Burnchurch National School Newsletter
Summer 2014
The Our World Irish Aid Awards
This year, 3rd to 6th class took part in the Our World
Irish Aid Awards. We worked hard on our project
which consisted of research books, writing a rap and
a huge poster. We learned lots about developing
countries and the MDG’s.
From over 1000 entries, we were one of 12 schools
selected to reach the Regional Final in the Triskle
Art Centre in Cork. Caoimhe Doyle, Maisie Jameson
and Ali MacIver were chosen to go to Cork to collect
the award on the 22nd of May. On the day, three
schools were selected to go on to the National Finals
of the awards in Dublin Castle! We were thrilled that
Burnchurch was one of the three lucky schools to be
selected.
On the 17th of June all of the children from 3 rd to 6th
Class went to Dublin Castle to collect the award at
the National Finals. We got a nice trophy and medals
for everyone. we had a brilliant time.
By Caoimhe Doyle
Children from Burnchurch take to the stage in
Dublin Castle to perform their rap,
”A Better Future for All The World’s Children”
Check out our website;
burnchurchns.scoilnet.ie
School Buddies 2013-2014→→→→
Brian, Jason, Eugene, Maisie and Niamh hard
at work planting our Vegetable Bed.
Fifth Green Flag; Biodiversity
We commenced our school year by setting
goals to achieve our fifth Green Flag;
Biodiversity. .
Goal 1. Raising Awareness. Get to know about
the diversity of life around us.
Goal 2. Enhancing Biodiversity in the school.
Create new habitats.
Thanks to all our hard work this year we are
well on our way towards achieving our goals.
We have increased biodiversity in the school
grounds by planting bulbs, vegetables and
flowers and by putting up bird, bee and bat
boxes . We know a lot more about the flora
and fauna in our locality. By Niamh Homan
Sporting Activities
This year’s Sports Programme has once again been a
great success. We participated in many different
sports and competitions.
1. We kicked the school year off with a number of
soccer training sessions with our coaches from
Tramore Tommy, Johnny and Decky who returned again
after Easter.
2. Olivia Mahony, Caoimhe Doyle, Susan Breen and
Emma Cahill made up our team of four for our Primary
Inter-schools’ Show Jumping Team.
3. In November Olivia Mahony competed in the schools’
handball competition. She came up against Noel Dowling
who only beat her by a few points.
4. Katherine Peters returned to the school for
Gymnastics classes.
5. The Danesfort schools camogie team made up of
children from the three schools had six Burnchurch
pupils on it - Olivia Mahony, Caoimhe Doyle, Susan
Breen, Ali MacIver, Emma Cahill and Ailise Mahony
They did very well in the league but when they got to
the quarter final they suffered a harsh 1 point defeat
to Tullogher!
6. After the Easter Holidays we went into the
Watershed every Wednesday at two o’clock for
swimming lessons. The children in the top group then
participated in the Swimming Gala on Thursday the 19th
of May.They did very well.
7. On the 13th of May the children in 5th and 6th took
part in a Basketball Blitz in the Watershed against
many other country schools. They finished in second
place. A couple of weeks later, basketball coach Puff
Summers gave all the children basketball lessons to
improve their skills.
8. On Saturday 21st June Olivia Mahoney, Caoimhe
Doyle and past pupil Mairianne Mc Iver represented
Kilkenny in the Féile in Portlaoise where they won the
overall Prize. Congrats Girls!
This has been a great year for sports in Burnchurch!
By Olivia O’Mahony
We had
Fun in
School on
Pyjama
Day!
Burnchurch N.S.Basketball Team
Young players getting tips from
Johnny
Soccer stars of the future!
Skillful Gymanasts
Art Workshops.
1.
Write a Poem
Competition 2014
On Friday, May 16, 2014, 5 students from
Burnchurch N.S. Nadine Brennan, Kyle Galvin,
Louie Jamieson Eyre, Cathal Kearney and Olivia
Mahony travelled to the Watershed to collect
their prizes for the Write - A - Poem
Competition. All of the Burnchurch students
poems were of a very high quality. Cathal’s
Poem was chosen to be published in the Write
- A - Poem book of poems. The Competition was
organised by The Heritage Council and the
Kilkenny Education Centre.By Cathal Kearney.
Pottery Workshops with Finn O’Hara
After Christmas we had three workshops spread over
three weeks with potter, Finn O’Hara from Tipperary.
On the 1st day with Finn we made faces from the clay
which Finn provided. He explained how to make sure the
clay didn’t dry out while we were using it. On the second
day we made plant pot hangers. Finally, the
whole
school made three big plant pots. Finn also gave us clay
and let us make anything we chose. He brought the
planters and the big pots back to Tipperary where he
put them in the kiln to fire. We loved our time with Finn
O’Hara!
2.Artist In Residence
On the 2nd of May 2014, pupils from Burnchurch N.S.
were privileged to have the herbalist and artist, Jenny
Dunne, come to our school to help us create a Herbal.
Jenny took us on a nature walk up Anne’s Lane in Farmley
to track down wild herbs and flowers. Every pupil from
3rd to 6th class collected a box full of fascinating wild
flora. Then it was back to headquarters. We created
flower presses from two pieces of wood, sugar paper,
news paper and kitchen paper. Everybody pressed
beautiful flowers and herbs. Three weeks later Jenny
returned to our school when we opened our presses and
created pictures by carefully sticking our delicate plants
to paper. When we stood back and looked at what had
made, the result was very impressive. All of our work will
be bound in an herbal.
.By; Susan Breen
1.Busy hands
working with
clay.
rd
Peace Proms 2014
On the 3 of March 2014 Burnchurch N.S
took part in the Peace proms 2014. We
sang a variety of songs in a combined choir
with schools from around Kilkenny. We
were accompanied by the Cross Border
Youth Orchestra and directed b maestro
Gearóid Grant.. The concert took place in
the Hub, Cillín Hill. All schools taking part
enjoyed this wonderful event.
By;Ali
Mc
Iver
2.An example of
the plants
collected,
pressed and
mounted with
Artist in
Residence, Jenny
Work
Heritage
In
School
Workshop
May 9th.
School Tour
On the 12th June 2014 all of the children from
Burnchurch went on their school tour to Tramore
The Junior classes went to the Pirates’ Cove where
they had lots of fun playing mini golf and jumping on
bouncy castles. 3rd to 6th class went to Oceanic Surf
School. First we walked through the rock-pools
searching for marine life.. We learned a lot from
our guide and found 3 types of crabs. Everyone in
the school met for lunch at 12.30pm at McCarthy’s
for chips and chicken nuggets. After that we met
Tommy, Johnny and Decky and played soccer
matches on the beach. Some of the younger children
played in the sand and made cool sandcastles. It was
great fun !! Then the juniors got back on the bus and
returned to school while 3rd to 6th went surfing for
an hour. After all the excitement surfing, we got
out of the wetsuits and talked about safety at sea
with staff from Oceanics. The Best Tour Ever!
By Maisie Jamieson Eyre
Sandcastles and Surfing!
Sacraments
*Ciara, Quin, Seán, Mark,
Brionadh, Rory, Niamh and Jill
celebrated their First Communion
on June 8th in St.Michael’sChurch
Danesfort.
*Brian, Daniel, Cathal, Jason,
Eugene, Niamh,Maisie,Susan, Olivia
and Caoimhe made their
Confirmation in the Church of the
Holy Cross Cuffesgrange on 9th
February.
Our School Motto is “Reach for
the Stars”. Our Positive
Behaviour Programme encourages
Gold Star Behaviour!
Surfinf Fun!