St. Gerard's Junior School Winter Newsletter 2024

Junior School

The Spirit of Christmas in St. Gerard’s Junior School Christmas is a very special time - and I think that the photograph above really captures the true spirit of Christmas in our Junior School - a time filled with happiness, excitement and anticipation.

And, of course, we see our Crib reminding us of the true meaning of Christmas – an infant Child bringing a simple message of love and joy - a message reflected in the beautiful smiling faces of the children.

In the photo, we see the enormous generosity of our Junior School families in the abundance of toys which have been placed with love beneath our Christmas tree - all set for a special Santa delivery to children in need in our local community. The beautiful tree itself was decorated by Mums on our In-House Committee – reflecting the warm community spirit we enjoy in St. Gerard’s, with parents, staff and children working together for the happiness of all.

I wish Christmas blessings in abundance on all of the families in our School community and on all who work to make St. Gerard’s such a special place. Nollaig shona daoibh go léir and may the peace and joy of the Christ child be with you this Christmas.

Dr. Deirdre Farrell – Principal

OUERTTER NEWTSELAM Adam Anderson Rachael Burke Auriella Carey Ríona Flynn Milo Geelon Ciarán Haworth Kate Mullins Izzy Quinn Bellamie Rosenstock

S t, G e r a r d’ s D ay

by Milo Geelon

Every year in St. Gerard’s, we celebrate our founder St. Gerard Majella, on the 16th of October, otherwise known as St Gerard’s Day. And this year was no different! During the school day, Std.s 2-6 went on a hike up the Sugarloaf, as did the Senior School. It was hard work avoiding all the droppings left by the different animals!

Ms. Byrne’s Std. 6 class, that is my class, also did an assembly for the whole school focusing on the core values that St. Gerard Majella wanted in our school - kindness, inclusion, hard work and resilience. We also told everyone a bit of the history of St. Gerard’s School, with St. Gerard himself present!

Later on in the evening, the St. Gerard’s Day Mass was held in the Sports Hall. The choirs from the Junior and Senior school sang for the Mass which was beautiful, and many pupils read from the Bible and said prayers as well.

Well done to them! I’m sure St. Gerard himself was smiling down on us that night! A special thank you to Ms. Olohan for organising the choirs.

In the coming year I’m sure that the St Gerard’s Junior School will continue to show the core values that St. Gerard wanted in his school.

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St . Ge rard’s Junior School

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South Sudan Build a Scho o l Fundraiser Before Halloween, St. Gerard’s School was paid an eye-opening visit from Sister Orla Tracey and her two colleagues, Elizabeth Adak and Mary Nyanorop, from South Sudan. They run a school in Rumbek and also want to build another Secondary School in South Sudan - with bricks bought by different pupils from different schools.

They talked about the situation for girls in South Sudan. As a girl, if someone offered your parents enough cows, they might marry you off to a stranger! Imagine, you’re just sitting down and your parents come in and say, “A man offered us 100 cows to marry you off!” It would be just horrible!

Not many girls in South Sudan get an education either. We should all be extremely grateful that we get the chance to go to school when so many other children worldwide don’t. They asked us to donate €10 each as students, but Dr. Farrell and our teachers decided that we had to earn the money ourselves by doing chores around the house. We each wrote a pledge in order to earn €10 for South Sudan.

The final amount raised from the whole school was €7,500 - from the Junior School, the Senior School and the Second Hand Uniform Sale. We donated quite a lot of bricks! But there was one last giant donation from the Junior School itself.

Hugo Costigan from Standard 5 donated a whopping €1,334! He raised it all by himself, saving up money, donations from family and hosting a bake sale. A giant well done and thank you to Hugo!

I asked Dr. Farrell if she thought that St. Gerard’s would raise as much as we did. The answer was no! She said that usually the Junior School raises around €500, so the amount of money we raised this time was a big surprise! I’m sure that all of us pupils were feeling extremely lucky that we got a chance of an education after the talk!

by Milo Geelon

www.stgerards.ie

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with Louise and anne

Montess ori This school year has been absolutely fantastic for the Montessori students, filled with exciting learning experiences! They have explored the wonders of the universe by studying planets, making the information come alive through interactive activities and songs!

In addition to their cosmic adventures, Montessori have also learned about continents, gaining a better understanding of our world. They embraced the changing seasons, discovering the beauty and significance of each one, which has piqued their curiosity about nature! One of the highlights of the year was the incredible Halloween event, where students showcased their creativity and spirit!

Overall, this school year has been a wonderful journey of learning and fun for Montessori!

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St . Ge rard’s Junior School

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y t i r i N o s v s i a t e t n o M

www.stgerards.ie

by Bellamie Rosenstock The Montessori Nativity Play was a truly brilliant event that showcased the incredible talents of the children involved.

