Wonderful build-up to Christmas in Patrickswell N.S.

Thanks to everyone who helped make the build-up to Christmas 2014 so special for each and every pupil in Patrickswell N.S.!

Christmas-Themed Table Quiz for all Pupils from 2nd to 6th

RESULTS of the Christmas-themed Table Quiz... How did your team do?

(P.S. There are a few Christmassy Quiz questions under this image...)

1. What colour are mistletoe berries?

2. Christmas Island is a territory of what country?

3. Three of Santa's reindeer start with 'D' - Dasher, Dancer and ---?

4. What's the Irish for Happy Christmas?

5 A saint made the first Christmas Crib. Which saint?

A. White B. Australia C. Donner D, Nollaig Shona (duit) E. St Francis of Assisi

Customised 2015 Calendars from Patrickswell N.S.

Laminated A4 full-colour calendar: only €2.50!!! Ideal Christmas gift... Perfect for the fridge door ...Useful throughout 2015... 

Photo(s) can be supplied from home - or taken at school -

Any message you choose can be included...

order yours now!

A Great Night in Patrickswell!

'Standing room only' in Patrickswell Church! Thanks for coming everybody! 

And thanks to Carmel Kirby for the photographs.

Dressed to Impress at Today's Rehearsals...

Dress Rehearsal for the Nativity Play...

Nativity Play Rehearsals in Full Swing!

How Much did We Enjoy the Jumble Sale?

We enjoyed it...BIG Time!!!!

Jumble Sale Auction

Jumble Sale Phootos

Jumble Sale 2014

...More photos from the Jumble Sale

A Patrickswell Space Odyssey

Another computer programming project from Patrickswell N.S.
Try this: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/37142278/?fromexplore=true

Annual MPPC C.U. Art Competition

Congratulations!!!

2014 Shoebox Appeal: Fantastic Response!

Patrickswell pupils send some real Christmas cheer to children in other countries...

2nd Class Visited the Hunt Museum & the City Centre...

Friendship Week in Patrickswell N.S.

Photos from the 2014 Friendship Week Assembly( in the School Hall)

Church Gate Collection this Weekend

Patrickswell N.S. Parents' Association Annual Church Gate Collection at Patrickswell Church this weekend. Please support generously.

Try these - 2 new quiz apps designed by Patrickswell NS pupils!

Computer Coding

The following quiz apps were created using HTML, C++ & JavaScript. Pupils from 5th & 6th Classes worked on these projects. There are more projects in the pipeline...


1.
Try this short quiz - but, beware, there are some trick questions to grapple with. The quiz was designed by Jason, Kian and Kyle...
https://editor.playto.io/view/ciaran.crowe/trickyquiz/


2.
Try this short quiz about popular video games, it was designed by Eoghan...
https://editor.playto.io/view/ciaran.crowe/video-games-quiz/

Interested?

How many pupils would be interested in joining a Computer Coding Club in the school?

Happy Halloween from Darren Shan!

 Darren Shan signing copies of his books for the pupils of Patrickswell N.S.

 

He writes about demons, vampires, zombies and the undead but the man himself is as decent and generous a spirit as you could hope to meet .. . no matter how many times you lived!

Darren Shan Feeds the Appetite of Brave Readers in Patrickswell N.S.

Random Act of Kindness

Darren Shan's Gift to Patrickswell N.S. Pupils

What a privilege it was to meet internationally renowned author Darren Shan recently! The incredibly imaginative Limerickman has conjured up book sales of over 20 million since 'Cirque du Freak' was published in 2000. Despite his incredible talent - and all his wonderful successes - Darren remains one of the most grounded and generous people you could hope to meet.

We met Darren deep in the bowels of County Limerick. A headstone bearing the message, "Welcome to Shanville, Home of the Damned," greets you as you approach his lair. Luckily, Darren was expecting us and he let us in before any harm befell us.

Patrick Swell: Your house is stunning! The artwork, the sculptures, the layout is amazing...

Darren Shan: Well, thank you very much.

PW: (Looking at huge transparent eggs with foetal Spiderman, Superman and assorted superheroes/villains  inside) Are you a DC or a Marvel man?

DS: I'd be more into English comics, like 2000 AD...

After a quick tour of the ground floor, Darren brought us to the Study, the creative hub of Shanville. A large white skull catches the eye immediately. Darren explains that you can open the skull and sit inside, "It's an immersion chamber where you can lock yourself away from the world and just think - ideal if you were living in an apartment in a big city."

