Scoil Muire Na Dea Chomhairle Phone 061367289 Kekishen mai: kikishenns seeicoms.net o,Clare Website: wchilishen.weebycom Roll Nrner: 134708 Twites@hikishenns February 2019 Newsletter Dear Parent/Guardian, | want to bring the following to your attent February Newsletter: School News Enrolment for September 2019 Now Open: Application for enrolment forms are available from the school office or by emailing kilkishenns.ias@eircom.net. Enrolment forms should be completed and returned to the school office by Friday February 15 2019. School Trips: On Friday February 1, 3" and 4" class will travel to Ennis Museum and take part ina workshop on St. Bridget given by storyteller Ruth Marshall. The pupils will engage in storytelling and art activities based on St. Bridget. The workshop begins at 11:30 and the bus will leave at 10:50 am, On Tuesday February 5, I" and 2 class will also visit Clare Museum for another workshop on this theme, leaving school at 12:20 for the ! pm show. On Thursday February 7, Junior and Senior Infants are visiting Ennis Fire Station and will learn all about the work that takes place at the Fite Station. The bus will leave Kitkishen school at 9:30 am on ‘Thursday morning. The buses for all trips will be paid for by the school. The trips are a reward for pupils’ excellent behavior and work so far this year. Swimming: Pupils from 3" ~ 6" classes have 2 remaining swimming lessons in February on ‘Tuesday February 5 and 12 from 11-12 noon, Pupils have worked in ability based groups and will be assessed and graded by their swimming instructors on their final lesson, Music lessons; Tin whistle lessons continue on Mondays for pupils from 3"- 6" classes with Ms. Amy McNamara from 3-3:30 pm, Lessons will finish on Monday February 11 Basketball: The annual Marion Keane Memorial Basketball tournaments have been scheduled for Thursday February 28 for boys and Friday March 1 for the girls. Kilkishen N.S. has been grouped with Tulla N.S., Kilmurry N.S. and Bridgetown N.S. Due to recent wet weather, school basketball coaching has been postponed but is planned for with all school pupils every Wednesday this term. Thank you to Martina and Richard for their continued support coaching basketball in the school. Clare School Handball: Congratulations to Kilkishen N.S. U/11 girls doubles champions Eimear Cassidy & Claire Shanahan. The gitls were crowned Clare Schools Champions at Tulla Handball Alley on Wednesday evening defeating the Tulla team in the final. On the same evening at Clooney Handball Alley, Aoife Frost was crowned the U/13 Girls Singles champion. The U13 Girls Doubles team of Keelin Moroney and Kara Flynn were runners up narrowly losing out to the Ogonelloe pairing. Well done to all competitors that represented the school so well in the Clare Schools Handball competitions this week.Primary School Debating Competition: 6th Class Kilkishen pupils successfully debated the motion “Homework Should Be Banned” against St. Aidan’s Primary School Shanon on Friday January 25, Team captain, Eadoain Moroney, main speakers Aoife Frost and Keelin Moroney delivered superb arguments as to why homework should be banned. Sefn Ryan, Myra Donnellan and Finn Bliss took part in the crossfire round and debated superbly with their counterparts from St Aidan’s. The team turns their attention now to preparing to take on Ogonello N.S on February 15 in Kilkishen Cultural Centre where they will propose the motion “AI! Families Should Have Pets,” Well done to everyone involved and a big thank you to Ms, O'Shea for her work preparing the team, Classes throughout the school have been carrying out their own class debates and have helped prepare the school team, Food Dudes Healthy Eating Programme: All pupils have commenced the Food Dudes Healthy Eating Initiative in January. Pupils have received Fruit and Veg that has been delivered to the school daily and are working to earn rewards for tasting and eating different fruit and veg daily ‘The programme continues this month and sees younger classes continue to receive Fruit and Veg at school with older classes receiving a segregated lunch box to bring Friut and Veg from home daily. Pupils will receive credits daily for bringing Fruit and Veg to school working towards ‘earning various levels of certificates in the coming weeks and months. Well