Rathmichael School

The Brass Cats

2011-12-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

The Brass Cats

On 6^th December we had a visit from five members of the RTE band. This quintet are commonly known as 'The Brass Cats'. One member is a parent in the school. The instruments they played were the Tuba, Trombone, French horn and two trumpets. It was a lively show with lots of audience participation. We were shown how each instrument is played. The children really enjoyed the show. A far cry from looking at these instruments in books.

Caroline Senior

6th Dec 2011

European Food Day

2011-12-02T02:00:00.001-08:00

European Food Day

On 16^th November 6^th class who have been studying various European Countries had a European Food Day. Each child brought in food from a different country. They were then allowed to try the foods and get a real taste for being European. Well done Ms. Ferris!

Caroline Senior

2nd Dec 2011

Biodiversity

2011-12-02T01:58:00.000-08:00

Biodiversity

This is the topic for our new flag. The children are working on this. We want the children to realise the importance of both the very small (insects, fungi) and the very large (whales) in our world. How they all are connected and how if one is disturbed it affects another.

Junior Infants have just built a hedgehog hibernaculum in our school garden. This all helps with our topic of biodiversity. By protecting and looking after our hedgehogs, our slugs will be kept at bay!

The recent themes in the Aistear programme for Junior Infants, Sealife and Habitats, help promote this also. Please have a look at our Green School section on our website. www.rathmichaelschool.com

Caroline Senior

2nd Dec 2011

St Vincent de Paul

2011-12-02T01:57:00.000-08:00

St Vincent de Paul

We like to include charity work as part of our year's work. The children collect 50c towards Yunuso and Sandra our African correspondents every month. This money goes towards their education. As part of this we had a Dress Up day where funds collected (€2 per child) were given towards Yunuso's Education.

This year the staff thought about which charity we should support and it was generally felt that our own country had plenty of people who needed help. As such we have decided to support St. Vincent de Paul, following on from the efforts made last year when we collected hampers.

St Vincent de Paul help those in need, those suffering from loneliness, poverty and sickness. Each child brought in a present up to a value of €10 which were then delivered to the charity. They were extremely grateful and the children enjoyed the exercise. Over 160 presents were collected. Many thanks to all who contributed.

Caroline Senior

2nd Dec 2011

Food Dudes

2011-10-04T02:12:00.000-07:00

Food Dudes

The school has started a new programme run by Bord Bia called Food Dudes. The children are encouraged to try fruit and vegetables every day for a sixteen day period. At the end of this time it is hoped that the children will bring in their own fruit and vegetables. We are trying to encourage the children to eat healthily. The children are rewarded for trying with rewards of pencil cases, sharpeners, rubbers, etc. This programme is very exciting and it is hoped that the children will develop a taste for different fruit and vegetables.

Caroline Senior

Principal

2011-10-04T02:11:00.000-07:00

Pilot

As referred to before the Infant classes are involved in the Aistear programme. This month's theme has been on Travel. As such David Bryce was invited in to speak to the Infant Classes about his job as a pilot. He provided a super powerpoint display and arrived in his full uniform which impressed us all. This is a brilliant way to learn and I must commend both Mrs. Crammond and Ms. Fox on all their efforts.

Caroline Senior

Principal

Rugby Morning

2011-10-04T02:05:00.000-07:00

Rugby Morning

On Saturday 17^th September we decided to try something a little different and held a Rugby breakfast for both the parishioners of Rathmichael and the School. Ireland were playing Australia. There was a great atmosphere and it was enjoyed by all. Great thanks to the PTA and the Vestry for helping to prepare breakfast. Thanks also to Andrew Ellis who supplied a rugby shirt belonging to David Wallace for our raffle. Unfortunately the times of these matches prevent us from showing more.

Caroline Senior

Principal

Our Vegetables

2011-09-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

School Garden

This summer we produced peas, turnips, courgettes, rhubarb, leeks, strawberries and various herbs. We were delighted for our first attempt. Now we are set to clear and weed our patches and hopefully will have cabbages growing shortly. These fed the starving birds during the snow last year but hopefully we will have more success this year.

Caroline Senior

Cycle Training

2011-09-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

Cycle Training

I have always been very keen to have cycle training in the school. As a pilot programme we have started up cycle safety and skills with 'Safety First' on Monday during the school day.

The classes teach children safe cycling techniques and also open them to an invaluable and inexpensive form of exercise at a time when lack of exercise is a cause for concern.

The training covers the following:

Bicycle maintenance
Starting position and safe stopping
Left turn/right turn, major to minor road
Left turn/right turn, minor to major road
Shoulder checking and signalling
Correct positioning on the road.
Overtaking parked cars
Caroline Senior

Play in the Infant Classes

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Play in the Infant Classes

An exciting new programme

Junior and Senior Infants are partaking in Aistear (the Irish word for journey) now, a play programme designed to provide enjoyable and challenging learning experiences for them in order for them to grow and develop as competent and confident learners.

The children are provided with active, hands-on and play experiences to explore the social, physical and imaginary worlds. These experiences help them to manage their feelings, develop as thinkers and language users, develop socially, be creative and imaginative.

The children will be provided with time and space, toys and equipment to play. They will play with their classmates and teachers.

