< Previous© December 2020 The Meath Coaster 30 Loreto Balbriggan D espite stringent Covid restrictions the spirit of energy and enthusiasm pre- vails in Loreto Balbriggan. The students have been exemplary in following guide- lines and supporting the school in all ef- forts to keep them safe. While it means eating outdoors, sitting in very well ven- tilated classrooms and always wearing a mask it does ensure that the school is safe for all. Most students agree that they are glad to be back in the structure and order that the school provides and are working hard in class. Christmas exams for all except 4 th years were held in November. Beyond the hard work in the classroom the teachers, as ever, continue, where they can, to pro- vide that broad Loreto educational experi- ence despite restrictions. The BT young scientist exhibition is going virtual this year and the school entered sev- en projects. All seven were accepted which is a considerable achievement. We wish them all the best in January. The school celebrated science week with an interesting array of class projects and quizzes. Some of these projects are pictured here. Two students through to the final of Junk Kouture in March at last will have their moment at the virtual final this month. Transition years have recently enjoyed Jiu-Jitsu and Taekwondo workshops. They also created ceramic Christmas dec- Science week experiments Science week experiments© December 2020 The Meath Coaster 31 tal health in young people and is work- ing towards the much coveted yellow flag which celebrates equality and diversity. We celebrated LGBTI+ Stand Up week with artistic displays and awareness rais- ing activities. All information relating to these initia- tives and activities are available on our website at www.loretobalbriggan.ie. § orations using their own designs. The student council is busy working with the Art Department in preparing to deco- rate the outdoor areas of the school for Christmas to provide that much needed cheer. Our annual Vincent De Paul appeal can- not go ahead due to restrictions. There will be a non-uniform Christmas Jumper day with donations in an effort to raise much needed funds for the charity. This follows the €1,800 raised by the stu- dent council for Temple Street Hospital at Halloween with a design your own mask non uniform day. The school has been awarded the Amber Flag for support and awareness of men- Christmas Decoration making workshop Initiation of our Yellow Flag programme Celebration of LGBTI+ week© December 2020 The Meath Coaster 32 Bunscoil Buachaillí Réalt na Mara The Sword and Poppy T he boys in Donacarney school have been working on a variety of projects in their first term. All of the senior classes worked on aspects of World War One and we were particularly delighted to see one of the commemorative poppies from the 2014 exhibition at the Tower of London. Thousands of these ceramic poppies were used to create the Bloodswept Land and Seas of Blood exhibition. Google Classroom and See Saw Google Classroom and SeeSaw platforms are in operation throughout the boys school now and have proved very useful for project work too as the boys in the Third Class discovered when they pre- sented their photos for their projects on Autumn in My Locality. Junior Infants Photography Session Junior Infants had their photos profession- ally taken and are looking forward to see- ing the finished results in December. They are really settled in to their new routines now are used to regular hand sanitizing and washing and masked staff. Artist Paul Cummins made this Commemorative Poppy for the exhibition in 2014 Here’s one doggie who clearly enjoys the Autumn season!© December 2020 The Meath Coaster 33 Something we never imagined this time last year! There is also a big emphasis on kindness throughout the school, and the Junior In- Autumn colour brightening our days in Donacarney! fants have already started filling the kind- ness jars in their classrooms with all of their kind deeds.© December 2020 The Meath Coaster 34 Fourth class are getting in the spirit of Christmas with their drama Yo! Ho! Ho! A Pirates’ Christmas. In keeping with the pandemic spirit of the season they are re- cording it in segments so that it can be viewed at home. Our outdoor classroom has been invalu- able this year for allowing us to take les- sons outdoors. Welcome Fr Joseph! And here’s another outdoor class! This time with Fr Joseph! Our boys were delighted to meet the school chaplain again He was equally de- lighted to catch up with our Communion and Confirmation classes. And so it is Christmas! In keeping with the local trend we put up our Christmas decorations a week early this year. The children have been through such a lot of worry but have handled the new routines and expectations of this term really well. It’s important for them-and in- deed for us all-to have some celebrations to look forward to. Admissions Anyone wishing to enrol their son in Jun- ior Infants 2021 may email a complete the enrolment form on www.donacarney- school.ie or enquire from office@don- acarneyschool.ie . © December 2020 The Meath Coaster 35 Life Assurance Pensions Income Protection Investments Financial Planning Drumgoole Financial Services is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland