Rathmore National School

Well done to the pupils in our two 6^th  Classes who took part in the Ceremony of Light celebrated by Fr. Comer in Kilteel Church on Thursday 5th March .We thank the assistance of parents and other parish volunteers who helped with the teas/coffees for parents/guardians in Kilteel Hall after the ceremony, which was appreciated by all in attendance.

Congratulations to the children in both Sixth Classes who were confirmed Friday the13th of March at 11am in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Eadestown by Bishop Paul Dempsey along with Fr. Comer. Thank you to class teachers Mr. Bolton and Mr. Collier for their hard work in school preparing the children, to Ms. Larkin  for the music and Choir during the ceremony, to Martina our school Secretary, to Paul our school Caretaker and SNA Nora Lawlor for their hard work in putting together the ceremony booklets and church displays. County Photos will be here in the school on Thursday 21^st May to take photos of the children who have received the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation.

Hi everyone! It is Sofia, Sam and Lucy from Ms Shaw’s 3^rd and 4^th class and we want to let you know who our winner of the Green school’s slogan competition is!

Every class took part in our competition, and our class had the job of picking one winner from each class and selecting it for the final. This was really hard because there were so many amazing posters to pick from. Once we had our 13 finalists the green schools committee had the important job of voting for the over all winner! We all got one vote each and had to pick our favourite slogan.

Drumroll please…… and the winner is……. CIARA  from Mr Colliers 5^th and 6^th class. Ciara won by just 2 votes, but she is a very deserving winner.

Our new slogan is ‘Instead of using fuel, walk to school’

We have shared a picture of her brilliant slogan below! Everyone agreed that Ciara’s poster just stood out, I am sure you all agree. Thanks everyone for taking part, that’s it for now see you next month

The Green Schools Committee voting on the winning entries.

Hi guys its Patrick and Caitlin here from Ms Shaws 3^rd and 4^th class and we are informing you about what we do at our big lunch to reduce the school’s energy bills. We go around and check every class in this wonderful school to check if the white board is switched off, the lights are switched off and the doors are closed. There is one class in particular that are the best and it is Ms Shaw’s class and there is one class that is the worst, but we aren’t allowed say who it is…. YET! We will be keeping a close eye on that class. Thank you for taking the time to read our piece in the newsletter.

Here at Rathmore NS, STEAM continues to thrive, with plenty of creativity and collaboration evident across all classes. Our pupil voice is present daily with older pupils stepping confidently into leadership roles, serving as inspiring role models for our younger learners.

We are embracing Book Creator as a digital portfolio tool, enabling pupils to showcase their learning in creative ways. The collaboration between classes has been a joy to witness. Ms. Shaw’s 3rd/4th Class have been guiding Ms. Doyle’s 1st Class in developing their digital skills, with meaningful learning taking place on both sides. Similarly, Ms. Malone’s 5th Class have been supporting Ms. Flynn’s Junior Infants in exploring ChatterPix, while Mr. Collier’s 5th/6th Class have partnered with Ms. Larkin’s class on a similar initiative. These cross-class partnerships are enriching the learning experience for all.

Innovation is flourishing in our classrooms. Junior pupils are exploring early coding with our Bee-Bot, an educational robot designed especially for young children. Meanwhile our senior classes are engaging with LEGO® SPIKE. By combining hands-on LEGO building elements with programmable hardware and a coding app, LEGO SPIKE encourages critical thinking, team work and problem-solving in an engaging, practical way.

Upskilling and learning how these new technologies work is a new and ongoing journey for both staff and students but it is one we are embracing with enthusiasm and excitement.

Well done to our fantastic U11 team who represented Rathmore NS in the Life Credit Union Quiz. After an excellent performance at the Regional Finals in Tougher’s on Sunday, March 8th, the boys did themselves, their parents, and our school incredibly proud.

They narrowly missed out on a place in the National Finals, finishing in a very impressive 5th place—just two points and positions shy of qualifying for the All-Ireland Final.

This is a wonderful achievement for the team, and we extend a special word of thanks to Mr. Collier for his dedication and the tremendous preparation he provided.

Well done to all involved