upcoming school closures
June Bank Holiday Weekend: School closed on Tuesday 7th June
Summer Holidays: School closes on Thursday 30th June at 12.00pm
School re-opens on Wednesday 31st August 2022 for Senior Infants – 6th class and
Thursday 1st September for Junior Infants.
For full Calendar see here.
Summer Holidays: School closes on Thursday 30th June at 12.00pm
School re-opens on Wednesday 31st August 2022 for Senior Infants – 6th class and
Thursday 1st September for Junior Infants.
For full Calendar see here.
School photos
Local photographer Bernie McMorrow will come to the school on Tuesday 31st May and
Wednesday 1st June to take class photos of every class (with the exception of the 2nd
classes who will get Communion class photos on Monday 30th May). They will be available
for purchase through our online payment system for €10 each.
Wednesday 1st June to take class photos of every class (with the exception of the 2nd
classes who will get Communion class photos on Monday 30th May). They will be available
for purchase through our online payment system for €10 each.
galway mini-cycle
Some of the schools in Celbridge are taking part in the annual “Galway” mini cycle next
Friday 20th May. This is an off-shoot of the well-known Galway Cycle, and is organised by
Mr Paul Mescal from Scoil na Mainistreach. 6th class children in our school have
participated in this event for a few years and plan to do so again this year. We will cycle
from the school to Maynooth University and back again. The charity we are supporting is
Heart Children Ireland. If you see the large group, supported by the local Gardaí, on Friday
20th May, please be sure to show your support with a honk or a wave.
Friday 20th May. This is an off-shoot of the well-known Galway Cycle, and is organised by
Mr Paul Mescal from Scoil na Mainistreach. 6th class children in our school have
participated in this event for a few years and plan to do so again this year. We will cycle
from the school to Maynooth University and back again. The charity we are supporting is
Heart Children Ireland. If you see the large group, supported by the local Gardaí, on Friday
20th May, please be sure to show your support with a honk or a wave.
graduation
We are delighted to be able to organise a face-to-face Graduation Ceremony for our 6th
class children this year. We plan to hold the event, in the school, on the evening of Tuesday
28th June. Parents / Guardian of all 6th class children will be invited to attend. Further
information to follow. Thanks to the Parents’ Association for their support with this event.
class children this year. We plan to hold the event, in the school, on the evening of Tuesday
28th June. Parents / Guardian of all 6th class children will be invited to attend. Further
information to follow. Thanks to the Parents’ Association for their support with this event.
paul ryan cup
This much-loved event, in memory of our former Principal, Paul Ryan, will resume this year.
All children from 4th, 5th and 6th classes will form the teams for the GAA tournament,
representing all the counties. The teachers will manage the teams, giving them an
opportunity to show off their GAA expertise and knowledge (true in SOME cases!!). This
tournament is a wonderful, fun, inclusive event, with a good heathy element of competition,
especially in the staffroom! The play offs will take place after school every afternoon on the
green outside the school, on the week of 20th June. The semis and the final will take place
during school time the following week. We will let you know and you can come along to
support if you wish.
All children from 4th, 5th and 6th classes will form the teams for the GAA tournament,
representing all the counties. The teachers will manage the teams, giving them an
opportunity to show off their GAA expertise and knowledge (true in SOME cases!!). This
tournament is a wonderful, fun, inclusive event, with a good heathy element of competition,
especially in the staffroom! The play offs will take place after school every afternoon on the
green outside the school, on the week of 20th June. The semis and the final will take place
during school time the following week. We will let you know and you can come along to
support if you wish.
road safety and parent's carpark
We now have 2 safe crossings at the front of the school, one with a daily warden (Brenda,
our lollipop lady) and the other with pedestrian lights. Children should not be crossing the
road at Castle Village and Thornhill Meadows. They should continue walking to the shop
across the road from the school, and cross with the lollipop lady. We ask parents to remind
children that they should only cross the road at a safe point, and we will also issue regular
reminders.
Our new Bike Park area is working really well, and we will continue to encourage as many
children as possible to cycle, scoot or walk to school every day. Please continue to exercise
extreme caution in the small car park to the front of the bikes. Children are getting out of
cars, so please take particular care when reversing. Thanks for your support with this.
our lollipop lady) and the other with pedestrian lights. Children should not be crossing the
road at Castle Village and Thornhill Meadows. They should continue walking to the shop
across the road from the school, and cross with the lollipop lady. We ask parents to remind
children that they should only cross the road at a safe point, and we will also issue regular
reminders.
