Newsletter
29 05 2026
Looking forward to Croke Park on Monday, June 8th
Good afternoon parents and guardians,
I hope you have had a nice week.
Thanks so much to everyone for taking the time to attend the bazaar last weekend. Thanks also to Jen, Vikki, Louise for coordinating and the bankers for organising the finances. We are very lucky to be able to use this money to buy valuable resources to help keep our thriving school running.
We have been busy this week with the D7 Soccer Cup, the girls’ semi-final, the hurling semi-final, and school tours.
Gentle reminder that from next week the children will have no homework. The hope is that during the month of June the children can benefit from extra time for rest, outdoor play, family activities, and social development during the brighter evenings. School wise we use it as an opportunity to gather back all homework folders and book rentals and get them ready to pass on to next year’s teacher or for in incoming class. Could parents and children please take this time to return any books belonging to the school; Léigh sa Bhaile readers, class readers (these are labelled Dandelion, Big Cat Collins or PM readers) or any textbooks with a school label or number.
We are currently in the process of planning our summer programme this year however we are waiting on the department to contact us to confirm numbers with the approved allocations for children to attend. We expect this to happen in the coming weeks as they are contacting all schools on an individual case by case basis. We understand that it’s extremely late this year – we are also finding it very frustrating but it’s out of our hands unfortunately. As soon as we hear from the department, we will be in touch with the relevant families. Summer Programme will start on Wednesday July 1st and finish on Tuesday July 14th.
Night at the Museum
Niamh’s 6th Class brought history to life with their fantastic Night at the Museum project – and what a … morning it was! For one day, our GP Room was transformed into a bustling museum full of famous faces from the distant (and not so distant) past. The children dressed up as historical figures and proudly showcased the projects they had worked so hard on. Visitors had the chance to meet everyone from leaders and inventors to other well-known characters from history, with each student stepping into role and sharing interesting facts about their chosen person. Parents and classes from around the school came along to visit our “museum”, and they were greeted by a room full of enthusiastic historians ready to share their knowledge. There was plenty of excitement, lots of learning, and a few double takes as people spotted some very convincing historical characters walking around the school! The children put a huge amount of effort into their costumes, research, and presentations, and they should all be incredibly proud of themselves. It was wonderful to see their hard work pay off and to watch them speak with such confidence and enthusiasm.
6th class were so impressive. Unfortunately, not all classes got to experience this year’s Night at the Museum. The school day is not long enough. So, if you want to share the projects with the children at home, please see the link Night At the Museum Padlet Timelines
Santry
Our week started with a trip to Santry for the annual Primary Schools Athletics event. The weather this year proved to be a challenge as the sun was scorching. First up was the parade of athletes as all the schools filled the track and marched around to the sound of Chariots of Fire.
We got our first medal in our inaugural participation in the art competition, Ailbhe from 4th won a bronze medal with a beautiful drawing of Rashidat Adeleke.
The events kicked off straight away with children competing in Long Jump, Shot Putt and the 80m Sprints. The children found it tough in the heat, but all put in a huge effort and were competitive in all their competitions. Next on the track were our 600m runners and they both put in a huge effort in the sweltering conditions.
Ameera from 6th proved too strong for the field in her Race of Champions, she took off with intent and powered home. Our relay runners found the competition tough but kept trying to the end. In the final event of the day, our U14 Boys’ team were desperately unlucky as they were pipped at the post in their final, but they got a podium finish in Silver Medal position. It was a great experience for all concerned and we’ll be back next year stronger and better.
Congratulations to our U14 Boys’ relay team on an outstanding performance
Bhí rang a sé ag foghlaim faoi logainmneacha, see if you can guess which areas their artwork depict!
Agony and Ecstasy for hurlers
D7 Gaelic teams had a busy schedule this week with two semi final matches. The Girls’ team were up first in the Phoenix Park for their clash with Gaelscoil Cnoc Liamhan. Played in tropical sunshine, the pace was frenetic. Playing into a strong breeze, D7 found it hard to break their opponents’ press and every hard-fought clearance by the D7 girls was met with a solid wall in their half back line.
The Gaelscoil cailíní were more clinical in front of goal and managed to grab a few precious goals during a period of dominance. D7 had numerous goal chances at the other end but our attempts were thwarted by a massed defense. As the half wound down, we grabbed a goal and a point to keep in touch.
The D7 girls started the second half with renewed vigor and pulled themselves back into the game with the first score of the half. The girls were winning battles all over the field and were courageously throwing themselves into every tackle. As the game ticked away, the Gaelscoil girls grabbed a few scores on the counterattack which proved impossible to pull back in time. In the end we were beaten on the day but were valiant in our efforts.
The Boys’ team followed up on Wednesday with a home match against Glasnevin ET. On another perfect day for hurling, the lads fell behind early on to a hopeful punt into the forward line. Undeterred by this setback, the lads took control from that point on and produced a masterful display of hurling to forge ahead in the match.
By half time they held a 6-point lead, however, the second half saw them extend their advantage with some excellent displays across the field. As we ran our bench, the boys struck for home and in the end were convincing winners. The final whistle was greeted with a full-scale pitch invasion by the spectators to celebrate with the team.
The win was a result of great teamwork and a willingness to fight for the dirty ball. The lads hurled magnificently with heroes at every part of the pitch. The victory guaranteed us a return to Croke Park on Monday, June 8th where we will face NDSP in our final. D7 abú!
Martin, Peadar & Padraig
5th class ‘ Under the sea’
Message from Schoolbooks Scheme
The Department of Education is currently carrying out an evaluation of the Schoolbooks Scheme. Feedback from parents and guardians is very important in helping them understand what has worked well and where improvements can be made in the future.
The Department of Education would greatly appreciate if you could take a few minutes to complete the short parent survey linked below:
dessurveys.education.gov.ie/surveys/Primary-Schoolbook-Scheme-202526-Parent-Survey
Your feedback will help shape the future development of the scheme and ensure it continues to support students and reduce costs for families.
Thank you for your support
Finally, all our thoughts are with the Hendrickson Family, in this extraordinarily difficult time.
Fionnuala