September Newletter

St Mary’s is a Nut Free school

Please remember that St Mary’s is a Nut Free school. We have a number of children throughout the school who have a severe nut allergy. Please do not send any snacks that may contain nuts, traces of nut or nut extract.

School Stationery Contribution

Thank you to all those parents who have forwarded their £10 Stationery Contribution to the school. If you have not already done so, please forward to your child’s teacher or to the school office. We requested this donation as the school is unable to continue to provide essential consumable resources due to the continued cuts to school budgets. We ask for a £10 contribution from each child (£20 per family). This money will be used to provide all the stationery requirements for the incoming academic year, e.g. exercise books, reading/homework diaries, glue, colouring materials, card, paper, dry wipe pens, dry wipe boards etc.

School Closures/Dates

School will be closed for children from Friday 25^th October to Friday 2^nd November (inclusive) for the midterm break.

Parent Teacher meetings will take place from Friday 25^th October to Tuesday 29^th October (inclusive) 9.00am to 3.00pm.

A full list of school dates is available on the school website or on the school app.

First Penance for our P4 children will take place on Wednesday 4^th December at 11.00am in the Church of St Therese.

First Communion is confirmed as Saturday 2nd May at 10.30am in St Therese.

Confirmation for our P7 children will take place on Sunday 8^th March at 3:00pm.

School Photographer

The School Photographer will be in school from Tuesday 22^nd October until Thursday 24^th October for class photographs. The school will be open late during this time to allow for family photographs. Details and prices will be available soon.  

Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club opens daily at 7.45am. Please make sure you inform staff if your child has any allergies. Children must be in Breakfast Club before 8.30am to receive breakfast.

PTA

Our PTA Lotto tickets are now on sale. Please check the school website, app or the PTA Facebook page.

The Annual General Meeting will take place in the school on Tuesday 8^th October. It is important that as many parents attend as possible to ensure the continued success of our PTA.

Our first event of the year will be the 'Halloween Fancy Dress Disco' in the school hall on Friday 25^th October from 6.30pm to 7.30pm, for P1 to P3 and 7.45pm to 9.00pm from P4 to P7. Admission £3.

Football League

Congratulations to St Mary's A team and B Team who both reached semi-final of the EVO League 2019/20 last week.  In a very close semi-final match between the two St Mary’s teams, St Mary's B team defeated the A Team 1-0. Unfortunately, the B Team lost to a strong Bridge A Team in the final.

Well done to Fergus McSherry, Darragh Wood, Jamie Watson and Lean Brodacki and who all had an excellent tournament for St Mary’s B Team. Well done to Jarlath McGinley, Joseph McCorry and Riley Hesekth and Jason Sands who all had an excellent tournament for St Mary’s A Team. Our next tournaments are second round of the EVO league on Thursday 10^th October from 9.30am and Wednesday 16^th October at Valley Rangers 3G Pitch, Kilkeel from 1.00pm in the South Down league. Thank you to Mr Devlin for taking the boys. Good luck!

Cross Country

Good luck to all our athletes at the first Cross Country event at Lurgan on Friday 4^th October.

Gaelic Blitz

Congratulations to both St Mary's Gaelic teams who participated in the Kilcoo Blitz. Well done to Cathal Hill, Liam McAleenan, Joseph McCorry and Jarlath McGinley who all had a great tournament. Thank you to Mr McGrane and Mr Devlin for taking the boys.

Drop off

Please use the drop off bays in the school. Children can access both playgrounds from the bays. Supervision is in place from 8.45a.m. There is a set of steps next to the nursery which lead directly into the bottom playground. Children do not need to cross any roads or walk through the car park when using these steps.

On wet days children may enter their classrooms directly from 8.50am. P3 children may use the main entrance at this time. There will be no access before 8.50am.

Afterschool Clubs

Athletics continues Monday 8 October for P4 to P7 pupils from 3.00pm to 4.00pm.

Girls’ Football continues on Mondays for P4 to P7 pupils from 3.00pm to 4.00pm.

Fun Fit continues on Mondays for P2 to P3 from 2.00pm to 3.00pm and for P4 to P7 pupils from 3.00pm to 4.00pm in the canteen.

