Laragh Muff NS

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Muff NS Newsletter May 2023

Communion:   First Holy Communion takes place on Saturday at 10:30 in Muff Church. There will be a reception in the hall afterwards where we have asked 1^st class parents to help out if they can. We would appreciate if anyone could bring baked goods in on the day – no chocolate please! The school will be open from 9.30am to allow baked goods to be dropped off.  Ms. Campbell will be meeting the 2^nd class parents on Thursday at 2.45pm in the Church. Please note there is a wedding in the Church after the ceremony, so it is important that the grounds are left in good condition. We look forward to everyone having an enjoyable day.

Graduation Mass:   The 6^th class will have their Graduation Mass on Saturday June 24^th at 7:30pm. There will be a short reception afterwards in the hall.

School Tours:   Below is a list of the School Tours for the coming year. Parents will receive notes about their own individual child’s tour this week. Please note that the tours will be subsidised by the Parents Association.

Junior Infants/Senior Infants/ 1^st – The Crystal Maze – Friday June 9^th

2^nd/3^rd Class – Armagh Planetarium – Thursday June 1^st

4^th Class – Tanagh – Tuesday June 6th

5^th/6^th Class – National Museum/National Art Gallery/Aquatic Centre – Thursday June 8^th

Sports Day:   Our Annual Sports Day takes place on Thursday June 15^th. As per usual, parents will be invited in from 10:00 to 10.45 to watch children participating in Fun Races.

Green Schools:   Ms. Swinburne and members of our Green School Committee will be going to the City North Hotel next week to pick up our latest Green Flag in biodiversity. Meanwhile we had two quiz teams who performed fantastically well in the Green Schools Quiz organised by T.Y. students in St Louis Carrickmacross. The participants were: Cillian Kierans, Laila McKenna, Senan McCormack, Eimear Byrne, Ellen Monaghan, Nadine McKenna, Emma Tierney & Liam Clarke.

SPHE/Stay Safe:   All classes will be completing the Stay Safe elements of the SPHE Programme over the coming weeks. Our 5^th and 6^th class are also completing the Relationship and Sexuality Education component. If any parent has any query, they can contact me through the school office.

Parents Association:  The P.A. will have their annual Family Fun Walk on Sunday May 28^th on Lough an Lae. There will also be a clothes collection on June 6^th & 7^th.

Junior Entrepreneur Project:   Well done to all the pupils in Mr. Byrne’s class who have completed the Junior Entrepreneur Project. Their “Crafty Cards” business has proved to be very popular and successful. We have sent in our final project and will be wrapping up the project completely in the coming days. There are some packs of cards still available to purchase from the school office.

Sport:   Well done to both the boys’ and the girls’ football teams who have played outstandingly well this year in their respective competitions. They have had some fantastic victories and some very narrow defeats thus far and will be finishing up in the next couple of weeks. Many thanks to Ms. Swinburne, Mr Kiernan, Alison, Therese and Gillian for coaching the teams. We also completed 6 weeks of swimming in Navan where the children again had a thoroughly enjoyable time. I have to pay compliments to the coaches there who display great professionalism.

Code of Behaviour/School Uniform:   We are reviewing the Code of Behaviour prior to our next Board of Management meeting at the end of the month.                                                The school is also conducting our regular review of the uniform policy in the school. One aspect I would like to mention is the wearing of make-up/jewellery/ fashion items. This is not currently a major issue in our school at all but from speaking with colleagues it is something that has begun to appear in senior classes in some schools. This isn’t appropriate for primary schools. Children can wear small single ear studs and a single ring. Other jewellery such as necklaces/bracelets should not be worn as they can get lost or broken and there is a health & safety aspect to children pulling at jewellery during games.  Make-up/fake tan/hair dye etc. of any kind is not permitted.

Standardised Tests:   These tests will take place from May 30^th – June 8^th inclusive. As required, the Sten Score will be given in end of year reports for 2^nd, 4^th and 6^th classes.

School Calendar: Please find below the school calendar for the remainder of the school year and also the provisional calendar for the 2023/24 school year. Please note that dates are subject to change.

School Planning Day – Closed Friday May 26^th

Standardised Testing – (1^st-6^th class only) Week 1 – May 29^th – June 1st.

Week 2 – June 6^th – 9^th

June Bank Holiday – Closed Friday June 2nd and Monday June 5th

Summer Holidays – Finish Thursday June 29th, 2023, at 12pm

School Calendar 2023/24

• School reopens on Wednesday the 30^th of August.
• Mid – term October 30^th – November 4^th.
• Christmas Dec 22^nd – Jan 8^th.
• St Brigid’s Day – Monday 5^th of February.
• Feb Mid – term Thursday and Friday 15^th and 16^th.
• St Patrick’s Day Monday March 18^th.
• Easter Break – March 25^th – April 6^th.
• Friday 3^rd and Monday 6^th of May.
• Friday 31^st and Monday 3^rd of June.
• School closes Tuesday 25^th

Muff NS Newsletter April 2023

Sacramental Classes:   The final preparation Mass for the First Holy Communion Class takes place this Saturday in Muff Church at 7:30. The First Holy Communion Mass itself takes place on Saturday the 20^th of May at 10:30. (Please note the change of time)

There will a reception in the hall afterwards where baked goods, biscuits and tea will be served. As is now customary we will be looking for parents of 1^st class children to help out on the day. This has worked extremely well in recent times and we hope that many of you will be able to give up an hour or so that morning.