From the moment they took the stage, it was clear that each child cared so deeply about their roles. Their enthusiasm and creativity shone brightly, captivating the audience and bringing the story to life in a unique and heart-warming way.

The preparation for the play was filled with laughter and joy.

Everybody worked so hard to put their costumes and props together, turning the process into a fun and collaborative experience. This not only allowed them to express their creativity but also fostered a sense of community among the little ones.

On the day of the performance, parents beamed with pride as they watched their children shine and sing all of their Christmas carols and songs. The Montessori Nativity Play was not only a beautiful production, it was a wonderful expression of learning, creativity and community spirit, leaving lasting memories for all who attended!

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JUNIOR INFANTS WITH Ms. McCabe

We have been having a marvellous time getting to know each other in the last few months. It has been busy and fun all at the same time.

Our nature walks have been a highlight getting to really look at the natural world around us. We have been identifying trees and plants. We look forward to our bulbs blooming in Spring.

We had our doctor’s visit help the children to learn about the work of one of our medical professions. I have been kept to my promise to read a storybook every day. Thank you to those who sent in books for me to read to. We have all been learning the joys of team work within the class and we have had visits from older children to help with putting on coats and just being kind to my students.

Our weekly Library time with Sarah and visits with Dr.Farrell have become a very welcome part of our schedule.

Lots of new things in the lives of our students have been unfolding. I see a love of Irish in the children, they all love their drama and music lessons.

Santa was the final highlight and the carol service was just the start we all needed to get ready for the Festive season.

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St . Ge rard’s Junior School

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SENIOR INFANTS WITH Ms. Glee son Our Senior Infants have been having a wonderful time learning about a variety of exciting topics this term.

This first term has simply flown by!

Sound Superheros - We’ve been working hard on our phonics

skills, sounding out words and blending sounds. We love playing Phonics I spy, Obb and Bob and the Tricky Word Memory game. Our reading and writing abilities are growing every day!

Reading Fun - We have dived into the world of Kate, Jack and Rocky this term and are loving reading about their adventures at birthday parties, the toy shop, the post office and even at the dog groomers!

Maths Magic - We’ve been extending our counting and adding skills this term. We’ve also been exploring 2D and 3D shapes, patterns and measurements. The children love especially exploring using numicon and using songs to help them learn in maths.

Autumn Adventures - In September we explored the beauty of Autumn. We learnt about animals that hibernate and migrate. We went on an exciting nature walk around our beautiful school grounds and were lucky to spot some squirrels jumping from tree to tree.

Back in the classroom we created some gorgeous autumnal artwork.

Batty for Bats - We were fascinated by the mysterious world

of bats in October. We’ve learned about their nocturnal habits, their special echolocation skills, and their important role in the ecosystem.

We finished off by writing little reports all about them.

Zoo Explorers - Our theme for November was the Zoo! We’ve learned about different animals and their unique characteristics.

We’ve designed our dream zoos, played zoo vet to our class teddies and created fabulous, colourful art work of zebras and giraffes.

Christmas Wonderland - In December we were as busy as Santa’s little elves between preparing for our Christmas play and turning our classroom into a winter wonderland with beautiful artwork. We’ve also written Christmas cards to one another and posted them in our class Post Box! We are very excited for Christmas!

Welcome to Senior Infants Quinn!

www.stgerards.ie

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Standard 1

WITH Ms. Carlos

They say that time flies when you are enjoying yourself. Well, we in Std. 1 are having a real blast! Christmas time already - one term under the belt!

It was great to welcome two new friends to our group. Jack and Yanrong. It feels as if they have been here forever! And exciting times for Luke as he welcomed his baby sister Eleanor.

Our weeks have been busy with work and lots of exciting events.

Roald Dahl Day, Dot Day, storytelling on Wednesday morning, a walk in the ‘Spooky Woodland’ for Halloween, planting bulbs with our gardening team, the November Remembrance tree, Yoga ‘As Gaeilge’, the Bazaar, Santa’s visit, Christmas Play, Christmas Activity Day....the list goes on!

Many have enjoyed after school Art Club, Spanish and Strings with Ms. Broxson.

We have enjoyed making Christmas decorations and have had such a great time rehearsing for and performing our Christmas Play ‘The Shiniest Star’. Everyone thought we were wonderful! Thank you Ms. Broxson and Susanne for making it so enjoyable!

Thanks also to Sarah, for looking after us so well in the library and to Marta for helping to make our Art classes so enjoyable.

Remember - early to bed on Christmas Eve! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

A big welcome to

Yanrong and Jack to the Std. 1 class this year!

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St . Ge rard’s Junior School

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Standard 2

n ingham WITH Ms. Cun

A Wonderful First Term in Standard 2!

