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Piercestown National School Virtual Carol Service 2021
LATEST NEWS
Medal Presentation!
The boys Rackard League Roinn A hurling and the girls Rackard League Roinn A football travelled to Murrintown to receive their runners up medals last Thursday, June 1st, presented by Kevin Waters, chairperson of the Rackard League. Well done to all involved!
Prader Willi Syndrome Awareness Day
Staff and children wore orange on Friday 26th May to raise awareness of Prader Willi Syndrome. Well done to Mrs. Walsh, Teresa and 1st class for leading this event. Check out the photos below and see https://pwsai.ie/ for more info on Prader Willi Syndrome.
Bake Sale – In aid of school building project in Zambia
Friday’s bake sale, organised by 5th and 6th class, was a huge success. Thanks so much to all families who supported this worthy fundraiser. With people still sending in donations after the bake sale finished up, the final total has not yet been established but it is believed to be close to €700!!! This money will go with Donal Howlin, past pupil and parent of current pupils, Eve and Ruth, as he journeys to Zambia with teachers and students from CBS Wexford. The money will be used to help build a new school there and provide education for the poorest children, mainly orphans, giving them the chance of a better life. Hats off to the children in Rang a Cúig and Rang a Sé who did a fantastic job baking the delicious treats and selling them on the day. Some of them definitely have a promising career in sales ahead of them!
Junior Infants tour to Woodfield
Junior Infants headed off to Woodfield House, a beautiful 17th Century family-run farmhouse in rural County Wexford, for their first ever tour in Piercestown National School. Our helpers for the day, Dee and Mary, guided us through many activities such as milking the cow, butter making, dressing the scarecrows, watering the vegetable garden and bubble fun too! An amazing day was had by all and we are sure Senior Infants and 1st Class will have an amazing time there too. Head to the Junior Infant page for a look at our adventure.
School Tour Season Kicks off
Thursday 25th May saw official tour season kick off at Piercestown N.S.
Mr. Murphy and 3rd class, accompanied by Mr. O’Leary, Suzanne and Niamh, headed off to the seaside resort of Tramore to Oceanic Surf School. The sun was splitting the stones as they headed off, with Mr Murphy confident that himself and his class would be showcasing their ‘surfing skills’ by the end of the day. Here is the group before the head off to hit the waves! Keep an eye on the third class blog for pictures of them in action!
Hot on their heels, Junior infants will board their tour bus tomorrow and head off to Woodfield House in Oilgate! We will upload a photo from their departure and can’t wait to hear all about it!
Athletics – Enniscorthy Sports Hub
A great day was had by all who attended the athletics at Enniscorthy Sports Hub last Wednesday, 17th May. Well done to everyone and special congratulations to our two medal winners, Rory from Rang a Ceathair and Tommy from Rang a Sé!
Verona Murphy visits our school
We were delighted to extend a warm welcome to Verona Murphy, TD when she visited our school last week. Deputy Murphy was greeted at the front door by Estelle and Olivia, members of our wonderful Student Council and shown into the PE hall where she met Ms. Walsh and 5th and 6th classes. Seán and Olivia told Deputy Murphy about the work undertaken so far by the Student Council while Cora, Teegan and Donagh from the Green School committee spoke about what was done this year to earn our newest Green Flag which we received just last week. The children from 5th and 6th classes entertained her with beautiful singing and tin whistle playing, accompanied by Ms Sinnott. Then Aoibhínn presented Deputy Murphy with a bouquet of flowers and she was given a tour of our school by Maeve, Izzy and Ms. Walsh. Deputy Murphy was highly impressed by what she saw and was particularly enthralled by all of the beautiful art work on display in our Annual Art Exhibition.
Annual Art Exhibition Returns!!!
The evening of May 11th will see a return of one of our much loved and highly missed events – our Annual Art Exhibition, and this year it promises to be bigger and better than ever! Special guest, Helen Gaynor, well-known local artist, will return to officially open the art exhibition. Joining us also is comic writer Colum Kavanagh who led 4th, 5th and 6th classes during the BLAST (Bringing Live Art to Students and Teachers) programme. Everyone is looking forward to seeing the children’s comics, finished and on display for all. The latest edition of our We Are Writers book will also be on display, along with some of the children’s entries for the cover competition. And all of this is in addition to the wonderful artwork that the children have done this year! What an evening! Many thanks to the Piercestown Parents’ Association who will be on hand to serve refreshments. All are welcome to attend and we look forward to see you there!
Six Nations Rugby Championship silverware comes to Piercestown N.S.!!!
65 Roses Day 2023
14th April was the National Awareness Day for Cystic Fibrosis in Ireland. Today, Monday 17th April, we participated in spreading awareness for Cystic Fibrosis. It will be our first year marking this in our school. As purple is also the colour synonymous with this day, we invited the children to wear purple. Junior infants marked this day of awareness, and information on Cystic Fibrosis was shared in all classrooms. In school, we have decided to create our own 65 Roses Challenge and we completed 65,000 steps as a school community on this day…we may have even surpassed the amount! One lap of our field was calculated by Mrs. Larkin as being 320 steps. So, Junior infants alone covered 9,600 steps. Approximately, 200 people could cover the entire 65000 steps. Therefore, all our classes worked together to complete the challenge on the Monday, kicking off term three being active straight away!