Parents Association:   The P.A. is hosting a Bake Sale and Raffle in the School Hall after 7:30 Mass this Saturday. The information is up on the PA Facebook page. They are looking for baked goods from as many people as possible. The school will be open on Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 for delivery of baked goods. It will be open again from 6:30 to allow tickets and baked goods to be delivered. Tickets can also be bought via Revolut, the details of which are on the Facebook page. The Raffle Draw will take place at the end of the sale before 8:30. There are some fantastic prizes that local businesses have sponsored. All the details of this event are on the PA Facebook page and on the school website.

The PA will once again be hosting a Fun Family Walk on Sunday the 28^th of May on top of Lough an Lae. We will give more details of this event closer to the time.

Sponsored Walk:   We had our annual Sponsored Walk the Friday before the Easter break. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the whole school community for their incredible generosity. We raised an amazing total of €3643 which will be invaluable to the school going forward. Like all families and businesses, schools have had to deal with rising costs and we are hugely appreciative to all for their support. This money will be used to fund school art supplies, sporting/musical events etc.

School Books:   As some of you may be aware, the government has announced that from next September, schools will be given money to purchase books and copies for all pupils. This means that parents will no longer be given the usual book list nor will you be asked specifically for Book Rental money any longer. We will have more details in the next newsletter.

Stay Safe:   This hugely important programme will continue to be taught this term to all classes. The topics and themes that are discussed are available to look at online. The 6^th class will also be taught specific aspects of the RSE Programme over the next few weeks.

Green Flag:   We just received word today that we have been successful in our application for the next Green Flag in relation to Biodiversity. A huge congratulations and thank you to Ms McNally, Ms Swinburne and their Green School Committee for all the work they have put in. A special mention to our gardening group for the amazing job they did in relation to the establishment and upkeep of our garden and general surroundings.

Standardised Tests:   These tests will be taking place from May 28^th – June 8^th. While by no means do they paint a full picture, they do give both teachers and parents an indication of how their child is progressing.

Community Games Art:   We had tremendous success in the recent Community Games Art Competition. The following all won medals and well done to all who took part:

Under 8 Boys: Gold – Lochlann McCormack; Silver – Cian McMahon; Bronze Andrew Gargan.

Under 8 Girls: Gold – Aoife Byrne; Silver – Eva Reilly

Under 10 Girls: Silver – Stella Brown; Under 10 Boys: Bronze – Odhrán Byrne

Under 12 Girls: Bronze – Arlene Shannon

Sport:   Mr Kiernan’s Handball League finished up just before the Easter break. It was a great success with huge participation levels. The winners of the Trophy Competition were Katie Hughes and Cillian Hughes with the runners up being Sophie Yore and Liam Clarke. The winners of the Plate Competition were Ava Sharkey and Jack Reilly with the runner’s up being Aimee Reilly and Sean Kierans respectively.

Our GAA teams begin their football leagues this week under the guidance of Mr Kiernan, Ms Swinburne, Alison McCullagh and Mr Byrne. They will be playing a match per week for the next 5 weeks or so.

Our soccer teams had fantastic days out with Ms Campbell, Gillian and Mr Byrne for two days in Bailieboro. All the teams had fantastic success with three of our teams just missing out on the final by one goal! Well done to the four teams who went.

School Calendar:   Please find the calendar for the remainder of the school year. The school is closed on Friday May 26th facilitate a Staff Training Day on the new Language Curriculum.

May Bank Holiday – Closed Friday April 28th and Monday May 1st

School Planning Day – Closed Friday May 26^th

Standardised Testing – (1^st-6^th class only) Week 1 – May 29^th – June 1st

Week 2 – June 6^th – 9^th

June Bank Holiday – Closed Friday June 2nd and Monday June 5th

Summer Holidays – Finish Thursday June 29th, 2023, at 12pm

Well done to Emma Tierney who took part in the County Final of the Easons Spelling Bee competition in Knocktemple N.S. recently.

Congratulations to our Community Games Art winners, who will go forward to the County Final on May 5th.  Best of Luck.

The Spar 5-a-side soccer competition took place mid-March.  Our four teams all played fantastically.

Please see details below for Cake Sale after Mass this Saturday April 22nd in School Hall.

Well done to the pupils who wore colourful odd socks today to mark “World Down Syndrome Day.”

Muff NS Newsletter March 2023

Sacramental Classes:   Our Confirmation class had their last Preparation Mass on Saturday before Confirmation. They also completed their Retreat which looked at the whole issue of alcohol and drugs. Confirmation takes place on Sunday the 26^th of March at 1:30 in Kingscourt Church. Please be aware that there will be a couple of preparatory sessions in Kingscourt Church the week leading up to Confirmation. We will be in touch with more details closer to the time.