The play will be structured around a theme prepared by the teacher, and the theme may last up to 4 or 6 weeks. There will be 5 different play corners, through which the 5 groups of children will rotate, visiting each corner once a week. The subjects SESE (History, Geography, Science), SPHE, visual arts, drama will be taught through play.

More about Aistear is available on the NCCA website.

Caroline Senior

Knockree, Green Flag, Bees, Odlums, Swim Gala

2011-06-07T02:43:00.000-07:00

Knockree
5th and 6th Classes went on a trip to Knockree in May. It was a great success. We stayed for two nights and three full days of activities. The children were outside and took part in all sorts of activities – archery, paintball shooting, orienteering, horse riding, mountain biking, hiking and team sports. They were well worn out, as were their teachers, by the end of the trip. Despite this they all returned with smiles on their faces.
7th Green Flag
Hurray!. Rathmichael received their 7th Green Flag for Green Homes. This is a great achievement. We are one of the only schools to have achieved this many flags. Paddy Madden came for a day to help us celebrate. He raised our flag.
Swimming Gala
A team from 6th Class entered the Kill O the Grange swimming Gala. We were up against four teams in a visiting schools relay. We were delighted to come first in this event and carried the trophy home.
Live Bees
Liam McGarry visited our school and brought with him some live bees. We had taken part in a competition and had been learning about bees. It was great to have them live in our school.
Odlums
4th Class have been cooking under the care of some very kind 4th Class parents. Odlums have been terrific in supplying cookbooks, wooden spoons and flour to all our pupils in 4th Class. Many thanks Odlums.
Caroline Senior

Seachtain na Gaeilge

2011-03-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Seachtain na Gaeilge
During Seachtain na Gaeilge we had an Irish assembly. Children from various classes under a sixth class child, Karen's instruction, performed irish dancing they had learned in extra curricular activities. This gave the school a flavour of the talent which we have here with us. The performers obviously enjoyed showing us their skills. A true credit to the children involved. Well done Karen.
Caroline Senior
March 2011

Talk on Bees

2011-03-23T08:03:00.002-07:00

Bee Talk
This year is the year of the bee in the Botanic gardens featuring lovely displays. Liam McGarry came out and gave a talk to 3rd-6th Classes on bees. He brought in a hive (uninhabited) for the children to see at close quarters. He also had a honeycomb for them to examine and indeed taste. Some classes did a colouring competition. He will return in May with live bees in a special enclosure for all the children to see. The learning experience is far better than from books and pictures.
Caroline Senior

Daffodil Maze

2011-03-23T08:03:00.001-07:00

Daffodil Maze
In the Autumn following courses undertaken by the staff we decided to plant a Daffodil Maze in an area which was rather bare between the two playgrounds. 500 bulbs were planted by Fourth Class in the hope that there would be a beautiful display in the Spring.
We now have a beautiful display of which the staff and children are very proud. It helps lift our spirits and gives us all fresh hope in these difficult times.
Perhaps next year we will have a display of snowdrops in January in the same area. So many possibilities!
Caroline Senior

Visitors to Rathmichael

2011-03-23T08:02:00.001-07:00

Children's Author:
On Wednesday 20th October, we welcomed Ms. Gillian Perdue, children's author, to the school. Gillian is a past pupil of Rathmichael and also taught in the school a number of years ago. Younger pupils enjoyed her reading of “Conor's Cowboy Suit” and “Conor's Concert”. This was followed by some lively drama and dance workshops. Older pupils appreciated her reading from “Adam's Starling” and then enjoyed taking part in some dramatic scenes from the story. The day was lively and exciting for all the pupils and “Meeting the Author” really brought the books alive!
Dublin Zoo:
On Monday 1st November, we all enjoyed a visit from Jim McMonagle of Dublin Zoo. He brought exotic items of interest with him including an elephant's foot, a rhino horn and a leopard skin, which the children enjoyed looking at and touching. Jim gave us a brief history of Dublin Zoo and used a power point presentation to show us development of the Zoo over the years and what it looks like today. We all thoroughly enjoyed his visit and hopefully it will encourage the children to take a trip out to Phoenix Park with their families.
Litter Warden:
We had a visit from a Litter Warden from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council on Tuesday 9th November. He talked to all of the classes about the problems of litter, how it effects ourenvironment, and how it can cause harm to wildlife. The talk was both interesting andinformative, and it really reminded us that we all have a part to play in keeping ourcountry " litter free". The children were all asked to design anti-litter posters and there will be prizes for the best entries.
Caroline Senior

Workshops

2011-03-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

P.M.C.A – Parents Making Children Aware
P.M.C.A. are a group working in the Dunlaoghaire/Rathdown area. Two of their members came in to work with 6th Class pupils for six weeks. During this time they covered topics such as alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse. The children learned about assertiveness and how to make good choices. On the final day, the children's parents were invited to come in and certificates were given out. The pupils were given an opportunity to show what they had learned and their projects were on display in the classroom. Many thanks to Georgina and Catherine for giving their time over the course of the six weeks to make sure that the children received valuable information and for providing a forum for them to question issues. Lessons learned will stand to our pupils as they move into secondary school.
Energy Workshops
Under the Schools' Heritage Programme, we had Energy Workshops in the school for 1st to 6th Classes. During the day the children had an opportunity to produce their own energy using a bike. They lit bulbs and produced smoothies. A very worthwhile experience and a practical way of making energy come alive for the children. Many thanks to Sarah Joyce and Joe the Workshop Co-ordinators.
Caroline Senior
March 2011