In-school Chess Tournament 2023
Wednesday 29th March saw Mr. Eamonn Barrett, former principal, arrive to school to present our chess winners from our school competitions, and for the first year, present the Eamonn Barrett plaque to the overall winner. The gold medal winner from 3rd Class was Santiago Fortune, with Eoin Durnan and Donagh McGee in silver medal spot and James Devereux picking up a bronze medal. In Fourth Class Meabh Ahern was flying the flag for the girls in gold medal position, with Rogan Suntar and Tiarnán Quigley in Silver and Daniel Jordan and Jack O’Hanlon in bronze medal position. From 5th Class Joseph Collier received gold with Jack Suntar receiving silver and Seamus Shinkwin and Sean Power getting their bronze medals. In 6th Class John Kenny was in gold medal spot, Charlie Tenanty in silver and Luke Kelly and Tommy Codd jointly in bronze medal position. Congratulations to John Kenny in 6th class. This plaque follows on from the Fr. Curtis trophy which is now homed in Ms. Walsh’s office. This is a wonderful record in history of all the winners since the 1980’s. We look forward to the Eamonn Barrett plaque continuing for many decades to come as we continue to uphold this much loved tradition in our school. Many thanks to Ms. Hearne. Without her commitment and chess (and maths) prowess, our pupils would not still have this amazing skillset.
Piercestown N.S. celebrates World Autism Day – April 2nd
On Thursday 30th March there was a sea of blue throughout our school as staff and children dressed up in celebration of our friends with Autism. We had many classes in our school mark this special day. Miss Sinnott’s class officially turned blue, with blue balloons, artwork, music and (blue) foods galore! The boys and girls watched a special video, chatted about World Autism Day and our celebrations in previous years. Together with their teacher and SNAs, they made blue ice-cream, enjoyed blue treats and hosted a blue-themed party in their classroom!
Piercestown N.S. wears purple for Epilepsy Awareness Day – March 26th
On Monday 27th March staff and children were invited to ‘get our purple’ on and raise awareness for epilepsy. Well done to Mr Murphy, Lena and 3rd class who went the extra mile by celebrating in style with their purple by creating purple friendship bracelets for the whole class to give each other. In 3rd class they had a whole class discussion first reminding the pupils about what is epilepsy and the various forms and triggers. As a class we wanted to both celebrate the day and identify that as a class we will always unite to help each other out as shown in our bracelets. We also had some nice purple themed treats to finish off the day while enjoying a short movie too.
5th and 6th class ‘Say Yes to Spanish!’
It’s amazing how much language children can learn in even a brief period, especially when they are highly motivated and engaged in fun activities. This was very evident in recent weeks when 5th and 6th class participated in Spanish lessons as part of a DES initiative called ‘Say Yes To Language.’ We were delighted to welcome Montse Walsh into our school each week to facilitate the lessons, and the enthusiasm she had for teaching her native language and working with the children was second to none! Over the course of the eight week programme, the children learned how to introduce themselves and go on to have simple conversations where they greeted each other and asked questions about how they are feeling, where they come from, what age they are and so on. Games and activities were also used to teach the children new vocabulary such as colours, numbers, animals, days of the week, months of the year and more. For the final session, 5th and 6th classes joined together for a fun-filled morning in the PE hall. They played lots of games and had great fun competing against each other, with plenty of friendly rivalry between the classes! Afterwards, the children had the opportunity to try some Spanish food, with some delicious homemade dishes made fresh by Montse herself earlier that morning. Before the final adios, Montse gave each class an amazing cake made up of all sorts of sweets, a feast for the eyes as well as for the mouth! Muchos gracias to Montse for all her work with the children. Check out our website for a video of this very successful initiative!
Odd Socks for World Down Syndrome Day!
The children of Piercestown N.S. were once again rockin’ their odd socks on March 21st to mark World Down Syndrome Day. The theme this year is “With us, not for us.” Have a look at the video to see 1st class celebrate this very important day. Check out the photos from some of the other classes below. For more information on World Down Syndrome Day go to https://downsyndrome.ie/whats-happening/world-down-syndrome-day/
Seachtain na Gaeilge 2023
Bhain na páistí an taitneamh as Seachtain na Gaeilge 2023. Seo físeán den Lá Gaeilge a bhí ann. Bain sult as!
GAEILGE I NGACH ÁIT!
Our challenge for all students is to take a selfie/photo with one of the Gaeilge phrases or Irish in our community. We challenge you to be as creative as you can. Entries can be sent to our dedicated email address PNSSNAG2023@gmail.com
Féach ar na pictiúir a sheol na páistí go dtí seo –
SEACHTAIN NA GAEILGE 2023
As you may be aware, this week around the country, Seachtain na Gaeilge is in full swing. The idea behind this National Week is to promote our own native language. In school, we have daily competitions, and the staff are encouraging the children to ‘bain usáid’ as na cúpla focail. As the saying goes “Is fearr Gaeilge briste ná béarla cliste” (broken Irish is better than clever English).
