St. Oliver Plunkett N.S.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we move through the second term of the school year, it has been wonderful to see the many activities, learning opportunities and events that have taken place across the school over the past number of weeks. From classroom projects and creative activities to sporting events, school trips and celebrations of important dates in our calendar, there has been a great sense of energy and engagement throughout the school.

I would like to sincerely thank our staff for their continued dedication and commitment to providing a rich and supportive learning environment for all pupils. I would also like to acknowledge the ongoing support of our parents and wider school community, whose encouragement and involvement play such an important role in school life.

I hope you enjoy this snapshot of some of the many activities that have taken place in our school during January and February.

Le gach dea-ghuí,

Ian Corbett

• Word Book Day Dress-up: Thursday, March 5th
• Lá Glas: Wednesday, March 11th
• School Closure: Monday, March 16th and Tuesday, March 17th (St. Patrick's Day)
• Easter School Closure: Friday, 27th March (half day)
• School Reopens: Monday, 13th April
• School Closure: Tuesday, 21st April (staff training)

Thanks to the generosity of our local credit union, Croí Laighean Credit Union, our school recently received a new set of jerseys.

These jerseys are particularly special as they were designed by our own pupils, giving the students a wonderful sense of pride and ownership when representing the school. We are very grateful to Croí Laighean Credit Union for their continued support of our school and our sporting activities.

Catholic Schools Week was a special time in our school community as we celebrated and reflected on the values that guide our work each day. A particular highlight of the week was welcoming Fr. Bernard to the school to celebrate Mass with the children and staff.

Fr. Bernard also visited the school again on the Feast of St. Blaise, where he performed the traditional blessing of throats. Shortly afterwards, he returned on Ash Wednesday to distribute ashes and mark the beginning of the season of Lent with our pupils.

We are very grateful to Fr. Bernard for his continued support of the school and to the members of the parish community who assisted during these visits.

A reminder to parents that if you do not wish for your child to receive a hot school meal, you can cancel your order using The Lunch Bag app. Alternatively, you may contact the school office and we can cancel the order on your behalf.

We have noticed in recent weeks that a number of lunches are not being eaten and are going to waste. We would appreciate if parents could review their child’s order to ensure that meals being provided are ones that will be eaten. This will help us to reduce unnecessary food waste. Many thanks.

Our 5th and 6th class pupils recently travelled to the Irish Peatlands Conservation Council where they learned about the formation of bogs in our local area and the important role these habitats play in supporting wildlife and biodiversity.

This visit also provided inspiration for our BLAST project with artist Angelina Foster. Through this creative project, the pupils explored the theme of water; considering what depends on water and why it is so important for life, both now and in the future. As part of the project, the children created their own book using a historic printing press from 1942, combining creativity, environmental awareness and hands-on learning.

It was a wonderful opportunity for pupils to connect their learning about nature with creative expression.

3rd and 4th class recently enjoyed a visit to Mount Lucas Wind Farm, where they had the opportunity to learn about renewable energy and how wind power is generated.

During the visit, the pupils explored the wind farm and discovered how wind turbines work to produce electricity in a sustainable way. It was a very interesting and educational trip that helped the children develop a greater understanding of energy, sustainability and caring for our environment.

When they returned to school, the pupils put their learning into practice by designing and creating their own wind turbines, demonstrating great creativity and problem-solving skills.

Our 5th and 6th class pupils recently travelled to Glasnevin Cemetery where they took part in the Multiple Narratives tour. During the visit, the pupils learned about the lives and stories of many well-known Irish figures buried there, including a visit to the crypt of Daniel O’Connell and the graves of Michael Collins and Éamon de Valera.

The tour explored how these individuals helped shape the Ireland we know today, with stories spanning more than 200 years of Irish history. It was a very engaging and informative experience that helped bring the children’s learning about Ireland’s past to life.

We wish our 6th class pupils every blessing and the very best of luck as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on March 13th in Derrinturn Church.

This is a very special and important milestone in their faith journey, and we hope it will be a memorable and joyful occasion for them and their families.

The Cumann na mBunscol football season kicked off last Friday with our boys’ Mini 7s team competing in the competition in Cadamstown. The boys played extremely well on the day and represented the school with great pride and sportsmanship.

