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There was great excitement in the school garden today as Ms Finnegan's and Ms O'Sullivan's classes dug up the potatoes that we grew. The children (and teachers!) were delighted to see that the plants they had put into the school beds in Belmont Avenue had grown such big potatoes! We will be cooking and eating them later today and tomorrow. Our nasturtiums are in full bloom and so is our wildflower meadow. Our peas aren't ready yet but we think they will grow pods over the next few weeks. We have lots of spinach and lettuce leaves and onions ready for harvesting as well as so many bright and beautiful bedding plants. Our ferns in our dinosaur garden are growing strong and so is our woodland area. We have even made a caterpillar from tyres. You are welcome to come and take a look when you are collecting your child. The school garden has been a fantastic learning resource for us this year and we can't wait to enjoy it for many more years to come.
While the performances on the stage are no doubt the highlight of any production, a lot of work goes on behind the scenes to ensure the success of the show. Here’s a look behind the curtain at some of the things that went on hidden from view on the night of Wednesday’s performance. After months of hard work and preparation, the students and teachers of St. Mary’s N.S. came together on Wednesday and Thursday night to show the fruits of their labour, and what a show it was! The children were magnificent in what was truly a spectacle of song and dance with some fine acting performances sprinkled throughout for good measure. We would like to say a huge congratulations to all involved and massive thank you to all who contributed to the show’s success. We would particularly like to thank Ms. Finnegan for directing the production, Ms. Purcell and Ms. Keenan for producing, Frank and his daughter on sound, Denis on lights, Jim on photography, Ronan on video, Peter on piano, the teachers for all their work both on and off the stage, parents, sponsors and, of course, the children themselves. The quality of the performances certainly left the audience asking for more!  Every Day:
Wake Up and Shake Up (10 at 10) - 10 minutes of Whole School exercise every morning on the yard! Teachers are leaders in Belmont, different classes will lead it every day in Milltown. Every class will receive Active Homework! They must challenge themselves to get 60 minutes of activity each day, this should be recorded in their homework journals. Busy Breaks, GoNoodle, Drop Everything and Dance Points will be given to individual children that actively walk, scoot or cycle to school. Each class' points total will be written on their door everyday for the Active Committee to count. The class with the most points at the end of the week will get an Active Prize! Run Around Ireland Challenge: Children will run a mile every morning in a bid to run the distance of our island's coastline! Tuesday: Ken Knaggs from Leinster Rugby will be coming in to take each class for some tag rugby sessions! Wednesday: Our Sports Day will take place in Muckross! Make sure that your child has a t-shirt that corresponds to their colour team (red/yellow/blue). There'll be a range of activities in our circuits before our class relays take place. After that our main event - Teachers vs 6th class - will take place! Thursday: Fundamental movement skills sessions will take place, with senior students mentoring junior students on the basics of movement to help them increase proficiency! They will make great use of video technology on our school Ipads! Our GAA team face Mr Cody's fierce rivals St Martin de Porre's of Tallaght in Thomas Davis GAA @ 3:15pm. Friday: Introduction to Orienteering using our newly drawn maps in Milltown Teddy Bear Olympics in Belmont! There are some tickets still available for both nights of our production of Oliver. Contact the office in the morning to avoid disappointment!
Well done to Ella McCarthy and Ellen McNulty, our 6th Class Student Council members, who spoke so well last night about their experiences in St Mary's. You were a credit to the school. They joined Ms Purcell, Ms Keenan, John Hennessy, Gillian O' Connor, Ms Finnegan and Ms Moran in speaking to the new Junior Infants' parents and telling them all about St Mary's. Thanks to the other members of the Student Council who were on hand to help during the night also. Ticket forms for Oliver have been sent out to 5th and 6th class children today. The remainder of tickets will be released for general sale next Monday 11th June. Call into Josephine in the school office to purchase a ticket for €10.
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