Our new Bike Park area is working really well, and we will continue to encourage as many
children as possible to cycle, scoot or walk to school every day. Please continue to exercise
extreme caution in the small car park to the front of the bikes. Children are getting out of
cars, so please take particular care when reversing. Thanks for your support with this.
medication
Remember to inform the Deputy Principal, Ms Jenny Corr (jcorr@scoilmochua.com) and
class teacher if your child may require medication in school. Children with asthma should
have inhalers with them.
class teacher if your child may require medication in school. Children with asthma should
have inhalers with them.
uniforms
hen the weather is hot, we want the children to be comfortable in school. The children are allowed to wear shorts to school, but to safeguard the integrity of the uniform, we would ask that the children wear grey shorts, of a respectable length. Don’t forget, cutting an old pair of tracksuit bottoms is a perfectly acceptable option. Gentle reminders will be issued to the children to encourage adherence to our uniform policy. Thanks for your support.
Regarding the uniform for next year, we will continue with the current policy of allowing children to wear the tracksuit every day if they wish to do so. While we are certainly moving into a post-pandemic world, and would hope that we have seen the end of having to open classroom windows in the depths of winter, it may be wise to wait for one more winter before making any promises. So if you do not wish to purchase a uniform as well as a tracksuit for September, that is fine. See our school website for details on purchasing the uniform/tracksuit.
The PA operate a uniform “Swap Shop” in the foyer of the school on the first Wednesday of every month, from 1.40pm - 2.40pm. You can drop in and pick up a pre-owned item of uniform for free. These items of uniform are in good condition, and it is an ideal way to replace torn or worn items of uniform, or picking up spare items that are alway handy to have.
The PA has a large selection of almost-new Junior Infant uniforms which would be perfect for the new infants getting ready to join us in September. If you would like to pick up some items, free of charge, the Parents’ Association will be in the school foyer on the evening of Wednesday 25th May from 7.30 – 8.30pm. All incoming Junior Infant parents are invited to drop in to see if there is anything suitable to take away. K-Sport will also be in the school on the day of the meet-and-greet, Friday 27th May, for any new items you wish to purchase. We will send out a separate notification to our new parents regarding this.
A huge thanks to our wonderful PA for organising all of this.
Regarding the uniform for next year, we will continue with the current policy of allowing children to wear the tracksuit every day if they wish to do so. While we are certainly moving into a post-pandemic world, and would hope that we have seen the end of having to open classroom windows in the depths of winter, it may be wise to wait for one more winter before making any promises. So if you do not wish to purchase a uniform as well as a tracksuit for September, that is fine. See our school website for details on purchasing the uniform/tracksuit.
The PA operate a uniform “Swap Shop” in the foyer of the school on the first Wednesday of every month, from 1.40pm - 2.40pm. You can drop in and pick up a pre-owned item of uniform for free. These items of uniform are in good condition, and it is an ideal way to replace torn or worn items of uniform, or picking up spare items that are alway handy to have.
The PA has a large selection of almost-new Junior Infant uniforms which would be perfect for the new infants getting ready to join us in September. If you would like to pick up some items, free of charge, the Parents’ Association will be in the school foyer on the evening of Wednesday 25th May from 7.30 – 8.30pm. All incoming Junior Infant parents are invited to drop in to see if there is anything suitable to take away. K-Sport will also be in the school on the day of the meet-and-greet, Friday 27th May, for any new items you wish to purchase. We will send out a separate notification to our new parents regarding this.
A huge thanks to our wonderful PA for organising all of this.
Ian daly walk-a-mile-with-a-smile
This year, like last year, we are organising a 'Scoil Mochua Walk a Mile with a Smile' in support of the wonderful charity which raises funds for Barretstown and Crumlin Hospital. 2nd to 6th classes will take part in the walk during school time, in the month of June.
The plan is that each stream will walk to Castletown House and back (3km). The classes will participate in Maths Trails organised by Castletown House when they arrive (6th will enjoy a tour of the house instead), and, weather permitting, will enjoy lunch al fresco before returning to school. All children will be encouraged to wear blue on the day of the walk as this is the charity's colour. Class teachers will be in touch to let you know when the walks are taking place as they are spread throughout the busy month of June.