What a fantastic and busy first term we’ve had in Standard 2! Our classroom has been buzzing with learning, creativity, and lots of exciting activities.

In Maths, we’ve been tackling and mastering all kinds of challenging topics – it’s amazing to see everyone’s hard work helping them reach their potential! In English, we’ve been diving into the rainforest, learning about its fascinating animals and the vibrant ecosystem they call home.

Our geography, science, and history lessons have been all about water.

We’ve carried out experiments, explored the vital role of water in our lives, and studied Ireland’s own majestic River Shannon.

We’ve been having great fun with Gaeilge, playing games and singing songs that bring the language to life in our classroom. As well as this we had a wonderful morning stretching and bending le Ciarán ó Óga Yoga trí Gaeilge. Another highlight of the term was our first class Mass, which is helping us prepare for our First Holy Communion in May 2025 – a special milestone we’re all eagerly anticipating!

In art and drama, we’ve been having a wonderfully creative time.

The children have been working hard on their clay pieces and are so excited to bring them home soon. We’ve also been busy rehearsing and practicing for our Christmas performance, and it is magical!

Most recently, we had the incredible experience of visiting The Ark Theatre in Dublin City to see a performance of our class novel, The Giggler Treatment. We all agreed that the show was hilarious, and brought the story to life in a way we’ll never forget!

It’s been an amazing term filled with learning and joy, and we can’t wait to see what the next one has in store.

Nollaig shona daoibh go léir!

Welcome to Std.

www.stgerards.ie

2 Harriet!

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as m t s za i r n h a C The ag

by Kate Mullins

av r t Ex

The Christmas plays were outstanding this year and everyone in them gave 100% effort. All the young performers looked really pretty in their costumes with their makeup and face paint!

Our drama teacher, Ms. Susanne and Ms. Broxson prepared all the children for their plays.

Junior Infants did a play called Daisy the Angel.

It was a funny play and all the audience greatly enjoyed it!

Senior Infants performed a dramatic play about Rudolph being sick. Everyone was on the edge of their seats to see if Christmas would be saved!

Std. 1 told the story about the birth of Jesus. This was a traditional Christmas Nativity about the true meaning of Christmas. It was an amazing performance!

Std. 2 gave us a very interesting performance about how the famous Christmas Carol “Silent Night” was created. Everyone definitely learnt something.

Finally, Std. 3 took to the stage in Peter Pan. They brought everyone on an amazing adventure with Tinkerbell, Captain Hook and Peter Pan - oh and look out for the Mermaids!

This was a wonderful play and it will make everyone want to watch the movie.

The plays were all amazing and sent us home full of Christmas cheer!

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St . Ge rard’s Junior School

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www.stgerards.ie

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St . Ge rard’s Junior School

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t

chest r O l o o h c S r o i n he Ju

ra with Ms. Broxson

Our Junior School Orchestra worked really hard this term and it showed with their wonderful performance at our Christmas Plays. It’s not easy and they practice hard but they are having lots of fun. The songs they played at the Christmas shows were, the Harry Potter theme song and O Come All Ye Faithful.

The Orchestra is holding auditions for Std. 3 in January, so start practising!

The School also has a Trad Band, so if you play an Irish instrument talk to Ms.Broxson. We currently have some Irish instruments in the Trad Band like the tin whistle, the harp, the fiddle and the bodhran.

We are very proud of our wonderful orchestra and everyone is excited for their next performance!

by Kate Mullins

www.stgerards.ie

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Ms Gleeson’s

Christmas wish is for everyone to have a lovely, tasty, filling Christmas dinner. She loves to watch Christmas movies and spend time with her family.

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Mrs. Murphy’s Christmas wish is for a peaceful Christmas.

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Christmas wish is for everyone to be healthy and her favourite thing to do at Christmas is spend time with her family.

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St . Ge rard’s Junior School

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Mr. Dwyer’s Christmas wish is a happy holiday season, filled with good times and zero emails-just santa’s updates! Mr. Dwyer likes to catch up with family and friends and enjoy the Moyne Christmas Mile in Tipperary with his loved ones at Christmas!

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Christmas wish is that everyone is happy, healthy and enjoying a hot meal. And her favourite thing to do at Christmas is spend time with her family.

www.stgerards.ie

Christmas wish is peace in the world.

She loves going on a walk and watching a Christmas movie.

Christmas wish is world peace and no hungry children.

Anne loves decorating the classroom at Christmas time.

Ms. Susanne’s Christmas wish is health and happiness. Her favourite thing to do at Christmas is spending time with family.

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Christmas wish is health and happiness. Her favourite thing to do at Christmas is spending time with family.