Again this year, we are trying to incorporate the home, environment and technology. Our challenge for all students is to take a selfie/photo with one of the Gaeilge phrases below or Irish in our community. We challenge you to be as creative as you can.
For example;
⮚ An bhfuil tú réidh? (Are you ready)
This photo could be taken sa bhaile, on your way out to school, for example. The idea being that the phrase will be in the photo on a post it/or if you are really tech savvy, it can be typed when you take the photo!
Other phrases we would like you to try are:
➢ Tá orcas orm/Tá mé stiúca leis an orcas – I am hungry/I’m starving with the hunger
➢ To add to that why not try – An bhfuil mo dhinnéar réidh? – Is my dinner ready?
➢ An maith leat (cáis, bagún, arán srl.)? – Do you like…cheese, bacon, bread etc. (Answer – Is maith liom/Ní maith liom)
➢ Brostaigh ort! Beimid déanach! – Hurry up! We’ll be late!
Entries can be sent to our dedicated email address PNSSNAG2023@gmail.com and posted on our website www.piercestownns.com
By sending in an entry, you are giving permission for it to be printed off and displayed on our website. The closing date for the competition is Thursday 16 th March at 9:20am. This gives you a few days to have some ‘selfie fun’.
Our fun week of events will culminate in our Lá Gaeilge on Thursday 16th March. The children are encouraged to dress in Ireland colours/green on this day. Winner will be announced at the prize giving on Thursday.
Stay tuned for updates and don’t forget to bain triail aisti! Ní neart go cur le chéile and what better time to come together and celebrate our heritage.
The phrases we will use this week might also be helpful for you all to continue your experience and immersion in the language.
| Naí Bheaga – Rang 2 | Rang 3 – 6 | |
| Lá 1 | Cad is ainm duit?___ is ainm dom. | Cad is ainm duit?___ is ainm dom.Is mise ____. Cén t-ainm atá ortsa?https://youtu.be/IHIX45kEVsw?list=PL899AB1D03F65EF58 |
| Lá 2 | Conas atá tú?Tá mé go maith. | Conas atá tú?/Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú? Tá mé go maith/ Táim go breá.https://youtu.be/JfVjWQrj3_Y?list=PL899AB1D03F65EF58 |
| Lá 3 | Go raibh maith agat. | Go raibh maith agat. Go ndeana a mhaith duit.https://youtu.be/f7L275F09bc?list=PL899AB1D03F65EF58 |
| Lá 4 | Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit! | Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig! Bain súp as!https://youtu.be/v_moiz1ti-k?list=PL899AB1D03F65EF58 Is Éireannach mé.https://youtu.be/4dsq4xJcCrY?list=PL899AB1D03F65EF58 |
Want to go one step further why not…
Anocht bain triail as scéal a léamh as Gaeilge nó cuir ceann ar siúl! Tonight why not kick off the participation by reading a story in Irish or popping one on for the kids to listen to https://www.facebook.com/glornangael/posts/1774570219344088
World Book Day and Book Fair 2023
The Book Fair was welcomed back to our school on Thursday 2nd March to coincide with World Book Day, kicking off an enjoyable week of reading, storytelling, quizzes, competitions and much more! Have a look at the video for a flavour of the fun that was had!
New Student Council Elected!!!
Following an exciting week of speeches, culminating in election day on the Friday, votes were counted on Monday 6th March and the results announced. Congratulations to our newly elected Student Council – Estelle, Olivia, Kelly, Seán, Izzy, Meabh, Donagh and Aoibhínn. With their first meeting held last Friday 10th, they are already on their way to making a difference!
CAMÁN EVERYBODY!
Once again, Piercestown N.S. were delighted to welcome some special guests today, Thursday 09th March, to continue the Camán Everybody Programme – a programme aimed at introducing the fundamental skills of hurling from a young age. Among those present were Kevin Waters (Chairman of St. Martin’s Club) Cian Waters, Séamus Casey (Games Promotion Officer) and Willie Clancy who made the hurls.
Ms. Walsh welcomed back Vanessa Kirby Somers, member of the Kirby Family, who are generously making an annual donation towards the cost of the hurls for the programme. This very kind gesture is to honour the memory of Vanessa’s brother, Michael Kirby, who was a past pupil of our school and an avid hurler. No doubt their generosity will lead to many of our boys and girls growing up to share the same passion for our national game as Michael did.
What is the Camán Programme? Camán Everybody is a programme aimed at introducing the fundamental skills of hurling from a young age. All children are provided with a small hurley. Special attention is given to the children personalising their own hurley. The aim is to introduce the basic fundamental skills of hurling in the early years. It also aims to create a positive and FUN learning experience through FUN activities and simple coaching techniques.
What classes will take part? In our school community, it has been agreed that this initiative will be introduced to Junior Infants each year.
Is there a cost? The normal cost of the hurley would be €5. ***Subsidised cost will be €3 thanks to the generous sponsorship by the Kirby family.
Sponsorship We are honoured that the Kirby family is part sponsoring this initiative and subsidising the cost of the hurleys in a tribute to Vanessa’s late brother, Michael Kirby, who was a past pupil of Piercestown National School and had a particular passion for hurling. Michael played many a match donning the maroon and white colours and was even Captain during his time playing with the school team. The Kirby family has committed to making this an annual contribution to our school. Huge thanks to the Kirby family for this most generous contribution to our school.
