St. Laurence's News

March 2024:

17 March: St. Patrick's Day Parade 2024

St. Laurence's joined the the Greystones St. Patrick's Day Parade today. It was a wonderfuly morning of laughter, sunshine, singing and fun! A few snakes even made an appearance! Many thanks to everyone who participated. A great morning was had by all! Click here for some photographs from the day.

15 March: Update from St. Laurence's

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

Another jam packed fortnight has passed us by and we can all now look forward to an exciting long weekend of big rugby, soccer and GAA matches, parades and fun! Below is a snap shot of the many activities that have been going on in school over the last fortnight.

Sport:

A huge thank you to all our teachers who coached, supported, and accompanied all our sporting teams and classes to the various events over the past 2 weeks. We could not do it without them.

French Lessons: Our 5th classes have started their introductory lessons in French with the Transition Year students from St. David’s Holy Faith Secondary School. This is a great initiative that builds on our wonderful relationship with St. David’s and is a great opportunity for all involved.

Assembly: All our classes took part in a fantastic assembly today, which was prepared by Ms O’ Brien and her amazing boys and girls in 2nd Class. They taught us about the story of St. Patrick and treated us to some wonderful music on the tin whistle and some lovely singing. They really are a talented bunch.

Trócaire Visit: Our 6th classes had a visit from Trócaire this week. They learned about all the work done by Trócaire both at home and in Malawi.

Junior Infant Visitors: This week the Junior Infants had a visit from our local community Garda Maria as well as a visit from Fireman Josh and Mark. They told the children all about the important jobs that they do in the community.

Seachtain na Gaeilge: Gabhaim buíochas le Ms Berney as na himeachtaí a eagrú don tseachtain seo. A huge thank you to Ms Berney for organising all the events this week. Today the school was a sea of green, white and orange. The children took part in lots of activities this week, all based around promoting the Irish language in everyday life; treasure hunts, quizzes, dancing, story time, sport and much more. A huge thank you to all the teachers for all their hard work creating such fun activities for the children.

Geography Field Trip: The first two of our 6th classes went on a Geography trip to Glendalough this week as part of the Wicklow Mountains National Park programme. They went on a hike around Glendalough while participating in nature activities along the way. They had a super day out. A big thank you to their teachers and to Ms O’ Regan for organising and coordinating the trip.

World Book Day: Yet another fantastic World Book Day event took place last week. The sustainable theme of “Cosy up and Read” was a huge hit. A massive thank you to Ms Sinéad Uí Bhroin for her trojan work organising activities and for promoting reading in the school.

Finally, I just want to remind you about the following calendar details that are coming up:

Wishing you all a lovely long weekend.

Karen Ferguson, Deputy Principal

1 March: Update from Mrs. Ferguson

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

What a start to March! The children are all enthralled with the snow and can’t wait to get out into it. They are all hoping it will still be there when they get home but I'm afraid they may be disappointed! Below is a flavour of what has been going on over the last 2 weeks.

Addams Family: Our 6th classes went to the preview of the St. David’s musical, The Addams Family. They had a wonderful time and were delighted to see past pupils treading the boards. 

Coughlan Cup: Our boys' GAA team took part in the first round of the Coughlan Cup. They represented the school brilliantly and had a great day out at Bray Emmets. A huge thank you to Mr Dunne for organising the trip and to Ms Lyons for helping him out on the day.

Dalkey Castle: Our 4th classes were on a history outing to Dalkey Castle. They took part in the Living History Experience there and it was a wonderful opportunity for them to link their learning in the classroom to the real deal. A huge thank you to their teachers for organising the trip and especially to Ms Malone and Ms O Callaghan for navigating the bad weather today!

We would like to acknowledge the hospitality of Loreto Abbey Secondary School, Dalkey, and their Principal Mr Robert Dunne who accommodated our 2 classes that were stranded in Dalkey today. They were treated like royalty while they waited for a bus to rescue them. It really was an unexpected adventure!

St. Patrick’s Day Parade: The Google form for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is available in the Update from St. Laurence's email. If you and your child(ren) wish to walk with us in the parade, please let us know via the form before next Monday.

Special Education Needs Officer (SENO): The SENO visited the school this week. She oversees all aspects of leading, coordinating, and supporting inclusive education for children with special educational needs (SENs) within the school context. She visited our Special Classes and was full of praise for our work here in St. Laurence’s in creating an inclusive environment for all our children, particularly children with additional needs.

Sacrament of Reconciliation: The second class children will be making their First Confession on Tuesday 5 March at 5:30 pm in St. Anthony’s Church in Kilcoole. I know they have been preparing with their teachers and we send God’s blessings to them on this day.

Just a reminder to the 6th classes that Wednesday, 6 March is the last Reconciliation service for the Confirmation candidates and their family in St. Anthony’s Church in Kilcoole. This service is a general service for the confirmation candidate and their families. There are no individual confessions at this service.

Calendar 2024/2025: Please click here the school calendar for the next academic year 2024/2025.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Kind regards,

Karen Ferguson, Deputy Principal

February 2024:

2 February: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),


We have reached the beginning of Spring and the sunshine today has been so lovely to see. It was great to see so many of you this morning for Fáilte Friday. Our next Fáilte Friday will be Friday, 1 March.

Please see below some updates from school life.

German Lessons- One of our parents, who is a German teacher, has very kindly offered to give German lessons to our 6th class students. Each class will have half an hour a week of German for 8 weeks. This is a wonderful opportunity for the children to learn a new language.

Peace Proms – Our 5th class children have their big performance tomorrow night in the RDS, with the Cross Border Orchestra. We are all looking forward to a wonderful evening of song, music and dance.

Safer Internet Day - We will be celebrating Safer Internet Day in the school on Tuesday, 6 February 2024. Safer Internet Day is an EU wide initiative to promote a safer internet for all users, especially young people.

On Tuesday, 6 February and Thursday, 8 February, our 5th and 6th Class pupils will be attending workshops with Zeeko, a company specialising in educating children, parents and teachers about internet safety. Zeeko will also be presenting an Internet Safety Seminar, via Zoom, for parents of children at all levels on Tuesday, 6 February 2024 from 7pm to 8pm. Please remember to register for this webinar using the link provided via email.

Myself and Mrs. Berney look forward to seeing as many as possible on zoom that evening.

Greystones Community College – Mr. Dunne’s 6th class are taking part in an art initiative with some of the students from Greystones Community College. The children are enjoying this so much and will visit Greystones Commmunity College to complete their art work.

Special Olympian Visit by Kevin O’ Connor – We were delighted to welcome back Kevin O’ Connor to speak to our 6th classes about his wonderful achievements in the Special Olympics. Kevin is an inspiration to us all and we are so grateful to him for taking the time to speak to the students. Click here for photos.

Bank Holiday and Midterm Break – Just a reminder that the school will closed on Monday, for the bank holiday and the school will be closed from Monday, 12 February to Friday, 16 February 2023 for the midterm break.

Finally I wish you all a lovely, long weekend. I hope the sun keeps shining for us all.

Kind regards,

Ann-Marie Martin

January 2024:

24 January: Grandparents' Day

We had a lovely day celebrating Grandparents' Day in the school on Wednesday, 24 January. All grandparents were remembered through prayer and memories. It was lovely to see so many in the school and the conversation and laughter was great to hear. A huge thank you to everyone who helped out on the day. 

Click here to see some of the lovely displays decorating the school hall on the day.

January: U12 Leinster Chess Champion 2024

Huge congratulations to our Sixth Class pupil, Ihor, who was awarded the title of U12 Leinster Chess Champion at the Leinster Junior Chess Championships earlier this month. This is Ihor's second year in a row winning the title!

Well done Ihor. We are so proud of you!

19 January: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

We have just finished our first two full weeks after the Christmas holidays. The children are in great form and they have been enjoying all that school life brings.

It has been a very busy two weeks here in St. Laurence’s. Please see below some updates from school life.

Sound Therapy – Our 6th classes are enjoying sound therapy again this year. It is always so popular. It provides a great way for children to relax and unwind in their very busy lives.

Gymnastics – Last year we had a gymnastics coach visit the school for certain year groups. This year Mark is back again and is providing gymnastics coaching to Senior Infants and our 6th classes. The focus is on fundamental movement skills. The development of these skills supports children’s overall development especially their co-ordination and physical dexterity. As part of our regular Physical Education classes the teachers also focus on these very important skills.

Write a book/Scríobhleabhar – 2nd, 3rd and 6th classes are participating in this wonderful project. The children are writing their own storybooks in both English and Irish. We have some budding authors in the making!

Hurling – Our boys participated in a hurling blitz yesterday in Greystone's Community National School.  A great time was had by all. Thank you to Mr. Dunne for organising this.

