Togher N.S.

GRANT FOR NEW EXTENSION TO THE SCHOOL

We are delighted to announce that we will receive a grant from The Department of Education & Skills to build an extension onto the school. At present, plans are being drawn up and The Board of Management hopes to apply for planning permission shortly.
We are thrilled with this great news and we know that the improved facilities at the school will be of enormous benefit to the children. It is wonderful to end a school year when we can look forward to a better future for the whole school community.

It is the end of another school year at Togher National School and now we are looking forward to a great Summer. We have all worked hard but we have enjoyed the year despite a few problems with the weather.
We are glad to report that the school tours were a great success. The younger children enjoyed an action packed day at the Lets Go Camp. The older children visited Crag Cave, The Medieval Centre in Tralee and finally had great fun in the Aquadome. Prior to our day out, the children completed all their tests and we would like to congratulate all of them for their endeavours and hard work during the year.
So now, it’s nearly time for a long rest from the school routine and freedom to enjoy the Summer. First we would like to say a fond farewell to our 6 Class. We wish you both joy and happiness in the future and all the best in Secondary School. We would like to extend a very warm welcome to those who joined us recently. We would also like to welcome those who will be joining us in the new school year. We hope you will all be very happy here in Togher National School. We would like to sincerely thank the hard working members of the Board of Management and the Parents Association committee. You make an enormous contribution and we truly appreciate your input.
We would like to thank all the parents most sincerely for all their help, voluntary work and generous contributions during the year. We especially want to thank you for your encouraging words and for the great kindness shown to all of us the staff. We truly appreciate your support.
We hope to see you all on Monday 28 June at 7.30pm when we celebrate the end of a successful year.
We wish you all a very safe, happy Summer Holiday.
Bain taitneamh as na laethanta Saoire (Enjoy the Holidays). From The Staff

Science & Maths Award
We are delighted to announce that Togher National School has been awarded the 2010 Discover Primary Science and Maths Award. During the year children in every class had to carry out hands on, practical experiments in order to develop a range of skills as well as acquiring scientific knowledge.
Maths had to be integrated into the Science lessons and we managed to do this successfully. We then submitted a file of photographs and written reports as evidence of our work to the Primary Science judging panel. We are very proud to receive this award and we placed the plaque in a very prominent place in our school hall.
Well done to all of the children, they put in a tremendous effort, and all their hard work was rewarded.

New Science Programme on R.T.E.

Congratulations to the three girls who were one of the teams chosen by R.T.E. to participate in their new science programme, ‘The Mountain’. The three girls were initially called to an audition in Cork and were one of the 24 teams out of a total of 240 chosen to make the programme.
They spent one very long day filming in Co. Louth. We believe they performed really well and we are all looking forward to seeing the programme sometime in the Autumn.

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Lifetime Lab - U.C.C.

On the 14 June, children in 4, 5 and 6 classes spent the day in Lifetime Lab. This was a great opportunity for children to develop and apply constructive thinking in scientific investigation.

HISTORY CLASSES AND THE DUNMANWAY HERITAGE CENTRE

The Dunmanway Heritage Centre invited us to participate in a local history project. The children in middle classes researched some famous people from Dunmanway. Needless to mention, many chose to write about Sam Maguire. Children in 5 & 6 classes researched. The Famine in Dunmanway during the 1840’s.
The children have now produced a little booklet based on their findings and interpretations of various events. We believe the illustrations
are outstanding and we hope the people in the Heritage Centre will like them too.
Younger children wrote about and drew their favourite places in Dunmanway. The pictures were really lovely, so well done to all the younger children. Congratulations to all the children for working so hard on this project.

HERITAGE COUNCIL

We invited Marie Brett, a heritage expert on the Bronze Age to visit the school recently. Each class had the opportunity to learn about life and art during the Bronze Age and to create pictures and designs on tin and bronze.

Physical Education

We began the school year with swimming classes. It was a joy to see all the children making huge progress and really enjoying these classes. We are glad to report that we have booked 6 swimming lessons for the next school year for all the children in the school. A letter will be sent out with the book lists for next year, giving full details of cost and times.


We played many games during the year including rounders, hockey, tag rugby, an introduction to hurling, table tennis, gaelic football and soccer. Soccer seemed to be a firm favourite at lunch time so we entered a team in the Cork Boys Soccer Blitz. The team faced some tough opposition, however everyone played well and did their very best on the day.


We spent a day at Aughaville GAA Pitch participating in the Sciath na Scol Blitz. All participating children should be very proud of themselves because they showed tremendous determination despite very tough opposition. Congratulations to all the children who participated so well in the training at school. Many of you will be playing in the future so keep up the good work.