Oran Drumgoole QFA Phone 087 668 6624 Office 041 981 2080 oran@drumgoolebrokerage.ie www.drumgoolebrokerage.ie Money Skills for Kids. W e recently decided it was time for our 3 young boys to learn the value of money and the importance of manag- ing it. This was motivated by a need for them to understand how money is earned but also to start giving them small respon- sibilities in our home and life skills for the future. We work so hard to ensure our children develop good manners, confidence, em- pathy along with many other important personal traits. Earning pocket money and taking care of it can teach a child to be- come independent and to make decisions for themselves. A few ways to get them started… 1. An opportunity to earn pocket money Decide on a list of chores they can com- plete depending on their age. Pick a day and time to complete the weekly chores but also include some simple daily tasks to be completed e.g. Clearing the table af- ter eating, emptying/filling dishwasher or washing dishes, putting rubbish into the bins. Agree on how much pocket money they can earn and a day that they will re- ceive it each week. 2. Set a budget... save vs spend This will help them to understand the re- wards of saving and being able to budget perhaps for something they would really like to buy in the future. Decide where they will store their pocket money and set out some goals using two separate pots. • Spending Pot: Perhaps they would like to spend a fraction of their pock- et money each week on something small, so help them to decide on an amount for this pot. • Savings Pot: They may decide to save for something they would like to buy at some stage in the future or to maybe have spending money for holi- days or a day out. If they have a goal amount, see if they can work out how much and how long they may need to save to get to that goal. 3. Open a savings account A savings account can be ideal for older children. It can help familiarise them with different financial terms used such as de- posits, withdrawals, interest. It also brings a satisfaction if they can see their savings figure increase each week. Another option is to set up a Revolut junior account where you can transfer pocket money to their on- line account, and they can use a prepaid card. This would be handy now with the preference of contactless payments. They can also use the junior app to view their account balance, while parents have full control of the account. Wishing good health and a very Merry Christmas to all readers of the Meath Coaster from Carol and Oran in Drumgoole Financial Services. §© December 2020 The Meath Coaster 36 The Stamullen Roundup By Grace Tierney H appy Christmas! It will be a strange one alright but I’m wishing you a happy and healthy festive season and even as I’m writing this I know plenty of Stamullen houses are already decorated and ready for a bit of fun with the Toy Show. Fingers crossed that by the time you read this, our case numbers and re- strictions will be fewer. Congratulations to Gormanston farmer, journalist, and presenter of “Ear to the Ground” Darragh McCullough whose new book for kids “The Great Irish Farm Book” won the (Junior) Children’s Book of the Year award at the An Post Irish Book Awards. It’s a fun hardback read for tractor-obsessed kids and is available in bookshops nationwide or at the farm shop in Gormanston. My books about the history of words are available too, I’m busy posting out signed copies at the moment for Christmas gifts. All the details are here https://wordfool- ery.wordpress.com/my-books/ Another local woman carving out a niche is Mary, the creator of bright, cheerful gi- ant mushrooms to place in your garden, especially if you want to encourage fairies to visit. You can see some of her work in the fairy garden just up from Gormanston Woods Nursing Home. You can order them from her by ringing 086-3857774. Speaking of gardens, green-fingered (or wannabe green-fingered) Stamullen gar- deners should check out the new Face- book group dedicated to all things green and growing. Anybody with an interest in plants is welcome and the group is full of advice which is sure to be local and useful, along with some stunning photographs of © December 2020 The Meath Coaster 37 local gardens. Even now, while most of our gardens are dormant, there’s plenty of inspiration to be had for springtime plans and planting. https://www.facebook.com/ groups/stamullengardening Stamullen Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic is now offering online consulta- tions via video-call from the comforts of your own home.Video calls can be done via PhysiApp (like FaceTime). Down- loading the app and setting up your profile is simple and allows for assessment, ex- ercise selection and demonstration to get you on the road to recovery. Book an ap- pointment by calling 01-6870302. It’s been great to meet so many Stamullen villagers out and about walking in recent months but as winter closes in this may not suit everybody. The St. Pat’s GAA Healthy Club officer, Linda, has devised a Chair Fit programme to help those at home to keep active. All you need is a chair! You can check the video here htt- ps://youtu.be/_L6LuNHtG9Y The Community Alert Group facebook page has