Peace Proms – Our 5th class students and their teachers have been busy preparing for this wonderful concert which will take place on Saturday, 3 February in the RDS.  The children had a rehearsal the other day in the hall and their singing and dancing was superb. We are so excited for this event. What a fantastic opportunity to be able to sing with the Cross Border Orchestra!

Board of Management – Our new Board of Management held their first meeting on Tuesday evening here in the school. I am really looking forward to working with the Board and we are currently putting our vision together for the next four years. A report from each meeting will be made available to all our school community. The first report will be on the website next week.

Catholic Schools Week – Catholic Schools Week will take place all next week. The theme this year is Community of Service. There is a theme for each day of the week:

Monday:Service in Our Community of Friends

Tuesday:Service in Our School Community

Wednesday:Service in Our Family Community

Thursday:Service in Our Local Community

Friday:Service in Our Faith Community

Each day the children will focus on the different themes and the importance of the role we all play in the community.

Grandparents Day – On Wednesday, 24 January we will celebrate Grandparents Day as part of our Family Community. In my email during the week I mentioned that Grandparents are very welcome to visit the school any time from 9:30am to 11:30am. There will be time to visit the classrooms, our Sacred Space and time for the ever important tea, biscuits and chat.

Parent’s Association – I met with the PA this week and the plans have begun for the important days ahead. I know the PA will be looking for volunteers for the First Holy Communion committee and the Confirmation committee. These days are always so special for the children and lovely memories are created. We rely so much on the generosity of parents to make these days extra special. The PA are also looking for volunteers to help out with tea and coffee on Grandparents Day.  A suggestion was also made that if anyone had spare tins of biscuits left over from Christmas they could be donated to the school for this day. These can be brought directly to the office before Wednesday. I know some people have already dropped these in. Thank you all.

Parking Etiquette – As the new term begins just a reminder of parking etiquette. Please park in the designated areas only and avoid footpaths and double parking. It is so important that we are cognisant of this as so many children enter and leave the school everyday. Their safety is our number one priority.

Finally I wish you all a lovely weekend. January is flying by and Spring is on the way. In the meantime, stay cosy and warm.

Kind regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

December 2023:

RTE Mooney Santa Christmas Eve - St Laurence's Children

Children from St. Laurence's featured on this year's 'Mooney Santa' which was on RTE Radio One on Christmas Eve. This programme, along with more short pieces featuring children from St. Laurence's is available as a podcast on the RTEjr 'This is Christmas' Podcast. Click here to listen to the podcast.

15 December: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

We have come to the end of a very busy but fantastic week here in school. The Christmas plays and the Carol Service last night were all simply outstanding. We are so proud of all the children and I know they have given everyone the gift of joy this Christmas - memories to be cherished forever. I would like to say a huge thank you to the staff here for all their work and dedication in preparing the children. They go above and beyond, not just at Christmas time, but everyday to ensure the children have the best educational experience. We have one more play next week- Ms. Dawson's Junior Infant class. The children are super excited for Tuesday.

Please see below some updates from school life.

St Vincent de Paul Annual Collection - The collection this year raised over €4,000. This was a huge collection and we are so grateful to you all for you kindness and generosity. This money will help so many vulnerable families that are struggling at this time of year.

Jumper Day- Tuesday, 19 December is Christmas Jumper Day. As I mentioned before our chosen charity this year is Dogs for the Disabled. We would be very grateful if the children could bring a coin on the day. The children may wear Christmas hats, jumpers, hairbands all next week if they would like to.

Carol Singing - Some of our 5th class children visited the library today and sang some lovely Christmas songs and carols for all to hear.

Christmas Holidays - School will finish at 12pm on Friday, 22 December. I know everyone is really looking forward to the break.

Sickness - This time of the year sickness can be a worry for lots of people. If your child is unwell please keep them at home for a day or two and see how they are. If a child has a temperature they should not come to school. If a child has a vomiting bug the advice is to stay home for 48 hours. Thank you for your understanding.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and enjoy the excitement as we all now await for the arrival of Santa Claus!

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

1 December: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

We have reached December and the Christmas magic is in the air. The children have started rehearsing for their Christmas plays and the excitement is certainly building. School life is extra special this time of the year.

Please see below some updates from school life.

Finally, I wish you all a lovely weekend and I hope you all enjoy the build up to Christmas.

Kindest regards,

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

1 December: Picker Pals

Picker Pals is a litter picking initiative where each infant class, alongside their buddy class, will have the opportunity to participate throughout the school year. This is a great way for us to keep our school and local area clean. Ms. O'Neill's class and Ms. O'Regan's class have recently participated in this wonderful initiative. Read about their experience with Picker Pals by clicking here. 

November 2023:

24 November: Podcast - Raidió Scoil Lorcáin Naofa

Our four talented 5th classes have created their very own Seó Bréagán for the latest episode of Raidió Scoil Lorcáin Naofa! The episode is packed full of wonderful toy reviews, book reviews and festive music.

Well done to all the 5th classes and their teachers. You can listen to the podcast here

17 November: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

We have reached the middle of November and the last two weeks have been filled to the brim with school work and numerous activities. We are beginning to feel a little of the Christmas Spirit here as the singing of the Christmas play songs has begun.

Please see below some short updates from school life over the past two weeks:

I wish you all a lovely weekend. I might see some of you tomorrow at the turning on of the Christmas lights. I’m hoping we get to see the main man himself – Santa Claus!

Kindest regards,

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

8 November: Raising the Amber Flag

Click here to read all about the raising of the Amber Flag which took place on Friday, 27 October 2023. Congratulations to all involved!

October 2023:

27 October: Happy Halloween from Feet on Friday 🎃👻🕷️!!

It was great to see all the children (and some of the parents!) in their Halloween costumes for this morning's Feet on Friday. There was a fantastic atmosphere. Well done to all who participated!

Click here for photos.

27 October: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

What a day we had today! The children and staff were transformed into all things Halloween and a spookiness filled the school. The children enjoyed a day of Halloween games, Halloween stories, songs and dance. They also enjoyed Halloween parties and the smell of sugar filled the air! What a great way to end the first half of this school term. I’m sure there will lots of very tired faces at home this evening.

Please see below some short updates from school life over the past two weeks:

Finally, thank you all for your support and kindness this term. As I always say your children are the best and they have achieved so much this term. We are so proud of them all.

Have a lovely mid term and we look forward to seeing everyone on Monday, 6 November.

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

13 October: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),


We have reached the middle of October and the classrooms and corridors have been taken over by ghosts and ghouls and all things Halloween! The excitement for dress-up-day on 27 October is building. It has been a very busy two weeks here in school and the next two weeks before midterm will be even busier.

Please see below some updates from school life:

AGM and election of new Board of Management – Reminder of our AGM of the Board of Management which will take place on Wednesday, 18 October at 7:30pm. The two parent nominees, one father and one mother, for the new Board of Management will be elected on the night. Tea and coffee will be served from 7pm – all welcome for a little get together before the meeting. I would encourage as many parent(s)/guardian(s) to attend this very important meeting.

Parent Teacher Meetings – Our PT meetings will take place on 14th, 15th and 16th November. A more detailed email will be sent next week.

Maths Week – Maths week will take place next week. A huge thank you to Ms. Alison Murphy, Acting Assistant Principal I, for all her work organising this week. I know you have already received an email about Maths Week. There are lots of activities taking place in the school. We would love as many children as possible to participate in our Maths Eyes Competition and Lego Maths Competition.

Recycling Week – Recycling Week is next week and the children will spend some time learning about recycling with a particular focus on hunting for items that are incorrectly going in the rubbish bin and returning them to their rightful place. Ms. Louise Ryan, Acting Assistant Principal II, has lots of lovely activities planned for this week. The Student Council will hold an assembly in the hall for all class levels. If you would like to talk to your children about this at home you can find some information here. We will be using some of these resources in school too.

Amber Flag – Last June we received our first Amber Flag for Wellbeing. This flag will be launched on Friday, 27 October by our Amber Flag Committee. We are delighted that Bressie and Mark Barry, Cathaoirleach of Greystones Municipal District, will also join us to launch the flag. We are very proud of the Amber Flag Committee for achieving this and for looking after all our wellbeing here in the school.

Feet on Friday - Today we had our first FEET ON FRIDAY. Over 100 children walked from the three different locations – Centra in Delgany, LIDL, and Tesco. It was fantastic to see so many join in and what a wonderful way to start the school day. A huge thank to Yvonne O’ Neill for setting this up and for making sure we all had great fun. Thank you also to Maeve and Kate for leading the way from Delgany and LIDL. FEET ON FRIDAY will take place every Friday and everyone is welcome.

Instagram Page - A huge thank you to the PA for setting up an instagram page for the school st_laurences_ns. Definitely give them a follow if you are on instagram.