For more information please go to https://leinstergaa.ie/caman-everybody/
WORLD BOOK DAY 2023!!!
Come one, come all!!! HAPPY WORLD BOOK DAY 2023!!!
Join us in Piercestown N.S., for a fun filled week of activities beginning on Thursday 2nd March 2023…
This year, we will again run our popular book cover competition, where we ask you to recreate your favourite book cover at home, and send the pictures to me at gtaylor@piercestownns.com
I will add them to our World Book Day cover collection on our school blog throughout the week, where you can view them all from home @ piercestownns.com. This competition is just for fun and open to all to get involved in. Keep an eye on the school blog throughout the week to see some of your fellow classmates and teachers getting involved…
Why not take a look at some of our amazing entries from previous years… https://piercestownns.com/?s=book+cover
Let the fun and games begin,
Ms. Taylor
WORLD BOOK DAY 2023 – BOOK COVER COMPETITION!!!
Congratulations to all pupils who showed us their fabulous creative streak and have entered the World Book Day book cover competition this year… Take a look at the entries below…
Pancake Tuesday!!!
Piercestown National School could have been mistaken for a bakery or creperie on Tuesday 21st February, as the smell of pancakes wafted through the corridors. Some classes watched webinars on making pancakes and did some procedural writing before the staff whipped out their flour, eggs, and pans and the pancake flipping began!!! Take a look at some of the fun that was had in 1st class and 6th class.
Treasured Person’s Day – Ms. Sinnott’s Class
Just before we broke for midterm break, Ms. Sinnott’s class took the opportunity to host a ‘Treasured Person’s Day’
as part of Catholic Schools week. It was a morning of chat, music, refreshments and celebration of the heartfelt love that the children have for their treasured persons! Have a look!
Art Competition – We Are Writers Cover Illustration
Well done to all the boys and girls who took part in our recent art competition to design the cover illustration for our 3rd edition of We Are Writers. There was great variety and the standard was extremely high, making it difficult for Fr. Aodhán to choose a winner. Two entries from each class were Highly Commended as follows: Chloe and Elody from 1st class, Mae and Myah from 2nd class, Aoibhínn and Katie from 3rd class, Abbie and Izzie from 4th class, Lucia and Lily from 5th class and Eve and Teegan from 6th class. In the end, the overall winner was Abbie from 4th class and her design will feature on the front of the We Are Writers book. Congratulations Abbie!
Student Council Returns 2023!
Post Covid, we are delighted to announce the return of our Student Council! The children were so excited last Friday, 24th February when a special assembly was held for 3rd to 6th classes, to reintroduce our Student Council. Ms. Walsh talked to the children about the qualities needed to make a good student councillor and the important role that a Student Council can play. She also explained to them how the election process will work.
During the coming week, candidates who are interested will prepare and deliver a speech to their class, explaining why they would like to be a member of the Student Council and outlining some of their ideas for improving school life. Voting will then take place and two successful candidates from each class will form the newly elected Student Council of Piercestown N.S. 2023. Best of luck to all the candidates!
Ash Wednesday – 22nd February 2023
Today is Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent, a time of reflection and repentance in preparation for the joyful celebration of Easter. Our sacramental classes, 6th class and 2nd class, attended mass this morning and Ms. Walsh brought blessed ashes back to the other classes for children who wished to receive. Many were talking about what they were ‘giving up’ for Lent, as it is a time of fasting. It is also a time for almsgiving, often done by having a Trócaire box and a time of prayer.
Green School – Big Travel Challenge Feb. 2023
Starting us off next week (Monday 13th Feb 2023) we are taking part in the 10 day BIG TRAVEL CHALLENGE 2023 – where, as a school we will try to come to school using a ‘greener’ mode of transport. We understand that the majority of students don’t live within walking distance of the school, but one suggestion could be ‘park n stride’ where older children can get dropped maybe at the centre or the shop and walk the rest of the way – thus cutting down on some of the travel and car congestion outside school. Carpooling could also be a good option.
We have collected data for the current modes of transport and we will be updating the children throughout the ten days and encourage them to keep up the effort!
Thanks!!! Ms Ryan.
St. Valentine’s Day!
The children in Sunny Days After School/Breakfast Club have been very busy getting ready for Valentines. Have a look at their beautiful art work, currently on display in our PE hall.
Safer Internet Day 2023 – Tuesday 7th February
#TalkListenLearn Parent Events
For Safer Internet Day 2023, Webwise will be hosting online safety webinars for parents of younger children, and for parents of teens.
To register go to https://www.webwise.ie/trending/talklistenlearn-parent-events/ and click on Register Now.
#WebwiseParents: Supporting Children Online
Ficheall Tournament
Best of luck to our Masters and Buds chess teams as they head off tomorrow to Gaelscoil Inis Córthaidh to take part in the Ficheall tournament.
Beannachtaí Lá Fhéile Bríde!
Everyone in Piercestown N.S. was very happy to welcome St. Brigid and the first day of Spring today! Throughout the school the children were all very busy making St. Brigid’s crosses and listening to stories about this very special saint. Have a look!
