News & Events
November 2022
November 2022
Advent
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.
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.
Follow our school on Twitter @FatimaSchool4