Costume Sale – Reminder our Halloween costume sale/swop will take place on Tuesday, 17 October at 1:45pm outside the main school entrance.

Jersey Day - Jersey Day has been a great success. We are busy counting the money here and the Student Council will update everyone on Monday when the money is counted. Thank you to everyone for their generous donations. 

GAA - a huge well done to our boys and girls who took part in recent hurling and football blitzes. Everyone had a great time and our GAA teams always represent the school so well

School Choir- Our school choir have been invited to sing at the turning on of the Christmas lights in Greystones this year on 18 November. More details to follow nearer the time. The choir are really looking forward to this and filling the town with the Christmas spirit.

Library Visits - Our Autism Class and our 5th classes recently visited the library. They really enjoyed their time there. Encouraging a love of reading is something we all focus on here in the school. The library is a fantastic local facility for us.

Explorers Education Programme - Mr. Conlon’s class and Ms. O’ Callaghan’s class have been accepted by The Marine Institute to their Explorers Education Programme. This will involve a classroom workshop and a Seashore Safari on South Beach in Greystones. Given our close proximity to the sea this is a wonderful opportunity to engage with a Marine Biologist and learn more about sea life that is on our doorstep.

Reading with Dogs – Just a reminder that this initiative will feature tonight on RTÉ One's Nationwide programme at 7pm. Something for us all to enjoy on a Friday evening.

As you can see school life is extremely busy. As a school we are so proud of all we can offer the children. We hope all the different activities and initiatives will offer them a broad view of education. As a staff we are constantly learning too and the enthusiasm here is something that never wanes.

I wish you and your families a lovely weekend.

Kind regards,

Ann-Marie

13 October: Feet on Friday

Today we had our first FEET ON FRIDAY. Over 100 children walked from the three different locations – Centra in Delgany, LIDL, and Tesco. It was fantastic to see so many join in and what a wonderful way to start the school day. A huge thank to Yvonne O’ Neill for setting this up and for making sure we all had great fun. Thank you also to Maeve and Kate for leading the way from Delgany and LIDL. FEET ON FRIDAY will take place every Friday and everyone is welcome. 

Click here for photos.

6 October: Christmas Plays & Carol Service 2023

Click here to see the schedule for the Christmas plays and carol service 2023. 


On Thursday 5 October, we celebrated SPAR National Tree Day. This year’s theme is ‘Nuts about Nature’ – ‘Fiáin chun Dúlra’. Sammy Squirrel’s favourite food is nuts so this year the spotlight is on the native Hazel tree. 

Hazel is a native Irish species which forms a lower tree layer in many of our deciduous woodlands. The Hazel tree is very common in Ireland. Trees grow from hazel nuts which are of course the seeds. These are collected and stored by squirrels and jays. Trees can grow naturally from nuts that are not retrieved for food. Hazel trees can grow up to 10 metres high. Hazel trees support lots of living things including squirrels and field mice. Lichens grow on the bark and branches of the Hazel tree. Over 140 species of lichens have been counted growing on Irish hazel trees. Insects love the tree too! It is a really good tree for biodiversity. 

Ms. O’ Regan’s 6th Class planted a Hazel tree in St. Laurence’s on SPAR National Tree Day. In Irish mythology, Hazel was considered to be the tree of wisdom. Let’s hope our Hazel tree continues to bring lots of wisdom and knowledge to all the boys and girls in St. Laurence’s!

Click here for more photos

September 2023:

29 September: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

We have reached the end of September and while we are seeing some tired little faces around, the children are happy, settled and enjoying all of school life. I have had many visits to the office from children showcasing their wonderful work. Their enthusiasm is fantastic to see. A huge well done to everyone!

Please see below some updates from school life.

Finally, I wish you all a lovely weekend with your wonderful children. October begins soon and we look forward to all the autumn and Halloween fun it will bring.

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

15 September: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

We have just finished our first full two weeks in school and the children have settled so well in their new classrooms. Our new Junior Infants are simply loving life and enjoying every school day.

Please see below some updates from school life in St. Laurence’s.

Finally, I just want to thank you all for the tremendous support you give the school. I also want to thank our amazing, hardworking staff who go above and beyond every day to make sure the children are so well looked after and cared for. We have had a great start to the school year and we know there will be great times ahead.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

June 2023:

29 June: 6th Class Graduation 2023

Congratulations to all the 6th Class pupils on their graduation from St. Laurence's. Two very special graduation ceremonies took place in the school garden on Thursday, 29 June to mark the occasion. We are so proud of the children and we wish them all the very best as they move on to their new schools.

Click here for photos.

23 June: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

It is hard to believe we only have one week of school left. The year has simply flown by and June has been jam packed with so many wonderful and exciting events for the children.

Please see below a short glimpse into the wonder of June.

School tours and trips – All classes have thoroughly enjoyed their school tours with so many memories made. We have also had trips to the woods, trips to the beach and walks to the playground and library. We had lots of teddy bears visit the school too for teddy bear picnics – a sheer joy to see.

6th class – Our 6th class children put on their annual school plays this week. We had four fantastic performances and the children wrote their own end of year songs, which brought a few tears to their loving families. Next Thursday they will have their Graduation Ceremony and on Friday they will be piped out of the school by our resident piper, Sean Kelly. This is a very exciting and emotional time for the 6th class students. We are immensely proud of them and all they have achieved over their years in St. Laurence’s. We will miss them and we hope they will come back to visit us over the next few years.

Staff v Students Soccer Match – This match took place today with great screams and roars of excitement. The competition was fierce but we are delighted to announce that for the fourth time in the history of the competition, the staff were victorious once again with a 1-0 win! Click here for photos.

Incoming Junior Infants – On Tuesday, 27 June we will welcome our incoming Junior Infants. We are super excited to see them all and we know they will love St. Laurence’s. We are delighted to have an extra teacher for Junior Infants, so the children will be in lovely small classes.

Parents’ Association – I want to say a huge thank you to Karl and Louise for all their work on the PA over the last two years. They have gone above and beyond to ensure all school events are organised and supported. We now have four new committee officers and I look forward to working with Vicky, Maeve, Yvonne and Laura.

Smartphone Pledge – There was an overwhelming positive response to this initiative. Thank you to everyone who responded.

German Students – We currently have 14 German students here from a college in Bavaria as part of the Erasmus programme. They have been helping in the classrooms and I know some children have even had German lessons.

Early closure – Reminder that the school will close at 12 midday on Friday 30 June for the summer holidays.

Finally, I would like to thank you for all your kindness and support over the school year. Your children are simply the best and a joy to see every day. I also want to thank and applaud the wonderful staff here in the school who are so dedicated and committed.

I hope everyone has a fantastic summer, a good rest, lots of fun and we look forward to reopening the school on Thursday, 31 August.

With every best wish,

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

15 June: St. Laurence's welcomes Stephanie Roche

On Thursday 15 June, our 6th class pupils were treated to a visit from Stephanie Roche. Stephanie gave an inspiring talk to the children about her own childhood and her journey to success. She emphasised the importance of hard work and determination. Stephanie then took the time to answer some of the fantastic questions put to her by the boys and girls. Her visit finished with some photographs which you can view here

A very big thank you to Stephanie for visiting St. Laurence's!

12 June: Write a Book Awards Ceremony

12 children from St. Laurence's were awarded Certificates of Merit and medals for their write-a-book project at a recent award ceremony in Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Killiney. Well done to all these boys and girls!

Click here for more photographs.

12 June: Author Visit

We were delighted to welcome John Patrick Green to our school on Monday 12th June. Our 2nd and 3rd classes were very excited to meet John and to listen to him speak about his books and about how he became an author. 

Click here for photos of his visit.

2 June: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

It is hard to believe we have reached June. The school year is flying by and the good weather this week has made school days brighter too, with the children enjoying so many outdoor activities. I know there is lots more fun to come.

It was lovely to see so many of you this morning for our last Fáilte Friday of this school year. The children love to show their brilliant work in all areas of the curriculum.

Please see below some updates from school life.

Annual Fundraising Day – This day last week our whole school community came together for this wonderful event. The day ran from early in the morning until late in the night. The atmosphere across the whole day was magic. On behalf of myself, the Board of Management and the staff I want to say a massive thank you to the fundraising Committee who worked tirelessly for weeks to ensure we all had a great day and that much needed funds were raised for the school. We are truly grateful to them. We are looking forward to next year already!

Smartphone Pledge – Just a reminder to complete the smartphone pledge form that was sent to everyone by the Parent’s Association this week. The form will remain open until Friday, 9 June at 3pm. To date there has been an overwhelming response. Please remember to complete a form for every child you have in the school. 

Amber Flag – We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the AMBER FLAG. This flag is given to schools who show they have excelled in the area of wellbeing. We are so proud of this achievement and I want to say a huge thank you to our Amber Flag Committee, Ms. Dawson, Ms. O’ Brien, Ms. Mc Loughlin, Jonathon and Linda for all their work on this and for helping to create a culture of wellbeing in the school where kindness is central to all we do.