Well done to 6th class children who were on hand to help the children in 1st class to make their St. Brigid’s crosses!
Credit Union Quiz Teams
Best of luck to the Under 13 Credit Union Quiz team – Cillian, Olivia (missing from photo), Jack and Joseph as they represent our school on Sunday.
Best of luck also to our Under 11 team – Charlie, Joe, Rogan and Jack. We are very proud of you all!
Help us win big with Aldi!!!
Aldi offers schools a chance to win €50,000 and ten schools a chance to win €5,000 towards developing their sports facilities.
As in previous years, The Aldi Play Rugby Sticker Competition is now back in action. The Aldi Play Rugby Sticker competition (Aldi Play Rugby) commenced on the 16th of January and will finish on the 23rd April.
If you shop in Aldi, don’t forget to collect your vouchers and send them to school.
The Aldi rugby poster is on display opposite the school office in the reception area. The children are busy adding their stickers daily. As soon as the poster is full, Ms. Walsh will be quick to fill in the form and return the poster by submitting a photograph so that we are entered into the competition. For more information on the competition go to: https://www.aldi.ie/playrugby-terms
Thanks in advance for all your help. Check out our photos to see how quick off the mark we were!
Daniel puts Piercestown on the map for swimming!
Congratulations to Daniel who recently put Piercestown National School on the map for swimming.
Daniel’s training regime had him in top form as he entered the Leinster Championship on Saturday 15th January. The week prior to the competition saw Daniel swim an impressive 8,150m (363 lengths) in one week alone!
All roads led to the National Aquatic Centre for Daniel and his family on Saturday 15th. Not only did Daniel smash his personal best, but he rocketed home in 2nd place with the ‘backstroke.’
Congratulations to Daniel, the whole school is so proud of his achievement.
Dare we say we have the next Michael Phelps in the mix? As the phrase goes, ‘Watch this space’ – we don’t think we have seen the last of Daniel’s success just yet.
Many thanks to Daniel and his parents for sharing these photos for us to acknowledge his wonderful achievement.
Enrolments for September 2023
Enrolments for the coming school year opened December 6th and will close in the coming week.
For any queries, please contact the school on 053-9158854.
If you missed the opportunity to attend our Open Night, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we can arrange an appointment and an information pack to be made available.
Happy Christmas everyone!!!
Here’s a few pics from our Christmas Assembly today. The children were full of excitement… only four more sleeps!!!
Eason’s Spelling Bee 2022
There was great excitement among 5th and 6th class, with the return of the Eason’s Spelling Bee Competition. This competition is in its 13th year and is open to any boy or girl in 5th and 6th class who wishes to participate. The spelling booklets were given out and a week later, we held our in-school spelling bee competition. The winner of this competition would be crowned Piercestown N.S. spelling bee and go on to represent our school in the County Final which will take place in the New Year. 15 brave pupils stepped up to the plate, as the in-school competition took place in the hall on Thursday December 1st. 4th class pupils were also in the audience as they eagerly watched what opportunity lies ahead for them in 5th class. It was one of the closest and most intense competitions we have seen over the years with the 15 contestants finally being whittled down to two 6th class boys, Arvin and John. Having found ourselves in a ‘sudden death’ scenario, you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. But after several rounds of going head-to-head, John emerged victorious. Well done to ALL of our pupils who volunteered to take part, it takes guts and stamina and nerves of steel alongside good spelling technique!!! Congratulations to John, our 2022 Piercestown N.S. Spelling Bee and we look forward to updating you when the County Final date is announced.
Football Lunchtime League 2022
The last day of November saw us host our eagerly awaited Football Lunchtime League Final. The two semi-finals were very closely fought matches before Team 2 and Team 4 booked their place in the decider. The weather was on our side as the two teams took to the pitch to the music of the Sunday Game and a huge round of applause from the rest of the school there to cheer them on, Team 4 donning the Shels jerseys for the day and Team 2 in the familiar Martins colours. The Martins got off to a flying start and were quickly off to a 2-1 lead before the ‘Shels’ team got their first score. Half time saw both teams on level scores at 2-1 apiece. In the second half the ‘Shels’ team really got into their stride and despite some great defence and some lovely taken scores by the ‘Martins’ there was no stopping the ‘Shels’ as they ran out as winners on a score line of 4 -3 to 3-2.
St Martin’s Club Chairperson Kevin Waters was on hand to present, for the very first time, the ‘Daithí Waters’ Lunchtime League cup to the victorious team of Tommy Codd, Amy Newport, Gi-Gi Cleary, Lucia Moore, Rory O’ Connell, Jack Brennan, Eva O’Mahony and Maebh Ahern. Kevin offered some words of advice to all the players and spectators and was very impressed by the talent on show on the day, from goal saving clearances to some well taken scores and the level of teamwork on display. Gi-Gi, on behalf of the winning team, thanked Kevin, Ms. Walsh, Ms. Hearne and all the teachers, and congratulated all the teams that participated in the league, giving a huge three cheers to the unlucky finalists, who fought valiantly and showed a great amount of skill in the final but were pipped in the second half. Well done also to all of 6th Class who acted as referees, lines people and umpires throughout the competition. A huge thank you to Kevin for joining us on the day and adding so much to this occasion and to the St. Martins Club for sponsoring the ‘Daithí Waters Cup.’ It is great to have such a supportive club within our community. Special thanks to Ms. Hearne, without whom these lunchtime leagues would not take place. A final congratulations to all 54 participants in this very competitive competition and we look forward to showcasing their sporting talents in other Lunchtime Leagues later in the year. It is great to see the boys and girls, experienced players and new beginners, take to the field together to show their skills and to see the sportsmanlike way in which all interact with each other and offer encouragement to all teammates.