PW:  (Looking into Darren's back garden and the view of the estuary beyond) You have some view there!

DS:  Pity the weather isn't better, you could see the hills across the way and Bunratty and Shannon Airport. But you can see some of the sculptures I've been adding to my collection out there.

PW : (Speaking of collections!) Did you think the Saga of Darren Shan series would take off like it did in Japan (i.e. multi-million sales, fantastic Manga versions of all 12 books, etc.)?

DS: No. Not at all. I never imagined that at all.

PW : How are your books doing in Ireland?

DS: They're doing really well. For a few years they were the most borrowed books, by an Irish author, from Irish libraries. That's changed recently. I'm not sure why but it may be a result of the recession.

PW: Are you travelling much at the moment?

DS: Yes, publishers require books to be promoted, so I'm touring the Zom-B series right now. These books are for an older readership than primary school children. They're a bit more gruesome...

Róisín (Patrickswell NS past pupil): I met you in Limerick at a zombie event. You gave me your card and your autograph. I was part of a group that dressed up as zombies for the day. You wrung my neck for a photo!

DS: Wringing necks is what's done at all these events. I'm always wringing necks!!!

PW : Readers in our school love how Cirque du Freak feels so Irish...

DS: Location wasn't specific in the books, so readers in many countries could read the books and feel it was set in their country, but really I tried to make it a mix of Ireland and London...

PW : I loved the way Cirque du Freak starts in a classroom toilet, that detail alone has everyone intrigued straight away!

DS: Yeah it started in a toilet and ended in a grave, it had everything!

PW: How many titles have you written at this stage?

DS: Around 40.

PW: Thanks so much for inviting us to your home and for donating all these books, audio books and Manga novels to our school library!

DS: I love my books to have a good home and I love to feed the appetite of brave readers! Would you like me to sign them for you?

PW: It would be great if you'd sign one or two for us.

DS: No problem, I'll sign all of them. I'd be delighted...

In his Study, Darren has taken care to make space for a display of gifts he has received from fans from every corner of the world. They range from the grotesque to the cuddly (a really impressive collection of Teddy Bears bears this out)! It tells us a lot about Darren. More than anything else it tells us how much he appreciates his fans and how respectful - and responsible - he is when it comes to his ever-growing band of followers. Keeping things age-appropriate for his loyal fans is obviously a priority for Darren (and those of us encouraging young people to read books cannot commend him enough for that!)

Beside Darren's computer lies a huge stack of handwritten and typed notes. You can't help but wonder what quirky, gruesome and wonderful tales lurk within that pile. One thing is for sure: Darren has no intention of slowing down or becoming less prolific any time soon! You can almost imagine Darren chuckling as he thinks to himself, 'No rest for the wicked in my books!'

More Halloween snaps from the Well!

Pirates, princesses, witches and more...

Bats in the skies ... and pupils in disguise!

Spooky Spooky!

Some Halloween artwork from Mrs Woulfe's classroom

Boo!

Halloween Posers @ Patrickswell NS

A few more pictures from the Fancy Dress Parade...

....More tomorrow!

Gléasta suas d'Oíche Shamhna!

2014 Halloween Parade in Patrickswell N.S.

Watch this space for more photos from the 2014 Patrickswell N.S. Fancy Dress Parade. We'll post a few more between now and Halloween...

Halloween 2014 in Patrickswell...

Loitering with wicked intent outside Mr. Linnane's Halloween window....

Stay tuned! Lots more Halloween pictures are promised in the coming days...

Patrickswell Tidy Towns Quiz...

Patrickswell Scór Notice ...please read...

Fancy Dress Parade in Patrickswell NS on Friday 24th!

Tomorrow's the day - the day our school will be invaded by hordes of werewolves, vampires, ghosts, witches, Red Riding Hoods, superheroes of all kinds & lots more besides! Don't forget to drop your 'Bob-a-Job' cards into the School Office first thing tomorrow morning, if you haven't done so already.

It's 'Colours Day' tomorrow tOOoo!  Happy Halloween!

Learning Through Play in Miss Noonan's Classroom

Past pupil selected for trials for Ireland!

Congrats to past pupil, Jane Kirby who has just been selected for trials for the Irish Under 16 hockey team. Jane only took up hockey in recent years; her rate of improvement has been so fast that she represented Munster before she had even played a game for her club (Limerick Catholic Institute). Best wishes Jane! (From everybody in Patrickswell N.S.)