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Standard 3

WITH Mr. Dwyer

A Term to Remember in Std. 3 This term has been a whirlwind of fun and learning, from our heartwarming Friendship assembly to our hike up the Great Sugarloaf on St. Gerard’s Day. Our Irish language learning has been exciting, including a magical yoga adventure through the Amazon rainforest, guided by Ciarán from Óga Yoga. We were also delighted to welcome radio presenter Caoimhe Ní Chathail, who shared tips on radio presenting and interviewing. Our pupils wrote and presented their own radio shows as Gaeilge!

Our young historians have journeyed through time, tracing family trees and discovering their heritage. Meanwhile, our budding geographers have explored homes around the globe, from igloos in the Arctic to stilt houses in Southeast Asia. Our young scientists have been busy experimenting, from investigating tooth decay to measuring lung capacity, and we got our hands dirty planting leeks with Mrs. Murphy! We’re excited to be participating in the ESB Science Blast next March, where we’ll be unleashing our creative thinking superpowers.

Our artists have been incredibly creative, crafting stunning Chinese vases, spooky Halloween witches, cunning foxes and wintery owls. Every Monday, we delved into the world of STEM in the Makerspace, collaborating with our peers and developing essential problem-solving skills. We also embarked on a poetry project, where pupils learned about different poetic techniques and wrote their own poems, expressing their unique voices and perspectives.

As we look ahead to the new year, we’re excited to see what new adventures await us.

Wishing you all a magical Christmas, Mr. Dwyer

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Std. 3 were deligh

ted to welcome Aaron to the cl ass this year!

St . Ge rard’s Junior School

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Standard 4 WITH Ms. Gregory Well what a super busy term we have had in Std. 4. We have been working extremely hard in all areas of school life from academics to the arts. Some of the highlights of the term were our trip to Trinity College, St. Gerard’s Day, Hallowe’en, our Space Race and, of course, Christmas!

We kicked off the term with lots of work on the space race. It was really interesting learning all about the rivalry between Russia and America. To top off the topic we all got the opportunity to pose questions to a real life astronaut – Jamila Gilbert, Virgin Galactic Astronaut 007!’ It was amazing to hear all of her answers! She was an inspiration to us all.

It quickly came around to St. Gerard’s Day. We loved climbing the Sugar Loaf but the Tayto and treats back in school were absolutely delicious and well deserved after our hike!

Hallowe’en brought lots of fun and scares. We loved Std. 6’s Hallowe’en trail and we made chocolate apples.

As part of our history and religion we made a trip to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. We had a wonderful time learning all about this famous Book and we had lots of fun in the park. It really has been the most wonderful term for us here in Std. 4. The weeks went by so quickly and were filled with fun, learning and great memories.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas.

Welcome to the class Tilly and James! www.stgerards.ie

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Standard 5 WITH Ms. Byrne

Seasons Greetings from Ms.Byrne Std.5

It’s hard to believe that our first term has already come to an end! The boys and girls in Standard 5 have had a fantastic time, filled with learning, laughter, and adventure.

From active exploits hiking up the Sugar Loaf and competing on the Sports field, to craft and creativity, painting and sculpting and exploring the exciting world of STEM in our Co-Lab, our class has been busy.

Our cross-curricular Famine project was a huge success, with the children creating amazing work inspired by Under the Hawthorn Tree.

In November, we remembered our loved ones that have died and I was so proud of my class as they led a school assembly and distributed pink hearts for everyone to place on our beautiful Remembrance tree.

I believe our boys and girls cherish the little moments of magic that fill our school days, from dressing up for Halloween and Roald Dahl Day to Spooky Walks, Sensory Room visits, tuck shop treats, Christmas plays, Glow-Up Days, and so much more. It’s a privilege to witness their joy!

Wishing you all a magical Christmas with your loved ones and blessings for the New Year!

Nicola Byrne

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St . Ge rard’s Junior School

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Standard 6 What a whirlwind term it has been! That first day back in August seems like oh so long ago!

We started off our year with an action-packed day in Alive Outside in Kilruddery estate. This was a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other over challenging puzzles, archery and sports all the while getting dirty and wet in the process! It was a brilliant day and got our year in Standard 6 off to the best start possible.

Working collaboratively is a key feature of Standard 6 and it brings out the best in all the pupils. The STEM project to create a new board game was a huge success. Every Friday in the month of September, the students got together to brainstorm, design and test their boardgames. We were all blown away by the innovative and creative games created and the best part of it was getting a chance to play the games in the final session!

We weren’t too sure if the weather would permit us to climb the Sugar Loaf on St. Gerard’s Day but fortunately it went ahead and there were smiles all around as we stood proudly on the shoulder. There’s nothing like breathing in that fresh air when you get to the top. A great day enjoyed by all.