OPEN NIGHT 2022 – DECEMBER 7TH 7PM
SING OUT LOUD – We love it!!!
The children in 5th and 6th class gave the performance of their life in the National Opera House last Saturday, 19th November for SING OUT LOUD. Here’s a sneak peak of some of the songs during rehearsals (no recording allowed during the actual concert) and some backstage photos too. It was fantastic to see them giving their all and enjoying every minute. What an amazing experience!
Planting bulbs!
Here’s some great photos of the children from each class planting bulbs – just one of the many activities that took place this week for Science Week. We look forward to a wonderful display of bright yellow flowers when over 200 daffodils bloom next Spring!!!
Get ready for SCIENCE WEEK!!!
Next week we turn our attention to all things science as we celebrate Science Week. There will be experiments galore, a class trip for 5th class to Teagasc and a workshop for all classes with the Nutty Scientist – sooo exciting!!! For more info on National Science week, see https://www.sfi.ie/engagement/science-week/
Halloween 2022 – Freaky Friday!
Ghosts and ghouls, witches and wizards, creepy clowns and deadly demons all gathered for some freaky fun at the St. Martin’s Centre on the last day before the Halloween break. They were joined by Anna, Elsa, Woody, Little Red Riding Hood, Mario, Luigi and many more as they paraded down to school, with the Active Motto still ringing in their ears – Walk, Run, Jump or Skip, Come On Piercestown, Let’s Get Fit! The children (for they really were children underneath it all!!!) went on to have a great day in school, complete with Halloween games, disco dancing, spooky movies and tasty treats. There was huge competition for Best Costume as always and prizes were given out for best dressed in each class. Have a look at our Freaky Friday video… if you dare!!!
All Roads lead to the Coal Bunker Bar for the Spectrum of Light, Tractor run fundraiser for our ASD class in Piercestown National School. (Sunday 30th October, registration 11am. Tractor run begins 12.30pm)
Fancy a good start to the midterm? All roads lead to our Tractor Run tomorrow beginning at the Coal Bunker bar. This tractor run will be followed by a raffle, an auction, and a kids disco. Come along and join the fun while simultaneously raising funds for a most worthy cause!
Registration is open from 11an with the Tractor run beginning at 12.30pm. We look forward to seeing you all there!
Maths Week 2022
Maths Week 2022 took place from 17th to 21st October and what an exciting week it was! Post Covid restrictions, we were once again able to gather in the PE hall over the course of the week for exciting events such as our Monster Maths Quiz, Tables Bee Final and Countdown Final. In the true spirit of collaborative learning, some of the senior classes were paired with the junior classes for Active Maths sessions and Maths activities, and hats off to them, they did a fantastic job! Bingo over the intercom was introduced as part of Maths Week this year and annual fun competitions such as ‘Guess how many jelly beans in the jar’ and ‘Guess the weight of the pumpkin’ made a return. The Problem of the Day had both children and adults scratching their heads at times! The prize giving ceremony followed on Monday 24th with each winner choosing a Maths themed prize to encourage them to continue learning and having fun. Check out our video to see this year’s Maths Week in action!
GOAL Jersey Day 2022
Friday 14th October saw schools across the whole country don their favourite jerseys in support of GOAL Jersey Day and Piercestown N.S. was no exception. The children in Senior Infants even did some artwork inspired by Jersey Day. Well done to all the boys and girls, their parents and school staff who together raised a total of €580. This money will help to fund the important work GOAL does in vulnerable communities. For more information see https://www.goalglobal.org/jersey-day/ Here are some pics from the day!
Maths Week 2022!!! Let the fun begin!
It is all systems go as Maths Week 2022 kicked off without restrictions! The fun began straight away with momentum being gathered with a Maths-Based Assembly for both the Junior end of the school and the Senior end.
Discussions took place around what is Maths? Who likes Maths? What Maths did anyone use before they came to school today and so forth.
The answers were brilliant with the children recognising Maths in all areas of our lives from making sure we don’t miss our favourite TV programme, to ensuring we turn up on the right day for gymnastics or soccer training, baking in the kitchen at home with our families, playing the drums, going shopping or shopping online to making sure some of the teachers knew how to make the perfect cup of coffee!
The children identified lots of jobs where Maths is required – bakers, bookies, scientists, farmers, teachers, Marine biologists, archaeologists, pitcrew teams for race drivers, builders, engineers, shopkeepers among others.
The junior end of the school recognised numbers in some characters such as Numberblocks, Ben 10, Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends and the senior end learned about Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Pythagoras and Florence Nightingale.