To support Barretstown and Crumlin Hospital, we would appreciate any donation, large or small, on the day of the walk. The class teachers will have buckets in each classroom and the children can drop their donations into the bucket. All proceeds will go to the Ian Daly Swim-a-Mile charity, a cause that is very dear to our hearts in Scoil Mochua. Ian Daly was a 5th class pupil in Scoil Mochua in 2003 when he died from a brain tumour. His family pledged to keep his name and his memory alive with this annual event. See www.swimamile.ie for
more details on this annual event, and to read about Ian’s short but courageous life. Your support for this event is very much appreciated.
The plan is that each stream will walk to Castletown House and back (3km). The classes will participate in Maths Trails organised by Castletown House when they arrive (6th will enjoy a tour of the house instead), and, weather permitting, will enjoy lunch al fresco before returning to school. All children will be encouraged to wear blue on the day of the walk as this is the charity's colour. Class teachers will be in touch to let you know when the walks are taking place as they are spread throughout the busy month of June.
To support Barretstown and Crumlin Hospital, we would appreciate any donation, large or small, on the day of the walk. The class teachers will have buckets in each classroom and the children can drop their donations into the bucket. All proceeds will go to the Ian Daly Swim-a-Mile charity, a cause that is very dear to our hearts in Scoil Mochua. Ian Daly was a 5th class pupil in Scoil Mochua in 2003 when he died from a brain tumour. His family pledged to keep his name and his memory alive with this annual event. See www.swimamile.ie for
more details on this annual event, and to read about Ian’s short but courageous life. Your support for this event is very much appreciated.
Incoming Junior Infants Meet-and-Greet
Our new Junior Infants for September 2022 are invited to visit their classrooms and meet their teachers on the afternoon of Friday 27th May. These invitations will issue soon. Our current Junior Infants in Oak, Ash, Willow and Hazel will go home at 12pm that day to facilitate this meeting.
communion
We wish our 2nd class children all the best for their special day on May 28th when they will receive their First Holy Communion. They are very busy preparing for the Sacrament with their teachers, and we are very much looking forward to celebrating with them on the day. They will continue the celebrations in school on Monday 30th May when all 2nd class children (regardless of whether they have made Communion) are invited to come in dressed up, with a party organised by the PA, fun activities in the classrooms, professional photographs and maybe a few fashion parades!
families leaving the school
If you are moving away in the coming months and your child will not be returning to us in September, please let the office know by emailing Eileen or Siobhan at info@scoilmochua.com as we have parents anxiously awaiting places for their children in many of our classes.
book lists
Book lists, including information on book rental and school charges, will be emailed to all parents on Tuesday
24th May. Both Maynooth Bookshop and The Learning Lab in Celbridge stock all of our school books.
The School Charges are due by Friday 10th June. You can pay in instalments if you wish – to do this, just enter the amount you wish to pay and then the balance will update. If you need more time to pay, please contact the office in confidence.
24th May. Both Maynooth Bookshop and The Learning Lab in Celbridge stock all of our school books.
The School Charges are due by Friday 10th June. You can pay in instalments if you wish – to do this, just enter the amount you wish to pay and then the balance will update. If you need more time to pay, please contact the office in confidence.
Parents' association donation
Many thanks to the PA who kindly donated €5000 to us to be spent on yard improvements. We have already painted games on the Infant yard, and the basketball courts have been repainted. Last year the PA purchased 6 beautiful coloured picnic benches for the children. They are a huge hit, and we have decided to spend the €5000 on more outdoor picnic tables, benches and seating areas. This will allow for chill out time on the yard for those who wish to sit and chat as well as outdoor lessons and reading time in the good weather. We hope to take delivery of the new furniture during the summer, all ready for outdoor fun in September. Many thanks to the PA, and to all the parents, for your generosity and support.
school garden
We are so lucky to have a wonderful School Gardener, Tom. This year he is working with the 3rd and 4th classes. They meet him in the school garden every week, and learn about plants, flowers, how to grow fruit and vegetables, composting, biodiversity… Each class has a raised bed, and they have planted a selection of veg, fruit and flowers. They are nurturing these, and they will be ready for harvesting before the summer holidays. This is education at its best. The children ask lots of questions, and Tom’s level of knowledge, as well as his passion, is truly inspiring. We also have a polytunnel with lots of interesting fruit and veg growing in it. The children, and teachers, are thoroughly enjoying their lessons with Tom, and are learning so much.
Many thanks to Tom.
