This week we felt it would be most unfair to select any individual as our chosen ‘Students of the Week’. It was decided that all our students would be rewarded as a small thank you from all of the teachers who recognise all the great work and effort from all of the children throughout our school.

Well done everyone, we’re very proud of you all! Maith sibh, bhí sibh go léir ar fheabhas!

It’s full speed ahead this week in school for our annual Christmas Concerts which will take place tomorrow, Wednesday at 12.30 p.m. and on Thursday evening at 7pm sharp!

Well done to all our girls and boys for all their hard work, it really promises to be a great show.
Sincere thanks to Joe Lowther and Brendan Horkan for all their help with the sound system and of course to our Parents Association for all their support and help with our concerts.

We look forward to meeting you all in the coming days.

It was with deep sadness we learned yesterday evening of the passing of Mr.Paddy Merriman who was the Principal Teacher of our school from 1964-1993.

Mr. Merriman gave a lifetime of commitment and service to our school community and ensured our school always moved forward throughout his tenure.

Mr.Merriman, an archetypal schoolmaster, took great pride in his profession. He had a huge interest in education. He placed great importance in ensuring all his students’ learning needs were met. A great legacy to his vision and foresight was that St.Attracta’s was one of the first schools in Mayo to offer learning support to their students from 1982. He also took great pride in his pupils’ academic achievements as they progressed through Secondary School and those who went onto Third Level.

Mr.Merriman believed wholeheartedly in extra curricular activities, be it through the legendary school leagues through to the many exciting school tours which were often the highlight of a school year. He realised and identified the importance of the holistic development of each child. Many of his past pupils can attest to this.

We, the members of the present St. Attracta’s NS Charlestown school community wish to acknowledge and pay tribute to Mr.Merriman. We extend our sincere sympathy to his wife Carmel and the Merriman family on this sad occasion.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

This week in school we had decided to look at Gaeilge in our classrooms. We had a pupil from every room who was put forward in recognition of their continuous effort in using their Gaeilge daily and making a much greater effort in class. The teachers commended their efforts and were delighted with the response.

We also presented our students of the week which is a highly sought after accolade. Children were praised for their attitude to work, to their class and school in general. Always having a positive outlook makes our day in school pass much more quickly and is so much more enjoyable for all. Students were awarded for their contribution to the classroom and their eagerness to help both their peers and their teachers. It’s always a nice gesture to offer help. We heard of pupils who are trying to improve their work and have impressed their teachers in that regard. We were also informed of pupils who can just get on with things without making a fuss or complaining about the task they are given. This is a wonderful attitude to have towards tasks in the classroom.

Well done everyone. As always we are so proud of all of you and the effort that you continue to make in your school lives. Maith sibh go léir. 

Dates for your Diary

The Annual Lighting of the Charlestown Christmas Tree and Crib Blessing as well as the blessing of the Bridge and River Lighting will take place on Tuesday, December 8th at 6.30 p.m. The Charlestown Senior Choir will lead the carol singing and we hope that everyone will join in.

On Wednesday evening December 9th the annual Christmas Carol Service will take place in St.James’ Church at 7pm. Everyone is welcome to what is always a special evening.

We had an extremely positive assembly today. We had a pupil from each room who was commended for their handwriting and their commitment to neatness and presentation. It was lovely to hear the teachers talk about the dedicated attempts to produce great handwriting. As always we presented our students of the week and again the praise given was wonderful. Children were presented with the award for their kindness to others and awareness of others around them. We heard of children who were trying so hard to display good behaviour despite obstacles in their path. Teachers spoke of students who continuously work hard on not only their own work, but in making sure those around them are not struggling. We also commended the pupils who had worked hard on solving the maths problem that had been designed for their class group. A very positive vibe was palpable in the hall today. Well done everyone, we are so proud of all of you. A fantastic effort!

Next week is a very important week for all of our students with our annual Parent Teacher Meeting’s! All our families have by now received their time and date for their meeting.
Our Parents Association are also holding a ‘Cash for Clothing Fundraiser’ throughout next week. Please bring your unwanted clothing, paired shoes, handbags & accessories and good quality bed linen sheets to the GP Room. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to accept clothes in an un-wearable condition, pillows, curtains, underwear, shoes in poor condition or uniforms with crests.

Thank you to all who this week supported ‘The Backpack Project’. As always, there was a tremendous response. The backpacks were collected on Thursday last and are presently on route now to Scotland where they will be transported shortly to their destinations in Africa.

Students from Rang 1-6 participated in this very worthy project. The children enjoyed learning all about the communities and indeed the children that their bags will go to. Without doubt from this project we are all left feeling very fortunate and appreciative of how fortunate we all are.

A sincere thank you again to all the girls and boys and their families for their help and support with this project.

We had a busy first week back after our mid term break with the students throughout the school getting right back into the swing of things after an exciting Halloween.

A common theme amongst the students chosen was the excellent effort they each give to their work, always giving their best, making a great return after the holidays. We heard of students, who every week are in contention in their respective classrooms, consistently working hard, while also making every effort to follow school rules. We heard of students who set a great example throughout the school and are consistently caring and considerate of others while not forgetting to put their best foot forward in class. As always it was a very positive afternoon and a lovely way to end what has been a great week!

Comhghairdeachas to all this week’s winners who are really deserving of their awards.

Next week is Science Week and the children will be focusing on the importance of Science to all our lives with many exciting experiments planned for our classrooms! Fourth class are looking forward to participating in the F.A.I. Futsal competitions in Barnacarroll on Thursday and Friday. We will also have Music with Ms.Fiona Doherty on Thursday morning.
Finally 5th and 6th Class will continue their ‘Coding Classes’ on Friday afternoon to end what promises to be another busy week!

Bainigí taitneamh as an deiread seachtaine!