Our 6th class pupils had a wonderful day participating in their Confirmation Retreat last Friday. It was very special to share the day with 6th class pupils from Killina and Kilshanroe. Many thanks to Eugene and Conor from De La Salle Retreat Centre in Dublin, for facilitating the workshop.

The Ceremony of Light takes place on Sunday, 23rd of March for 6th class pupils.

The Sacrament of Confirmation takes place on Thursday, 27th March at 11am.

The Parish Office wishes to inform parents of 2nd class pupils that the The Sacrament of Reconciliation will take place on the 9th April at 1pm in the school.

In March we are running a campaign to promote punctuality. We will write to parents on Aladdin each Friday where pupils have arrived late to school on two days or more each week. Should we see a pattern continuing for pupils, we will reach out to speak with parents. Parental support is needed to help all pupils to be on time for school.

• 5 minutes late per day adds up to 3 days of lost school time!
• 10 minutes late per day adds up to 6.5 days of lost school time!
• 15 minutes late per day adds up to 10 days of lost school time!

February Attendance Rate: 88.8%

The Students Council organised a successful Anti-Bullying/Friendship Week. They organised a poster competition for the whole school and were very impressed with all entries. Well done to all entries and see the winning posters below. Well done to all!

4th, 5th and 6th class took part in Internet Safety Day. They discussed the opportunities and dangers associated with the internet and social media. They discussed how to use the internet safely and what to do if someone makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe online. The pupils also made posters promoting friendship, brainstormed and engaged in Random Acts of Kindness throughout the week and 4th & 5th class assisted 6th class with their Confirmation Project centering on this theme.

As part of Anti-Bullying Week all pupils participated in 'Odd Sock Day' and wore odd socks to school as we acknowledge and celebrate that we are all different but all equal!

The pupils in 1st-6th class are currently taking part in a block of weekly Drama sessions with Claire. These Drama sessions are part of our Creative Cluster Initiative, which is funded by the KEC. The first session took place last week and the remaining dates are 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th March and 4th,11th April.

The Junior room have been learning about houses and homes in Geography. The children worked in groups to design and create a house using recyclable materials. The children had great fun making their homes and were so proud to showcase their finished products!

All classes have been taking part in the Active Break Challenge during the month of February. Ms McNally has commenced Cross County training for pupils in 3rd-6th class.

We are taking charge of battery recycling in our school! We are promoting the importance of recycling to protect the environment. Recycling waste batteries ensures that precious materials can be recovered for re-use in manufacturing and dangerous waste is disposed of safely, protecting the future of our planet. Families can contribute to this initiative by bringing in used batteries to the school.

The Senior Room created Valentine's Day art using printing. They printed the word 'Love' in many different languages.

Created by 4th, 5th and 6th class.

This year World Book Day will take place on Thursday, March 6th and is a global celebration of books and reading. The aim is to encourage children to read at home and to learn to love books. We would ask that you support us in this endeavour by encouraging reading and by taking your child to the library regularly. This special day highlights the importance of reading and books. One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is the ability to read and write, helping them succeed in school and beyond.

We hope to mark the day with some ‘Buddy Reading’ activities where pupils in our senior classes link with pupils in a junior classes to share a love of books and reading.

Parents may be interested in some online resources which can be enjoyed at home to mark and celebrate World Book Day - https://www.worldbookday.com/families/

Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge beagnach buailte linn arís. We will celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge from 10th-14th March. All classes will engage in various activities and we look forward to celebrating our Irish culture and language during the week.

Lá Glás - Friday, 14th March will be an non-uniform day to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge and pupils can dress in green on that day (€2 per pupil). Children are encouraged to wear as at least one green item of clothing.

As part of Seachtain na Gaeilge activities we will hold a short ceolchoirm for all classes. Parents are invited to attend. The school closes at 12pm on this date for staff training. ☘️

The total raised from the sale of St. Brigid's Day Crosses was €1932.37.

The Parents' Association are currently organising an Easter fundraiser. An Easter Fun Day will take place on Sunday, 13th April on the school grounds. Sponsorship cards will be sent to each family in the coming weeks and further details will follow.

The Parents' Association have received funding from the Croí Laighean Credit Union Community Fund which, will contribute towards a set of IPADs for the school. Many thanks to Croí Laighean Credit Union for this generous donation.

The Parents' Association have been chosen to be part of the Tesco Community Fund in Tesco Edenderry. If you're shopping in this store over the next few weeks, we'd really appreciate if you'd vote for us using your blue token! We are delighted to be selected for this Fund and hope that the donation will go a long way in supporting our school.

Ms. Conroy will complete an additional afterschools Sewing Club on the lead up to the Easter Break (2nd-6th classes). The dates are as follows Monday 10th, 24th, 31st March and April 7th. 2.40pm-3.40pm. Further details will follow.

All upcoming events for the reminder of the school year, as they become known to us, will be recoded on the Aladdin Connect app, in the 'Calendar' section. Please check the Aladdin Connect app regularly for notifications.

Please follow and share our school X/formally Twitter account @brigid_ns to receive reports of all the latest news, events, photos, activities and great work being done by the pupils and staff in our school each and every day.

The Department of Education released new Anti-Bullying Guidelines for primary and post-primary schools. I will be sending out a survey to review our existing Anti-Bullying Policy to help us in the development of a new Anti Bullying Policy, which will be in line with the new national Bí Cineálta procedures. To ensure a comprehensive review, we require the input from all school stakeholders. We are also inviting parents to join a committee that will assist in the development of our new Bí Cineálta guidelines. If you are interested in being part of this process, please email the school at office@ticknevinns.ie

Please see the following link to access a letter from the HSE to parents about changes in GDPR rules and the sharing of your children’s information with the HSE’s School Health Programme.

Should you have any concern please note that the Designated Liaison Person (DLP) is Nóra Lynch and the Acting Deputy Designated Liaison Person (DDLP) is Eilís McCabe.

We have had an exceptionally busy February with plenty of school activities taking place. Thank you to all members of our staff and school community for their continued commitment and support of our pupils and school.

Continued best wishes to you and your families.

Le gach dea-ghuí

Nóra Lynch

Principal, St. Brigid's N.S.