a lovely initiative on the go at the moment (deadline 15 th of December) start- ed by Michelle Smith. The idea is to make a care package for residents in Gormanston Woods Nursing Home containing, for ex- ample, chocolate, sweets, wool, notebooks, fluffy socks, toiletries. With visits limited for most of this year, a cheerful gift will be most welcome this Christmas. Christmas will be a little different in our locals schools this year too. Although the Transition Year students in Gormanston College have already begun painting fes- tive scenes on the windows and crafting Christmas wreaths from local foliage. They’re certainly brightening up the place as they decorated for Movember too. Important Reminder - Stamullen CA Vol- unteer Group is still available to do de- liveries for those who are restricting their movements (due to medical issues, wait- ing on test results, or because they have tested positive, etc). You can contact them on facebook, via the chemist and butch- ers, or ring 0876355519. ** Please note that changes to public health Covid 19 restrictions on indoor meeting may affect these events. Check with organisers if you have concerns. Got Stamullen news? Send it to Grace (087- 9074145) or grace@meathcoaster.com STAMULLEN CABS LOCAL TAXI AND MINIBUS service for Stamullen, Gormanston & Julianstown CALL 01 8417618 089 2364236 www.stamullencabs.ie WHEELCHAIR TAXI AVAILABLE • DUBLIN AIRPORT (24HR) • TRAIN & BUS STATIONS • HOSPITALS & ALL APPOINTMENTS© December 2020 The Meath Coaster 38 Christmas in Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh Christmas Greetings from the Principal W hat a year it has been! On behalf of myself and staff, I wish everyone in our school community a happy and safe Christmas. These continue to be chal- lenging times for all of us and we hope that the Christmas holiday is a time of rest and recuperation for you and your fami- lies. We are thinking especially of those of you in our school community who may have loved ones who are unwell, or who have lost loved ones this year - may they rest in peace. My thanks to our wonderful Staff, who have worked so hard this term in very ex- traordinary times to keep our children safe and well, in addition to providing them with an excellent education. Our Board of Management and Parents Association de- serve our special thanks for their support of our School Community. The priority for the School Community has been very much the Wellbeing of each Pupil and their family. We have remained healthy and well and stayed positive throughout Term 1. A Happy New Year to everyone in our School Community! School Christmas Holiday: School closes at 12.10pm on Tuesday, 22 nd of December and re-opens on Wednesday, 6 th January 2021. Enrolment for September 2021 – now open: Parents and Guardians of 2 nd class chil- dren in Scoil Oilibheir Naofa, and oth- ers wishing to enrol their children in our school for 3 rd Class in September 2021, please note that we are now ac- cepting applications. Please see our school website – www.ssnlaytown.ie - where you can view and download our Admission Notice, Admission Policy, and the Application for Admission Form. The deadline for receipt of completed ap- plications is Friday, 8 th January 2021. Parents Association non-Uniform Day. The Pupils and indeed some of the Staff! - had great fun dressing up for our Hal- loween Non-Uniform Day. The school was over-run with angels, witches, super- heroes and scary ghosts – well done eve- ryone! Thank you to our PA - €218.80 was raised through this initiative. Reminder to Parents – It’s colder and darker out there! Please ensure your children have coats and jackets with them every day, so that © December 2020 The Meath Coaster 39 we can ensure the children get fresh air during play time, even if the weather is cold. Please also ensure that they have re- flective stickers on school bags and cloth- ing to make them more visible in dull weather and darker mornings. Festive Artwork by the children in Ré- altaí and Loinnir? Our children in ASD classes have been working hard to produce some fabulous artworks for the festive season! See lots of artwork in the digital edition at www.meathcoaster.com/library Good Good News! Our very creative 5 th class students have been buzzing with excitement this week producing the first edition of "The Good Good News Paper". The 5 th class children were asked to find good news stories; ei- ther in the media, their locality or to share their own good news. The result is a bril- liant 6 page compilation crammed full of Good News in the form of articles, jokes, reviews and artwork, "written by kids, for kids". With the first edition hot off the press, the students are already planning their contributions for the next edition. Maith Thú 5 th Class! Our 6 th class pupils thoroughly enjoyed learning about the Civil Rights Movement this term and were fascinated by the life stories of Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. The children worked on individual projects on this topic on Google Class- room which they enjoyed presenting to their classes and Ms D’Arcy’s class also completed a beautiful collaborative por- trait of Martin Luther King. § Ms D'Arcy Martin Luther King Collaborative Art Ms Sheridan Toy Show bags Next >