Water Safety Talk – This week Water Safety Ireland came to the school and spoke to the children about water safety. We all know how much children love swimming but it so important that they are aware of staying safe while in the water. The Water Safety Team also brought a rescue boat to the school to show the children.

Assembly – We had a wonderful assembly this morning and the whole school attended. The Student Council did a fantastic job explaining their school vision to everyone. A huge part of this vision is developing a motto for our school. Next week all classes will have a chance to create a motto. The winning motto will be picked by the Student Council.

Basketball – Our 5th and 6th class basketball teams had the opportunity to play a match against Greystones Educate Together yesterday. Well done to them and their coaches Helen and Ms. Nolan.

Cumann na mBunscol – A large number of our pupils will partake in this athletics and sports event on Wednesday, 7 June in Shoreline, Greystones. They will participate with other schools from Wicklow. We wish them every success on the day.

School Tours – Our annual school tours will all start very soon. The children are super excited about these tours. They are always one of the highlights of the school year.

Vaping – Vaping is fast becoming a huge health issue for young people and is a cause of concern for us, the community and the country. Please find a letter attached from the HSE about vaping. I would ask everyone to read this and to be aware of the dangers.

Finally, I wish you all a lovely extra-long Bank Holiday weekend. Enjoy the beautiful weather and have lots of fun with your amazing children. We will see you all on Wednesday morning.

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin,

May 2023:

29 May: St Laurence's pupils participate in the National Children's Choir at the National Concert Hall

Congratulations to the twelve 5th class pupils who represented the school so beautifully at the National Children's Choir performance which took place in the National Concert Hall on Monday, 29 May 2023. Over the course of the school year the 5th class pupils learned a repertoire of 15 songs with a combination of soprano and alto parts for each song. Our pupils sang their hearts out at this wonderful event and their rehearsals were even filmed by RTE for News2day! Well done to everyone involved. We are so proud of them all! 

22 May: Droichead - 6th Class Sporting and Social Day in Éire Óg GAA Club

On Monday, 22 May 2023 our 6th class children attend a sporting and social day in Éire Óg GAA Club. 6th Class children from other local schools were also in attendance and the children were grouped according to their intended secondary school allowing them to meet with other students who will be going to the same secondary school as them. The children had a fantastic day. Many thanks to those involved in organising the day. 

20 May: Confirmation

Congratulations to all of our Sixth Class pupils who made their Confirmation in St. Anthony's Church, Kilcoole on Saturday, 20 May. It was a really special day and everyone enjoyed the celebrations back at the school. Many thanks to all involved!

19 May: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

Life has been full to the brim here in St. Laurence’s over the past two weeks. The children have been busy inside the classroom and outdoors. They are enjoying all the different activities that the summer term brings.

Please see below some updates from school life.

Finally, just a reminder if anyone would like to drop some treats for the Confirmation party they can be brought to the school tomorrow between 9am and 10am. Thanking you in advance for your support for this.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Kind regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

2023 Annual Fundraiser Day

Check out the 'Support Your School' page for details of all the events taking place for our Annual Fundraiser Day on Friday, 26 May 2023.

15 May: Winners at the Delgany Schools' Golf Cup!

Huge congratulations to the 5th and 6th class pupils who represented the school in the Delgany Schools' Golf Cup in Delgany Golf Club on Monday, 15th May. Eight of our pupils took part in the annual competition with the St. Laurence's boys team taking 1st place in the nine hole scramble and the the St. Laurence's girls coming in 2nd place in their competition. On the day the children were treated to display of golf by the pro at Delgany Golf Club, Gavin Kavanagh, followed by a delicious lunch in the club house. The day ended with the presentation of cups and medals. Many thanks to Delgany Golf Club for hosting this wonderful event. 

Well done to the St. Laurence's golfers! We are so proud of you all!

4 & 10 May: SPAR FAI Primary 5s 2023

Congratulations to the 6th class girls who participated in the LEINSTER FINAL of the SPAR FAI five-a-side competition on Wednesday, 10 May in Navan, Co. Meath

Click here to read all about the St. Laurence’s girls' journey to the Leinster Finals.

5 May: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

We were delighted to see so many of you this morning for our Fáilte Friday. The children were super excited to be able to show some of the amazing work that they are doing. Our next Fáilte Friday will be Friday, 2 June. This will be our last Fáilte Friday of this school year. The time is flying by.

Please see below some updates from school life.

Finally I wish you all a lovely weekend. Let’s hope we get some nice summer sunshine.

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

April 2023:

28 April: Earth Day

Earth Day was celebrated in the school last Friday, 21 April. Congratulations and well done to our Earth Day competition winners. Click here for a photo.

27 April: Soccer Friendly - St. Laurence's v Kilcoole Primary School

On Thursday, 27 April the 6th class boys faced local rivals Kilcoole Primary School in a soccer friendly. Click here for a full account of the match.

23 April: National Children's Choir 2023

Huge congratulations to all the 5th class pupils who participated in the National Children's Choir performance which took place in the National Basketball Arena, Tallaght on Sunday, 23 April 2023. We are so proud of them all!

Click here for photographs of this wonderful event.

21 April: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

We have just finished our first week of the third term and the sunshine has brought a summer feel to all of us here in St. Laurence’s. The children have been enjoying the chance to wear their shorts, sunglasses and sunhats! 

It has been a busy week here in school. Please find below some updates from school life.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend and I look forward to seeing our 5th class students and their families in the Basketball Arena, Tallaght, on Sunday. 

Kind regards, 

Ann-Marie Martin

Principal 

18 April: SPAR FAI Primary Schools 5s 2023

Congratulations to the 6th class girls who participated in the county final of the SPAR FAI five-a-side competition on Tuesday, 18 April in Arklow. The girls have been crowned Wicklow champions and progress to the South Leinster Finals in Bunclody. 

Click here for a detailed account of the girls' participation in the competition to date.

March 2023:

31 March: GAA - Cumann na mBunscol Girls’ Football Wicklow Times Shield

Congratulations to the 5th and 6th class girls who participated in Day 2 of the Girls’ Football Wicklow Times Shield held in Bray Emmets on Thursday 30th March. St. Laurence's claimed the Wicklow Times Shield, winning Division 1 and were runners up in Division 4. There were 24 teams participating from schools all over Wicklow. Well done to all involved!

Check out our Recent Sports Events page for photos.

30 March: Fencing Update

The 4th and 5th classes complete their fencing classes this week. They were very excited to try on the fencing masks and practise their foot placement!

28 March: Cake Sale

We had a fantastic day today at our cake sale. A huge thank you to all the wonderful bakers for the fabulous cakes and cookies. Click here to view some photographs from the day.

24 March: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

It is hard to believe that it is only a week until the Easter holidays. This term has been so busy. The children have had so many exciting opportunities over the term and they have enjoyed them all.  It is lovely to see them so engaged in their learning every school day.

Please see below some updates form school life.

Additional Teacher - We are delighted to announce that following an appeal to the Department of Education, we have been sanctioned an extra class teacher for September. This means we will be now having four small Junior Infant classes in September.

Seachtain na Gaeilge and the Parade – We had a wonderful week for Seachtain na Gaeilge. Last Friday so many of our students, parents and staff walked in the parade and represented our school so well, singing their hearts out and raising the banner for St. Laurence’s. Please click here for a video of Seachtain na Gaeilge and highlights of the parade. A huge thank you to Louise Ryan, one of our teachers, for putting this video together.

Sports – We have lots of sporting events over the last two weeks. Our hockey team played a brilliant match in their semi-final but just lost out on the day. It was a fantastic achievement to get to the Leinster Semi-finals. The boys GAA teams took part in the Coughlan Cup yesterday and represented the school so well.  Today our boys and girls football teams played in the FAI 5-Aside competition. Both the girls and boys team have progressed to the Wicklow final which will take place in Arklow.

Creative Dance – As part of our involvement with the BLAST initiative, our 4th classes have taken part in creative dance workshops this week. BLAST is an innovative Artist in Residence programme developed by the Department of Education and we are delighted to have accepted onto this programme.

Forensic Science – Our 4th classes also took part in a forensic science workshop this week, solving crimes and learning about DNA. We definitely have some detectives among our pupils!

Chicks – A huge thank you to Ms. Maguire and her Junior Infant class who brought a little bit of farm life to the school. They looked after some eggs and with care and nurture they now have some lovely chicks in their classrooms. I know lots of the classes have been to visit them. The chicks have all be named by the students. They are called Sprinkles, Honey, Chicken Licken and Fluffy. They will be moving soon to Glenroe Farm. The Junior Infants will get to visit them there later in the year.