The Maths Week timetable is more interactive and exciting than before with lots of fun, games and competitions for young and old! Why not join in!
St. Martin’s Ladies bring home the cup!
We were delighted to welcome the victorious St. Martin’s ladies football team into our school this morning, having recently brought home the ‘Ger Mullery’ intermediate cup to the club. It was an honour to have both mentors and players into the school to speak to the children. They entered to a rapturous applause and arms swaying to ‘We are the Champions’. They gave lots of advice to the boys and girls and answered some very thought provoking questions. And the celebrations were finished off with the most important announcement of ‘NO HOMEWORK FOR THE WHOLE SCHOOL TONIGHT’.
Huge congratulations to Fiona Hayes as chairperson and the entire panel on bringing home the cup! We wish the ladies best of luck as they face Glynn Barntown in the camogie semi final this weekend and as they play their first round of Leinster in Carlow versus Éire óg.
Beginning of Year Celebration
On Friday 7th October, St. Martin’s church was filled with the sound of prayer, music, singing and poetry as we celebrated the beginning of another school year. This year’s service was made all the more special by the fact that we had not gathered together in the church as a whole school since 2019 – hard to believe! There was such a lovely atmosphere as Fr. Aodhán welcomed everyone and each class performed their piece proudly on the altar. 5th and 6th class children did the readings and prayers of the faithful, and two children from each class brought up gifts during the offertory procession. Click on the video below for a flavour of this wonderful and heart-warming event.
Indoor Assembly is back!
While it was lovely to gather outdoors during the last term for whole school assemblies, Winter is now looming and we are very grateful that this school year sees a return to indoor gatherings. Our first school assembly since March 2020 took place this week on Monday 3rd October. As was usual practice pre covid, the children were divided into two groups, Junior classes and Senior classes. There was a great atmosphere in the PE hall as Ms. Walsh and the children recalled all that had happened so far this term and highlighted upcoming events such as Jersey Day, Maths Week and Freaky Friday. Classes were also able to practise their song for our beginning of year service which will take place on Friday 7th October. There was plenty more singing as we had both September and October birthdays to celebrate. Junior Infants were given a special welcome and a big clap. It was also acknowledged that this would be a special year for 2nd class pupils and 6th class pupils as they prepare for receiving the sacraments. Finally, we came to the most exciting part of assembly, the announcement of Class of the Month. And the winners were… 6th class! All agreed that the pupils in 6th class had made a super start to the year and would no doubt be excellent role models for the younger children during their final year with us. Maith thú Rang a Sé!!!
Welcome to the newest members of Piercestown National School
On Wednesday the 31st August our newest members of the Piercestown family joined us as they began their journey in Junior Infants. They were welcomed, with open arms, by our Principal Ms. Walsh, Teacher Mrs. Larkin, Mrs. Newport and SNA Trish. It was smiles all round and they quickly settled. They played, listened to stories, worked hard, made lots of new friends along the way and even had time to get their picture taken for the People Paper. Phew! We can’t wait to continue the journey with our new friends and know that you will all make them feel welcome here at Piercestown National School.
All roads lead to Wexford Park today! Best of luck St. Martin’s in the County Final
The staff, management, pupils and wider community of Piercestown National School wish the very best of luck to the St. Martin’s senior hurling team today as they take on Ferns in the County Final today. We are so proud of the whole team and a big shout out to our past pupils on the team. Fingers crossed for a win today!
Rounders Returns – Parents Vs 6th Class!
In keeping with tradition, the much loved and eagerly awaited parents versus children rounders match took place today, following the 6th Class Graduation. After an emotional ceremony filled with memories of their time in school and good luck wishes for the future, both teams were looking forward to the challenge. Amid great excitement and applause from the rest of the school, the parents arrived out onto the playing field, each one wearing a t-shirt with a fun photo of their child on it. One or two were even sporting wigs and other paraphernalia! Led my Ms. Sinnott, 6th class performed their now famous flash mob and then the game began. Everyone was in high spirits as the sun shone and the fun took over. With Ms. Caldicott refereeing and Ms. Hearne giving top tips from the side line, the parents pulled ahead and all too soon the match ended with a win for them. Ms. Walsh presented the trophy to Jenny Bradley and the event ended with three cheers for all!
Sports Day!
There was glorious sunshine as we ended our Active Week on a high note with Sports Day today. With a long list of activities – hurdles, GAA, novelty races, Canadian football, No Man’s Land, the parachute, basketball, target games, obstacle course, hoops, skipping and dancing with the DJ – there was something for everyone! The ice-pops were a big hit with the children and certainly helped to cool things down at midday when the sun was hottest. The finals of the lunchtime competitions were held and the day culminated with the final of the senior classes’ lunchtime league, with the whole school watching and cheering them on. All that was left then was the welly throw which took place just before school ended. Both children and staff went home tired but happy after a brilliant day and week of fun and activity. Check out the video which shows each class doing one of their activities. Enjoy!
Lunchtime Limbo!
This will go down as one of the favourite activities of the week with adults and children alike – we had such fun! The video of the Junior Classes is almost four minutes long but there is no doubt that you’ll enjoy every second!
