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DSPNS Newsletter 19ú Deireadh Fómhair 2011
6th class and their buddies Senior Infants enjoyed a trip to Cabinteely Park last Friday. They had a lovely time playing together. 5th class have been working on a great variety of activities including cooking, art, story writing, computer skills, knitting and cross stitching. 4th class earned extra yard time in the sunshine last week by learning a new Irish phrase: Tá mé réidh fanacht amach. 3rd class produced some beautiful blow paint art and made more progress in recorder playing.
4th class students of the week
All classes have worked on showing respect through minding property – personal and school items – and through good manners. Nominations are made weekly and photos of the student/stars of the week are on the Ethical Education notice boards both upstairs and downstairs. This newsletter features nominations 3rd – 6th class. Congratulations to all!
Several beautiful bamboos were planted into pots on the patio making it an even more pleasant space to use. Thanks to Ms Ellis for organising this and to Brian, Tom, Liz, John and Michael for helping. Our garden has had its first makeover this year. Many thanks to Declan especially for organizing the garden clear and removing all the waste, and to helpers Catriona, Grainne & Simon & family, and David.
The skipping workshops today have been very successful. We hope this will spur children on to keep up their fitness levels and to be persistent enough to learn new skipping skills.
Thanks to Christina and the girls’ hockey team for representing our school well at the Rathdown 5th 6th class hockey league on Monday. And finally, thanks to Karen who started up choir practice with us this week. We’ll let you now how we get on with singing practice!
DSPNS Newsletter 5ú Deireadh Fómhair 2011
2nd and 3rd class yard time
1st class had a great trip to Knocksink Woods yesterday, Tuesday, where they had a day of exploring signs of autumn in the environment. Back at school, Junior and Senior Infants have started group activities that include yard games, computer skills, yoga and cooking. The apple crumble smelled and tasted delicious!
4th class yoga
All classes are working on showing respect with a particular focus on good manners this week. We had our first whole school assembly to welcome the new junior infants and new staff. We also congratulated the new student council members. We sang Ireland’s Call in celebration of the Irish rugby team’s success to date. On Friday we will wear something green (if available at home) in support of the team playing in the quarter-final on Saturday morning.
Infants enjoy lunch in the sunshine
Educate Together Forum on Enrolment
All parents/guardians and staff are invited to attend workshops on Enrolment Policy this Saturday 8 October @ 10.00am in the Central Hotel in town. Please attend if you can. The Board of Management will be organizing a review of our Enrolment Policy this academic year. It is essential parents/guardians avail of opportunities to engage in the debates on this important issue. See www.educatetogether.ie for further details.
Extra-Curricular Activities – Free Kung Fu Trial!
There will be a free Kung Fu trial for children in 4th, 5th and 6th classes on Monday 10th October. This will take place in the Halla from 2.15 – 3.00. Please confirm your interest in this free trial with Sinead O’Sullivan on 086 8969182.
Monkstown Educate Together Charity Fundraiser
Clothes Swap Fundraiser for Monkstown Educate Together Thursday 6th October 8pm. Bring a bag of clothes (including children’s clothes) pay €10 in and have a look around. When the bell goes at 9pm you take what you want home!! If anyone has any queries you can contact Ziene at 087 2940173
Miriam Hurley
DSPNS Newsletter 21ú Meán Fómhair 2011
All classes are showing a pleasing ability to settle in to class routines. Please continue to encourage your children to deal with the challenges of doing all school tasks. Basic tasks need to be addressed before more complex activities may be approached as a whole class. The pictures below show some of the range of learning opportunities children have experienced in the past two weeks.
1st class movement exercises
5th class self portraits
Board of Management (BoM)
A sincere thanks to Nic Grant for taking on the duties of Acting Chairperson over the past number of months. Following BoM meeting and consultation with DSP Patron, Liz McGovern is now Chairperson of the Board. We are very fortunate at DSPNS to have parents willing and able to undertake BoM membership and help run the school efficiently. BoM membership is a considerable investment of personal time and commitment.
DSPNS Newsletter 7ú Meán Fómhair 2011
We are experiencing a blustery start weatherwise to the new school year. Indoors, school life is calm with children settling well into class routines. Establishing routines is an essential factor in creating a positive learning environment. Parental support in terms of reminders to children will be most helpful. We have been very lucky to have one of our parents leading an art group already. Thanks to Tiggy for her batik work! 3rd class will be going to the Mountains to Sea book festival event on Friday. It is great to have the DSPNS tradition of an impressive variety of approaches to teaching and learning at the start of the new school year.
Below are some some quotes and pictures from the first week back at school.
Junior Infants activities time
1st class quotes
“ I like drawing.” “I like going in the big yard.” I like making new friends.” I like doing harder homework.” I like the way the yard is bigger.” I like my new teacher.”
1st class line up quietly and safely 3rd class walk back from yard
3rd class quotes
“Is maith liom recorder.” We have been playing dodgeball.” Is maith liom making scrolls.” Is maith liom súgradh le Lego.”
5th class quotes
“I liked the batik tie die.” “I liked making the giant handmade jigsaw with all our faces.” I liked taking our photos for the puzzle.” “I walked in the patio door upstairs. Everything looked new and nice.”
2nd class quotes
“Is maith liom yard.” “ Is maith liom reading.” “ Is maith liom playing with my friends.” “ Is maith liom rang a dó.”
4th class quotes
“We were very excited to meet our buddies from 1st class.” “We are doing a project on Schools in the Past.”
6th class quotes
“Maths is harder but good.” “I’m feeling advanced.”
Please check your child’s bag tomorrow for this term’s ECA form which has some changes to days/times of activities!! Completed forms should be returned by Tuesday 13th September at the latest. If you have any ECA queries, please contact Sinead O’Sullivan on 086 896 9182!
Slán, Brendan, a chara – Rest in Peace
As most of you know, the DSP community lost a very committed father of two, husband, friend, and Chairperson of the Board of Management during the summer holidays. Brendan Kehoe will be sorely missed. Below are some words of appreciation from Elana.
Patrick, Eoin and I would like to thank the entire school community for their support, generosity, and caring the past 6 months. Brendan remarked on it quite a bit while he was in hospital, and I know it gave him a lot of comfort knowing that we were being looked after in the great DSP fashion. I never, ever would have thought that a school could pull together so wonderfully as you all have; the outpouring of love and sympathy has proven that we made the right choice in being here. Brendan loved being chairperson of the BoM, as well as being on the Board of Directors of Educate Together, and it really tore him up having to leave both–he believed in the ethos of ET deeply. I’m so glad that we were all able to share in his love of education, and hope that his little bit of work in the school will live on for a long time.—-Elana Kehoe
Miriam Hurley