Halloween gave the Std.6 pupils the opportunity to work together to create a spooky Halloween

www.stgerards.ie

WITH Ms. Fl an

agan

experience for the rest of the school. And what an experience it was from decorating pumpkins to creating spooky signage all while in role as monsters, ghouls, minions and more! The Std 6 pupils put on a terrific event and many thanks to the Parents Committee and Anne Murphy for providing lots of decorations, pumpkins and guidance in the run up.

In the classroom, the children have been so busy!

They’ve enjoyed working on a variety of projects this term from focusing on key figures during Black History Month to picking key aspects of World War 1 to research. Using a variety of platforms such as Canva, Google Slides and Google Sites, the children are getting a chance to show off and hone their IT and presenting skills. Fabulous progress all round.

Well done to each and all of you!

After a few weeks of study and Christmas tests it was great to reward the children’s hard work with the Christmas bazaar. It was a smorgasbord of activities, games and experiences for all the school to enjoy.

The pupils in Std. 6 put a huge effort into making this day truly special for the school community. What a fantastic bunch of children they are and a fabulous ending to a busy and hectic term.

Beannachatí na Nollag daoibh go léir!

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Standard 6

WITH Ms

. Byrne

Std. 6 have really hit the ground running this year as we welcomed both new and returning students into 6th Class at St. Gerard’s. We started the year by getting to know each other through various games and activities, including creating our own board games and building towers out of marshmallows and spaghetti sticks.

The class has been involved in a variety of exciting projects, such as creating stress balls in Science and designing and building trenches as part of our World War I studies in History. For Black History Month, we explored the lives of famous figures and presented our findings to the class.

As a class group, we performed our St. Gerard’s Day School Assembly, where we acted and sang about the core values we are taught at St. Gerard’s School, such as kindness, resilience, and hard work. Ms. Byrne also brought butterflies into the classroom, and we investigated the life cycle of a butterfly before setting them free—we named them Eenie, Meenie, Miney, and Moe! We teamed up with Junior Infants and Montessori students to make ‘Sock Snowmen’. Additionally, we have started learning to knit, with the aim of making blankets for babies.

As a year group, we have enjoyed organising events like the Halloween Trail and, most recently, the Christmas Bazaar for the entire school.

Since the beginning of the term, Ms. Byrne’s sixth-class students have been actively participating in various school activities. Many of us have represented the school in hockey, rugby, and basketball. Special congratulations go to Emily Wang, who won the Bray Drug Awareness Art Competition, and Erin Hopkins, who placed in the top 10 of the Project Fashion Young Designer Competition with her Chanel-inspired outfit!

Students from the Student Council and Green School committees have also kept us busy and inspired. They organised a full-school ‘Glow Up Day’, transforming the school into a winter wonderland, and introduced innovative Christmas decorations made from recycled materials. We are also proud to have eight members in the school orchestra, and we are excited to hear them perform.

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St . Ge rard’s Junior School

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Standard 6

WITH M

s. Mell on

Ms. Mellon’s Std. 6 has been a whirlwind of excitement and activity this term. We kicked off the year with an exhilarating trip to Killruddery’s Alive Outside Adventure Centre where we tackled challenging obstacle courses, honed our archery skills, cracked tricky codes and learned some bushcraft skills. It was an unforgettable adventure, made even better by the marshmallows we shared over a roasting fire.

Back in the classroom, we’ve been busy building and playing our own board games, which really got us thinking outside the box! We also got creative with our Halloween trail, transforming our school into a spooky wonderland with pumpkin patches and wooden cut-outs that made for amazing photo opportunities.

However, scaring the younger students was definitely a highlight!

Wordwall has made our Irish learning more interactive and engaging, while planting and STEM activities with the Junior Infants has been enjoyed by everyone. Both classes were delighted with their planting and the older students especially loved spending time with the Junior Infants.

On the sports front, we’ve been busy with basketball and cross-country running competitions while we are also learning new skills in hockey and rugby each week.

As Christmas approaches, we have teamed up in friendship groups to decorate all the doors in the school for Christmas. Std.6 had so much fun helping the younger pupils, spreading joy and festive cheer throughout the school. Now, we are busy planning the Christmas Bazaar, where younger classes will get to play games, shop for toys, create crafts, and follow an elf trail to find Santa. What a term it has been!

www.stgerards.ie

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Std. 3 Games

by Adam Anderson

Every year, the Std. 3 class start rugby and hockey after school for the very first time. It’s always really fun, and everyone walks away with a huge smile on their face. I chatted with some of the Std. 3 students and here are some of their favourite things about rugby and hockey - The boys liked tackling, playing matches against other schools, bulldogs and running with the ball. The girls liked Islands training, “snatch the bacon”, dribbling and playing matches.

They love the new Games programme and it is fun to watch.