Now check out the Senior Classes as they took on the Lunchtime Limbo challenge!
Try It Thursday – 6th class and Infants!
Today saw the return of this old favourite where the 6th class children play games with Junior and Senior Infants at break time. They did a great a great job!
Wake Up Shake Up – Again!!!
Today we had our final Wake Up Shake Up for the week and it most certainly did not disappoint. The enthusiasm was mighty as the children ‘followed the leader’, in this case Mr. Murphy. Take a look at the video – but be warned, you’ll have the song stuck in your head for the rest of the day!
More lunchtime competitions – Keepy Uppies today!!!
The playground was a hive of activity again today as the children took part in our lunchtime competitions – Keepy Uppy Tennis Style for our Junior classes and the traditional Keepy Uppies for our Senior classes (some of which have still to compete due to swimming). Here’s a video of the younger children giving their all and a slideshow of some of the older children showing their skills.
Walk a Mile with a Smile!
It’s Wednesday now and we are half way through our Active Week already. To make sure our energy levels remain high we decided to start the day by ‘Walking a Mile with a Smile!’ Watch the video to see everyone getting their steps in, under bright blue skies this morning.
Lunchtime Competitions – Hula Hoop-a-thon and Skip-a-thon!
It wouldn’t be Active Week without our usual fun competitions at lunchtime. On Monday we had super hoopers competing in our Hula Hoop-a-thon and on Tuesday out came the super skippers to take part in our Skip-a-thon!!! We caught quite a bit of it/ on camera – go ahead and have a look!
And the fun continues tomorrow with the Keepy Uppy competition, followed by Limbo on Thursday! Watch this space!
WAKE UP SHAKE UP – It’s Active Week!!!
The atmosphere was electric as the whole school moved to the beat of our morning Wake Up Shake Up on Monday and Tuesday of this week. What a way to start the day! Check out the children’s dance moves, led by Ms. Ryan on Monday and Ms. Sinnott on Tuesday, in the video below.
Boys and girls – don’t forget to wear your funkiest footwear tomorrow for our Funky Feet Day. Mams and dads – why not join us for our morning activity tomorrow, Walk A Mile With A Smile! We’ll be in the field opposite the church stepping it out to the music. See you there!
School Tours are back!!!!!!
School tour season 2022 is upon us! Post pandemic we are SO excited to be back on tour!!!! Dates are set, buses and venues are booked and the children (and teachers!) in every class are rearing to go.
Check out the list of venues that lie ahead and watch this space for the galleries as the tours take place.
Junior infants will explore all things ‘farming’ as they head off to Kia Ora Farm.
Senior infants will go back in time as they hit our very own National Heritage Park.
1st Class will be ‘well’ looked after as they head off to ‘Wells House’ for a fun filled day.
Ahoy my mateys…2nd class are destined for Pirates Cove for an action packed day.
3rd class will head to the ‘Home of the Cats’ and venture to ‘Discovery Park’ in Castlecomer
4th class are hitting the beach and the waves in our award winning beach Curracloe as the visit the ‘Surf Shack’ for the day
5th class are heading to the Capital to explore Kilmainham Jail and then head to the Zoo
6th class are ready to make their final primary school tour memories as they head to the much loved Clara Lara.
Miss Sinnott’s class are ready to explore all the fun and adventure to be had in Rosslare as one of the hot spots in the sunny south east!
Let the fun begin!!
Rising Stars Champions!
Congratulations to our Rising Stars team, proud winners for 2022. Bualadh bos do na buachaillí go léir!
Rackard League Success 2022
Congratulations to our Rackard League winners. The girls secured their victory after a nail-biting final and this year’s win made it 3 in a row for the boys!!! Well done to the winning teams and their coaches!
Sacraments 2022
Confirmation
The atmosphere was lovely on the morning of Friday 6th May as the 6th class children and their families gathered together for Confirmation 2022. The ceremony was celebrated by Fr. Aodhán and he was delighted to welcome back Fr. O’Reilly and Fr. Lorenzo on this very special occasion in the lives of the children. Ms. Hearne and Ms. Walsh were so very proud of the Confirmation candidates as they gave their all, both in preparation for the sacrament and on the day itself. This year saw the return of the choir, led by Ms. Sinnott, and the voices of the children in 4th and 5th classes had never sounded sweeter! Well done to all involved and huge congratulations to those confirmed on the day.
First Communion
There were many early risers in Piercestown on the morning of Saturday 14th May as the children in 2nd class were full of excitement about making their First Holy Communion. Together with Mrs. Corrigan and Lena, these First Communicants had worked so hard all year to prepare for this special sacrament, learning about what it means to be a follower of Christ, saying their prayers daily and practicing their readings and hymns before the event. On the day they made everyone proud as they processed up the church and took their places on the altar, singing sweetly for all. It was a joyful occasion and everyone there was delighted to see Fr. O’Reilly and Fr. Lorenzo return to join with Fr. Aodhán in celebrating the mass. Once again, choir was provided by Ms. Sinnott and children from 4th, 5th and 6th classes who generously gave up their time to enhance the ceremony with their beautiful singing. Congratulations to all the children who made their First Holy Communion, may God bless them and keep them safe always.
