As part of Wellbeing this year we decided to make some slight changes to our yard. The children and staff upcycled some furniture – an old wooden bench. The function of the Buddy Bench is to allow pupils to go there if they are feeling upset or would like to talk to someone. The Buddy Bench was designed and painted by the children themselves. We would like to thank those parents who kindly donated paint to the initiative.

Although the children may have been a little disappointed this morning that they had to come to school and weren’t on a snow day at home, the children made the most of the situation as they built a snow castle and a snow wall. There was impressive team work skills on show and it was a joy to watch the pupils co-operating and supporting one another outside the classroom.

This week, six of our senior pupils went to Shiven Rovers, Newbridge and played in a 5 a-side soccer tournament. Unfortunately the team came away defeated after a number of matches against some tough opposition but the children really enjoyed the outing. The students were thrilled with our new jerseys and we look forward to using them again in the near future.

Over the last six weeks, the pupils in the senior room researched their family trees using the census, Irish genealogy and land registry websites. We welcomed historian Martin Curley as he worked with the children investigating the historical evidence in the village of Aughrim. The pupils also got the opportunity to learn alongside some of their peers, the 5th/6th class of St. Catherine’s N.S. The two schools visited the local churches, graveyards and the townpark with Martin and their teachers. It was a very enjoyable and informative experience for all involved.

The children in the Junior room decided to post their Valentines letters this year with a trip to the local post office and shop. They got a lovely treat from the shopkeeper which made the delivery of the letters even sweeter. We hope everyone had a lovely Valentines Day<3

For the month of February, every Wednesday the children and staff have been increasing their steps. The school is taking part in WOW Wednesdays for the Green Schools Travel Flag. Before school the children meet at the village park and walk/run a few laps and get some vital fresh air into their lungs. We then all walk back to the school to begin our learning day. The weather so far has been very kind to us and we look forward to completing our month rain free.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service visited the school recently to educate the students about Irish nature and encourage interest in and respect for the environment and our natural heritage.

Liz and Claire presented and discussed with the students topics such as Biodiversity, Habitats, Irish Mammals and Irish Birds. The engagement in the nature themed powerpoint presentation followed by a show and tell segment with stuffed animals and other props was very impressive. We really enjoyed the experience and look forward to another visit in the near future.