Month: January 2014

-  General School Information

The Storyteller ‘Niall de Búrca’ visits St.Attracta’s

There was great excitement on Tuesday afternoon with the visit of the storyteller Niall de Búrca.

Niall is one of Ireland’s finest traditional storytellers. He was raised in Galway and displayed a talent for narrative from a young age. He is recognised for the diversity of his stories and an ability to  reach all ages.

It was wonderful for our students to see and enjoy this tradition especially  in an age of so much electronic entertainment. All classes were captivated by Niall’s tales enjoying their afternoon thoroughly!

A special word of thanks to our Parents’ Association who sponsored this event from their recent fundraising efforts. As always we sincerely appreciate this support.

 

-  General School Information

Catholic School’s Week January 26th – February 2nd

There are various events taking place in school and within our diocese throughout this week.

The Annual Mass with Bishop Kelly to mark Catholic Schools Week will take place in the Church of Immaculate Conception, Ballymote on Tuesday 28th January at 7.30pm. All  are welcome, parents, teachers and other staff, pupils, Boards of Management, Clergy, and Religious. Refreshments afterwards in the Parish Pastoral Centre.

Wednesday:We will celebrate Grandparents’ Day here in school. We celebrate the lives of all our Grandparents’ while recognising the  special part they play in helping us to learn and live our faith.

Friday:3rd and 4th class will assist Fr.Johnston with 10 a.m.morning mass.All classes from 1st to 6th will attend. As always all are welcome.

-  General School Information

Students of the Week Friday January 24th

Creating a positive atmosphere in St.Attracta’s is central to what we do. We believe that children learn best in an atmosphere of respect and positive reinforcement. As a result we celebrate the achievements of the children each week at assembly. Our students strive hard for the accolade of ‘Student of the Week’ and in turn work hard to achieve it!

Well done to these students who were selected as this weeks  ‘Students of the Week’ .

It’s been another busy week! Well done to all our students from First to Fourth who are preparing so well for their Irish plays which will take place next month. Keep it up, you will get there in the end!

Finally we wish Martin McCormack of Sixth Class well tomorrow when he competes in the Mayo Primary Schools Handball Finals in Castlebar. Martin along with a number of students from our school plays with the Charlestown Handball Club and will participate in the Under 13 Singles competition.Go neirí leat Mairtín !

-  General School Information

St.Attracta’s N.S.’s Mayoral Campaign Awarded ‘Mayo Meitheal of the Year 2014’.

Fantastic news has come to us this morning that we have been awarded the 2014 ‘Mayo Meitheal of the Year’ by the Mayo Association in Dublin.

This award is presented annually to a voluntary group organisation based in Mayo who, in the opinion of the adjudicators, has achieved a great distinction or done most for the county, community and its people.

This is a tremendous achievement for our school community and a great honour,which we are delighted to accept. It recognises our fantastic ‘Mayoral Campaign’ emphasising that while the financial rewards were great many other important things became apparent in our community.Co-operation, goodwill, working together,organisation, determination and appreciation of the efforts,skills and generosity of one another were all revealed and will be remembered long after what was raised is spent.

It endorses  that our Mayoral Campaign was a true ‘Meitheal’ and a great example that when we work together towards common goals and aims anything can be achieved.

Presentation of this award will be on Saturday February 8th in the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (Formerly the Burlington Hotel) in Dublin. Further details of the event will be posted in the coming days and sent home to all our families via a circular.

Well done to everybody on what has been an amazing school and community effort!

-  General School Information

St.Joseph’s Girls Basketball Team in All Ireland Final

Best wishes to all our friends at St. Joseph’s Secondary School who this Thursday January 22nd play Gallen Community School Ferbane in the All Ireland U16 Girls Basketball School Cup Final.

This is a tremendous achievement to reach the final and lets hope the girls can go all the way now and return victorious.

We wish all our past pupils well.We are, as always, very proud of their achievements.

-  General School Information

Helena McDonagh ‘Storybox’ Writing Competition

The  “Helena McDonagh Writing Competition” will be open to entries from Monday next. This annual event is very much a favourite in our students’ calendar.

Mrs. Helena McDonagh taught in St. Attracta’s  for many years before retiring in 2003. As a legacy to creative writing in the primary school and as a published author herself, Helena presented the school with a perpetual trophy to be used as we saw fit.

So the “Storybox” competition began. Every year the story box is placed in the corridor for a specific length of time. The children are encouraged to write stories and submit them. They can enter up to five stories and a winner is selected and awarded at the end of the school year.

Last year’s winner was Ailbhe O’Connor who is now in First Year in St. Attracta’s Community School Tubbercurry.

Helena recently visited our school to read her latest book “Pete and Tweet to the Rescue”  to our Junior and Senior Infants and First Class children. We hope she will return for World Book Week later this term. We greatly appreciate her continued interest in our school.

 

-  General School Information

Student of the Week Friday January 17th

Creating a positive atmosphere in St.Attracta’s is central to what we do. We believe that children learn best in an atmosphere of respect and positive reinforcement. As a result we celebrate the achievements of the children each week at assembly. Our students strive hard for the accolade of ‘Student of the Week’ and in turn work hard to achieve it!

Well done to these students who were selected as this weeks  ‘Students of the Week’ .

Well done also to all the students who were elected onto the new Green School’s Committee who will focus on the new theme of  ‘Biodiversity’  over the next eighteen months.

We wish them well with this new project.

-  General School Information

Dates for your Diary: Spikeball / Sport’s Quiz / Handball / Swimming

The Western SpikeBall Tournament will take place on Wednesday 22nd of January in the CBD complex in Charlestown at 11a.m..

St.Attracta’s have three teams entered. A Boys ,Girls and a Mixed team.

We wish the students well as they prepare for this important competition.

 

On the same evening at 6 p.m. in Carracastle Community Centre the Cumann na mBunscol Sports Quiz will take place. Again we have a team working very hard preparing for this event.

 

We have two students entered in the Mayo Cumann na mBunscol handball competition. We are awaiting confirmation of a date for this but expect it to be in the coming weeks.

 

Finally the new swimming term will  begin on Wednesday February 26th in Claremorris Swiming Pool.

 

Further details of all these events will be posted in the coming weeks on these pages.

 

-  General School Information

Students of the Week Friday January 10th

Well done to these students who were selected as the first ‘Students of the Week’ of the New Year. We didnt choose any student from 5th or 6th Class this week as it would have been unfair. All the students excelled delivering and presenting their project at the Primary Science Fair.