School self-evaluation is now an on-going process for all schools and provides an opportunity to us to look at an aspect or aspects of our teaching and learning in our school.  In previous years we have adapted the ‘Building Bridges of Comprehension’ as part of our Literacy Programme and we addressed problem-solving as an area that we were concerned about in maths.

In 2018/2019, we drew up a school improvement plan for P.E. incorporating the ‘Fundamental Movement Skills Programme’.

Our Schools Inspector visited us towards the end of the last school year and advised us on some strategies going forward.

We have found that our School Improvement Plans for Comprehension (English) and problem solving were very useful but we will be revisiting them this year to see what areas can be improved upon.  Our P.E. plan was quite detailed and we will narrow down the targets that we have set and try to reach them all over a 3-year period.

We will also replace/upgrade some of our old school policies in line with new legislation.

Brendan McGowan

Principal

03/10/2019

We would like to wish Mrs Cross all the best of health and happiness in her retirement.  You will be missed by children, staff and parents alike.  We also wish Mr Conefrey all the best in his new position of Principal at St. Mary's N.S. Drumlea.  

Mr. Conefrey's clasroom visited the Marble Arch Caves and Enniskillen Castle On April 12th, and Mr. McGowans's classroom took part in a Waterways Ireland biodiversity workshop at the canal in Ballyconnell on May 21st. More photos can be viewed in the gallery shortly.

Congratulations to Donal Corrigan, Mark Edwards, James Wetherall, Ruairí McManus, James McManus, Diarmuid McGovern, Séamus Edwards and Finn maguire who recived First Holy Communion on Saturday May 18th.

"National Autism Awareness Day” took place Tuesday, April 2^nd.  We supported C.A.P.S. (Cavan Autism Parents Support) by having a no uniform where we wore something blue and brought in €2 towards this charity.

Well done to all the children in the school who completed the "Around Ireland in 30 days" challenge, a PE initiative to improve fitness. Every morning, each child (and teacher!) completed at least 5 laps of the school building and yard which was approx. 1 km. Collectively we ran 80 kms per day which we tracked on our map of Ireland, and after 30 days we had completed a circuit of Ireland! A presentation took place in our school hall where everyone was presented with a specially commissioned medal and a treat.

Congratulation to Grace, Molly, Dylan, Anthony, Conor, Oisin and James who were confirmed on Saturday April 6th at 12.00 noon in Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Ballyconnell.

Food Dudes is a curriculum-linked healthy eating programme, developed to encourage children to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. It is based on repeated tastings of fresh fruit and vegetables, rewards and positive role models. This year we enjoyed banana, orange, apple, peppers, babycorn and carrot. We were all encouraged to bring fruit AND veg in our lunchboxes every day - Danielle led the way!

Swimming lessons in Cavan Leisure Centre took place for 2nd to 6th class pupils in February and March. Thank you to everyone for your continued support of our clothes bank which helps subsidise the transport costs.

Sincere thanks to Maggie Edwards for offering tin whistle classes for 1^st to 6^th classes in January and February, 

as part of the school's music curriculum.    

Thanks to Dylan in 5th class, who gave us all a 'working with leather' demonstration. Dylan explained how a horse saddle is constructed, showed us how to use various tools in the art of saddlery and gave a practical demonstration of stitching a pattern in leather. Not as easy as we all thought!

On Friday December 7th, 2nd to 6th classes travelled to the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin to see "The Snow Queen" pantomime.  The younger children went to Longford to see "Elfie Saves Christmas", and on their journey home, stopped off at Glenview Folk Museum near Ballinamore. 

Children from junior infants to 3rd class participated in the HSE "Looking After Your Teeth" program in the school recently. The program was produced by the Cavan/Monagan HSE Oral Health Promotion team and was run over 3 weeks as part of our SPHE program. On completion of the course, HSE dental nurse Máirín McInerney, visited the school to talk to the children and present them with their certificates. More photos in gallery section of the website.

Congratulations to the boys who won their Cumann na mBunscol final in a thrilling encounter in Breffni 3G pitch on Saturday 10th November.  Well done to our competitors and near neighbours, Greaghrahan N.S. for a very close contest. Well done to Rory Dolan, Fionán McIntyre, Finn McGovern, James Mahon, Liam Donohoe, Conor Bannon, Sam Maguire, Anthony Brady, Odhrán Kelleher, Oísín McGovern, and Aaron Farrell.

Congrats to 1st and 2nd class students on being chosen as the junior category winners for Cavan in the 'Someone Like Me' art competition organised by the Department of Justice and Equality. 

This aim of this competition was to develop children’s understanding of disabilities and to help them celebrate the aspects that make them and their classmates unique. The team painted a huge poster entitled: "My Friends include everyone. My friends include.....someone like me".

Mark and Fergal represented our school in Dublin City Hall on December 5th, where they picked up the award. More info on the project can be found in 'Classroom News'. Missing from photo: Donal, Eliot and Mark.