committee ran a Christmas Door Competition. Students had to design a Christmas themed door for all the school community to enjoy. The entries were all amazing. The Parents Council kindly took time out to view each classes entry. They were delighted with the effort and found it very challenging to choose a winner. They voted and the result is:
Winner Middle 2
Well Done Middle 2
Hot Chocolate
As part of her role on the School’s Christmas Wellbeing Committee our new teacher Ms Harney treated the school to some delicious hot chocolate. Both students and staff were delighted and all needs were catered for, thanks Ms Harney.
Christmas Tree
A huge thank you to the Parents Association for arranging for our beautiful Christmas Tree to be delivered to the school. It was an amazing Christmas Tree and we are very grateful to Killeen’s Garage for their donation to our school. If parents are shopping in Killeens please give a big thank you from Our Lady of Fatima school for their generosity. It is very much appreciated. See below that Junior 2 did a wonderful job decorating the huge Christmas Tree for the entire school to enjoy on entering the building. Community Involvement by our Students
Christmas Cards were designed throughout the school and collected by Ms Weld again this year. They were then delivered to the local nursing home residents by the students. Well done for making the elderly experience of Christmas nicer and it is a real thoughtful way to give back to our community. The Nativity Junior Two had great fun rehearsing and performing the Nativity this Christmas. They really enjoyed learning the story about the birth of Jesus and loved wearing the costumes and acting. They provided great entertainment with their creative performances. We are so proud of them! Definitely some stars in the making. Mr. and Mrs. Claus Mr. and Mrs. Claus dropped into Our Lady of Fatima on Monday 20th of December. They were a big hit with all the students. A big thanks to the Parents Council who built the wonderful Grotto and donated all the extras such as the tree, stove, lights etc. It was a delighted experience for all and well-done Gavin and Mary for all your effort. For the month of December, Fatima FM became Fatima Christmas FM. We have been greatly entertained by our resident DJ Ms Sheehan. During each show, there have been numerous birthday and song requests. In addition we had a return of the, “Just a minute quiz”, where staff members have attempted to answer correctly as many questions as possible, within the 60 second time limit. Ms Sheehan with the help of Ms Leacy (Camerawomen) provided the school with an experience of all the Classroom Doors for our competition.
Thanks Ms Sheehan Junior 2
Junior 2 had a fantastic time meeting Santa Claus and Mrs Claus. Santa told us we have all been very good this year and we are all definitely on the nice list!
We had a very special time remembering our friend Mikey in the sensory garden. We blew bubbles and watched them float up to the clouds.
We worked very hard practicing for our Nativity. We did a super job remembering our lines and are excited for everyone to see it!
We did lots of artwork in December, each piece of cotton wool was carefully stuck to create Santa’s fabulous beard. We really enjoyed decorating our classroom door.
Junior 2 decorated the beautiful Christmas tree in the foyer of the school. We picked lots of beautiful red and blue baubles for the tree.
Junior 2 would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas! Middle 1 What a busy term we are after having. Hard work & great achievements were made from all the boys & girls in Middle 1.This term we worked on various topics ranging from beginning our new school year, planting, drama, art, science week & zoom assemblies. Congratulations for the fantastic handwriting we have in Middle 1 keep up the great work. Wishing you all a very Happy, Safe & Healthy Christmas & New year.
Middle 3
Middle 3 class got a great gift from Grace Cogley’s parents of a lovely album to keep everyone busy over Christmas. All the students in the WHOLE school got one as well. Thank you so so much from all the students.
Middle 3 were busy making Christmas Cards for residents of a nursing home. Just a little bit of cheer for Christmas. Middle 4
Middle 4 have thoroughly enjoyed their 4 week block of Forest School. They made beautiful crafts including a mini raft – which they then raced in the stream -, a medallion, a wand and a gorgeous Rudolph face! They popped pop corn kernels over the camp fire, heated milk and made hot chocolate and melted marshmallows for smores. They played games in the forest and overall they had great fun. Also, this month we enjoyed creating our Christmas Door and admiring the other lovely Christmas doors around the school. We contributed to the decoration of the whole school by decorating one of the trees in front of the school. We enjoyed our Lámh Christmas song and we’re looking forward to seeing the full production of “Lámh Factor” very soon, where we will get to see all the other classes in action. We had a very interesting History Tour of Wexford where we learned more about the Vikings. We stood on the spot where the remains of 11 Viking houses had been discovered and we saw the remains of a church they build. We learned that Oyster Lane in Wexford was so called because it was an area plentiful in oysters and we learned that “Keyser” means “Way down to the sea” – which is where “Kaysers Lane” got it’s name. Middle 4 would like to wish our family and friends and very Happy and Peaceful Christmas and we look forward to welcoming Ms Harpur back in January. Senior 1 Senior 1 had a very busy term. The students continued their learning in depth of their Junior Certificate subjects, particularly the examination subjects of Home Economics and Art. Above and below are some of their lovely Christmas puddings they made with Mrs Elliot, highlighting their cooking skills. The students completed their Classroom Based Assessments CBA’s and produced some lovely craft pieces with the support of Ms Leonard. Students enjoyed continuing their tennis lessons at the local tennis club throughout the term. They created Christmas Cards for the residents of a local nursing home. Senior 1 took part in the Christmas Lamh Factor competition by learning the signs for the song Santa Claus is coming to town. Students decided on the decoration of the classroom door for the Christmas Door Competition and put a lot of effort into decorating their door. Students visited the local library and took part in a live webinar with an author.