done to all pupils for doing theit best to take part in this worthwhile initiative and to Mr. Walsh for coordinating the programme throughout the school Community Games Art Competitions: Kilkishen/OCallaghan's Mills/Oatfield Community Games Art results have been announced. Kilkishen N.S. pupils Sophie McArthur, Lucy O'Malley and Beibhinn Slattery were all medals winners in the L/8 Girls competition. In the U/8 Boys Filipe Wodjak, Ronan Davey and Alan Nevillle were Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winners ‘The U/10 Girls category included Megan Keman, Riadh O'Flynn and Jane Hogan as medal winners and in the Boys category Colin Greaves won a silver medal. In the U/12 Boys competition, Eoin Slattery was awarded a Bronze medal and finally in the U/14 Girls category Eva Gleeson won Gold. Well done to all participants that took part, The Gold and Silver winners in each category now go forward to the county finals at Rice College Ennis on Saturday February 9. Cumann na mBunscol Indoor Hurling and Camogie: 3rd and 4th Class Kitkishen Boys and 5® ‘Class Girls took part in the Cumann na mBunscol Indoor Hurling and Camogie toumaments held at Cratloe Hall on Wednesday and Thursday January 23 & 24, Both teams were drawn in groups containing Sixmilebridge, Kilmurty and Cratloe N.S. The boys played three great games, with a win over Cratloe and defeats to Sixmilebridge and Kilmurry. The girls also had one victory over Cratloe and two draws with Kilmurry and Sixmilebtidge, A playoff was required between Kitkishen and Cratloe to select the team that would progress with Cratloe narrowly winning by 2 goals to one, Well done to all the boys and girls that took part.Building Update © Building Update: The final works of the school extension are under completion at present. The new classroom and associated changing room will be ready to use after the February mid-term. Mrs. Deirdre Maxted’s class will move into this room on Monday February 25. © Additional Special Education Teaching Rooms: Following notification that an additional 3 Special Education Teaching rooms have been sanctioned the school authority has commenced a tender competition to select architectural services for the project. Work on this process has now been completed. The preferred Consultant Engineers to oversee the construction of the project will be appointed at February Board of Management meeting. Once this appointment has been ratified, design drawings and a timeframe for construction will be agreed during February. The plan is to locate the new teaching rooms and new entrance at the front of the school subject to planning permission. © Astro-Turf: A decision from Clare County Council to permit the construction of a 40m x 20m astro-turf playing pitch at the rear of Kilkishen N.S. was received on Thursday January 31. Having secured planning permission to construct the Astro-Turf incorporating a new Ball-Wall and associated fencing, quotations for the project will now be sought in accordance with conditions outlined by Clare County Council. Kitkishen N.S. has received grant funding from the 2017 Sports Capital Grant Scheme to support the construction of a Sports Hall. The construction costs ofa sports hall were deemed too high to proceed with as the necessary funding was not in place. The schoo! authority will now seek permission from the Department of Sport to change the focus of this grant to support the construction of the Astro-Turf Pitch and Ball Wall. Parents Association ‘+ Learn to Code: Computer coding classes continue at Kilkishen N.S. on Saturdays from 1-3pm, Pupils are introduced to computer programming and learn how to create their own games, art and stories using computer. For more information contact Mark Murphy on 0894819196 E-Newsletter for 2019: For parents that would like to receive the monthly school newsletter via email, this option is now available from January 2019. Please email kilkishenns.ias@eircom.net if you wish to receive the monthly newsletter via email. ‘Newsletters will he published on the school website along with all the latest news from the school on wow.kilkishen.weebly.com School Closure: School Closed for mid-term break Monday February 18-22 inclusive, School reopens Monday February 25. ‘Yours sincerely, Loner Hanson Conor Harrison Principal Kilkishen,