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I hope you all enjoyed the sunshine over the bank holiday weekend – and some much needed positivity after the update from the Taoiseach on Friday. While it has been announced that school buildings will not re-open for the remainder of this academic school year, I wish to assure you that school staff and management are working harder than ever.

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6th class do not be alarmed- this is not the end! Hopefully, your parents all received our reassurance text over the weekend, and maybe some of you had read our message to you in the ‘April Newsletter’. While there is not doubt that you have been deprived of quality time together in the usual setting and the ‘normal’ milestones that 6th class reach, rest assured you will not be the forgotten class. This, myself and Ms. Hearne can promise you.

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Boys and girls, we miss you lots and wish this wasn’t so. You are ALL being so brave and doing a great job keeping each other safe by staying apart. We continue to work together as the best team that we are to get through these unprecented times. In the words of our Active Week finale ‘We’re all in this together’ and we will reunite once this is over.

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Parents, I empathise, sympathise and continue to offer words of support as we move forward. Each journey is individual, many of you continue to work, some on the frontline in very difficult situations. Each of your homes operates under different circumstances and while it can be hard for people to imagine what other people are going through, as a staff we are very aware of the difficult circumstances that many of you find yourselves in. We all have lots of questions that remain to be answered but we await further guidance. There is no doubt that additional instructions, direction will be issued from the Government and Dept of Education and Skills in terms of how schools re-open in the new school year. Until then, we genuinely mean it when we say, ONLY do ,what you CAN do. It is our JOB to meet ALL of the children when we return to face to face contact where they are in their learning and bring them to the next stage of their learning. At the moment, we are doing our best to cater for as many households as we can but understand that a ‘one fit all approach’ does not work in these times. NONE of you are failing anything right now, in fact quite the opposite. You are keeping your families safe. This chapter will go down in history books. Keep safe and in time, this too shall pass.

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Many thanks to all who completed the survey. Your feedback is important to us on this journey together. We will update you as the feedback is analysed. Don’t forget as always all of the teachers are welcoming of any feedback on their professional email addresses or you can contact me on principal@piercestownns.com

And now back to sunnier thoughts for a few minutes and the final drumroll on what was a FANTASTIC Active Week 2020! So for the last time, can you click on the drumroll……

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And the winners of the Friday lunchtime challenge of the ‘Welly throw’ beating Ms. Walsh and her girls by a long way with a distance of 21.9 metres…… was Paddy in 6th class. Good man Paddy!

The slow bicycle challenge was a REALLY tough one and huge well done to all who entered….. the winner for making the best effort to travel in a straight line as slow as they could was….Riley in 5th class for beating Bryan. Well done Riley with a time of 38.20 seconds.

There was a lot of competition for the ‘Slow Bicycle Race’ with a lot of creative entries, with many people weaving zigzag journeys to the 15 metre line, but the PARENT winner for making the best effort to travel in a straight line in the slowest time and beating Mrs. Newport was….Chloe and Jessica’s Dad Alan with 1 minute and 2 seconds! We are giving a second prize however, for the Dad who stayed on the bicycle for the looongest time a staggering 2 minutes 27 seconds and , Paddy and Abbie’s Dad, Declan Walsh!

The ‘DANCE’ award goes to the ‘O’ Mahony Family’, Gemma, Philip, Eva and Chloe for their fancy dress efforts and giving it socks attitude. Big shout out to the O ‘Mahony family! Take a bow!

A full roll of honour will appear on the blog tomorrow night with the announcement of the prizes also!!!!!Wohhhhhoooooooo!!!!

Ms. Rea is also busy getting creative with her video making skills to ensure a record of all of our efforts for our virtual Active Week 2020, are available for all to see. Watch this space as we hope to unveil her creativity as the week progresses!

Check out our blog of photos from last Friday

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Our Junior activity for the next few days is ‘Create Elmar the Elephant from a milk carton’

You will need a parent to help you with cutting the milk carton!!!!! Create Elmar from a milk carton over the next few days. I would love to see any finish entries, send them into principal@piercestownns.com

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Our Junior link for the next few days is for Junior and Senior infants and is a reading link https://www.starfall.com/h/ltr-classic/

Click into a story and read it with your mam/ dad/ brother or sister.

Our link for 1st and 2nd class is to read one of the ‘Greek Myth’s https://www.starfall.com/h/ir-greek/?sn=ela2-3 (I know 2nd class had worked hard on the Wooden Horse of Troy so that is there if you want to give that one a go!)

Our Senior Activity for the next few days is ‘ Write a Diary Entry’ on how you felt when you heard that school was closed until the end of this school year. Feel free to email it to principal@piercestownns.com

Our Senior link which can be used over the week is https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/coronavirus-comic-diary/

to create your own comic strip of living through the Coronva Virus pandemic.

Don’t forget as always, if you wish to submit, send to principal@piercestownns.com