Nuachtlitir na Nollag 2025

Enrolment Now Open

Enrolment for the 2026/2027 school year is now open. All information, including our Admissions Policy and Enrolment Form, is available on the school website. We warmly welcome applications and encourage families to get in touch with the school if they have any questions or would like support with the process.

We look forward to welcoming our new pupils to St. Fiach’s N.S. in the year ahead.

We finished the first half-term on a high with our annual Halloween Disco, organised in partnership with our fantastic Parents’ Association. Due to the elections taking place in the Community Centre on the same day, the event moved into the school hall this year and proved to be a huge success. The atmosphere was brilliant, the children had a wonderful time, and we were very grateful to all families who attended and supported the event. A special word of thanks goes to the volunteers who helped on the night.

Maths Week was celebrated with great enthusiasm throughout the school. Pupils took part in a wide range of engaging mathematical activities, both in class and online, developing problem-solving, reasoning, and real-life maths skills in fun and meaningful ways. A particular highlight was a visit from a guest speaker who explored the fascinating mathematical links between Newgrange, Knowth, Dowth, and our own Loughcrew, focusing on the maths behind the seasons, weeks, days, and the construction of these ancient sites. The children thoroughly enjoyed this connection between maths, history, and our local heritage.

Science Week was another highlight of the term. Pupils across all classes participated in exciting, hands-on experiments and investigations, exploring areas such as materials, forces, light, sound, and simple circuits. There was a wonderful buzz around the school throughout the week. Sincere thanks to all our teachers for making Science Week such an enjoyable and practical learning experience for the children.

We were delighted that a number of our pupils were recognised at the Oldcastle Show, with winners in both the handwriting and art sections. This was a fantastic achievement and a lovely acknowledgement of the children’s creativity, effort, and pride in their work.

Fifth and Sixth Class also worked on creating mini-films using iPads, as part of their commitment to using Gaeilge in creative and meaningful ways. This work aligned closely with our goals under the Meta Community Grant, supporting digital storytelling, language development, and student voice.

We were also excited to share that the school prepared to enter the Ficheall chess competitions in January, marking the first time St. Fiach’s would have its own chess team — a lovely milestone for the school.

November was a particularly special month in terms of community generosity. The school was thrilled to receive the donation of an outdoor sheltered structure, which will be used as an outdoor classroom and a dry space for learning and play. Special thanks go to Jodie Manley, who undertook a significant amount of work coordinating this project, and to all the volunteers who assisted. We were also extremely grateful to BD Floods, who have kindly offered to lay a concrete pad to ensure the structure remains dry and usable.

We were also fortunate to receive beautiful garden furniture, including swings, seating, and sensory-regulation equipment, from a school that had relocated. Our sincere thanks go to the families who helped transport and organise these items. The children thoroughly enjoyed these new additions.

In addition, the school was kindly gifted a polytunnel for the school garden. This exciting addition greatly enhanced opportunities for gardening and sustainability projects and supported hands-on outdoor learning for pupils.

We were delighted to see the progress of the new all-weather astroturf pitch located next door to the school, made possible through the incredible work of a local community group who secured the necessary funding. Now nearing completion, this project represented a huge achievement for the community. The school was very welcome to use the pitch, and we looked forward to benefiting from this wonderful facility for PE, wellbeing, and sports activities.

Fifth and Sixth Class took part in the Children’s Health Foundation “100 Skips a Day for a Month” challenge, showing great commitment, perseverance, and teamwork throughout. The pupils rose to the challenge with enthusiasm and energy and successfully raised a significant amount of money for this very worthy cause. We were extremely proud of their efforts and would like to thank the children, their families, and all who supported and sponsored them so generously.

Parent–Teacher Meetings took place in November and were a very positive experience. These meetings provided valuable opportunities for collaboration and shared reflection, ensuring that each child was supported in reaching their full potential. We were very grateful to parents for their engagement and partnership.

The school continued to benefit from visits and guidance from NCSE advisors, particularly in relation to sensory spaces, visual timetables, and inclusive classroom practices. The principle that what is necessary for some is beneficial for all guided this work.

An in-school SNA Review was conducted by our SENO in November, and we await the outcome. Any additional support in this area will be greatly appreciated in our growing school.

We were delighted to acknowledge Ms Reynolds, who successfully applied for an Environmental Sustainability Grant on behalf of the school. As a result of her hard work, the school was awarded approximately €2,500, which was put to excellent use supporting sustainable education initiatives.

The school was also awarded a Climate Action Summer Works Grant of approximately €15,000. This funding supported insulation upgrades in older parts of the building, improving warmth, energy efficiency, and comfort, while also addressing damp issues.

In addition, the school was honoured to receive the Burren Trust Award, following an application made the previous summer. As part of this award, the school received 50 native Irish woodland trees and 50 native Irish hedgerow trees, helping to enhance biodiversity, replace storm-damaged trees, and further green the school grounds.

Following our return after the November closure, the school moved quickly into full Christmas preparation mode. Fifth and Sixth Class worked hard on their Christmas Market, which proved to be a very special community event.

The Parade of Lights on the 7th of December was a magical occasion, with the children’s decorations proudly displayed throughout the community.

All classes worked diligently on their Christmas Plays and Christmas Carol Services, which took place on the 16th and 18th of December. These evenings were once again a highlight of the school year, filled with music, celebration, and festive joy.

We were delighted to share that St. Fiach’s N.S. is preparing to launch the Hot School Meals Programme in the new year. This was a very exciting development for our school community and one we knew would bring real benefits to our pupils.

Significant planning and preparation took place during the term, and the programme was expected to begin on Monday, 26th January, subject to the completion of oven installation works and final checks being completed on schedule. Once launched, all pupils will have access to nutritious, warm meals during the school day, supporting wellbeing, concentration, and learning.

We look forward with great excitement to welcoming this important initiative to St. Fiach’s and to sharing further details with families closer to the launch date.

As the term has come to a close, we wish to extend our sincere thanks to the wonderful staff of St. Fiach’s N.S. Ailish, Ms Sorohan, Ms O'Rourke, Ms Reynolds, Mr Farrell, Mrs Smith, Mrs Glynn, our secretary Anne, our cleaner Ciara and our new caretaker Dermot, for their dedication, care, and commitment to our pupils and school.

We also express our heartfelt appreciation to our student teacher, student SNAs, and Transition Year students, whose enthusiasm, hard work, and willingness to learn made a valuable contribution to school life throughout the term.

A sincere thank-you to our Board of Management for their guidance and support, and to our Parents’ Association, volunteers, and local community groups for their generosity, time, and continued commitment to the school.

St. Fiach’s was truly strengthened by the partnership between home, school, and community, and we were deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to such a positive and memorable term.

🎄 Nollaig Shona daoibh go léir! 🎅

Go raibh Nollaig lán de shíocháin, de shonas agus de chuimhneacháin áille agaibh féin agus ag bhur gclann. ✨🎁