Newsletter
19 12 2025
Good afternoon parents and guardians,
What a lovely week we have had.
This week was filled with song, poetry, and drama performances, and it was wonderful to see so many children shine as they performed for the adults.
Many thanks to our Lord Mayor for the invitation to visit Santa at the Mansion House on Tuesday. The Senior Infants had a wonderful day. The visit thoughtfully catered for all of our children, with lovely craft activities, sensory experiences, and a very grounded Santa — one who didn’t make unrealistic promises but instead gently managed expectations for some of the children, whose lists may have expanded during the Luas journey into Dawson Street! Some of the lists even included dogs, hamsters, and fish!
Our Student Council has also been very busy. After much campaigning, they won the staff over and finally enjoyed their much-desired Pyjama Day today. Thank you to families for their generous donations to the Student Council’s two chosen charities, Beaumont Hospital and Children’s Health Ireland.
We’re also delighted to let you know that our play therapist, Regina Igoe, will feature on Oliver Callan on RTÉ Radio 1 on Monday the 22nd. She’ll be talking about supporting children over Christmas and more generally. Do tune in if you have the opportunity.
Thank you to Hannah Tyrrell for joining us at our assembly on Wednesday.
Hannah was interviewed by our Student Council and answered their questions beautifully. She spoke about when she first began playing sport, sharing her experience of being the only girl on an all-boys soccer team. She talked about her love of soccer, Gaelic games, and rugby, and offered thoughtful and encouraging advice to children who are thinking about trying a sport.
One of her key messages was that it is never too late to start. Hannah also highlighted the many physical and psychological benefits of being part of a team, emphasising confidence, resilience, and enjoyment.
The children were fully engaged and inspired by her visit, and we are very grateful to Hannah for taking the time to share her experiences with us.
We also used our assembly as an opportunity to sing a few festive songs. A special thank you to Paul and Hanora for providing live accompaniment.
Finally, we took time to acknowledge and pay tribute to the wonderful work being done in our school by the Library Committee and the Active Committees.
Thank you to Anna, who led the preparations for the Solstice Walk this week.
It was lovely to see so many of you join us to simply walk together, celebrating the end of the dark days and the beginning of the light.
5th and 6th class ice skating in Smithfield this week.
GDA Notice
The GDA have asked us to keep you updated on some exciting improvements coming to the site.
In early January 2026 the Grangegorman playground will be getting a fresh new surface and a brand-new mobility swing!
GDA have put together a project factsheet that contains the works details and some information on alternative local playgrounds. Please see attached.
Important Reminder: Access routes to School
Parents are reminded that the Primary Care Centre building must not be used as a shortcut when accessing the school. This is a clinical setting with appointments taking place from 8:00am, and unnecessary through-traffic is disruptive and unsettling for patients. In addition, children must not use scooters or similar equipment inside the Primary Care Centre building under any circumstances.
Where possible, including those arriving from the car park, parents are strongly encouraged to approach the school entrance via Orchard Terrace/ Grangegorman Upper or to stay on the pathway that runs behind the Primary Care Centre while taking care to watch out for other pedestrian users.
Please note that due to planned building works in 2026, the pedestrian pathway behind the Primary Care Centre may not always be accessible.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
We would like to wish everyone a very lovely holiday and a well-deserved break.
Thank you so much for the continued support you have given us in D7ETNS throughout the year. We are incredibly lucky to work with such supportive families, and this helps to create the bond that makes our school community so special.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed in the new term.
See you all bright and early on January 5th
Fionnuala