Well-being Day – Today we celebrated Well-being Day. The Amber Flag Committee worked so hard for this day and reminded us all of the importance of looking after ourselves as well as being kind to each other.

Cake Sale -  A reminder of our cake sale on Tuesday, 28 March. We would really appreciate all donations of cakes, home-made or bought!

Digital Learning Plan – We are delighted to let you know that based on all our surveys of pupils, parents and staff our new Digital Leaning Plan is now available on our school website. It can found under the heading Our School, IT and Digital Learning and can also be viewed here.

St. David’s Transition Year Musical – Our 6th class students went to see the TY musical in St. David’s this week. It was a great show and one of our past pupils was playing the lead role.

School Photos – A reminder that school photos will take place next week. An email was sent earlier in the week with all the details.

National Children’s Choir – Our 5th class children will have their next rehearsal on Tuesday, 28 March in Ravenswell National School in Bray. We are really looking forward to the concert on Sunday, 23 April in the Basketball Arena Tallaght.

Easter Holidays – The school will close on Friday, 31 March at 12 noon for the Easter holidays.

We are so proud of all that the children have achieved this term. We are continuously amazed at their enthusiasm and interest in all areas of school life. Their energy and commitment is inspirational. They are simply the best.

I also want to thank the outstanding staff who each and every day open the world of education to the children. The staff instil a love a learning, and offer the children so many varied and wonderful opportunities to grow and learn everyday.

Finally thank you to all the parents and guardians who support the school in everything we do. We could not offer so much to the children without the involvement of the parents. It has been lovely to see so many of you participating in school events after the restrictions Covid imposed on us. Míle buíochas.


Wishing you all a lovely weekend.


Kindest regards,


Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

Seachtain na Gaeilge .mp4

17 March: St. Patrick's Day Parade 2023

St. Laurence's joined the the Greystones St. Patrick's Day Parade on Friday, 17 March 2023. The sight of all the smiling St. Laurence's pupils, parents and teachers lifted everyone's spirts on a dull day. Thanks to everyone who participated. A great morning was had by all!!

10 - 16 March: Seachtain na Gaeilge 2023

Seachtain na Gaeilge 2023 was celebrated in St. Laurence’s from 10 March to 16 March. The children had had a fantastic week celebrating the Irish language together with Irish culture and traditions. Click here to read about all the activities that took place in St. Laurence's to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge.

10 March: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

It has been a very busy two weeks here in St. Laurence’s and despite the very cold weather attendance has been very good. It was great to see St. Laurence’s transformed into a winter wonderland this morning. We even had a snowball fight! 

Please see below an update from school life.

Seachtain na Gaeilge – Seachtain na Gaeilge started this morning and our Coiste Gaeilge have been spreading a love of all things Irish across the whole school. There are a variety of activities planned for next week, concluding with our Lá Glas on Thursday 16, March. The children may wear something GLAS on the day with their school tracksuit. We hope to fill the school with a sea of green on the day.

Reading With Dogs and RTE – Today RTE and the Nationwide team visited the school to talk to us about Reading with Dogs. Paula and her dog Molly, as well as some of our wonderful students, were interviewed by RTE about this wonderful initiative which encourages and helps children to read. The children showed the reporter how much Molly loves to listen to them reading. We are so proud of them all. Mrs. Uí Bhroin, who oversees the running of this in the school, was also interviewed. Once Nationwide inform us of the date that the programme will be shown we will let you know.

Hockey – We are delighted to announce that one of our school Hockey teams is through to the Leinster Schools Hockey League Division 1 semi-final on Wednesday, 15 March. The match will be played in Loreto Beaufort. We wish them the best of the luck on the day. A huge thank you to Ms. Laoise Horgan and Ms. Laura Quinn for all their work coaching and encouraging all our hockey players this year. We are so proud of them all. Please click here to view a message from Síofra O’ Brien who is a player on the Irish Women’s Hockey Team. She has recorded a special message for our school team.

GAA – Last week the boys GAA teams had a fantastic day at the Coughlan Cup. They played extremely well and their exemplary behaviour and kindness was commented on by both parents and other coaches alike. They are through to the Coughlan Cup Final which takes place next Thursday, 23 March. We are looking forward to a great day and hoping we get to bring the cup back to St. Laurence’s!

Dalkey Castle – Our 4th classes, despite the cold wintry weather, had a wonderful historic tour of Dalkey Castle. Dalkey Castle brought history to life for the children and I know they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Library – In conjunction with World Book Day, our 5th class children went to the library and had a great day exploring and learning about all the library has to offer.

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Our 2nd class children will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Tuesday, 14 March at 7pm in St. Anthony’s Church Kilcoole. The children have been busy preparing for this special time with their teachers.

St. Patrick’s Day – We had an overwhelming response for participation in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. I will email all families, who will be taking part, on Monday with details for the day. I’m sure we will see lots of our school community out and about on the day. We will make sure to give you all a wave.

I wish you all a lovely weekend ahead. Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day and all the fun that it brings.

Le gach dea ghuí,

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

VIDEO-2023-03-08-08-49-36.mp4

2 March 2023: GAA - Coughlan Cup

Well done to the 5th and 6th class boys who took part in Day 1 of the Allianz sponsored Cumann na mBunscol Coughlan Cup last Thursday, 2nd March, in Bray Emmets GAA Grounds. 

It was a very successful outing for the two teams taking part. Congratulations to all involved!

2 March: World Book Day

St. Laurence’s celebrated World Book Day on Thursday, March 2nd. Lots of the children dressed up as a character from one of their favourite books and it was fantastic to see such creativity in all the costumes!

During World Book Day, the children participated in a variety of activities, including Teddy Bears’ Reading Picnics and Book Tastings, aimed at promoting reading for pleasure and developing a love of books. 

A thoroughly enjoyable day was had by all! Click here to see some photos from the day

2 March: Fencing

Our 4th and 5th classes thoroughly enjoyed their first fencing lesson with Fencing Ireland this week as they engaged in some preparation games and activities to learn the basic technical elements of fencing.

February 2023:

24 February: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),


We have just finished our first full week after mid-term and Spring is most definitely in the air. Lots of exciting things are happening in St. Laurence’s. Please see below some updates from school life.

Fencing Ireland – Our 4th and 5th classes have had a visit from Fencing Ireland. They will have a five week long course with weekly 40 minute sessions, during which they will get to grips both with the basic technical elements of fencing and tactical application. The children will have the opportunity to fence some matches against their classmates.

Microsoft Hour of Code – During the week one of our parents and a work colleague of his, both of whom work for Microsoft, provided an hour of coding for the 4th class children. The children got to create their own retro arcade games. As you can imagine this was extremely well received by the classes and provided the children with a new learning experience. We are very grateful to Microsoft for facilitating this. It is fantastic to open the children’s eyes to the wider world around them and to make them aware of companies such as Microsoft.

Fire Safety – During the week our 3rd class children had a visit from two firemen who spoke to them about fire safety.

National Children’s Choir – Our 5th classes visited Ravenswell School in Bray on Tuesday for their second rehearsal for their upcoming concert in the Basketball Arena. This concert will take place in April where nearly 1,000 children from Wicklow will sing a beautiful repertoire of songs.

French Lessons – Our 5th class children began their French lessons yesterday with Transition Year students from St.David’s Secondary School. We are very grateful to the students for providing this opportunity for our pupils.

HSE – Our Junior Infants had their vision and hearing checks with the HSE this week. The nurses spoke about how wonderful the children were and how happy they are. Well done to all our Junior Infant classes. They simply love school life.

Sporting Updates – Our hockey team played a match on Bray on Wednesday and they had a great victory in the Leinster League. Yesterday some of our footballers played a friendly game in St. Cronan’s in Bray. Next week the Coughlan Cup will take place and I know all our GAA players are looking forward to this.

World Book Day – World Book Day will take place on Thursday 2 March. Mrs. Uí Bhroin sent an email to all parents/guardians yesterday. The children will participate in lots of activities on the day, with a huge focus on developing a love of reading. We are all looking forward to a great day.

Fáilte Friday- Our next Fáilte Friday will take place on 3rd March. All parents/guardians are welcome to visit the classrooms from 8:50am to 9:00am. Please take the time to look at the wonderful art and written work on the corridors. I know the children are so proud of their amazing displays.

Annual Fundraising Day – Just a reminder that this will take place on Friday 26 May. Please save the date! More details will follow shortly from the fundraising committee.

Finally, I wish you all a lovely weekend. Let’s hope the sun keeps shining.

Kind regards

Ann-Marie Martin

Principal

22 February 2023: Hockey - Leinster League

Congratulations to our hockey team who won a match against Holly Park School in Bray on Wednesday, 22 February, earning themselves a spot in the semi-final of the Leinster League. Well done to all involved!