We also invited the children from Derryclough N.S. to play two matches against us. This challenge was great fun and many children got an opportunity to play a match. A special word of thanks to the Parents who helped on the day. Everyone appreciated the sandwiches, they were delicious.
Congratulations to all the children who participated in the Table Tennis classes and competition during the year. Congratulations also to all the children who qualified for the Cork City Sports.


The cycle safety classes were very successful. Road safety and necessary precautions when cycling were emphasised throughout the classes.


Well done to all our tag rugby team. We were all delighted to hear you played so well and enjoyed the parish inter schools blitz organised by the Dunmanway Rugby Club.


Dance also played an important part of the Physical Education curriculum. All the children participated in Ceili Dancing as well as Creative Dance. It is rumoured that Ms Daly’s class love disco dancing, while Ms O’ Connell’s class love dancing in the Octopuses Garden : Senior pupils particularly enjoy the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and dancing around make believe camp fires!!!!
Basically we had great fun during Music & Physical Education classes.

READING We are all very impressed by the continued efforts the children are making to improve their reading. It is wonderful to see so many of them reading extensively and enjoying books. We hope they will continue to read during the Summer and perhaps visit the library occasionally. Thank you to all the parents for your continued support with our individual reading scheme

FRENCH CLASSES Children in middle and senior classes had the opportunity to learn some French words and simple sentences recently. A native French speaker, Marine, on work experience with the School Completion Programme in M.I.C.C. taught the classes.
The children enjoyed listening to a new language and playing French Bingo games. Role play was very much in evidence in the senior classroom as the children practised shop and restaurant scenarios. The children also studied France in Geography classes. They gathered a collection of items we import from France and enjoyed Brie cheese and crackers on our ‘France Day’.
A big thank you to the Parents who provided transport for Marine from M.I.C.C. to Togher. Thanks also to Heather for dropping her home safely after school.

Agri Awares Incredible Edibles project.

In keeping with our health promoting school ethos, we have been taking part in the Agri Awares Incredible Edibles project. We have planted potatoes, strawberries, cabbage, onions and lettuce. It is now becoming a tradition to dig the potatoes and eat them on the day of the Summer holidays. This is a real treat and the potatoes usually taste delicious. Thank you Sarah for all your help with this project. We also had a lovely display of Spring flowers in school and recently we planted some busy lizzies and pansies to brighten up the garden for Summer. The children in Ms. Daly’s class grew sunflowers and we hope all the children in that class will have nice sunflowers to admire during the long hot Summer !

Cork Footballer visits the school
We are very grateful to Mr Andrew Healy of Supervalu for sponsoring the recent visit of Noel O’ Leary. Noel answered all the children’s questions including some difficult ones on a certain Kerry footballer. He was very gracious and signed many autographs and had great patience while we took many photographs. We think everyone enjoyed his visit. We will not write about the recent matches between Cork and Kerry, who knows Cork is still in with a chance.

Arts and Crafts News

The children have created some very nice pieces of craft and lovely pictures during the year. We certainly have some talented artists in our midst. The Johnstown Harvest Festival Committee has organised an art competition again this year. The children have entered pictures in the competition. Some children have also entered pictures for the Dunmanway Show and we believe we may have a few prize winners in both competitions.

‘WRITE UP MY STREET’
The Londis Writing
Competition

Last year we were the only school in Ireland to have 2 pieces published in the ‘Write Up My Street Book’. (We have several copies of this book in school if any parents would like to borrow it).
This year we were asked to write on ‘The People, The Place and The Pride’. We decided to enter the competition even though we thought the topic was quite challenging. However we regarded it as an opportunity to study the Geography, the Archaelogical remains and Flora and Fauna of this locality. We managed to send off a number of entries. Congratulations to all the children in 5 & 6 classes for the huge effort they put into writing for this competition. Well done to all the children for their great efforts at writing during the year. Many managed to write great stories and poems and we enjoyed reading them.

Confirmation & Holy Communion

Congratulations to the children on receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation recently. Congratulations to those also who celebrated receiving his first Holy Communion. The four of you were outstanding on your special days and we were all so proud of the way you read in the church and carried out the duties assigned to you.
A big thank you to all the children who sang in the choir on these special days. You were wonderful. Thanks also to the parents for your support.

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION NEWS

We have had another busy term in the Parents’ Association. Activities have included helping with the garden, planning for the quiz night and assisting with buying resources for the school.
This term we have contributed towards the bus for the Cork City Sports, the dancing, the GAA, equipment for the playground for the younger children and text books.
Representatives from the Parents’ Association were involved in the consultation process for writing the “Code of Behaviour” policy for the school. Also we have written letters to the Department of Education in support of our extension.

Hope you all have a fantastic Summer and best of luck for the future to sixth class.