Visitors to Rathmichael School

2010-11-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

Schools Orchestra

2010-11-10T05:59:00.000-08:00

In September of this year St. Anne's School, Scoil Mhuire and Rathmichael School got together with Daithí Mac Aodhagáin. Daithi has the musical skills required to work with the children and comes highly recommended. He is training to be a paramedic at night and also volunteers as a fireman. We decided to try and put together an orchestra between the three schools with the talent we have. Auditions were held for the senior classes of the schools, 3rd to 6th. Approximately seven children from each school were chosen. All of these have different talents to offer. Each week Daithi comes to each school to work with the children. The children are enthusiastic and look forward to his visits. I have been a frequent visitor to the classes and am delighted with their progress. It is hoped that soon the three schools will come together to rehearse what they have learnt so far. We are working towards some kind of performance in the future.
Caroline Senior
Principal
Rathmichael School

School and Parish

2010-10-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

It is often asked what involvement financially the parish have with the school. I have decided to put in writing just how much we have gained from our very good working relationship.
It is on account of this good relationship that we have teamed up and help out at the fete. The fete has always been a parish activity however it is also a huge community effort and I feel it is important for the school to be involved. As such some of the proceeds go towards the PTA funds.
The parish also helps the school in many different ways. This year a large amount of money was put into our grass pitch which was badly drained and needed levelling in many areas. The work was carried out during the summer and paid for by the parish.
A new PA system was put in place in the school. This was quite extensive and incorporates the hall, stage, concourse area and outside. The parish paid for half of these costs.
The parish painted the hall and stage, put in new windows on the stage and put in a new kitchen which has been used on many occasion by the school both during school and at school functions. New curtains have been made and are about to be put up in the hall and on the stage. This also involves new curtain rails. The school will be paying for the stage curtains but all the rest is paid for by the parish.
The volunteer work which has been given to the school by the parish cannot be valued. Three years ago the parishioners of Rathmichael Church got work parties together and painted the whole school. Volunteers, helped to paint the hall and stage. The parish have helped me cut back trees, clear areas, cut back hedges and indeed prepare the area for our new school garden. Over the years they have given of their time readily whenever work is required.
Should the school ever be in financial difficulty the church would be our first port of call.
Much of the work done by the parish is done silently, without ever expecting anything in repayment. As such we can forget just how much involvement they have with us. This is a relationship Canon Appelbe and myself promote and hope continues for a very long time.
Caroline Senior
Principal

New School Garden

2010-09-20T06:29:00.001-07:00

New School Garden
At the back of the school where the pond used to be you will now find our new school garden. Already the children have been planting and gardening and there is a new excitement generating which is super. We are a Green School with seven flags and have been positioned three times in the Tidy Towns competition. It is only right that we cultivate our garden and and show just how green we can be.
Buggingham Palace is our hotel made out of palettes for insects. Each room has a different material which insects like to live in. This is great when the children need to collect insects for study and examination.
Our Ladybird Hideout is made of bamboo and hopefully the ladybirds will be attracted there.
Fifth Class planted our Sensory Garden . They used tyres and each tyre holds plants dedicated to the three senses.
Second Class have planted Pansys in seed trays in our green house.
COME AND HAVE A LOOK.
Caroline Senior
Principal
17th September2010

Tidy Towns Win

2010-09-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

Tidy Towns 2009/2010
We entered the Tidy Towns Competition for schools last year. I am delighted to say that we achieved 3rd place and a prize of €300.
This was judged on litter, appearance, additional plantings, evidence of recycling, education and awareness, student and community involvement. We achieved a score of 92 out of 100.
We are delighted with our win and will be putting the prize money into our new project – The School garden.
Well done to all who have been involved in keeping our school clean and tidy. Long may it continue.
Thank you.
Caroline Senior
Principal
17th September 2010

2010-09-20T05:11:00.001-07:00

test

PTA BBQ at Schools sports day

2010-06-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just a quick update from our sports day BBQ. Since we re-established the BBQs we have been blessed with the weather and this year was no exception, Tuesday 15th was a cracker with the sun shining all day long. We kicked off as promised just after 10am with tea and coffees and around 11am serving sausage dogs and burgers to our hungry athletes and their families, we were soon running low on supplies (especially ketcup....7 bottles consumed!). Many thanks to everyone who supported us again this year, to Susan and Tim who came on board to help cook and serve and of course to the great PTA committee who gave up their time (and seeing their own children compete!!) to cook up a storm. We raised €705.85c.
On behalf of the PTA, congratulations all the students who took part in the day.

School Secretary of the Year!!

2010-05-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

Trish O Neill has won the Primary Times Secretary of the Year Award. We never had any doubts. Trish gives of her time willingly. She is always good humoured. Nothing is ever a problem. She is a great support for the school. I am delighted with the news and hope she enjoys her well deserved weekend away. Well Done!
Caroline Senior
Principal
31st May 2010

60s Nite

2010-04-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

They came... after a bit of persuasion.. They saw and liked.. They danced, thanks to the best DJ Peter.. They ate up everything, cheese board included, very posh!!.. They danced and yes, they drank!! and boy, did some dress up.. did I mention they danced!! and then, eventually, they left. Phew, what a night but worthwhile to see so many people enjoying themselves.