Autumn leaves, wild fruit, nuts and berries in Newcastle West...

Junior Infants, Senior Infants and First Class pupils went to Newcastle West for their Autum Field Trip. There was lots to discover...

Autumn Field Trip to Newcastle West Demesne

Miss Noonan and Mrs. Woulfe's classes visited Newcastle West on their Autumn Field Trip recently...

Free CPR class in Patrickswell: Important message from Jim Hartnett

Ever wanted to learn a life saving skill? Well now is your chance for free!
There will be Cardio Pulmonary Resucitation (CPR) classes in Patrickswell
on Wednesday 29th October at 7.30pm upstairs in the Cú Chullain for which
there is no charge and no catch. This is a class which will take about an
hour to complete and will comprise a short video with demonstration and
practise afterwards. It does not cover AED use but will give you a skill
that will stay with you for life. There will be a demonstration of AED use
for anyone who wants to see this in action. CPR/AED classes will be held in
November and I will have details on the 29th for anyone interested or
anyone wanting to upgrade a previous CPR certificate which may have lapsed.
There is no age limit to this but I will need people to let me know who is
coming otherwise it will be unmanageable. We can put a second class on the
same evening if we need to. Please message me through the Patrickswell
First Responders page on Facebook and I will give you the details. Looking
forward to seeing you there.

Mr. Dermot Lyne Laid to Rest Today. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Former principal of Patrickswell N.S., the late Mr. Dermot Lyne and Monsignor Michael Lane look on proudly as Michael J. Noonan T.D.cuts the ribbon and declares the 'new school' in Patrickswell officially open. Bishop of Limerick, the late Dr. Jeremiah Newman also officiated at the opening ceremony in 1987.

Mr. Dermot Lyne R.I.P.

Lyne (Gurteen Gardens, Ballinacurra, Limerick, late Firies, Co. Kerry) 14th October 2014 peacefully. Dermot (former Principal Patrickswell N.S.) beloved husband of Mary and dearly loved father of Dermot, Anne and John. Deeply regretted by his son-in-law Ken, daughter-in-law Sheila, grandchildren Serena, James and Darragh, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends. Reposing at Thompson’s Funeral Home, Thomas Street this Thursday evening from 5.30pm to 7.00pm followed by removal to St Joseph’s Church, O’ Connell Avenue.

Requiem Mass on Friday at 10.30am with funeral afterwards to Castlemungret Cemetery. Family flowers only.

May he Rest in Peace.    

Gaelic Football (& Hurling) Update from Patrickswell N.S.

The boys Under 13 team suffered a 1-point defeat v Kildimo (away) this week. The game could have gone either way - in fact, when the referee blew the whistle for full time, both teams thought they had won! The result means that both teams enter a 3-way play off (with Scoil JFK) for the 2 available semi final slots. The girls football team, managed by Mr. Linnane, had a very enjoyable match v Gaelscoil an Raithín. Gaelscoil were the winners on this occasion but the most important thing is that it was a close, sporting game - and everybody tried their best. On Thursday, the Under 11 footballers travelled to Ballybrown for their first game of the year, both teams turned on the style to produce a very enjoyable exhibition match. A return match in Patrickswell will take place in the coming weeks.

On Saturday, Mr O'Connor took a 6th Class hurling team to Ard Scoil Rís for the annual ASR Hurling Academy Tournament. After the preliminary rounds (in which the boys held Clonlara N.S. - winners of the tournament for the past 2 years - to an honourable draw), the lads missed out on progressing to the knock-out stages on nothing more than scoring difference! Mr O'Connor was delighted with the spirit shown by the lads. He is confident that they will be very competitive in all the Cumann na mBunscol hurling competitions (mini-7s, Olo Cup etc.) coming up after Christmas.

U 13 Footballers v Kildimo NS on Tuesday, Sept 30th

Patrickswell N.S. Under 13 Footballers play Kildimo NS on Tuesday, Sept 30th (in Kildimo) at 1.45 p.m. The team will leave Patrickswell shortly after 1.00 p.m. The boys, coached by Mr. O'Connor, have made a great start to the season by winning their first two matches.
Hard luck to the girls football team who lost out to Gaelscoil An Raithín last week, the score was 0-1 to 2-0.

2 wins out of 2 for the U 13 footballers!