Irish Dancing continues on Tuesdays for P2 to P3 from 2.00pm to 3.00pm and for P4 to P7 pupils from 3.00pm to 4.00pm.

Michael Feeney’s Gaelic coaching continues on Tuesdays for P2 to P3 from 1.45pm to 2.45pm and for P4 to P7 pupils from 2.45pm to 3.45pm.

EVO Soccer coaching continues Wednesdays for P2 to P3 from 2.00pm to 3.00pm and for P4 to P7 pupils from 3.00pm to 4.00pm.

Drama Club continues on Thursdays from 2.00pm to 4.00pm.

Friday Clubs

Friday Clubs for P5 to P7 are fully up and running. The final day of Clubs for the term will be Friday 29 November.

Indoor Bowls Club, The Fabulous Food Club, Gardening Club and Art and Craft Club will take place in school from 2.15pm until 3.00pm

Table Tennis will take place in the school canteen from 1.30pm to 3.00pm.

Netball will take place in the Leisure Centre from 1.15pm to 2.45pm.

Football will take place at Cheney Park from 1.00pm to 3.00pm.

Children are requested to bring £1 each Friday to cover the costs of facilities.

Daily Mile

Our Daily Mile continues this year, when conditions allow. Please ensure that your child brings a bottle of water to school daily.

Non Uniform Day

A non-uniform day will take place on Friday 11^th October to help raise school funds.

School Menu

Please check the school website for the monthly school menu which is updated at the beginning of each month.

School Certificates

Congratulations to Tara Hill, Pearse Dunne, David Duffy, Aisling Hyland, Caolan Douglas, James McAleavey, Mikolaj Dutka, Adam Stevenson, Daneil Cunningham, Max Kearney, Faolan Quinn, Dillon McGrath, Libby-Rose, Paddy Corkery, Eimear Barry, Adrianne Finnegan and Thomas Boreland on being awarded a class certificate for good work and excellent behaviour during the week ending Friday 6^th September. Well done everyone!

Congratulations to Erin-Louise Cassidy, Alana Hollywood, Emma-Clare McGovern, Owen Ward, Caellum Casey, Summer McCreedy, Eoin Hesketh, Eoghan McAdam, Aoibh McManus, Laocra Hill, Lucy Watson,Rose Smylie,  Maddison Smyth on being awarded a class certificate for good work and excellent behaviour during the week ending Friday 6^th September. Well done everyone!

Congratulations to Aoibhe Clement, Ronin Devine, James Morrow, Josh Burke, Sophia Wood, Zara Young, Maddie Elliott, Cayden Kearns, Marielena Guerrero, Chloe O’Hare, Connor Gribben, Molly Devlin, Charlie Mulligan, Leon Jablonski and Alice Udo on being awarded a class certificate for good work and excellent behaviour during the week ending Friday 13^th September. Well done everyone!

Congratulations to Evelina Karane, Bobbi Campbell, Jarlath McGinley, Ava Grimes, Mya Cochrane, Jack Dyer, Melissa Ross, Sean Dunne, Zach Burke, Sarah Conway, Jake Winters, Cassie McAreavey, Zara Cummings, Fergus McSherry, Kate Finnegan, Fionnan Cunningham and Eoin Brown on being awarded a class certificate for good work and excellent behaviour during the week ending Friday 13^th September. Well done everyone!

Congratulations to Ethan Monaghan, Cara Toman, Aimee Boswell, Maria Slawinska, Eimear Hillen, Rhyss Walker, Jamie Richardson, Taylor Craven, Annabel Mulligan, Franky Mooney, Jay Winters, Bethany McDermott, Liam McGivern, Isabelle Duggan, Cillian McCool on being awarded a class certificate for good work and excellent behaviour during the week ending Friday 20^th September. Well done everyone!

Congratulations to Cliodhna McGrath, Thomas Grimes, Harry McCrumlish, Katie Hutchinson, Darragh Sullivan, Vanessa Reilly, Caelon Fitzpatrick, Tiara Gartland, Matthew King, Conor Quinn, Ellie Henning, Caoimhe Keenan, Katie Scannell, Lee Andrews, Orla Fullerton, Ross McPolin, Marc-Havier Lam and Sierra Meara on being awarded a class certificate for good work and excellent behaviour during the week ending Friday 20^th September. Well done everyone!