3 February: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

We have arrived at the beginning of Spring and we are all looking forward to the bank holiday weekend ahead. The last two weeks have been busy here and we have lots more events to look forward to. Please find below some updates from school life.

Fáilte Friday – We had our first Fáilte Friday today and the children were so excited to bring their parents/guardians to school! I know some parents were worried they would have to sit a Friday test! There was a lovely atmosphere around the school and we are looking forward to our next Fáilte Friday on 3 March.

Internet Safety Day – This will take place on Tuesday, 7 February. This day helps to create awareness about staying safe online. I know Mrs. Berney previously sent an email in relation to this. Communication between the school and parents is key here, as we all try to educate the children and keep them safe in an ever changing online world.

Kindness Day – This will take place on Wednesday, 8 February. The word KINDNESS is at the centre of everything we do here in St. Laurence’s. On this day we will celebrate this kindness through activities, a prayer service and song. The Amber Flag Committee, along with Ms. Dawson, Ms. O’ Brien and Ms. Mc Loughlin have been busy preparing for this day. We are all looking forward to it.

Podcast as Gaeilge – Ms. Casey and her 5th class have done a fantastic job of creating the latest episode of our 'Raidió Scoil Lorcáin Naofa' podcast, a huge well done to them all! A very big thank you also to Ms. Mc Cormack and Ms. Brophy, and their 1st class for their wonderful contribution to this month's episode. Thank you and well done to the buddies in Ms. Dawson’s Junior Infant class who also made an appearance in the latest podcast! This is well worth listening to when you have a spare few minutes. The standard of Irish is simply brilliant. You can access the podcast here.

Sound Therapy – The 6th class children are enjoying Sound Therapy sessions with Denise Hill. Sound Therapy uses sound, music and specialist instruments played in therapeutic ways, combined with deep self-reflection techniques to improve health and wellbeing. The 6th class children really benefit from this.

Grandparents’ Day – Thank you to Mrs. Ferguson for recording our Grandparents’ Day. The links to these videos were sent earlier in the week. To date over 540 people have viewed them. We have received an enormous amount of thank you cards and beautiful kind words from so many grandparents. Please can you pass on our huge thanks to them all, not just for the cards but for the wonderful love they showed their grandchildren and all of us on the day.

I hope you all have a lovely bank holiday weekend and enjoy the extra day off.

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin


Safer Internet Day 2023 - 7 February 2023

We will be celebrating Safer Internet Day in the school next Tuesday, 7 February 2023. Safer Internet Day (SID) is an EU wide initiative to promote a safer internet for all users, especially young people.


On the day, all the children from 1st to 6th Classes will be learning about how they can stay safe online. Our Digital Ambassadors, made up of 6th Class pupils in the school, will be promoting internet safety throughout the school and they will deliver an online safety lesson to the 1st and 2nd Class pupils.


We are also running two competitions in the school to mark Safer Internet Day; a colouring competition for the 1st and 2nd Classes and a poster competition for the senior pupils in the school. Please find details of the poster competition here.


In addition to learning about internet safety in school, we recommend that parents and guardians have regular, open conversations with their children to effectively support them online. A key resource for parents is the Webwise Parents Hub and their guide, ‘A Parents’ Guide to a Better Internet’, which can be found here.  Webwise have organised an Online Safety Webinar for parents of young children which will take place on Tuesday, 7 February 2023 at 8 pm and you can register for the webinar here.

 

Finally, additional tips and guides are available here on the school website and can be accessed by clicking here.


January 2023:

25 January: Grandparents' Day

Today we celebrated Grandparents' Day and over 400 people attended. It was a wonderful, joyous occasion where we celebrated and remembered all our Grandparents. Fr. Gerard attended one of the prayer services and showed a picture of his own grandmother who lived to be one hundred and one!

We are so proud of the children. The kindness and love they gave to all our visitors was greatly appreciated by all who were there. Our Student Council and our 5th and 6th class children all played a huge part throughout the busy morning. They are wonderful ambassadors for our school. 

I also want to thank our amazing staff for all they did in their classrooms to welcome our visitors. A huge thank you is also due to Margaret Martin, our outstanding caretaker Anto and the parents who so kindly gave of their time to provide refreshments this morning.

In what was truly a very emotional and joyous experience for everyone, we can certainly say Grandparents hold a very special place in all our hearts.

Kindest regards


Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

20 January: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

We have just finished our second full week after Christmas and school life is full to the brim already. We were concerned that there would be a lot of sickness given the high rates of flu and Covid but thankfully we have been very lucky and attendance has been excellent so far since we came back. We have lots of happy, healthy faces all around the school.

Please see below some updates from school life.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Kind regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

12 January: U12 Leinster Chess Champion 2023 

Huge congratulations to St. Laurence's pupil, Ihor Pinas, who was awarded the title of U12 Leinster Chess Champion at the Leinster Junior Chess Championships this week. Winning five games out of five, Ihor was awarded the tournament first place cup along with the transition cup which was presented to him by Grandmaster Alex Baburin. 

Well done Ihor! We are so proud of you!

11 January: Dáil Éireann Visit

On Wednesday, 11 January, the 6th Class pupils in Room 16 had a very exciting trip to Dublin where they visited Leinster House and the Archaeology Museum. 

On their arrival at Government Buildings the class were put in the capable hands of one of the Leinster House Ushers, Martin, who gave the children an excellent tour. He told them lots of interesting stories about the history of the building and they learned about the role of the Government. The children got an opportunity to view the Dáil Chamber from a viewing gallery above and they also visited Seanad Éireann.

Next, the children spent some time exploring the excellent Viking Exhibition in the Archaeology Museum.

It was a very interesting and enjoyable day for all involved.

December 2022:

20 December: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

We have arrived at our Christmas holidays and the children are super excited and can’t wait for Santa Claus to arrive. The elves in their classrooms have been up to all kinds of mischief and the children have had great fun checking on them every day.

The last two weeks have been filled with Christmas cheer and fun. The children were outstandingly brilliant in their Christmas plays and we are so proud of them all. Their talents shone through and they gave us all a true sense of the spirit of Christmas. Our Carol Service was a huge success. Our 6th class children and school choir sang some of our favourite Christmas Carols and reminded us all of the real meaning of Christmas. The church was full to capacity and it was so lovely to be back in St. Kilian’s Church again. We were delighted on the night to be joined by Fr. Gerard on the guitar and our very own Ms. Coleman on the flute.

Please find below some further updates from school life.

Christmas Decoration Competition – Well done to everyone who made a recycled decoration for our Christmas tree. The creativity was fantastic and the winners were announced today.

Christmas Kindness – Our Amber Flag committee did a fantastic job encouraging Christmas kindness and lots of boys and girls were praised for being so kind.

School Closure – Reminder school closes tomorrow at 12 midday for the Christmas holidays. We reopen on Thursday, 5 January 2023.

Finally, I would like to thank you all for the tremendous support you give the school. We greatly appreciate it. Your children are simply the best and they bring us so much joy and happiness each and every day. I want to sincerely thank the wonderful staff here in the school. Every one of them work so hard to make St. Laurence’s the fantastic school it is. As I finish my first year as Principal, I feel so lucky to work with such a wonderful school community. Míle buíochas.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas with your families and friends.

We also remember those who have lost loved ones in our school this year. Our thoughts and prayers will be with them.

May 2023 bring us all happiness, love and joy.

Warmest regards,

Ann-Marie Martin

Principal


9 December: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

I hope you are all well and have defrosted after the cold start this morning! Christmas fever has taken over St. Laurence’s and the children and staff are super excited for all the fun and Christmas cheer ahead. The crib and decorations are up, thanks to the wonderful staff at the school, and if I say so myself, the place is looking truly magical. 

Please find below some updates from school life.

Christmas Plays – Next week our Christmas Plays will take place. The children have been practising so hard over the past few weeks. We are looking forward to welcoming you all to the plays. The schedule of plays is available on the school website. If you are taking your child home after the play please sign your child out on the sign out sheet which will be available in the classroom. If you intend taking siblings home please come to the school office, via the front door, where a staff member will collect your child for you. You can then sign them out at the office. 

Carol Service- Our Carol Service will take place on Wednesday, 14 December at 7pm in St. Kilian’s Church, Blacklion. Our 6th class children and our school choir are looking forward to singing on the night.

St. Vincent de Paul Appeal – Many thanks to everyone for their very generous donations for this worthy cause. We raised the huge sum of €4,215. This money will help support those most in need at this time of the year.

Annual Golf Classic – At our recent AGM the fundraising committee presented a cheque for a massive €28,192 to the school. We are so grateful to the committee and the whole school community for this. It is a huge amount of money and the children will benefit greatly from it. Please click here to read more. 

Uniform Survey – Next week all children, staff and parents will receive a survey about the school uniform. The Student Council have been working very hard to put some questions together for this. They will also go around and talk to the younger classes in the school about our school uniform so that their views can also be included.