Std. 6 Hockey Blitz

by Ciarán Haworth

On Friday the 15th of November, the girls from Std 6 set off to compete in the hockey blitz at Three Rock Hockey club in Rathfarnham, Dublin. They were divided into three teams.

They played St. Lawrence’s and St. Anne’s. We are happy to say that one team made it to the semi-finals! However, unfortunately they lost out in a penalty shoot-out. Well done to all the girls involved!

Basketball Blitz at Castle Park

by Adam Anderson Castle Park spent the last few months inviting schools and organising their Basketball Blitz. They even prepared their team a bit before we did! Each School has two teams and each team consists of five to seven players with only four playing.

On the St. Gerard’s teams were: Oscar C, Charlie D, Frank, Loughlin, David and Ben. And Adam, Theo,

Dexter, Oscar F, Liam, Ollie and William on the other team. One of our teams won 3 games, lost two and drew one game. Our other team unfortunately lost all their matches. We found that there is lots of work we can do on our Basketball skills but overall it was great fun.

Onwards and upwards!

RU G B Y

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St . Ge rard’s Junior School

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Hall owe’en Celebratio

ns

by Rachael Burke

On the 25th of October, St Gerard’s Junior School had a Hallowe’en dress up day. Everyone from Montessori to Standard 6 dressed up in a Hallowe’en costumes. Some of the teachers did too!

We started the day with a Hallowe’en fashion show. Each class walked the runway and showed off their brilliant costumes - from princesses to goblins, everyone’s costume was amazing!

After that, Std. 6, with the help of their teachers, and Mrs. Murphy and our new parents’ Gardening Team, created a Spooky Halloween Trail in the School

woodland area for everyone in the Junior School to enjoy.

Everyone brought in Pumpkins, ornaments and decorations to turn the forest into the most horrifying place you will ever see! Then Std. 6 students brought each class on the walk starting with Montessori and finishing with Std. 5.

There were three parts to the Hallowe’en trail. The first part was games with Julie and getting a class photo at the pumpkin photo booth.

The second part was going into the creepy forest. As the Montessori were

iti t e p m o C t r A s s e n e r a w D ru g A y a r B

too young they did not go in, but we still made sure that they would have a fun and happy time! The third part was getting a yummy Halloween treat from Martha at the Dome!

Everyone really enjoyed it and had a spooktacular time!

Thank you to Mrs. Murphy, the Gardening Team and our three Std. 6 teachers for helping us make this enjoyable day possible for the school.

We couldn’t have done it without you!

on

by Auriella Carey Each November, the Bray Drug Awareness Forum organises an Art Competition for all the children in local schools. It is always very popular with lots of entries. The winning Artwork is then printed onto local posters, bookmarks and lots more!

This year, we congratulate two of our students for winning awards in their age categories - Marta Gregan from Std. 4 won the Artwork Category for Under 10 with a stunning piece and a moving message. And Emily Wang from Standard 6 was the Under 14 Category Winner with beautifully drawn details and a firm message stating “Say No to Drugs”.

They had a wonderful time at the award ceremony celebrating the amazing creativity of all the entrants and winners. We are so lucky to have such talented artists and creative thinkers in our school.

www.stgerards.ie

23

YOU ME AND OUR FUTURE SEAS ART CO

MPETITION

GREE NSCHO O LS This term, each pupil from Junior infants

to Standard 6 has been working very hard on designing a poster on what our seas should look like.

Marine Workshop Greenschools Chairperson Niamh Winter attends the Interactive Marine Workshop with Dahlia Durkan, Ben Grumley and David Quinn.

It all started when members of the Green Schools came around to all the classes in the school to give tell us about this art competition. Everyone was impressed. We were all very excited to start creating our masterpieces for the art competition, especially when we heard that there would be prizes for the best. It was everyone for themselves so we all had to try our very best!

There were two age categories: Junior Primary [Junior infants- Std. 2] and Senior Primary [Std 3 - Std 6].

Everyone really enjoyed taking part in this activities and had a very enjoyable time working on the art posters while learning about why we need to keep our sea clean. Thank you to the Green Schools for organising this event.

As we went to print with this Newsletter, we were delighted to hear that Cassie Colbear from Std. 2 was the Regional Winner in the Junior Category. A big Congratulations to Cassie! Stay tuned for more information in the Summer Newsletter!’

by Rachael Burke Ou Greenscr Commithools tee

The Greenschool Committee Members are:James Cirella, Aoibhin Duffy, Alex Gibbons, Kate Murphy, James Boyle, Aidan O’Neill, Donncha O’Neill, Cillian Ryan, Sophia Finn, Cathal Fitzpatrick, Benjamin Galligan, Angela Lin, Cónal McDermott, Olivia Nolan, Emma O’Connell, William O’Neill, Harrison O’Reilly, Ríain Byrne, Frank Breslin, Matthew Cirella, Issy Dodd, Carolyn Devocelle, Dahlia Dukan, Ben Grumley, Daniel Garvin, Charlie Hegarty, Beaux Healy, Pippa Jolly, Arthur Murphy, Poppy Newton, Arabella O’Dwyer, David Quinn, Yasmine Reynolds, Niamh Winter

24

St . Ge rard’s Junior School

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The Student council

By Ríona Flynn

This year in the Student Council there have been many different projects and many of them have been incredibly successful.

