Author: peadarsmith@gmail.com

March—June
2021

TERMLY NEWSLETTER

Volume 1, Issue 2

Aughadreena
National School

We are pleased to present our second newsletter which covers some of the activities undertaken from our return in March, to the closure for the Summer holidays on 23rd June. We were all very happy to get back together following the second school closure due to Covid-19. There is no doubt that, while the core learning is important, much learning and enjoyment comes from the extra activities that pupils engage in. We hope this newsletter gives a small flavour of some of these activities.
This year, we say farewell to 13 fine young people as they look forward to the next step of their education. We wish them every success and happiness in their Secondary schools. Seven families are leaving for the last time. We thank them for their support for the school over the years. We wish all our families a very safe and happy summer holidays and look forward to seeing you all and some new faces on 30th August.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

WELCOME BACK / COVID-19 UPDATE	1
PARENTS / ASSOCIATION	2
HEALTHY LUNCHES / DAILY MILE	2
JUNIOR & SENIOR / AISTEAR	3
SPRING HAS SPRUNG	4
EASTER EGG HUNT	4
G.A.A. Coaches	5
3rd & 4th CLASS	5
5th & 6th CLASS	6
BIODIVIRSITY GARDEN	6
SCHOOL CALENDAR	6

COVID-19 UPDATE
Covid-19 has changed the ways we have to do certain things in the school.
To avoid the handling of paper, we have introduced the online absence and accident forms. We ask you to download the template forms and to get into the habit of filling them out with the information as to why your child was off, date and how many days and email to us when your child is returning to school. There is a parental declaration form and this one is used only in the event that the school closes for long period of time e.g Easter, Covid closure, Summer etc. and Parents are asked to fill that one in and email back to the school clarifying that your child is Covid-19 free.
In the event of parents wishing to pick up/drop off their child after 9.20 to 3pm they call the office to make prior arrangement. When they arrive to the school, they now ring the office to inform staff that they are in the carpark where a member of staff will go down to meet them. Thankfully, this is working very well and keeping everyone safe in the school and in the community.

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Aughadreena
National School

The Parent’s Association
Mufti Day is a vital fundraiser for the P.A. These funds are used to help aid the school with different projects. Children dress in their casual clothes on the last Friday of each month. This accounts for 10 payments from the parents in the school year.
Again due to Covid-19, the PA have changed their method of collecting the family contributions to online on the school Aladdin System and can be paid for the 10 months up front or on a monthly basis.
This term the PA kindly presented a set of hoodies to our 6th class on their Graduation Day and supplied ice-cream to all the children on sports day. They also pay towards the cost of our GAA coach.
We really appreciate your contributions and the continuous help of the PA. Donations for 2020/2021 amounted to €1135.

LAVEY G.A.A
We are grateful to Lavey GAA for their kind donation of O’Neills footballs for the school.

HEALTHY LUCNCH BOXES
We are continuing to work on
promoting “Healthy Lunchboxes”
Promoting healthier lunch boxes can:
encourage pupils’ interest in making healthier choices about their diet
support the Department of Education’s nutritional standards for school lunches
encourage a whole school approach to healthy eating
increase the contact between school and home
support your school’s community links
give parents relevant information on aspects of food and health

THE DAILY MILE
The Daily Mile is a by-schools-for-schools programme designed as a way of children achieving improved health and wellbeing through daily physical activity.
The Daily Mile is 15 minutes, wherein children jog or run, at their own pace, during the school day at a time of the teacher’s choosing.
The Daily Mile is not Sport or PE, but rather health and wellbeing through physical activity.

Volume 1, Issue 2

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JUNIORS & SENIORS INFANTS — AISTEAR

We love playing Maths games in our room to help us learn our numbers.

Theme of the Vets in Aistear. We set up the Vet’s surgery for our role- play, made animals in arts and crafts, designed farms and discussed how we can look after animals on our farms

Junior and Senior Infants are growing. The Green Group are growing spinach, the yellow group are growing salad leaves, the red group are growing beetroot and the blue are growing radish. We are learning how we need to look after our plants. It’s great fun watching them grow.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG
IN JUNIORS AND SENIORS

THE EASTER EGG HUNT
The Children had a brilliant Easter Egg Hunt on the Friday before Easter. We could say there was a lot of happy bunnies at school !!that day!!

GOLDEN TIME
1st and 2nd class earned golden time for all the hard work they did this year. We had lots of fun! Check out our pictures.
Well done 1st and 2nd class!

CAVAN COUNTY COUNCIL
Kindly dropped off hi-vis jackets, gloves, bags, rubbish pickers to help keep our school surrounds clean and litter free.
“A Huge Thank You “

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Aughadreena
National School

Welcome back to our GAA Coaches

There was a great welcome back to Graham on the 15th April and to Chris on 26th April . It was so good to hear the laughter and pure enjoyment for the return of our GAA coaches to the school.

3rd & 4th Class Art Work

3rd & 4th Class brought what they had learned about the Bronze Age into their Art Work by constructing models of Crannogs. They used ‘Story Creator’ on iPads to write books about the Bronze Age, incorporating photos of their Crannogs.

3rd & 4th Class were learning by doing as they constructed 3D shapes using matchsticks and blu-tack .

Volume 1, Issue 2

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5th & 6th Class MUSIC GENERATION & TRANSITIONING TO SECONDARY SCGOOL

We extended a warm welcome our new Music Generation Teacher Donal Gormley. Our 5th & 6th class continued their musical journey with Donal from March to June on a Wednesday. We would also like to thank him and Brioni Gallagher for the music videos that enabled us to continue our Music Generation lessons during the school closure.
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TRANSITIONING FROM PRIMARY TO SECONDARY SCHOOL
On Wednesday 14th April, 5th and 6th Class took part in a webinar on transitioning from primary school to secondary school. It was organised by Leah Mc Keown, a third-year social care student in DKIT. The children listened to advice and tips given by Bounce Back and James McGrath from a company called Super You on the transition to Secondary School. This was an
enlightening experience for the pupils.

Congratulations to 3rd - 6th Classes for taking part in the Big Friendly Guide TO Europe’s very first Europe day Zoom Quiz. Looking forward to joining next year on May 9th 2022!!

BIODIVERSITY GARDEN

The senior classes have been very busy getting our garden ready for the upcoming pollinators. (bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, flies, beetles) They have also been busy weeding, painting old tyres and adding large stones to allow for more planting of seeds and flowers.
The senior classes are keeping the Bug hotel in good shape and have some guests favouring a stay cation rather than heading abroad. The junior classes have found some bugs, worms and two lady birds who are now permanent residents in this hotel. It is a full time job feeding all the new birds here in Aughadreena but we are happy to see so many species and hopefully lots more over the coming months. We are very grateful to Ms. Tierney for leading this project during the year and to Shane McEvoy for providing topsoil and planting trees in the school grounds.

SCHOOL CALENDAR FOR 2021/2022 Academic Year

Mon 30th Aug 2021: School opening
Mon, 25th —29h Oct 2021: Mid-Term Break
Thurs, 23rd Dec: 2021: School closes at 12.15pm
Thurs, 6th Jan 2022: School re-opening
Thurs, 24h & Fri, 25th Feb 2022: Mid-term Break
Thurs, 17th March 2022: St. Patrick's Day
Fri, 18th March 2022: school closed
Fri, 8th April 2022: Easter Closing at 12.15pm
Mon, 25th April 2022:Re-opening after Easter
Mon, 2nd May 2022: Bank Holiday
Mon, 6th June 2022: Bank Holiday
Thurs, 23rd June 2022: School closes at 12.15pm.

EASTER EGG HUNT