Regards, 60's Committee and PTA

PTA Activity

2010-04-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Thank you all so much for supporting our recent Cake and Bread Sale and raffle for 1 night dinner, B+B in Rathsallagh Country House. Between the two we managed to raise €1,240, this is going to be put towards our computer renewal programme. So well done to everyone.

Our next event is a joint venture with the Parish. On Friday 23rd April we will be having a 60's Disco Nite from 8pm 'til late in the Burton Hall, Rathmichael School. Tickets are €20 includes a light buffet and first glass of wine. Proceeds will be going to the Rector's Discretionary fund, School and Parish. This should be a great night and we look forward to seeing you there.

Regards, Nicola

Easter Cake and Bread Sale

2010-03-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
On Tuesday 16th March the children will be given their cake boxes to bring home and decorate, in what ever style they so choose!!. Please can the decorated boxes be returned on Wednesday 24th March, no sooner! Each class will be judged and the best boy and girl box per class will get a prize.
Could you "fill" the boxes with biscuits, cakes, muffins, buns or breads which we will then sell at our Easter Cake and Bread Sale, starting at 1.15pm School hall on the 24th. Please, where possible, could you home cook the contents... do not forget to use our great Rathmichael Cookbook for fresh ideas.
Attached to the letter will also be 3 Raffle tickets. During the year we received a very kind donation for 1 night dinner, bed and breakfast for two guests sharing at Rathsallagh House Golf and Country Club (www.Rathsallagh.com). We intend to raffle this lone item at the end of our Cake and Bread Sale. Raffle tickets are 1 for €4 or 3 for €10. Please return the stubs with your name on them, along with the money, to your class teacher. If you require more raffle tickets please contact Nicola Ralph 086 6086334 or leave your name with Trish in the office. Imagine for €4 you and a loved one could escape from all the stresses of our busy daily lives.. bliss!!

Thank you for all your support,
Rathmichael School PTA.

Seachtain na Gaeilge

2010-03-10T06:05:00.000-08:00

Dia dhaoibh. Hello there everyone. This week was an Irish week in all schools. We did our best and encouraged the children to speak Irish. Our Assembly today was through Irish. The story, prayers and song were in Irish. After this we had a display of Irish Dancing on the stage from children throughout the school. It was really lovely to see the children in their uniforms performing so well. I never realised there was such talent in the school. Well done to all who participated. A great credit must go to their dancing instructors.
Caroline Senior
Principal

Hello from Mrs. Senior.

2010-03-04T02:00:00.000-08:00

We now have new Interactive Whiteboards throughout the school. This includes our Learning Support/ Resource Teaching department. They have created an air of excitement throughout the school. The technical advances we have made are truly amazing. So many resources are now at the touch of our fingertips. We all are forced to move with the times. We continue to fundraise in order to cover our costs.
Our building work has been completed, much to all our delight. We now work in peaceful conditions. Ms. Dowd had particularly noisy days and is relieved to be able to carry out her work without distraction. We are all thrilled with our new facilities and the resource team are delighted with their new rooms.
4th March 2010

Dublin Gospel Choir

2010-02-24T03:53:00.000-08:00

Dublin Gospel Choir Evening.
On the evening of 12th February our choir joined up with Scoil Mhuire and St. Anne's to sing at the Dublin Gospel Choir Evening in St Anne's Church. It was a super evening and the choirs sang beautifully. Full credit must go to the school choir masters who did a superb job. It is amazing what can be done in such a short period of time. Hopefully more will be heard from the school choirs in the future. Our choir donned new light blue uniforms for the occasion with the school logo on the front. They looked very smart and can be used again for the next event.
I look forward to this .....
Caroline Senior
Principal

Drum Nature

2010-02-12T02:38:00.000-08:00

12th February 2010
Last Tuesday we had Neil Dowling from Drum Nature come out to the school and give 45 minute sessions, using percussion instruments, with each class from 1st – 6th . It was a day for wearing ear muffs and that was not for the cold! Each class thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and it was obvious from my many visits during the day, that the children were totally immersed in what they were doing. Neil had them eating out of his hand. The children could have stayed for a lot longer. All this is very valuable in the children's education.

On a Green note....