One of them is Tracksuit Friday. Tracksuit Friday was initially announced when the older classes wanted to be able to wear their tracksuit on a Friday. After lots of conversations with Dr Farrell, we were able to put a strong case forward with reasons why this should happen and we got it trough. All the classes were ecstatic!

Another exciting thing that the Student Council arranged for the entire Junior School was Glow-up Day! This involved the whole school coming together in their friendship groups and glowing up all the class room doors for Christmas. We had a blast!

Another thing that has been discussed among the Student Council is the Homework policy in the Junior School - hopefully there will be more to come on this in the New Year!

For our first Tuck Shop we raised approximately €150 in fundraising and hope to continue this excellent work next year!

Studen Councilt Commit tee

The Student Council Committee are: Ellie Romer, Emily Flynn, Joshua Greally, Emma Mullins, Theo Mooney, Finlay McGrane, Hugo Costigan, Isla Murphy, Jack Brock, Dylan Farrell, Scout Dynes, Sean Knight-Bollard, Aaron Carey, Vihaan Birla, Sarah-Kate English, Izzy Quinn, Annabel Focas, Emily Wang, Éabha Brennan-Hobbs, Ríona Flynn, Marcus Browne, Jimmy Sun

Student Council Christmas Raffle.... still a great hit!

This year, once again the Student Council had a very successful Christmas Raffle. All the Student Council members had an amazing time selling tickets each morning and meeting lots of students and parents who were buying them. All students were full of joy, hoping for their numbers to be called out. There were multiple prizes such as the traditional Giant Teddy Bear (and this year we had 2!), the Christmas Stockings, and so much more. Hundreds of euros were raised for charity. A big thank you to Dave for giving us the giant teddy each year and thank you to Dr. Farrell and the Student Council for making it happen once again.

By Izzy Quinn www.stgerards.ie

25

Coiste na Gaeilge

by Ciarán Haworth At the start of the year our Coiste na Gaeilge team volunteered to help the school and to help make it even better at Irish! So far the team has taken turns to make an Irish Wordwall to help the students improve their Irish. Earlier in the year, the team was given a Coiste na Gaeilge flag which now flies proudly on a flagpole by the basketball court!

On Friday 15th of November, Siofra, a lady from Gael Linn, came in and gave a yoga lesson - Óga Yoga, as Gaeilge, for Std.s 1, 2, 3 and 4. Everyone had a great time! The Coiste na Gaeilge team also had a friendly chat with Siofra.

There was a podcast tutorial for the team on Friday 29th of November also as gaeilge. It went really well and the team learnt so much!

Every Friday our Coiste na Gaeilge team announces on the intercom who wins Dalta na Seachtaine. To win Dalta na Seachtaine there is a raffle but you can’t buy the tickets, you must earn them! To earn tickets you must speak good Irish or read Irish well. We’ve had a few winners so far! You win a trophy or certificate and you also get to pick a cool toy or a sweet out of a pick and mix box!

Go raibh míle maith agaibh agus Nollaig shona daoibh go léir!

na Da l t aí t a i ne Se ach

e and llespi i G k s Jac Dyne Scout

Coiste na Gaeilge - Nuachtán na Scoile Téarma iontach don Ghaeilge Táimid thar a bheith bródúil as na héachtaí a rinne Coiste na Gaeilge an téarma seo. Ar an gcéad dul síos, bronnadh an dara Gaelbhratach orainn! Thug Síofra ó Gael Linn cuairt orainn agus bhronn sí an bratach nua ar an gcoiste. Bhí áthas orainn fáilte a chur roimh Caoimhe Ní Chathail, craoltóir raidió, freisin. Roinn sí leideanna luachmhara faoi láithreoireacht raidió leis na baill agus thug deis do pháistí Rang a Trí a gcláir féin a chruthú.

Bhí

smaoineamh iontach ag Aoife, dalta Rang a Sé agus ball den choiste. Mhol sí seisiúin yoga a eagrú trí Ghaeilge do pháistí na scoile. Chuireamar Ciarán ó Óga Yoga isteach chun seisiúin spraíúla a reáchtáil. Bhí an-taitneamh ag na páistí ó Rang a hAon go Rang a Ceathair leis na seisiúin seo, go háirithe leis an scéal faoin mata draíochta!