Senior 2 Senior 2 and senior 4 took part in the heritage schools visit. This involved a full day of workshops on Geography activities including a study of Geology, map reading and creating a map. A fun filled educational day outdoors for all! Lili O Brien, Darragh Moran and James Tompkins won prizes in the Credit union art competition. Senior 2 also took part in science week. They firstly took part in a murder mystery involving star wars characters and we WON. We got a shout out on the Science Week TV show. The second activity was a interactive chat with the weather lady Joanna Donnelly. We found out about the role of a meteorologist and how they forecast the weather. An exciting morning was had.
Senior 3 This term senior 3 have enjoyed going to horse- riding every Monday. The students have made great progress and some of them are now riding solo. Well done guys. We have concentrated a lot on life skills this term especially grocery shopping and cooking. Senior 3 really got in the Christmas mode this month and did tremendous work helping to decorate our school both inside and out to make it look extra Christmassy. Well done to Matthew (student of the term) Senior 4 Senior 4 Senior 4 started Tennis at Wexford Harbour Boat & Tennis Club at the beginning of November. We attend every Friday and the students absolutely love it. Senior 4 Parent – Teacher Meetings took place on the 8th November. Senior 2 & Senior 4 took part in a Geography Project with the “Heritage in Schools” on Monday 15th November. The students explored Rocks and Climate Change. A very enjoyable day was had by all. Some students in Senior 4 received their Flu Vaccine on the 11th November. Students from the Senior classes have been taking part in RACE in preparation for their Junior Cycle Exams. HSE Profiling Interviews took place online on the 7th & 8th December. Senior 4 students have completed their CBA2 in English & Woodwork. Senior 4 have been very actively doing their Fyffes Fitness every morning!!Students in Senior 4 have been creative with their Christmas art for the Christmas Door Competition and with their window display. The Student Council Candidates have been preparing their speeches for the upcoming Student Council Election on January 14th 2022 . Their campaign will take place online via MS Teams and Ballot Sheets will be distributed via MS Forms. Literacy Resource Update
This year we have for the first time we decided to have a Literacy Resource Position for Reading. I have had the very pleasant job of setting up this position and have engaged in some much-needed Literacy Initiatives along the way. With the help and support of all the staff and our Parents Association we have engaged in the following:
Readathon – MS Readathon 11 students and 2 staff members completed reading tasks for the month of November, earning a combined total of reading tasks for the month of November, earning a combined total of €610. Well done all.
New Class Readers and ebooks for the Middle Classrooms PM Readers. Children’s Book Festival – Wexford Library. We had Virtual Zooms by authors Sarah Webb and Alan Nolan. David Walliams Virtual Assembly (based on ‘Ganster Granny’) All classes are reading novel’s and some have acquired a bulk loan from Wexford Library.
The school has decided to participate in the National Wellread Award. We will be promoting Reading for Leisure and Pleasure. To receive the plaque and award we need to promote Reading and compile a Portfolio of our efforts. If we are successful, we will gain the Award and a plaque for our school. It is also a fun, interactive and positive way for us all to engage in the wonderful joy of Reading and its many benefits for our independence and wellbeing. The Committee will comprise of Staff, parents and Student volunteers, lead by Miss Sinnott. We will have activities throughout this year and next to promote this so all support and help will be needed and most importantly appreciated.
Finally, I want to wish the boys and girls that have worked so hard and diligently on the reading with me over the last term a very Merry Christmas. You have been amazing!!! Don’t forget you can read some ebooks over Christmas on https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/user/sign_up.html or https://www.getepic.com/. I hope Santa is very good to you all. Melissa Sinnott, Resource Teacher For Literacy. Home Economics
Middle 4 were busy providing Christmas Puddings for their families this Christmas.
Christmas Student of the Term
Well done to the following students who received a certificate and prize at the Christmas Prizegiving Ceremony:
Junior 2: Gabby Whelan
Junior 3: David Moran
Junior 4: Leighton Kennedy
Middle 1: Dominic McCarthy
Middle 2: Tadhg O’Shaughnessy
Middle 3: Mia Sutton
Middle 4: Adam Sinnott
Senior 1: Shane McGrath
Senior 2: Darragh Moran
Senior 3: Mathew Cleary
Senior 4: Chantelle Campbell
Parents Association/Fundraising
A massive thanks to our Parents Association who organised a Christmas Raffle in the School. The prizes were extremely good, see below. It was a great success and will provide much needed support for our school throughout the academic year. Thanks for your backing and a big thanks to all the businesses and people that donated so kindly to the Christmas Raffle.
We would like to wish the pupils and all the staff of Our Lady Of Fatima school a happy Christmas with good health for the coming New Year.
The Parents Association.
LÁMH – Christmas Songs
Students took part in our Lamh Factor Christmas Songs competition organised by the Christmas Wellbeing Committee. After each class was viewed via Teams then each class proceeded to cast their vote. The winning class with the most votes and after a very close race Junior 3 won our Lamh Factor Christmas song competition.
Fatima Facebook Video Links
A big thank you to Ms Murphy for keeping the online school community updated with the links to the videos and happenings within the school. Check out and enjoy the below link to see the students Lamh videos…..
And finally…..A Tribute to all the wonderful students in Our Lady of Fatima School from all the staff. Have a wonderful Christmas, we are so proud of you all! A big thank you to both John and Emily for their hard work, putting this together!
for families of our Lady of Fatima School to come along have a chat & a cuppa 
while our kids have fun in the playground together 
Senior 3