2010-02-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

On 26th January Rathmichael was assessed for their 6th Green Flag. This one was for the first phase of Green Homes. Dean Eaton, the Assistant Environmental Awareness Officer, came out and was very impressed by what he was presented with. Our Green School Committee took him through our work.
He writes “ I have to say Rathmichael Parish School has to be one of the finest examples of how a green school programme can benefit a school and the children involved. The 3D Green Home, water butts, planters and graphs stand out and I have made special mention of them in my report.”
We are delighted to say that we will be getting our 6th Flag in the not so distant future. Well done to the children, teachers and parents who helped us along the way.
On a similar note our school has been short-listed for The Green Awards 2010. This is the second time for this to happen. It is a great honour to have gotten this far.
School Motto - “ Our school is green so let's keep it clean”
Caroline Senior
Principal

Padraig Harrington

2010-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Padraig Harrington
On Friday 29th January, 5th Class braved the cold and assembled in St. Anne's Church Car Park in their bright yellow high-viz jackets to meet Padraig Harrington to help promote Lollipop Day in aid of Oesophageal Cancer (which is happening at the end of February). The photoshoot was organised in conjunction with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council's Traffic Department. The cameras snapped and pupils donned pink peaked caps and posed with the Traffic Warden, Marion, who replaced her usual stop sign with a giant lollipop one. Amidst mounting excitement the children awaited the arrival of Padraig Harrington who was as unassuming as he always appears on the television – he posed with the children for photographs and patiently signed autographs and answered questions. Everyone associated with the event commented on how well behaved our pupils were so WELL DONE 5th CLASS! You all deserved your lollipops at the end!
Trish O Neill
Secretary

PTA dates for your diary

2010-01-30T04:43:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
Just to keep you all up to date on future events,

Friday 26th Feb, our annual Table quiz at the Kingston Hotel from 7.30 to 10.00. This is open to our senior classes ie 3rd class upwards. There are 5 people per team max of 2 adults per team, children 16yrs and over count as an adult, and 3 children. Tickets will be sold through the school at the cost of €20 per team. This is always a very popular event so be sure to get your table organised soon. Our wonderful quiz master, Keith, has set up a twitter page for all you twitter fans it is https://twitter.com/RathmichaelQuiz. ... hope I got that right!!
Wednesday 24th March, will be our Easter box competition and cake sale.
Friday 23rd April, we are having a joint 60's night with the parish. This is going to be a great night out for all you disco divas. More information to follow.
Friday 30th April, our annual school disco is to be held. This event is only for 4th class and above.

Take care, regards Nicola

TABLE QUIZ

2010-01-22T04:33:00.000-08:00

Opps,

Thank goodness for Trish, the Table Quiz will start at 7.30pm and not 7pm as I previously wrote!!

Regards, Nicola

COOK BOOK NEWS FLASH

2010-01-19T03:52:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

We are down to the last 20 copies of our cookbook ... first come basis!! Will be on sale before school and at 12md tomorrow, Wed 20th January. Each book is €10.

2010-01-14T04:07:00.000-08:00

A date for your diary from the PTA,

Our annual table quiz will be held on Friday 26th February in the Kingston hotel, Dun Laoghaire form 7pm to 10pm. This event is for our senior classes only -3rd class and above. Further information to follow.

2010-01-13T06:10:00.000-08:00

13th January 2010
We're in, we're out, we're in, we're out!!! A very unsettling way to get back to school. How and ever we're here and all is well. Well done to all of you who braved the elements and came to school last week. Great thanks must go to Peter Williams and Canon Fred Appelbe who helped me to get the school ready for the return. Several kilograms of salt and grit were put down once snow was removed. The paths in the school were in good condition for our first day.
Some may have been disappointed we opened but we felt it was the correct decision. Fifth Class built snowmen much to their delight, under the strand in the curriculum- Construction.
See photographs on our website of their fun in the snow.

2009-12-17T06:11:00.000-08:00

16th Dec 2009
Today we held our annual Carol Service at Rathmichael Church. 1st to 6th Class attended with their parents. We decided upon a more traditional service this year incorporating traditional carols which we felt the children were not so familiar with.
6th Class led the service and it ran very smoothly. This year there was an underlying story throughout. This involved both the story of the Nativity and the story of Scrooge. Caroline Dowd managed to juxtapose both stories together. Congratulations must go to sixth class for their efforts.
The choir sang beautifully under the guidance of our choir master, Valerie Lewis.
Caroline Senior
Principal

PTA update December 2009

2009-12-15T10:44:00.000-08:00

We hope that you all had a great night at the Art and Wine Evening last Wednesday... I know that we, the PTA committee really enjoyed it (even though we were slightly foot sore by the end of the night!) We have really appreciated the positive feedback we have received about the new location! Why the change from the main school hall? Simple, we wanted to show off our wonderful new noticeboards, use our screen and yes, hands up, we did want to protect our newly painted school hall.
Our job is always made easy at this event as the children are the main decorators! true to form, the pupils and all the teachers produced the most amazing originals ever. Each year we think they cannot do better but they do. WELL DONE to all the artists, each of you were fantastic.
It was touch and go as to whether our Rathmichael School Cookbook would appear for it's launch but due to our guardian angel, in the form of Grant, just like magic it appeared and promptly sold out! Thank you to all the parents who supported the cookbook on the evening. To those that did not make it, never fear, we are currently on a re-print and order forms have been sent home which we will fill once stock is back in (this will be before the end of term). As soon as figures are totalled, I will let you know how we did.
Finally, thank you to all the parents who supported the evening. We hope that you enjoyed the art, atmosphere, nibbles and, of course, the wine!
On behalf of the PTA, we wish you all a very safe and happy Christmas and New Year.
See you in 2010, Nicola.