Our Communion class completed their First Penance in February and have their last Preparation Mass on Saturday the 22^nd of April in Muff Church. First Holy Communion takes place on Saturday the 20^th of May at 11:00.

Seachtain na Gaeilge:   Seachtain na Gaeilge begins this week in school. It is an opportunity for children to emphasise their talent and abilities as Gaeilge. We would encourage you to try to use cúpla focail with them over the next number of days. We will be conducting our annual Seó sa Halla next week where the pupils will demonstrate their musical and dramatic talents in Irish. We will also be carrying out a number of fun activities in the class.

Green Schools:   We are receiving a visitor from An Taisce to update us on our progress with regard to the Green Flag that we are seeking in relation to Biodiversity in the school. We have completed a huge amount of work over the previous 18 months or so including the planting of new flowers, the setting up of the school garden and the examination of all types of wildlife in the environment around us. Many of these activities are available to look at on the school website.

Sponsored Walk:   We plan to hold our annual Sponsored Walk on Friday the 31^st of March. This is the one fundraiser run directly by the school and has always provided us with much needed funds for items such as art equipment, buses for sporting events etc. We will be giving out the cards after St. Patrick’s Day and your support is once again very much appreciated.

Information Meeting for Parents of New Infants:   Each year we meet the parents of the incoming Junior Infants to give them information for the coming year. This meeting will take place on Wednesday the 10^th of May at 2:10 in the school hall. Parents involved will receive further notification in the coming days.

School Tours:   School tours have been booked for all the various classes. Kingspan Innovation Centre have also invited our 4^th, 5^th and 6^th class in to see their new state of the art Research and Development Centre on Monday the 27^th of March. More details about that special trip will be given out in the near future. Here are the other tours booked:

Junior Infants/Senior Infants/1^st Class: The Crystal Maze – Friday June 9th

2^nd/3^rd class: Armagh Planetarium – Thursday June 1st

4^th class: Tanagh – Tuesday June 6^th

5^th/6^th: National Museum/National Art Gallery/Aquatic Centre Blanchardstown – Thursday June 8^th

Parents Association:   I have met with members of the Parents Association in the last couple of weeks when we discussed a wide range of issues. Here are a number of events that they have asked to bring to your attention:

Cake Sale – Saturday evening April 22^nd.

Clothes Collection – June exact date TBC

Family Fun Walk on Lough an Lae – Sunday May 28^th

School Standardised Tests:   These tests will take place over the two week period from May 29^th to June 8^th.

Swimming:   Swimming will start this week for all pupils from 1^st to 6^th class. Aquatics is an integral part of the P.E. curriculum and the coaches help develop confidence and an incredibly important life skill in a comfortable, familiar and safe environment. All information relating to swimming can be found on the swimming note that has been sent out to families. If you have any queries, please contact the school office. We would like to thank the P.A. who have contributed €2,000.00 to the cost of the buses which comes in at a total of €4,800.00.

Sport:   Well done to Mr. Kiernan who participated in the Collegiate Handball Championships in Arizona. He did both himself and the school proud. Meanwhile the Handball Competition in the school is carrying on each lunch break under his guidance.

Our 5 a side squads have been picked for the upcoming Cavan Soccer Tournament this month. The focus for these is very much participation and enjoyment. Squad members will be commencing training this week and there will be a note going out as well with all the relevant information.

In GAA, Benny is continuing his coaching sessions. The Cumann na mBunscol games will be starting after Easter and we will be starting training for both boys and girls shortly.

Quizzes:   We had three teams competing in the Cavan Cumann na mBunscol Quiz this month. There were 125 tables competing altogether and our Under 12 team had outstanding success coming in 2^nd, only missing out on the winners’ trophy on a tie-break. Nevertheless, they have qualified to represent Cavan in the Ulster Championship later this month. The two senior teams performed very respectably as well. The teams were the following:

Under 12’s – Eimear Byrne, Nadine McKenna, Jack Taylor & Odhrán Byrne.

Team B – Dylan Gogarty, Senan McCormack, James Farrelly & Laila McKenna.

Team C – Aimee Reilly, Niamh Reilly, Cillian Kierans & Emma Tierney.

School Calendar:   Please find below the list of school closures for the remainder of the year. Please note the date of the School Planning Day for staff with regard to the new Primary Language Curriculum.

St. Patrick’s Day – Closed Thursday March 16th & Friday March 17th

Easter Holidays – Finish Friday March 31st at 12:30 – Re-open Monday April 17th

May Bank Holiday – Closed Friday April 28th and Monday May 1st

School Planning Day – Closed Friday May 26^th

Standardised Testing – (1^st-6^th class only) Week 1 – May 29^th – June 1st

Week 2 – June 6^th – 9^th

June Bank Holiday – Closed Friday June 2nd and Monday June 5th

Summer Holidays – Finish Thursday June 29th, 2023, at 12pm

Best wishes to Mr. Kiernan who travels to Arizona in the next few days, to represent Ireland in the Handball US National Collegiates tournament.