This month, I would like to start by saying a thank you to all parents and the wider community of Boher for your support during a very difficult time. Your kind words, gestures, cards, thoughts and understanding have really helped us. Niamh had a brilliant ability to bring the best out in people and this was certainly the case at the time of her passing also. We miss Niamh greatly and the coming weeks will be difficult as it was this time of year when Niamh really came into her own with different activities. However, as a staff we have vowed to try bring a bit of Niamh into everything we do and we look forward to joining with you all soon to celebrate Niamh and all she did for Boher N.S soon.

29th April U13 Camogie Blitz Ballina

29th April First Confession Boher Church

1st of May Ger Brick Internet Safety Talk Parents workshop 7pm in the school

2nd of May Ger Brick 4th-6th online internet safety talk

8th of May U13 Camogie Blitz Newport (1 more parent driver required please)

9th of May U13 boys hurling Blitz Ballinahinch 11:30am (1 more parent driver required please)

11th of May Holy Communion

15th of May U13 Boys Hurling Newport

21st of May 6th class preparation for secondary school webinar

23rd of May Junior Infant School Tour

27th of May Standardised Testing-English

28th of May 1st/2nd School Tour

29th of May Standardised Testing Maths

3rd of June 3rd/4th Class School Tour (Bus departing school at 8am)

6th of June Junior Infant Induction Day

12th June 5th/6th Class school tour - early departure & late arrival back to school.

20th of June Final day of term - half day

23rd of June First day of Summer Programme

On Thursday, May 1st at 7pm, we are pleased to announce that Ger Brick will be joining us at our school for a crucial parent workshop focusing on internet safety. We strongly urge at least one parent from each family to make every effort to attend this informative session. It is essential for parents to stay informed about the latest apps and online trends to ensure they are well-informed about their children's current and future online activities.

The PDF below has an overview of what Ger will cover on the night.

We are delighted to have received funding from Tipperary County Council which will allow us to partner with local artist Lynn Kenny on an exciting project which we hope to begin after Easter. By creating individual textile pieces, the project aims to encourage students to express their thoughts, emotions, and experiences through the medium of textiles. It aims to empower them to communicate their sense of belonging in a visual and tactile manner. More on this soon.

Boher N.S rocked our socks in great style again this year to help raise awareness of Down Syndrome. As well some competitions to design the best odd socks, the children took part in lessons & activities catered for their age to learn about what Down Syndrome is.

One aspect of raising awareness that we would like to focus on for parents this year is child first language. Down Syndrome Ireland strongly believes in the importance of ensuring that correct language is used when talking or writing about individuals with Down syndrome. When describing an individual with Down syndrome, it is preferred that you say he/she is a baby with Down syndrome. A person with Down syndrome is not a “Downs” or “a Down Syndrome”.

We are thrilled that construction has started on our new school build. When completed, the new build will provide a state of the art Autism Classroom including sensory and movement spaces and a school office. The build also includes a new mainstream classroom. The image below shows what the view from behind the school will be like when complete.

The construction phase will cause some disruption to the way we usually do things & we would appreciate everyone's understanding & patience with this. Our drop off & collection will be slowed down slightly as children will only be able to exit & enter through one get while construction is in progress. Parents have been extremely helpful & careful at drop off & collection times, this is appreciated by all staff. Can I appeal for everyone to be extra cautious in the coming weeks as children may be distracted by the busy environment.

Don't hesitate to let us know if you spot any improvement to procedures from a parents perspective.

Our infants had great fun before Easter welcoming some special visitors in the form of a pet lamb and chickens. It was a lovely experience for the children to pet the animals and feed the lamb. Thank you very much to Dan Frawleys parents for bringing them in and creating such a memorable day for the children (and staff!).

Students from first to fourth class are well underway with their ukulele lessons. We have partnered up with Munster Music Academy and are delighted to be welcoming our tutor Ed to the school each Thursday. During the sessions the students explore rhythm and beat, Pitch, major/minor, Dynamics, tempo and genre. The programme is about fun-filled music-making with a focus on ensemble performance, creativity, self-expression, and skills building.

The Parents Association Easter Disco was a resounding success. It was lovely to see the children of different ages enjoying dancing, singing and tucking into one or two treats! We are beyond fortunate to have such an amazing Parents Association to plan events like this for our children. Thank you to each and every one of you that contributed to a very memorable experience for the children. We are also very fortunate to be able to host the event in our community hall thanks to the work of BCDG and the volunteers that help to maintain it. The event also raised funds for Milford Hospice, a great charity very close to our hearts.

For your part as a parent, it is important that you do what you can to support the message from teachers that these tests are nothing to worry about and are simply tools to help their teacher understand how to teach them best.

Scores from the testing will be sent home with your child's report card.

Before Easter, fourth class combined poetry and art to produce some spectacular pieces of work. The theme of the poems was weather. Mr.Kennedy was very proud of what each class member produced. All the finished products were displayed in the hallway for staff to vote on their three favourites. Well done to Julie with "The Foggy Shroud," Adam with "Lighting" and Alexander with "Storm Poem."

Reminder that as our BOM approve school policies, they are added to the parents section of our school website linked below.