Recent News from Patrickswell N.S. (Feb/March 2015)

• Swimming Lessons in U.L. (for 2nd, 3rd & 4th Classes): Eight lessons have now been completed. Two to go!
• Food Dudes (4-week intensive programme that aims to encourage pupils to eat more fruit and vegetables, followed by a term-long follow-up programme) started for younger classes on  Feb. 26 (apples segments & mange-tout, followed by carrot sticks & seedless grapes, etc.!). Older classes will join in on March 5th.
• Specialist P.E. Students from Mary Immaculate College started a short programme of P.E. lessons with 4th, 5th & 6th Classes on Friday, Feb. 27th. The programme will run for the rest of the term.
• Parent-Teacher Meetings were held in the school in mid-February. (Note: results of standardised tests in literacy and numeracy -1st Class to 6th Class - indicate that our school is scoring well above the national average in theses areas).
• Drama Classes take place after school every Thursday. 3 groups - A) Pupils from Junior & Senior Infants, 2.00 pm -3.00 pm. B) Pupils from 1st - 4th Class, 3.00 pm - 4.00 pm. C) Pupils from Senior Classes, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm.
• Chess Club: most days, at break times.
• U.L. Sports Kids Run (Saturday May 2nd): Get fit and raise funds for our school! Limerick Sports Partnership has kindly arranged for L.I.T. Sports Coaching students to come to Patrickswell N.S. for the next few Monday mornings to do some athletics coaching with all our pupils and to get them in the frame of mind to take part in the Kids Run (in U.L., the day before the Great Limerick Run).
• POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR WEEK commenced in the school on Monday, March 2nd. P.B. Week, coordinated by Mrs Woulfe, is a follow-up to Friendship Week (which took place in November). Random Acts of Kindness, Focusing on the Positive, a Spirit of Friendship and the Pay It Forward concept are key ingredients in the recipe for success this week!
• Fantastic Projects and/or artwork have been completed by pupils from all classes this term. Themes covered range from 'My Favourite Book' to 'My Favourite Animal,' and from 'Spring' to 'Experimenting with Lines'. Samples of pupils' work will be published on this Blog from time to time.
• Second Class' 1st Communion preparations are going well. The pupils will make their first confessions in Patrickswell Church on Tuesday evening, March 10th. Our Parents' Association will provide light refreshments for the children and their parents back at the school afterwards. All pupils from 3rd Class to 6th Class are members of the choir that will perform in the church on March 10th.
• Hurling: Mr O'Connor's charges are back in training for the season ahead. The Olo Cup, Mini 7s  and Under 11 squads played against Bruree N.S. and St. Paul's N.S. in a series of entertaining challenge matches recently.  These were useful workouts for all concerned. Primary school hurling and camogie leagues will commence before the end of the month.
• POD: Patrickswell N.S., on the instructions of the Department of Education, circulated the survey sheets for the Primary Online Database  (The Dept. of Education's electronic individualised database of primary school pupils that collects individual information on each pupil)  Further details: http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Primary-Online-Database-POD-
• Biodiversity: Mr. Nestor's Green Flag team are leading the way as the school aims for its fifth Green Flag. Hundreds of photos have been taken, 100,000s of seeds have been eaten (by the birds, not the pupils, of course!) and a wide variety of bugs, birds, flowers and plants have been studied and looked after as we aim to make Patrickswell School a place where people, animals and plants can live together in one big community.
• St Patrick's Day always makes us think of Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish Week). There will be lots of extra focus on using our "cúpla focal" every chance we get, inside and outside of the class... and lots of other events and competitions to ensure that everybody has lots of opportunities to enjoy using their Irish. Why not take on this challenge at home too!
• Maintenance Fund: Contributions (detailed in letter sent to all parents) are now due. Sincere thanks to all who have already paid... The money raised by the Maintenance Fund is essential to pay for day-to-day expenses in the school and general maintenance of the school grounds and buildings.