Scoil Mhuire na Dea Chomhairle Phone 061 367289

Kilkishen Email:kilkishennationalschool@gmail.com
Co. Clare Website: kilkishen.weebly.com
Roll Number: 13870E Twitter: @kilkishenns

March 2024 Newsletter

Dear Parents/Guardians,

I would like to bring the following announcements to your attention:

All Ireland Handball Success

Kilkishen N.S. Pupils Play At Croke Park: Congratulations to Kilkishen pupils Saoirse Frost, Cian
Donovan and John MacDonnacha on competing at the National Cumann na mBunscol exhibition finals at
Croke Park on February 19. Saoirse represented Kilkishen, Clare and Munster in the u/11 girls singles event
with John and Cian representing Kilkishen, Clare and Munster in the boys’ u/11 doubles competition.
Everyone at Kilkishen N.S. is very proud of your efforts and for making it all the way to our national
stadium.
Boys Basketball: Our school boys Basketball team will take part in Round 2 of the Marion Keane Memorial
Basketball tournament on Monday March 4 at Guteen G.A.A. Hall starting at 9:30am. The boys will
compete against Ballyea N.S., Holy Family N.S. and Gael Scoil Donnacha Rua Shannon. The boys will
travel by car to Gurteen departing at 9:05am. This is the first time our school boys team has qualified for
Round 2 of the primary basketball competition. Everyone at Kilkishen N.S. is very proud of their
achievement to qualify for the next phase and wishes the team the very best of luck in Round 2.

G.A.A. Coaching: Coaching with Killian Nugent, local G.A.A. coach, continues every Friday from now
until the end of the school year. Killian has provided excellent coaching to boys and girls over the past
number of years and will continue to develop the skills of hurling and camogie with all classes each week.
Thank you to O’Callaghan’s Mills G.A.A. club for funding this coaching which pupils greatly enjoy and
benefit greatly from. As the 2024 GAA season gets underway, O’Callaghans Mills Minor Club would like to
welcome new and existing members to the Club. For existing members, all players need to be members of
the club to train and play. Membership can be paid by clubzap where individual and family options are
available. New members can also register on ClubZap for the 2024 season. If you are unable to register on
ClubZap please contact club secretary Aisling Casey to arrange membership on 086-3895564.Link to
Clubzap https://ocmillsgaa.clubzap.com/membership_signup

Fundamental Movement 6 week Sessions starting Saturday March 2 at 10:30am:

Cumann na mBunscol Indoor Hurling and Camogie:

Camogie: 4th and 5th Class girls took part in the Cumann na mBunscol Indoor camogie Blitz held at
Cratloe G.A.A. hall on Thursday February 8. Kilkishen girls played three matches and were grouped with
Tulla N.S., Kilmurry N.S. and Cratloe N.S. There was some excellent camogie played in all three games
which were all very tight contests. Well done to all the girls that took part and we look forward to the rest of
the camogie season ahead.

Hurling: 4th Class boys competed in the Cumann na mBunscol Indoor hurling blitz at Cratloe G.A.A. hall
on Wednesday February 7. The Kilkishen boys put on some great displays over the three matches narrowly
losing to eventual group winners Cratloe N.S. There were some superb individual performers on the day
with future stars on show for all to see. Well done to all the boys involved and we look forward to the
outdoor season later this year.

I.N.T.O. Mini 7’s Hurling and Camogie during March: Boys and girls born after July 1 2011 will be
eligible to compete in the I.N.T. O. mini 7’s hurling and camogie competitions taking place during March.
Our boys team travel to Killaloe on Wednesday March 13 and will compete against Killaloe N.S., Broadfrod
N.S., Tuamgraney/Bodyke N.S. and Ogonelloe N.S. Our girls’ team will compete against Tulla N.S.,
Kilmurry N.S., Clooney N.S., and Feakle N.S. at a date and time to be confirmed. Best of luck to both teams
taking part.

Cumann na mBunscol Primary Game Hurling, Camogie, Boys Football and Ladies Football trials:
Schools can nominate one 6th class pupil to attend trials to be part of the Primary Game exhibition matches
that take place at half time during Munster Senior Hurling and Football Championship games that take place
during April and May. Best of luck to pupils representing Kilkishen N.S. at these trials which take place
during the month of March. Ruairí Frost: Boys Hurling. Daragh Donovan: Boys Football. Béibhinn
Slattery: Camogie. Molly McInerney: Ladies Football.
We Do Lego 2.0 Kits: Pupils were exploring with Lego Education 2.0 Kits on loan from Clare Education
Centre last week. Pupils worked in pairs to create a variety of projects following step by step instructions
using the Lego Education website. You can see many of the projects that pupils made on our school website
at http://kilkishen.weebly.com/latest-news/wedo-lego-20.

