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The children have started to work really hard as we approach the season of Advent in preparation for Christmas. There will be a Junior Concert and a Senior Concert. Please see details below:

Junior Concert – Tuesday December 20th at 11.00am
Senior Concert – Wednesday December 21st at 11.00am

Christmas Holidays
School closes on Thursday 22nd December (11.50 infants and 12.00 for all other classes)
School re-opens Monday 9th January 2017

A big welcome back to all of our pupils, parents and staff to the new school year, 2015/2016. The school community also welcomes all our new Junior Infant Pupils and Early Start Pupils, and all our new parents. We also have a number of newcomer pupils to classes throughout the school, and we welcome those new pupils and their families also.

Also, a big welcome to two new teachers joining the staff this year. Mr Cogan is teaching 4th class and Ms Burke is teaching 1st class.

God of wisdom and might,
we praise you for the wonder of our being,
for mind, body and spirit.
Be with our children as they begin
a new school year.
Bless them and their teachers and staff.
Give the strength and grace as their bodies grow;
wisdom and knowledge to their minds
as they search for understanding;
and peace and zeal to their hearts.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Welcome back! School life has been very busy in the last term of 2010.

Prayer services for the Holy Souls took place in November. As part of our Advent preparations, all classes took part in a prayer service on December 8th, The Feast of the Immaculate Conception. There were weekly prayer services during December to highlight the real meaning of Christmas. The advent candles were lit on these occasions.

As always we worked hard to prepare the children for the Christmas concerts and it was heart-warming to see the very large attendance at both concerts. Our Parents’ Association organised the Santa visit and the Christmas raffle. They have also recently presented the school with a defibrillator. The funds for this were raised by them, through a church and school gate collection. We would like to thank the Parents’ Association for their ongoing hard work and dedication. All classes now have interactive whiteboards which was funded by a recent grant from the Dept. of Education.

The recent bad weather posed many challenges to all of us and keeping the school open for our children was always the priority. Our staff responded to these challenges in a very positive and unselfish manner, carrying out many extra tasks which included clearing a path from the school entrace to the door at 8am on a bitterly cold morning. Thank you to the large group of parents/guardians who helped clear the snow on the morning of the Christmas concert.

The children from 2nd-6th class performed carols in Charlestown Shopping Centre on the evening of December 16th. We are very proud of how well they represented the school. They were beautifully turned out and their behaviour was commended by the management of the shopping centre. Well done to all the pupils involved and to you parents-they are a credit to you! All money raised will be used to develop the school garden and to fund necessary resources as funding for the school was cut by 5% in the recent budget.

We wish all members of the School Community a very happy New Year!

Eleanor Fahy

Principal.

We have come to the end of yet another school year. We have had many celebrations and victories over the year but our biggest achievement this year has been the development of the school garden. This project began in June 2009 and culminated in the official opening of our garden in June 2010. The efforts of our pupils, parents and staff can be seen in the many varieties of flowers, shrubs and vegetables growing there. The project was mainly financed by the Ulster Bank and led by our deputy principal, Ms Deirdre Walsh. On the opening day the personnel from the bank were very impressed by our pupils, by their lovely manners, courtesy and presentation in full uniforms. Thank you parents for your hard work.

As I come to the end of my first year as principal of Mother of Divine Grace School, I thank, most sincerely all the staff, parents, the Holy Faith Sisters, the Parents’ Association, the Board of Management and the wider community for your ongoing co-operation with our school because it is by working together that we can provide what is best for our pupils.

Enjoy your summer holidays and looking forward to working with you in September.

Eleanor Fahy,

Principal

June 2010

Here you will find messages and updates from the school principal, Mrs Fahy. Check back later for updates…