Christmas Jumper Day – It was lovely to see all the children and staff wearing Christmas jumpers today. Thank you to everyone for donating to the Gavin Glynn Foundation. We raised the sum of €932

Christmas Jumpers – The children may wear their Christmas jumpers over their school tracksuit/uniform from now until the holidays if they wish. 

Pyjama Day – We will have a pyjama day here in the school on Monday 19, December. The children may wear their pyjamas to school on the day if they wish.

Finally, I hope you all have a  lovely weekend and enjoy the build up to Christmas over the next few weeks.

Kind regards

Ann-Marie Martin


Principal


November 2022:

25 November: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

I hope you are all well. We had lots of very excited children and staff here today in anticipation of the Toy Show tonight! We are already beginning the preparation for the Christmas plays and it has been lovely to hear the wonderful singing throughout the school. Please find below some updates from school life and important information for the weeks ahead.

Finally, I hope you all have a lovely weekend and enjoy the Toy Show tonight.

Kind regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal


11 November: Important Dates

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

Please find below some important dates for the weeks ahead.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend

Kind regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

October 2022:

28 October: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

We have reached mid-term and the school today was filled with Halloween fun and games. The excitement was tangible and the children all had a fantastic day. Before we finish up for the week ahead please find some updates below.

 https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/I2Rrf43qqub

Every Friday we have Lá Gaeilge here in the school. The children are encouraged to speak Irish throughout the day and prizes are given to the best Gaeilgeoir each week.

Finally, I wish you all a lovely mid-term break. We are very proud of all the children have achieved since September and we look forward to seeing everyone again on Monday, 7 November.

Happy Halloween from everyone in St. Laurence’s.

Kind regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal


14 October: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

It is hard to believe that there are only two weeks left until the midterm break and the Halloween season has definitely arrived in St. Laurence’s with spooky displays on the corridors and classrooms decorated with all kinds of ghosts and ghouls. It has been a very busy two weeks with lots of exciting things happening and lots more to come.

Please find below some updates from school life and also some important dates for the diaries!

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Kind regards

Ann-Marie Martin

Principal

5th October: Christmas Plays & Carol Service 2022

Click here to see the schedule for the Christmas Plays 2022. Our 6th Class Carol Service date will be confirmed in due course.


September 2022:

30 September: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

I hope you are all well. As September comes to a close we can definitely say that we are all well settled back to school. The children are working so hard and achieving great things across all areas of the curriculum. As we head into October we have lots of exciting things planned.

Please find below some important updates from school life:

Finally I wish you all a lovely weekend. Thank you again for all your support.

Míle buíochas

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal


16 September: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),


It has been a very busy two weeks here in St. Laurence’s. The children have settled so well back in their classrooms and our new Junior Infants have simply been outstanding. They have taken to school life with great enthusiasm and it is so lovely to see them all bouncing into school every morning.


Teaching and learning is in full flow in all the classrooms. It has been wonderful to have children visit me in the office and show off their fantastic work. We are so proud of everyone of our students.


Please find below a few updates from school life.


Last Friday, 9 September, our 3rd and 4th classes took part in a drumming workshop which they all enjoyed and benefited from.

Children from 1st to 3rd classes have begun their tin whistle lessons. This is thanks to Niall and Music Generation and duel funded by the school. This initiative ensures that every child has the opportunity to play an instrument and enjoy the love of music. 4th,5th and 6th classes are continuing the tin whistle with their class teachers

We are delighted to announce that our 5th class students will partake in the National Children’s Choir again this year. The children learn a repertoire of songs and every 5th class child will have the opportunity to sing these songs with other schools from Wicklow. There will be a big concert towards the end of April/early May which parent(s)/guardian(s) will be invited to attend. Venue has yet to be decided. The children will sing with a full orchestra. 

Our 4th class children are visiting the library in Greystones. Today Ms. Horgan’s class and Mrs. Durkan’s enjoyed reading time in the library. Next week Mr. Conlon’s class will have their visit.

Our vast choice of After School Activities have all commenced and so many children are partaking in these. I would just like to thank so many of our wonderful staff who give of their time to ensure the children can avail of these activities.

Just a reminder to 2nd and 6th class parents that registration for First Holy Communion and Confirmation is now open via the links I previously sent or via the Parish website www.gkpastoralarea.ie

Work is due to commence for our new prefabs on Wednesday 21 September. These prefabs will consist of four full sized classrooms. After the Halloween mid term our 5th class students will move into these rooms. They will be located at the back of the black astro and will be fitted out with standard classroom resources such as interactive whiteboards, toilets and heating.

We will shortly commence the design phase for our new Special Needs Build. This will consist of three Special Needs classrooms, with a sensory room, gym and designated play area. This will be a fantastic facility for our school and also for the whole Greystones community. Going forward we will be able to offer more places to children with additional needs.

I met with the Chairperson, Karl Lawless and the Deputy Chairperson, Louise Hatton of the Parent’s Association today. Together we hope to organise lots of activities and events for the children to enjoy. We will have a PA meeting in the school soon where all class reps will be invited to attend. A huge thank you to Karl and Louise for all their work on the PA.

I just want to say a very big thank you to the boys and girls for adapting so well to the new changes to arrival time this week. The school corridors are calm and quiet and the children settle so quickly and happily to their work. If a parent is dropping more than one child to an area in the morning they may bring their children in the most convenient gate. Just a reminder that if it’s after 9am please bring your child to the office door and we will ensure they get safely to their classroom.

Finally, I just want to thank you all for the tremendous support you give the school. I also want to thank our amazing staff who go above and beyond every day to make sure the children are so well looked after and cared for. Your children are simply the best and we look forward to the weeks and months ahead.


I hope you all have a lovely weekend.


Kindest regards


Ann-Marie Martin


Principal

9 September: Drumming Workshop

On Friday the 9th of September, 3rd and 4th classes attended a drumming workshop with Neil from Drumnature. Neil arrived with a drum for each child and the children practised rhythms as well as some improvisation. The sound of African drumming could be heard all along the corridor and the children really enjoyed the experience. Click here to see some photos!

2 September: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

Just a short email to say well done to everyone for the last two days. On Thursday we welcomed 669 children to the school, including 78 Junior Infants. Your children have been fantastic and their positivity and kindness has been so lovely to see. A very special mention to our Junior Infants. They have all settled into school life and are having a ball. A special word of thanks to the staff here in the school who give so much to the children everyday. We are all so lucky.

Please see below a few short updates:

Finally thank you all for your kind words and emails during the week. We really appreciate them. I look forward to a great year with you and your children.

Have a lovely weekend and I'm sure there will be a lot of tired but happy little faces this evening.

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

2 September: After-School Activities

This week we launched the schedule of after-school activities commencing in the school in the coming weeks. This schedule includes school-run activities and activities provided by external providers. To view the timetable of activities and to find out more about registering for these activities, please click here.

August 2022:

22 August: Back to School 

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

I hope you are all well and enjoying the last of the summer holidays. We are really looking forward to the new school year in St. Laurence’s and we are excited to see all the boys and girls coming back to school and to welcoming our new Junior Infants.

School arrival time is from 8:50am to 9:00am each day. 

Junior Infants will finish at 12pm on Thursday 1st September and Friday 2ndSeptember. From Monday 5th September Junior Infants will finish school at 1:30pm each day.

Senior Infants will finish at 1:30pm each day.

First to Sixth Classes will finish at 2:30pm each day. 

Please find below some very important information for each class level regarding school arrival times and going home times.

Junior Infants:

From Thursday 1st September until Friday 9th September, inclusive, the children can be brought directly to their classrooms. At the end of the day the children can be collected from their classrooms. 

We will update you during the first school week about the changes to the drop off and collection procedures that will be in place from Monday 12th September. 

Senior Infants:

On Thursday 1st September and Friday 2nd September the children can be brought straight to their classrooms. They can be collected from their classrooms on those days. 

From Monday 5th September all senior infants should be dropped to the basketball yard from 8:50am to 9:00am. Their class teachers will meet them there and bring them to their classrooms. At 1:30pm the teachers will bring the children to the basketball yard and they can be collected from there.

First Class:

On Thursday 1st September and Friday 2nd September the children can be brought straight to their classrooms. They can be collected from the shelter yard at the end of the day. The class teacher will stay with the children until every child is collected. 

From Monday 5th September all First Class children should be dropped to the shelter yard from 8:50am to 9:00am. Their class teachers will meet them there and bring them to their classrooms every morning.  At home time the children will again be brought to the shelter yard for collection.

Second Class:

The children should be dropped to the shelter yard each morning between 8:50am and 9:00am. They will be collected by their class teachers. At home time the children will be brought to the shelter yard at 2:30pm for collection. The class teacher will wait with the children until they are collected.

