Friday, October 26, 2012

Leckaun National School Parents' Association

Many thanks to all parents who attended our first meeting of this current term which was held recently. As I have already stated in previous correspondence, I do appreciate that we are all busy in our own day to day business but without support and attendance, it is difficult to establish new ideas and ventures.

At our meeting the following items were discussed and it was agreed to proceed as follows:

NON-UNIFORM-DATES

This is a great way to raise money to cover events throughout the school year. It is entirely up to each household as to the donation amount and all monies are most gratefully received. There are currently 35 pupils attending Leckaun NS so it would be recommended that at least 5 euro per child would be donated.

The first date for non-uniform is on Friday 26th October and it was agreed that children wear NON FANCY DRESS as the younger pupils were frightened last year.

The second date will be prior to the Christmas break and this has yet to be agreed.


HALLOWEEN PARTY

The annual Halloween party will take place in Newtownmanor Hall on Saturday 27th October from 5 – 7pm. The hall needs to be decorated on the previous evening so I would encourage parents to help out if possible. A web text will be sent out to remind parents of the time etc… Fancy dress for the party is optional but please remember that some younger children find some costumes very scary so bear this in mind.


SHOE BOX APPEAL

Leckaun NS have for the past number of years been very supportive of this venture and it is a lovely way of getting the children involved in helping others who are less well off. A leaflet is attached with all the relevant information. The boxes should be returned to the school on the morning of Wednesday 7th Nov only from where they will be collected. A fee of 3 euro per box should also be enclosed to cover transport and distribution of your box. This is all explained in the attached leaflet. A Team Hope DVD will be shown in the school to show all pupils and teachers the joy and happiness of receiving a Christmas present.

PANTO – HAWKSWELL THEATRE

Many thanks to Fidelma Loughlin who kindly queued for tickets and managed to secure same for the matinee performance on Sunday 9th December @ 3pm. Individual tickets were not issued but rows C-F were block booked so it would be advisable to arrive earlier to secure seats. I have attached a photo copy of the ticket with this news letter. I hope everyone enjoys this years panto as it is truly a happy occasion for both parents and children.

NEW YEAR CALENDAR

Our venture this year is to produce a calendar for 2013. This proved to be very successful last year and something we should all be proud of. We live in a beautiful part of the west coast of Ireland so this will be the theme for the calendar. The children are currently practicing their Monet skills and I would hope to have artwork to the printers during the Halloween break. Thank you to Gerard Reilly and Ms. Gilmartin for their support and encouragement in this task. Depending on costs, it is hoped to sell the A4
Calendar for €10 to all parents through the school with the remainder being sold at the church gate. I would welcome any help in terms of scanning, proof reading etc… before it goes to the printer.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Parents' Association

Non-uniform day this Friday 26th October. All donations gratefully received. Halloween party will take place in Newtownmanor Hall between 5-7pm on Saturday 27th October.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

National Tree Day 2012

National Tree Day Quiz 2012

1.What do we call the outer covering of a tree?

2.Cricket bats are made from the wood of what tree ?

3.Hurling or iománaíocht  is often called “clash of the…..”

4.Yew trees were grown to make what weapon in the middle ages?

5.Black piano keys are made from this dark hardwood?

6.The world’s largest tree is called the Giant Californian Redwood or…..?

7.Haws are the fruit of the white-thorn.What do we call the fruit of Blackthorn?

8.What edible nut grows on trees in North Leitrim?
Answers.
1.Bark
2.Willow
3.Ash
4.Longbows
5.Ebony
6.Sequoia
7.Sloes
8.Hazelnuts

Visit the Tree Day website by clicking here.

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Upper and Lower Case Letters

We are working on letter formation. It is important to remember where each letter is on the line. We use 'Ground, Grass, Sky' to help us remember where to put our letters. This is part of Jolly Grammar work in 1st and 2nd class.

Monday, October 08, 2012

Swallow's Nest

A pupil brought in a swallow's best today. The swallows have flown to warmer lands and the nest is empty. We can see where the mud was stuck to the wall and the nice cozy straw inside. We think the swallow is an excellent builder. Enjoy the spring/summer in the Southern Hemisphere! Click here to view more information about the barn swallow on 'Wild Journeys' by RTÉ.

The last photo is from the archives of Leckaun National School's photographs. The swallows had made their homes in the shed.

Letter Writing Homework

A yellow sheet with alphabet was sent home last week with all Junior and Senior Infants. This is to be used at home when doing letter writing. The red dot shows where to start. Only lower case 'f', 'k', 't', 'x' have a second colour dot. This is to show that the child lifts the pencil for these letters. Lower case 'i' and 'j' just need dots.
Junior Infants are learning to write their names and the guide sheet will prevent any 'bad habits' with letter formation.

Monday, October 01, 2012

Sunny Street Icecreams

Junior Infants made icecreams today in their writing lesson today. We had a vanilla icecream cone with raspberry syrup, a chocolate icecream with chocolate syrup, a double chocolate chip icecream and a 99 flake cone. It was a tasty lesson.