Faith Friends: Confirmation pupils in 6 th have completed the Faith Friends programme run by St. Josephs
Secondary School in Tulla over 2 session run on Tuesday February 20 ad 27 from 7-8:30pm. The
programme was facilitated by Transition Year students and is part of the 6th class pupils’ preparation for
receiving the sacrament of Confirmation later this year on Saturday April 20.

6th Class Trip to Knock: The Parish Cluster of Kilkishen/O’Callaghans Mills/Broadford and Tulla have
organised a trip to Knock for 6th class pupils in preparation for Confirmation. Pupils will depart Kilkishen
N.S. on Tuesday March 12 at 8am to arrive at Knock at approx. 10am. Pupils will attend Mass on arrival and
spend some time learning about the religious significance of Knock afterwards. The trip will be funded by
the Parish and we thank Fr. Donal Dwyer and the Parish for organising this trip.

First Confession: First Confession for pupils in Second class will take place on Friday March 15 at 10 am
Mass at Kilkishen church. Pupils in 6th class making Confirmation will also attend on Friday March 15 and
have an opportunity to receive the sacrament of confession before making Confirmation in a few weeks’
time. Parents of pupils making their First Confession are invited to attend.

National School Attendance Campaign Poster Competition: Pupils in all classes are taking part in the
National School Attendance Campaign Poster Competition during March. A school selection will take place
to decide Kilkishen N.S. one junior entry and one senior entry for the competition. The focus of the
competition is for schools to raise awareness of attendance and the importance of being on time for school
through discussion in classes, student council engagement, and celebrations of students’ poster designs. Our
winning entries will be published in next month’s newsletter. Best of luck to everyone taking part.
Agree to Agree Project: Kilkishen N.S. are one of 10 primary schools in Co. Clare taking part in a project
called "Agree to Agree" run by Clare Education Centre and guided by Dr. Maureen Griffin, Forensic
Psychologist, which is aiming to enhance the digital well-being of school communities. The project guides
school communities through a collaborative process aimed at implementing positive change, fostering
agreement and understanding among school stakeholders in order to establish a new norm for children’s use
of internet enabled devices. Session 1 involved a principals meeting where it was reported that schools are
witnessing the effects of a Lack of Parental Supervision, Sleep deprivation, Excessive Screen Time at Home,
and Age in-appropriate content/Apps & Games on a daily basis in some schools. Feedback from staff and
pupils from 3rd to 6th classes at Kilkishen N.S. is currently being collected and the findings from these
questionnaires will inform questionnaires designed for parents of pupils at Kilkishen N.S. The Parents
questionnaires will be devised by our PAC. Two key issues will be prioritised next year, and a further two
issues in year 2 and 3 of the Agreement. Resources and supports will be provided to assist with the key
priorities each year. The new voluntary Internet Use Agreement will be in place for the new school year
starting September 2024.

World Book Day: World Book Day will be taking place on Thursday 7 March 2024. This annual
celebration of authors, illustrators, books and the joy of reading is a special occasion celebrated by all
classes each year at Kilkishen N.S. World Book Day provides a fantastic opportunity to focus on reading for
pleasure, supporting children's autonomy in book choice, and embedding a habit of reading that brings a
wide range of benefits. Pupils will engage in a number of activities celebrating World Book Day which
schools and families can enjoy at https://www.worldbookday.com/. Pupils are invited to dress-up as their
favourite character from a book that they have read on the day.

Seachtain na Gaeilge: Béidh Seachtain na Gaeilge ag tosú ar an gcéad lá go dtí an 17ú lá de Mhárta i
mbliana. Pupils will take part in a number of activities to celebrate the annual celebration of our national
language. Pupils can earn raffle ticket entries by using Irish phrases in class and around the school during
SnaG. There will be 10 lucky raffle ticket winners selected at the end of SnaG each winning an Easter Egg.
A Tráth na gCéist for pupils from 4th -6th class will also take place on Friday March 15 with the top 3 teams
winning Easter Eggs. Féach ar https://snag.ie/en/ chun níos mó eolais a fháil chun SnaG a chéilúradh.

