Blessington Educate Together

December 2007

Principal�s Note

 

Hello everybody,

With the publication of the first newsletter of the year it gives us an opportunity to reflect on our year to date. One thought comes to mind. BETNS is well on the road to success.

BETNS has successfully started its second school year. We have happily established the junior, middle and senior classes. We congratulate Adele on her appointment as Deputy Principal. We welcome Lynn and Niamh as new members of staff. Gerard is now a full-time SNA. We wish to thank Eleanor for her wonderful teaching and overall contribution to the school. We all know and appreciate Caroline�s efficient running of a busy office.� We thank the out-going Board of Management who worked so hard and so well seeing BETNS through its first year and a half. We wish the newly elected BOM every success for its four-year term. We thank Blessington Montessori School Ltd for looking after us as tenants. The Parents� Association is well and truly up and running. They are extremely busy fundraising and overseeing the after schools activity programme. A new student council has been elected offering a much-valued forum for student participation in the school.� Of course not forgetting our delightful pupils who seem so happy and settled in school.

I would just like to thank each and every one of you for creating our wonderful school community. We can only go from strength to strength. .

Wishing you all a happy holiday season. We look forward to a happy and successful 2008.

 

Rosemary

Assemblies

Our weekly assembly themes are based on Educate Tog ether�s Ethical Education Curriculum. So far this term we have learned about Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Light and Eid, the Islamic celebration that marks the end of fasting during Ramadan. Some of the children�s work is on display in the entrance area of the school. Some mothers visited us to share their celebration of the Jewish New year. There was Chala bread and we enjoyed apples and honey as we learned about how Rosh Hashanah is celebrated. Halloween was tremendous fun with many fantastic costumes on display.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each week in assembly, we also celebrate individual efforts with Shining Star awards and we recognise special effort in speaking Irish with our Realt Na Seachtaine award. There is always great excitement and a real sense of achievement for all.

Fundraising Events

 

The Parents� Association have organised the following fundraising events:

Race Night, Thursday 6^th December, West Wicklow Pub, 8pm

Christmas Songs 8^th or 9^th December, Main Street Blessington

Bag Pack in SuperValu 13^th December

Ongoing Coin Collection: pots will be sent home to store any loose change. Once a month we will ask you to empty these into the Target bucket in the School.

Class news

Junior and senior Infants

 

It has been a very busy term for the youngest members of B.E.T.N.S. All the Junior Infants have settled in brilliantly and the Senior Infants did a wonderful job at helping them to find their feet during the first few months. We have enjoyed nature trails, printing and clay, a visit from Garda Ray (�the tallest man in the world� was the general consensus of the class).

The class band is progressing well and is eagerly rehearsing for their debut performance. A Christmas number one is not out of the question either!

1, 2 and 3^rd class

The middle class has really enjoyed the beginning of the school year. We explored different habitats and learned about food chains. Experimenting with light was fun and we discovered some new words, transparent and opaque.�

In History we asked our parents what games they used to play and the following day we tried them out.� Some were more fun than the games we have today.�

Making 3 dimensional shapes in maths was great fun although the cylinder was very tricky to construct.� We kept trying though and eventually had success.

The highlight of the year has been taking charge of assemblies each week and performing in front of the rest of the school.

Garda Ray Returns

The children were delighted to welcome back Garda Ray this term, who visited us on two occasions, talking to the children about bullying, strangers and road safety.

4^TH, 5^TH and� 6^TH Class

On the 6^th of November, the senior class went to the RDS Science Live and we learned about robots. We all learned lots of things and facts about robots. The first things we learned were about robots senses and also the way that they a lot of things like people. The people who were doing the demonstrations asked questions and the children answered. One of the men asked for some helpers, one from every school that was there. One BETNS student was picked to help and had to do a demonstration. She had to clap her hands when the robot came to her. We learned about a robot that could clean the floor and about some that could walk. We all had a great time.

Student Council

 

Empowering children to make a difference through positive action is a core element of the Educate Together Ethical Curriculum, which includes strands such as understanding democracy, decision-making processes, social inclusion and equality. Children are encouraged to actively contribute to our schools development by means of the Student Council. The outgoing councillors did a wonderful job in representing the ideas and opinions of the pupil�s. Through the Student Council the children raised money for People In Need with Halloween Fancy Dress and have helped decide on resources for the school. It�s election time again and Rosemary�s class are busy on the campaign trail. Democratic elections took place on November 29^th and a council was elected. Congratulations to them. We hope they live up to their pre-election promises!

Book Fair

A big thanks� to everyone who helped out and supported our book fair. Our commission of 550 euro will be spent on books for our class libraries.

School production

We are busy rehearsing for our school musical on December 12^th. There are songs are being learned, the stage is being designed by the children. We had a very generous loan of costumes from Florrie O Brien at Liberty Hall.��������

The play will be at 7pm. We hope to see many of you there, it promises to be a great show! Children should be at the school for 6.30. There will be a mulled wine reception for the parents from 6. 30 in Lynn�s classroom.

 

School will close at 12 o�clock on December 12^th to allow the children to rest up before their big show.

Thank you

Thanks to all the kind help in tidying our gardens and with maintenance around the school. The Ancillary Grant from the Department of Education is not sufficient to pay for a caretaker so we are reliant on those who give so generously of their time.

Welcome to new pupils

A big welcome to our new pupils in the older classes who joined us this year. We are delighted to have them.

Sport at B.E.T.N.S

 

G.AA. training continues this year with thanks to Diarmuid from Kilbride club donating his time.

We will soon be starting our Spike ball training with the senior class. The Volleyball association of Ireland is running a schools� league that will begin in the New Year.

Swimming lessons for the senior class will begin after Easter in the new pool in Tallaght. The lessons will take place on Thursdays during the school day with a coach taking the class to and from the pool. We hope to extend the lessons to the middle class next year.

After school activities

 

Le Club Francais continues this year on Mondays. Tous le monde va tr�s bien!

 

Scripture classes take place on Tuesdays. Some pupils from second class are busy preparing for communion, while some of sixth class are working towards their confirmation in 2008.

 

Wednesday�s swimming club is open to all. The coach takes the children to Balrothery pool and anyone interested in enrolling their child should contact a member of staff.

 

Once again the support of parents is crucial in organising these activities. If you have an idea for an after school club, please talk to Rosemary or a member of the Parents� Association.

Voluntary Contributions can be returned to the school secretary at any time. The contributions are essential for funding resources and maintenance of the school.

Red Lane Blessington, Co. Wicklow

Tel: 045-865281�

Email: admin@educatetogether-blessington.ie

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