Many thanks to Tom.
busy classrooms
This is a very busy time of year in the school. Here is a flavour of the variety of things going on around the school:
● The Eco Comittee continue with their great work, and the recent Battery Drive was a big success. One of our Resource Rooms is filled with boxes of batteries awaiting collection. Well done to all involved.
● We have Energy and Climate Workshops coming up for some of our classes;
● Some of our senior classes engaged with Kildare County Council (KCC) on a survey regarding facilities for young people in Celbridge (KCC’s feedback was that the children were a joy to work with);
● Most classes will be engaging with the Maths Trails in the grounds of Castletown House;
● Fantastic STEM projects are taking place around the school with boat races involving magnetic fields, and rockets just some of the wonders being explored;
● Some of our senior pupils are working on local history projects and our former principal and local historian, Tony Doohan, came in to share his knowledge and wisdom, and to encourage and motivate our young historians;
● Our first ever Well-Being Week was a huge success throughout the school. Al classes engaged in various activities designed to promote well-being, happiness and resilience. We also enjoyed ice-creams on the Friday!
● Lots of classes are planning a class play, so we are looking forward to lots of drama and music in the coming weeks;
● Our Junior and Senior Infants engaged in a collaborative colouring project thanks to a wonderful, very large, drawing by a very creative Junior Infant mum. Such talent (children and mum!!). The finished product is proudly on display in the Small Hall.
● The Junior Infant tadpoles provided a great learning opportunity for the little ones. They have been safely returned to their pond.
● Well done to our Senior Football teams (boys and girls) who represented the school so well at recent GAA tournaments. The boys were also the first team to travel to the GAA Club on public transport - the bus stops outside the school, and outside the GAA Club. What a great way to support the climate, as well as saving money.
● Good luck to our senior Athletic Team as they head off to the Athletics Club next week to represent the school
● Thanks to all the classes who went out on the green with the litter-pickers. It’s so important to look after our local environment.
● Wonderful artwork adorns all of our classrooms and corridor. Well done and thanks to all our talented artists for making the school so lovely and colourful!
● Best of luck to our Senior Hurling team who are busy training for a Blitz in the GAA Club on 26th May.
There are many more wonderful, educational and fun lessons happening each and every day in our classrooms and school environment. Many thanks to our hard-working, dedicated staff who make this all possible.
● The Eco Comittee continue with their great work, and the recent Battery Drive was a big success. One of our Resource Rooms is filled with boxes of batteries awaiting collection. Well done to all involved.
● We have Energy and Climate Workshops coming up for some of our classes;
● Some of our senior classes engaged with Kildare County Council (KCC) on a survey regarding facilities for young people in Celbridge (KCC’s feedback was that the children were a joy to work with);
● Most classes will be engaging with the Maths Trails in the grounds of Castletown House;
● Fantastic STEM projects are taking place around the school with boat races involving magnetic fields, and rockets just some of the wonders being explored;
● Some of our senior pupils are working on local history projects and our former principal and local historian, Tony Doohan, came in to share his knowledge and wisdom, and to encourage and motivate our young historians;
● Our first ever Well-Being Week was a huge success throughout the school. Al classes engaged in various activities designed to promote well-being, happiness and resilience. We also enjoyed ice-creams on the Friday!
● Lots of classes are planning a class play, so we are looking forward to lots of drama and music in the coming weeks;
● Our Junior and Senior Infants engaged in a collaborative colouring project thanks to a wonderful, very large, drawing by a very creative Junior Infant mum. Such talent (children and mum!!). The finished product is proudly on display in the Small Hall.
● The Junior Infant tadpoles provided a great learning opportunity for the little ones. They have been safely returned to their pond.
● Well done to our Senior Football teams (boys and girls) who represented the school so well at recent GAA tournaments. The boys were also the first team to travel to the GAA Club on public transport - the bus stops outside the school, and outside the GAA Club. What a great way to support the climate, as well as saving money.
● Good luck to our senior Athletic Team as they head off to the Athletics Club next week to represent the school
● Thanks to all the classes who went out on the green with the litter-pickers. It’s so important to look after our local environment.
● Wonderful artwork adorns all of our classrooms and corridor. Well done and thanks to all our talented artists for making the school so lovely and colourful!
● Best of luck to our Senior Hurling team who are busy training for a Blitz in the GAA Club on 26th May.
There are many more wonderful, educational and fun lessons happening each and every day in our classrooms and school environment. Many thanks to our hard-working, dedicated staff who make this all possible.