Mrs Senior's diary 15th December 2009

2009-12-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

On Monday 14th December the school decided to do something for the community. We invited the people who attend the Day Centre in Shankill, the Thursday group from Rathmichael Church , various parishioners and Minister Mary Hanafin to our Infant Play. There was great excitement. The children dressed up with the help of sixth class and performed. The show opened with a community prayer read by Ruth Parker in Sixth Class.This show was superb. Much credit must go to our very talented Infant teachers who put in such time and effort. It always amazes me what can be achieved ina short space of time. The audience loved seeing the children and enjoyed every minute.
After the show tea was served to all who attended. Nicola Ralph, Chairperson of the PTA, helped with this. There was a lovely community spirit. Being part of the community is very important to Rathmichael School.
Caroline Senior
Principal

Mrs Senior's diary 10th December 2009

2009-12-10T12:43:00.001-08:00

Last night we held our annual art and wine evening. This year we decided to use the concourse and stage area. This proved to be a very cosy venue, one to be used again. The atmosphere was terrific. The theme this year was that of Fabric and Fibre. This is a strand from the curriculum. Each class produced some work of art from this strand. There was an excellent display . Photographs were taken and these are available under each class on the website. It isamazing what can be produced but an awful lot of time and effort is required. Geat thanks must go to the teachers and Special Needs Assistants who had a huge input into each item and the displays provided.Another great success!

2nd December 2009

2009-12-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

Dublin Fire Brigade visited our school this week. They focused on our 3rd Class. It is hoped that this will continue and become an annual event. A Fire Engine was driven onto our top playground. The children gathered around as they were shown just how everything was stored and worked. It was made even more facinating because each tool was taken out and shown to the children.
After the children had been taken through the fire engine they returned to the Class where a very interesting talk was given to them. Each child will be getting a pack to take home.
We can learn about these things through books but this is never as valuable as hands on experience. A session we will look forward to from year to year

Assembly
At assembly this week we were very lucky to have three much lauded Rugby trophys amongst us – The Triple Crown Plate, The Heineken Cup and the Six Nations Cup.
Great excitement prevailed. Something the children would not get to see very often. Many photographs were taken.

European Food Day
Sixth Class are doing projects on European countries. Each child had to produce a dish from their chosen country. Canon Appelbe and myself were invited to partake in the feast. It was excellent and enjoyed by the whole class. Well done to Ms. Dowd for organising this. Keep your eyes open for a display in the future.

PTA NEWS ALERT

2009-11-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

To all organised Christmas shoppers!!
Rathmichael School Cookbook will be available prior to Christmas, launch date to be confirmed.

1 book= €10
3 book deal= €25
Excellent gift for family and friends.

Nicola Ralph, Chairperson Rathmichael PTA.

Bulb planting, 5th November 2009.

2009-11-06T08:11:00.000-08:00

Thursday 5th November,

Well done to all the classes for planting their bulbs in aid of Myasthenia Gravis this morning. They all came out bulb in hand, made their hole and planted the bulb…the right way around!!! I have to say a big thank you our team of helpers Corinna Dolan, Marie Flynn, Yvonne Cooper, Wendy Kenny, Ruth Stevenson and Shirley Britz. They not only managed to plant, with the children, around 200 bulbs but also freshen up the various tubs around the school, to Gary who did great work over the last couple of days loosing the soil for us and Ms.Senior who managed to get the bulbs and plants, had a plan of where everything was to go, kept the classes coming out and, as always, got dug in herself…..THANK YOU ALL. Now fingers crossed for a bulb eruption!!

Regards, Nicola

PTA update.

2009-10-29T12:46:00.001-07:00

A quick update from the PTA,

We held a very successful Secondary School evening in the school last night (Thursday 22nd). We hope that you, the parents, found it very informative and you got a chance to ask the various principals any questions you may have had.
Our thanks again to Mr Arthur Godsil and his vice principal Ms Joan Kirby from St. Andrews College, Mr Derek Lowry from Newpark Comprehensive School, Ms Barbara Ennis from Rathdown School and Mr Christopher Woods from Wesley College who gave up their time for us.
Thanks to Ms Senior who kept the evening running smoothly, Mrs Crammond who did wonders on the IT side of things and the PTA who gave up an evening to make teas, coffees and more.
Finally, thank you to all the parents who came and supported the evening…. it was for you and your children’s future education that we did this.
Have a great mid term from the PTA,
Regards, Nicola

Mrs. Senior's diary 21st October 2009

2009-10-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

Harvest time is among us and at this time we bring all Gods gifts to the attention of the pupils. We like to promote the idea of giving in the school and each year we put together a collection of food for the old folks in Shankill. It was lovely to see the children coming to assembly with their gifts. A huge thank you must go to all the parents and children for helping with our harvest. A few, selected from different classes, accompany me down to the Day Centre to deliver our goods. This year we had a warm welcome. They are delighted to meet with the young children and the children had an opportunity to chat with them. The goodies are divided up among those who attend.

PTA update, October 2009 from Nicky Ralph.

2009-10-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

A few lines from the PTA to keep you up to date on our activities.

As you know our AGM was held on Tuesday 16th October. Your committee for the next year is Nicola Ralph, Paul De Freine, John Bolton, Natalija Kocijan and our new members Shirley Britz, Neil Bass, David Bryce and Amanda Clooney, our teacher representative is Ms Armstrong and, as always, Ms Senior is present. May I just take a moment to thank our outgoing committee members, Susan Stuart, Clare Perry, Robert Norwood and Robert Allison. We had a great year and you have set a very hard act to follow..thank you so much.