Building Update: A planning application for a, 2 x Special Educational Needs Base, shared activity room,
sensory room, independent rooms and outdoor playground was submitted to Clare County Council before
Christmas. The Council have sought additional information relating to two issues which are being prepared
by our Consultant Engineers. One of the issues relates to flood water pipes running through the school
property. A CCTV survey was carried out by Clare Drains earlier this week to establish the quality of the
flood water pipes running through school grounds. Once the report has been compiled the additional
information will be submitted to the Council and a decision on our planning application will be due within 4
weeks of re-submission. It is hoped that planning permission will be received in the coming months and the
project can move to the next phase of appointing a construction firm to deliver the project. It is hoped the
project will be completed by September 2025.

Friendship Week 2024: Friendship week will be celebrated from March 19-22. Friendship Week
encourages students to explore human rights issues through activities designed for primary school pupils.
Pupils will be invited to purchase Friendship Bands which are a fundraising event for Amnesty International
Ireland. Participating schools raise funds for life saving human rights work by selling friendship bracelets
for €2 each. Friendship Bands will be available from March 19-22. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Swimming: Swimming lessons for pupils in 3rd to 6th classes have now finished. The boys and girls have
made great progress over the past 8 weeks and we thank everyone for their efforts making sure everyone
took part safely each week. Swimming lessons will return again in early 2025 commencing Tuesday
January 7 2025 for 8 weeks.

Mathletics: Mathletics is an interactive web-based mathematics intervention for primary school pupils.
Pupils from 1st to 6th classes have engaged with using Mathletics for a two week free-trial after Christmas.
Following this trial and feedback from pupils and teachers, licences have been purchased for pupils to use
the programme for the remainder of the school year. Central to Mathletics is a large bank of activities
mapped to the primary maths curriculum, which are completed by pupils individually within school time.
Teachers will use Mathletics to supplement the teaching and learning that takes place on a daily basis and
we are convinced using Mathletics will be of great benefit to all pupils using the programme. Parent
information about Mathletics is available: https://www.mathletics.com/uk/parent-portal/
 AstroTurf Extension Update:

Astro-Turf Extension Update: The final stage of the Astro-Turf extension is to commence on Friday
March 1. There has been a delay in the completion of the project due to poor weather and construction
delays on other projects Premier Pitches are working on around the country. The laying of synthetic grass
will take approximately 10 days’ before the facility will be available for use. It is hope that by St. Patrick’s
Day pupils will have had the opportunity to use the Astro-Turf facility. We look forward to the facility being
fully completed with goalposts, fencing and additional works all completed very soon. After our Easter
break, details on fun blitz’ and school leagues for pupils in all classes will be released. We look forward to
the facility opening and sharing it with our local sporting clubs.

Sports Capital Grant 2023 Application: An application to secure funding under the Sports Capital Grant
2023 scheme was submitted in September 2023. The school was informed that decisions on all capital
project applications are due by the end of May 2024. Phase 3 of our sports development aims to install LED
lighting to our Astro-Turf pitch and Ball Wall facility, as well as developing our remaining school field in to
a juvenile grass playing pitch with new drainage, running lanes and upgrade works.
Parent Teacher Meetings for Junior and Senior Infants: The deferred parent teacher meetings for pupils
in Junior and Senior Infants will take place before the Easter Holiday on March 22. Ms. Emma Gleeson
and Ms. Valerie O’Shea will send dates and times for individual face to face meetings shortly. If the
allocated time does not suit, please contact Ms. Gleeson to arrange an alternative date and time.

After School Club: Glór na nÓg Preschool are seeking expressions of interest for the following services for
the 2024-2025 school year.
 Breakfast Club before school from 8am.
 Collection and supervision of Junior and Senior Infants finishing at 1:40pm until 2:40pm
 Homework Club for all primary pupils from 2:40pm to 5:45pm.

Reminder:
 School is closed Friday March 8 to facilitate voting in the upcoming referendums. Bank Holiday
Monday March 18 2024.
 First Confession: Friday March 15 at 10am mass at Kilkishen church.
 School closes for Easter holidays on Friday March 22 at 12 noon and reopens on Monday April 8
2024.

Yours sincerely,

Principal Kilkishen N.S.

 Kilkishen N.S. Calendar 2023-2024
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January

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February

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May

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June

School Reopens/Ends for Pupils School Holidays Bank Holidays Weekends Staff Return on Tuesday August 29