Next up are our girls’ Mini 7s team, who will take part in their competition this Friday in Carbury GAA. We wish them the very best of luck and look forward to seeing how they get on.

Looking ahead, the annual Cumann na mBunscol Cross Country event will take place on March 26th in Rathcoffey GAA, where pupils from across the area will come together to take part in this popular sporting event. We look forward to another great day of participation and competition.

Our annual Easter Raffle will take place on Friday, March 27th. We have three beautiful Easter hampers to be won - perfect for any chocolate lover!

Tickets will go on sale in the school from Monday, March 9th. Tickets cost €2 for one line or €5 for three lines.

A sincere thank you to our Parents’ Association for their continued support of the school in organising this important fundraiser. Your ongoing work and dedication are greatly appreciated by the whole school community.

We celebrated Pancake Tuesday in school, with pancakes distributed to pupils in each class for everyone to enjoy.

A sincere thank you to Mrs. Usher for organising the event, and to Aishling and Sinéad for their help on the day. Your efforts are very much appreciated and helped make the occasion a lovely treat for all the pupils.

Our school recently took part in the #ActiveBreaks26 Challenge, which ran from January 19th to February 13th. This initiative encourages schools to incorporate short, fun movement breaks throughout the school day to help keep pupils active and engaged.

The challenge provided a great opportunity for classes to take a break from their desks, enjoy some physical activity and support pupils’ wellbeing while learning.

We recently held a school chess tournament involving pupils from 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th class. The tournament was a fantastic opportunity for pupils to challenge themselves, develop their strategic thinking skills and enjoy some friendly competition.

Congratulations to Evie-Mai Duffy, who emerged as the overall winner of the tournament. Very well done to Evie-Mai and to all the pupils who took part.

Tuesday, February 10th marked Safer Internet Day, an important opportunity for pupils to learn about staying safe and responsible while online.

Teachers used a range of helpful resources to support classroom discussions and reinforce key messages about online safety, digital responsibility and positive internet use. These lessons help pupils to develop the awareness and skills needed to navigate the online world safely.

Junior and Senior Infants have been very busy with lots of fun and engaging activities over the past few weeks. The pupils enjoyed making bird feeders, helping them learn about caring for nature and the wildlife around our school.

They also carried out experiments with magnets, exploring what materials magnets attract and discovering how they work. For Valentine’s Day, the children created lovely “Lovebugs”, showing great creativity and enthusiasm.

Of course, one of the highlights was celebrating Pancake Tuesday, when everyone enjoyed a delicious treat in school!

The boys and girls in 1st and 2nd class have been busy with lots of creative and engaging learning activities. To mark Safer Internet Day, the pupils designed their own internet safety emojis, helping them think about how we communicate and behave responsibly online.

In Maths, 1st class have been exploring different ways to make totals of ten using coins, while 2nd class have been learning more about money and how it is used in everyday situations.

The pupils also created beautiful St. Brigid’s Day artwork, celebrating this important Irish tradition. As part of their learning about recycling and pollution, the children brought in toilet roll tubes from home and reused them to create artwork. It was a great way to learn about recycling and sustainability while also encouraging creativity.

3rd and 4th class have been very busy with a variety of fun and engaging learning activities. In Drama, the pupils explored storytelling through freeze frames, using their bodies and expressions to bring different scenes to life.

In Science, the class carried out an exciting experiment making oobleck, discovering how some materials can behave like both a solid and a liquid depending on how they are handled. In Maths, the pupils have been learning about 3D shapes, identifying their features and exploring them through hands-on activities.

The children also enjoyed expressing their creativity through artwork, producing some wonderful pieces during the term.

The pupils in 5th and 6th class have been very busy with a range of creative and engaging activities. They began the year by creating self-portraits and reflecting on their personal goals for 2026, encouraging them to think about what they hope to achieve in the year ahead.

To celebrate St. Brigid’s Day, the pupils learned how to make traditional St. Brigid’s crosses using local rushes, helping them connect with an important Irish tradition.

They have also been working closely with local artist Angelina Foster as part of their BLAST project, creating a class book exploring the importance of water in our local area. This project has combined creativity, environmental awareness and hands-on learning in a very meaningful way.