Ok, out with your diaries as here are our forthcoming events, hopefully in order!

On Thursday 22nd October at 7.30 in the school hall, we are having 4 principals of secondary schools coming to give a presentation about their schools and then answer any questions. We are very grateful to the following principals for giving up their time – Arthur Godsil from St. Andrews,
- Derek Lowry from Newpark Comprehensive,
- Barbara Ennis from Rathdown,
- Christopher Woods from Wesley.
PLEASE avail of this meeting as it is NOT a yearly event and believe me, once your children start primary school, time flies by and now is the time to start getting names down for secondary school waiting lists.

On Thursday 5th November in aid of Myasthenia Gravis, “the Rag Doll illness”, we are supporting the school in bulb planting. Further details to follow, but we will be looking for a number of parents to come forward to help us on that day. Please let any member of the committee know if you are available …many hands make light work.

The launch of our Christmas fund raiser, Rathmichael Cookbook. The PTA is indebted to Susan Stuart, Natalija Kocijan, Shirley Britz and Emma Parker who are bringing this book to life. From what I have heard it is going to be fantastic, full of yummy recipes. May I also thank 6th Class who have managed to secure quite a number of paying adverts…Well done.

On Wednesday 9th December, our annual Art and Wine evening is to be held in the school hall. As always this is a great night, as it gives us a chance to meet socially, admire our children’s wonderful artwork (which you can buy for a nominal charge) and, of course enjoy a glass or two of wine and tasty savouries. Not to mention our raffle where the prizes are already coming in fast and furious…an M+S voucher for €50 and a meal at Harvey Nichols to name but a few. More details to follow but do note that this is an adult only event.

Well, that brings you up to date so far. Keep logging on and remember it is up to us, as parents, to support our school in order to make it a better place for our children.

Regards, Nicola Ralph

Third Class Visit Shankill Library by Ms. Armstrong

2009-10-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

As part of The Children's Book Festival Events, 3rd Class visited Shankill Library to meet author and illustrator Mary Arrigan. Mary helped us to create our own story, 'The Robbery' which showed us how an old bicycle rescued from a skip, a young girl and two adults can be developed into an exciting adventure story.
We then listened to Mary tell us the story of 'An Bhó Fhionn' and she also explained to us how she illustrated this book. Meeting a real-life author and illustrator really brought books and story-telling to life for us.

Mrs. Senior's diary 14th October 2009

2009-10-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

The Voices of Life Choir came to our school on Wednesday 7th October. This choir is made up of teenagers who attended school with our African correspondents Sandra and Yunusu. The Choir is from Uganda. They came dressed in their bright orange uniforms. It was a superb morning and a great opportunity for our school. They sang and danced to three songs. Eight of our own children then joined them to dance and sing. As it happens we were collecting our 50c for Yunusu and Sandra that day so it was all very relevant and brought alive into our school.
Fire Safety Week
Last week was Fire Safety Week in the country. As such we had our termly fire drill. This all went along very smoothly. Some of the pupils in the school got involved in a competition run by Dublin Fire Brigade. They had to draw pictures depicting Fire Safety on A3 size paper. The winners drawings will appear in the 2010 Dublin Fire Brigade Calendar. We have been lucky to have had winners appear in this before. Let's hope we have a budding artist here somewhere amongst us!

Mrs. Senior's diary 7th October 2009

2009-10-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

On Thursday 1st October the Green School Committee met to discuss ways of promoting our Green Homes Flag. This committee includes a pupil from each class 1st to 6th . Gillian Bourne and myself also attend. They each have a notebook and come up with great ideas which we hope to implement over the next few months. It's great to see ideas coming from the pupils themselves and not having to keep coming up with the ideas yourself. They were all enthusiastic and indeed some have gone off to make posters which I will laminate and put around the school.

On Friday 2nd October Canon Appelbe and myself attended the Schools service at Christ Church Cathedral with six pupils. They all represented the school really well and I was very proud of them. Two pupils, Aron Gordon and Nikolai Bolton, read prayers at the service. This service was well attended. This years underlying theme was a joyful noise. A joyful noise is indeed what was made. Everyone appeared to enjoy themselves.

Mrs. Senior's diary 30th September 2009

2009-09-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

Our Sponsored walk took place on Saturday last, 26th September, up in Carraigolligan Wood. I went along with my dog and was delighted to see how well attended it was. I must say it is one event I look forward to. It's great to see the children in a different setting. They all seem to thoroughly enjoy themselves and some get very competitive about how many times they can complete the course.
Many just enjoy the hotdogs and refreshments which the PTA very kindly supply at a nominal cost. Others just come for the chat and social interaction which is plentiful. Indeed everyone stayed longer than expected which is a good sign. The weather was fantastic and added to the atmosphere. It's so lovely to see everyone outside of the school building.

Mrs. Senior's diary 23rd September 2009

2009-09-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

This week most of the whole class meetings will take place. The teachers will get the opportunity to speak with the parents and inform them of their expectations for the class. There will be an opportunity for you to ask questions. These meetings are generally very informative. I suggest that these meetings are important and would reccommend that all attend.