Patrickswell NS      5-3
Scoil J.F.K.             1-5

Venue: Patrickswell - H.T score: 3-1 to 0-4 - J Kirby (2-0), J Carey (2-0) P Kiely (1-0) J Byrnes (0-2) E Munnelly (0-1) - Next match: Tuesday 30th, Sept v Kildimo NS (away...lifts needed!).

Great performance by Girls Football team v Ballybrown

Ballybrown NS      2-3
Patrickswell NS     1-2

First match: Cumann na mBunscol Girls Football City Championship
Venue: Ballybrown GAA field

School Footballers make a Winning Start!

Result

Patrickswell N.S. 2-4
The Model School 0-4

In brief: played in Patrickswell - half time score: PW 0-0, Model Sch 0-4 -  Model School could have been ahead by even more at half time - PW brought on 9 subs (legally!) - Patrickswell subs made a huge impact - incredible second half performance by Patrickswell - Patrick Kiely scored 2 goals - great victory for the Well!

Parent Teacher Meetings

• When? Monday, September 22
• Where? Each teacher's classroom
• Meetings for parents of pupils in Junior & Senior Infants, 1st Class & 2nd Class start at 6.00 pm.
• Meetings for parents of pupils in 3rd Class, 4th Class, 5th Class & 6th Class start at 6.30 pm.
• These meetings will provide parents with a clear insight into how they can help their children throughout the coming school year.

Photos from Miss Noonan's classroom on the 1st day back after the Summer Hols

Some Junior Infants at play on their 1st day at 'Big School'!

Patrickswell N.S. On-line

New Infants in Patrickswell N.S.

Miss Noonan's new pupils in the School Hall on the 1st of September, 2014

Fáilte romhaibh a pháistí!

CPR Classes (for adults & older teenagers)

A message from Jim Hartnett:

CPR classes will run on the 6th, 12th and 20th of September in Patrickswell.

Classes will cover CPR/AED. More advanced modules will focus on oxygen therapy, airway adjuncts and safety.

The cost of this is normally €90 but I am doing them both for €50. The
class is about six hours max in total.

You can contact me (or the School Office 061-355057) to make a booking

Photography Competition for Patrickswell N.S. Pupils

Pupils from all classes are welcome to take part in the Photography Competition at this year's Patrickswell Festival.

To enter: take a photo of your favourite animal and bring it along to the Patrickswell Resource Centre as soon as possible. Pupils are welcome to enter more than one photo. We hope lots of pupils participate!

Pet Dog Show at the Patrickswell Festival

Pupils are invited to participate (with their pet dogs) in this very exciting event which will be held this weekend as part of the Patrickswell Festival...

Soccer for boys and girls

A note for boys and girls in Patrickswell N.S. 

Welcome Back!

Welcome Back Everybody!

It was great to see everybody healthy and happy and back at school today! There was an extra-special welcome for the New Junior Infants who settled into 'Big School' with their new teacher Miss Noonan in double quick time.
Best wishes to all the pupils who graduated from 6th Class last June: we hope that they have settled into their new schools this week. They were a great group of pupils and we know they will do themselves, their families and their former primary school proud, in the years ahead.

Colours Day in Patrickswell on Friday, June 27th

Friday is COLOURS Day !
Donation:€2 —for pupils who'd like to wear their 'colours' to school tomorrow!

Call for Darren Shan novels...

Darren Shan novels have been a huge hit with our senior pupils for the past 5 or  6 years. If you have any Darren Shan novels that you no longer need at home, we would be delighted if you would donate them to the school.

Citizen CPR Certificates for 6th Class Pupils

Patrickswell N.S.6th Class pupils who earned Citizen CPR Certificates, pictured with tutor, Jim Hartnett and P.J. O'Grady, Chairperson of Patrickswell N.S. Board of Management.

Unusual Stone found in Patrickswell !

Yearbook SOLD OUT -- extra copies ordered...

The 2013/14 School Yearbook SOLD OUT today, on the very 1st day! The 2nd (& final) batch will arrive in school tomorrow. There will be enough for everybody. Pupils may even buy 2 copies, if they wish.

60 full-colour pages: ONLY €5. Don't miss out!

Enquiries about posting a copy of the Yearbook to relations in Ireland (or further afield): phone 061 355057.

What a cake!

Following  the 5th & 6th Class 'School Tour' to the Jamie Knox Surfing and Water Sports Centre in Castlegregory, Co Kerry, this magnificent cake which recreates a Castlegregory seaside scene arrived in the school. It looked fantastic -- and tasted even better!

Time for ice cream!