Mar chuid dár n-iarrachtaí, tá raifil Dalta na Seachtaine á reáchtáil againn. Tá súil againn go spreagfaidh sé na daltaí go léir chun páirt a ghlacadh sa Ghaeilge. Tá duaiseanna iontacha le buachan agus ba mhaith linn buíochas a ghabháil le gach duine a thacaigh linn.

Chuireamar lipéid spreagúla suas i ngach seomra ranga freisin chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn.

Ba théarma iontach é seo don Ghaeilge sa scoil. Maith thú, a Choiste na Gaeilge!

Beannachtaí na Nollag daoibh go léir, An tUasal Ó Duibhir.

Is iad seo na comhaltaí ár gCoiste Gaeilge: Harriet Caden, Erin Hopkins, Dylan McElwain, Aoife Quinn, Arthur Anderson, Elliot Atherfold, Ferdia Duggan agus Emma Quinn.

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St . Ge rard’s Junior School

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Junior Librarians

By Kate Mullins At the start of the year, the pupils from Std. 3 - 6 get the opportunity to apply for the various Committees in the Junior School, one of them being Junior Librarian.

The Junior Librarian Committee is headed up by Ms. Gregory and there are approximately 20 students involved.

The roles of the Junior Librarians are: 1. We help choose the book that Mr. Mansfield reads to the younger classes each Wednesday for storytelling time.

2. Students are allowed to read in the library at break time. The Junior Librarians supervise this reading.

3. We also help Sarah to tidy the library each week.

4. We assist with the annual Book Gair which the school holds.

5. We think of themed ideas for the library during the year.

6. We help Sarah to do things in the library such as labelling books.

And last but not least we decorate the library for the various holidays!

Roald Dahl Day

By Milo Geelon

On the 13th of September, people worldwide celebrate Roald Dahl’s birthday, otherwise known as Roald Dahl Day. In St Gerard’s, we celebrated the day by wearing yellow to school, his favourite colour! The whole school came in wearing yellow t-shirts, yellow jumpers and more! Mr. Mansfield also read a chapter from one of Roald Dahl’s most famous books, The Twits. With pranks and jokes galore, The Twits is one of Roald’s most popular books ever!

With millions of copies of his books sold annually, Roald Dahl is also one of the best selling authors of all time! A few of his books have been made into movies and musicals such as, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

which was made into 2 movies and one musical, Matilda, Esio Trot, and The Witches. Sadly, Roald Dahl died on November 23rd 1990, in Oxford, United Kingdom. He may not be around today to see the joy and laughter his books have brought to the world, but that doesn’t mean the children of today don’t read them! Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which was made into 2 movies and one musical, Matilda, Esio Trot, and The Witches. Sadly, Roald Dahl died on November 23rd 1990, in Oxford, United Kingdom. He may not be around today to see the joy and laughter his books have brought to the world, but that doesn’t mean the children of today don’t read them!

Junior Librarian Committee www.stgerards.ie

William Durkan, Cara Salmon, Antonia Vondrys, Dara Wilson-Carroll, Alison Allman, Sebastian Barry, Cece Callaghan, William Durkan, Cara Salmon, Antonia Vondrys, Dara Wilson-Carroll, Alison Allman, Sebastian Barry, Cece Callaghan, Coco Curran, Calantha Carey, Matilda Ellis, Martha Gregan, Jamie Greally, Freya McGonnell, John McCluskey, Heather O’Neill, Daniel Puflea, Harriet Roche, Molly Sandys, Leo Barry Keane, Kacper Krzysowski, Miranda MacGreevy, Caragh McGillycuddy, Alex Moore, Odhrain Murray, Lola O’Leary, Ruby Walsh, Alexandre Yan-Rock, Olivia Condren, Cliona Donnegan, Olivia Jordan, AJ Iaconi, Kate Mullins, Yulia Malysheva, Eden Stroh

27

St. Vincent de paul p eal p a y o t s a m christ

RECYCLED CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATION Each year the Green Schools Committee hold the Recycled Christmas Tree Decoration Competition where we ask students to use recycled materials to create Christmas themed decorations. Our goal is to raise awareness in our school around recycling, reducing, and reusing resources with a bonus of creativity and fun! We were blown away by the incredible designs and are delighted to announce that the overall winner of our Recycled Christmas Decoration was Thomas Priest from Std. 1 with his fabulous Christmas penguin. Thomas got to attend the School Champion Awards Ceremony in Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council on Thursday 12th December! Well done and a huge thank you to everyone who participated.

by Auriella Carey

Once again a sincere thank you to all of our parents for your outstanding generosity and support of this appeal which will make such a difference to many families in our Local Community.