Last Thursday, 17th Sept we received a certificate for joint third place in the Schools Tidy Towns Awards.We were delighted to have been placed once again and hope to continue this practice as best we can. There are certainly areas we can improve upon and will as ever strive to do our best in this endeavour.

Our annual visit from the photographer happened on 22nd Sept. The children arrived all spruced up and presentable, combs and brushes in their pockets. It's quite amazing how they change from year to year. Certainly to compare the photographs taken in Junior Infants to the ones captured in Sixth
Class is a wonder in itself. The faces might change but the personalities don't.
Teachers also got ready for their photo. Not met with such eagar enthusiasm I might add. It is interesting for many to see the changes in staff over the years.

Mrs. Senior's diary 16th September 2009

2009-09-16T09:01:00.001-07:00

Good news good news!
Last Friday saw the installation of two new Interactive Whiteboards into the 3rd and 6th Class classrooms.It is very exciting to see these new resources appear. Certainly there are two very excited and nervous teachers on the staff with goodness knows what at their fingertips! This is the day and age of technology. How much time we spend on our computers everyday! I don't know how many sets of encyclopedia we have been offered, and turned away. The need to look up a book to find some information seems to be dwindling. With the touch of a button most information can be acquired without fuss. Now maps, music, sounds of all kinds, pictures etc. can be brought straight into the classroom without a huge amount of preparation.We must move with the times and progress. We now have four boards in the school and are working towards our fifth with the collection of mobile phones.So keep collecting, we need about 100 more.

The past two weeks have seen the school undertaking reading and maths testing. These are invaluable to the teachers as they help the staff to assess where best their attentions are needed. The results of these tests vary as children progress. They are only used as a guide as children do not always perform well under these circumstances. The teacher would already have begun to form her own opinion of the pupil especially having spoken with the previous teacher.

This week launched our new adventure on the PTA. We are busily trying to gather together the makings of a new cookbook. Our last cookbook , seven years ago now, was very popular. Monday evening saw a whole school homework where recipes of all kinds were gathered in. A bit daunting for our new committee members but old hat to our experienced few! We'll be looking out for sponsorship to allay costs as much as possible. Keep an eye out for various competitions as we look out for a suitable cover.

Onwards and upwards we go.

Welcome back from Mrs. Senior

2009-09-16T09:00:00.001-07:00

Back to the grind, parents, children, teachers.It doesn't take long for us to settle back and feel as though we were never away.Last week saw a huge community effort with the annual fete. Both school and church working together. It created a great buzz and with the adrenalin flowing we set too and managed to make a phenomenal €35,000. It's hard to believe that such amounts of cash were wandering around the school grounds on Saturday. Whatever about the amount raised, the community spirit and camaraderie that was about surpassed any other. Everyone who took part, I believe, was proud to be there and many I have spoken too are keen to be back next year. What does that tell me? It tells me that this is something that works and works well.Projects which involve both the church and the school are to be encouraged and I hope Canon Appelbe and myself will continue to combine the two wherever possible.During the summer the outside of the school was painted and is now looking very well. The Crawford concourse was also painted. You may think it is rather bare but we await several new noticeboards before putting up any work. Unfortunately we have found that blutack has had a rather adverse affect on our walls and we want to avoid that in future.Planning permission has come through for our building work upstairs which will provide us with a new learning support and resource room. Unfortunately we await red tape before we can begin. It won't be long until you see the first signs of development.We welcome back all the staff who remain the same although their names may have changed. Ms. Storey became Mrs. Bourne whilst Ms. Levis became Mrs. Crammond. I wish them happiness with their new husbands.Till next time

Rathmichael School

The Brass Cats

European Food Day

Biodiversity

St Vincent de Paul

Food Dudes

Rugby Morning

Our Vegetables

Cycle Training

Play in the Infant Classes

Knockree, Green Flag, Bees, Odlums, Swim Gala

Seachtain na Gaeilge

Talk on Bees

Daffodil Maze

Visitors to Rathmichael

Workshops

Visitors to Rathmichael School

Schools Orchestra

School and Parish

Sponsored Walk

New School Garden

Tidy Towns Win

PTA BBQ at Schools sports day

School Secretary of the Year!!

60s Nite

PTA Activity

Easter Cake and Bread Sale

Seachtain na Gaeilge

Hello from Mrs. Senior.

Dublin Gospel Choir

Drum Nature

On a Green note....

Padraig Harrington

PTA dates for your diary

TABLE QUIZ

COOK BOOK NEWS FLASH

PTA update December 2009

Mrs Senior's diary 15th December 2009

Mrs Senior's diary 10th December 2009

2nd December 2009

PTA NEWS ALERT

Bulb planting, 5th November 2009.

PTA update.

Mrs. Senior's diary 21st October 2009

PTA update, October 2009 from Nicky Ralph.

Third Class Visit Shankill Library by Ms. Armstrong

Mrs. Senior's diary 14th October 2009

Mrs. Senior's diary 7th October 2009

Mrs. Senior's diary 30th September 2009

Mrs. Senior's diary 23rd September 2009

Mrs. Senior's diary 16th September 2009

Welcome back from Mrs. Senior