Third Class:

The children should be dropped to the all-weather yard (black astro) beside the car park each morning between 8:50am and 9:00am. They will be collected by their class teachers. At home time the children will be brought to the black astro at 2:30pm for collection. The class teacher will wait with the children until they are collected.

Fourth Class:

The children should be dropped to the yard area beside the black astro each morning between 8:50am and 9:00am. They will be collected by their class teachers. At home time the children will be brought to this area for collection. 

Fifth and Sixth Class:

From 8:50am the children will enter the school by the main front door and go straight to their classrooms. The children will leave the school in the afternoons via the main door. 

On the first day all teachers who will be collecting their classes outside will have a placard with their name on it  - just in case your child doesn't know what their teacher looks like. 

We appreciate that sometimes there can be traffic delays or other circumstances where children may be late for school. If this happens please bring your child/children to the main office and someone from the office team will bring them to their classrooms.

All class teachers will be in contact with you when they return and will keep you updated on life in your child’s classroom.

Our school website www.stlaurences.ie provides a huge amount of information about the school and there are some wonderful resources there to help you support your child’s learning. 

We will issue information regarding after school activities early next week. We are delighted that we will be able to offer a wide range of activities.

Finally, I am looking forward to working with you all. Your children are the heart of the school and we will always do our best to look after them and help them to be the best they can be. If you have any concerns at any stage please contact your child’s teacher, our Deputy Principal Karen Ferguson or myself.

Let the fun begin!

Kindest regards,

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

June 2022:

24 June: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),


Just a short email to update you from a very busy week in St. Laurence's!


Fun Day - Yesterday we had a fantastic day here. We had a lovely ceremony for Mrs. Mooney to thank her and wish her well on her retirement. She was absolutely thrilled and some of our 6th class students and the Student Council prepared a beautiful ceremony. Following this we all had such fun on bouncy castles, blowing bubbles, playing drums, joining in with zumba, face painting as well as various outdoor sports. This was finished off by a lovely ice cream from the ice cream van. It was truly the best fun ever. I just want to say a huge huge thank you to the wonderful staff and parents for making this day possible. We couldn't do it without you all. One person deserves an extra special thank you. Mrs. Uí Bhroin worked tirelessly for weeks before the event to ensure that everything ran smoothly and that every child had a great day. Míle buíochas Mrs. Uí Bhroin.

School Uniform Sale - Just a reminder that our second hand uniform sale will take place on Monday 27 June at 1:45pm in the school garden.

Class splits - our 1st, 2nd and 4th classes are all being split this year. Next week each class will have an opportunity to meet their new class mates. 2nd class will meet their new 3rd class on Monday, our 1st classes will meet their new 2nd class on Tuesday and our 4th class will meet their new 5th class on Wednesday.

Junior Infants - Our new Junior Infants will visit the school on Tuesday 28 June  to meet their new classmates and their teachers. A very exciting time for them and for us!

6th Class - A big few days ahead for our 6th classes. We hope they enjoy their last few days with us. 

Finally I wish you all a lovely weekend. 


Kind regards


Ann-Marie Martin, Principal



17 June: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

I hope you are all well and enjoying the lovely summer weather.

It's hard to believe that we are heading towards the end of the school year, and even though we are beginning to see lots of tired faces around, the children are having a ball in school.

Please see below a few important notes and updates.

Enjoy the weekend and let's hope the sun keeps shining.

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal



17 June: Soccer Friendlies

Click here to read all about our recent soccer friendlies against St. Kevin's N.S. and Kilcoole N.S.. 

Over the course of four friendlies 84 students represented our school. They all played brilliantly and wore the jersey with pride. Hopefully, it has given our departing sixth class students some memories to cherish and the fifth class a taste of what is to come next year. Well done to all involved.    

3 June: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

I hope you are all well and I’m sure everyone is looking forward to the Bank Holiday weekend ahead.

There have been lots of activities taking place in St. Laurence’s over the last two weeks. Life has been full to the brim!

Confirmation: Last Saturday, 28 May, our 6th class students made their Confirmation. It was a fantastic day for everyone. The ceremony was really beautiful and the children received a special message for Archbishop Dermot Farrell. The Confirmation Committee hosted a party back at the school. It was great to see the school hall full of happiness and cheer. Many thanks to all involved.

School Tours: Our annual school tours have commenced and the children are loving them. Today our Junior Infants had a fantastic day in Glenroe Farm and our 4th classes have been to Squirrels’ Scramble and Kilruddery Gardens. 2nd classes went on a big adventure to Dublin City on the DART where they visited St. Stephen’s Green and the Little Museum of Dublin.

Sports: 5th and 6th class girls took part in a Camogie Blitz. Our 6th class girls and boys played football matches against St. Kevin's – a great local derby! All our 6th class students took part in a GAA transition day in Éire Óg where all the primary schools came together for sport and fun to get know each other before heading to Secondary School. On Monday we were very lucky to have Greystones Rugby Club provide Tag Rugby for all children from 3rd to 6th. Special thank you to all the parents who helped with this. There are some great photos on our website of these events.

School Uniform: We will hold a uniform sale in the school garden on Monday 27 June from 1:45pm to 2:30pm. If anyone has any uniforms or tracksuits they wish to donate to the sale they can drop them to the school office. We have already received a number of donations. Thanks to the Parent’s Association for their help with this.

Building: We have had a lot of site visits for our upcoming Special Needs Build. This is a very exciting project and we are looking forward to the next stage where a design team will be appointed. This will be a fantastic facility for the school.

Early Closure: Just a reminder that we will close next Friday 10 June at 12pm to facilitate staff training.

We are in the final stretch of the school year now. We have lots to do yet and the children are looking forward to all the activities ahead. Wishing you all a lovely weekend and we will see the children back to school on Wednesday 8 June. Enjoy the extra day off!

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal


May 2022:

23 May: Lego Competition Entries 

Click here to see a video of the brilliant entries to the Lego competition. The level of creativity displayed was fantastic! Well done to all who participated!

20 May: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

I hope you are all well. Today is GOLF CLASSIC DAY and after two years the atmosphere is magic. The buzz around the school and the colourful array of jerseys is fantastic to see. I am sure lots of people had a great day golfing, some of you may still be on the course as I send this. I heard the coffee morning was a huge success and lots of us are looking forward to the dinner dance tonight. The number of raffle tickets that have been sold has been phenomenal.  I want to thank each and everyone of you for your generous support for this event. A massive, massive thank you to the Golf Classic Committee who have worked tirelessly over the last few months to make all of this possible. I don't think they have slept all week! Their energy levels and positivity has been unbelievable and we are a very lucky school to have such a wonderful team to raise much needed funds for the school. Thank you all so much.

A few other exciting events have been happening in St. Laurence's since I last emailed you.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing many of you at the dinner dance later on this evening. 

Kind regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

19 May: Wicklow Athletics

Congratulations to all the children who participated in the Wicklow Primary Schools Track and Field Event on Thursday, 19th May. Our wonderful athletes put on a fantastic display and medals galore were won! Click here to see all the photos from the day.


16 May: Delgany Schools' Cup

Congratulations to the 6th class pupils who represented the school in the Delgany Schools' Cup in Delgany Golf Club on Monday, 16th May. Click here to see more.

13 May: GAA - Cumann na mBunscol Participation Days

Congratulations to the children who represented the school in the recent Cumann na mBunscol Participation Days (28th April and 12th May) held in Bray Emmets GAA Club, Bray. Click here to find out more.

13 May: Jersey Day - Friday, 20 May 2022

Friday, 20 May 2022 is Jersey Day where all the children can bring a coin to wear a jersey!

All money collected will go to the St. Laurence's Annual fundraising Day.  The money raised during the school Fundraising Day on May 20 will go towards updating and improving the school facilities and the purchase of new sports equipment for all pupils.  It's a great day for all involved with the school - please join us!

More information can be found here.


10 May: Annual Fundraiser Golf Classic and Dinner Dance

Spots are Selling Fast - Get yours before they're gone! 

There are still some places remaining for the Annual Fundraiser Dinner Dance and Golf Classic on Friday week, 20 May 2022. 

Click the following for bookings Booking Form


6 May: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

I hope you are all keeping well. We have had a very busy two weeks here in St. Laurence's since we came back after Easter. Please find below some updates from the school

First Holy Communion - Our second classes have been busy preparing for their First Holy Communion which takes place this Sunday 8 May in St. Anthony's Church Kilcoole. We are so proud of all the children and we wish them every happiness on their special day. We look forward to seeing them all back to the school after the ceremonies for a little celebratory party. A huge thank you to the Communion Committee for all their work in helping to organise the reception back in the school. 

6th class - Our 6th class children, who will be attending St. David's in September, visited the school today. There they met their year head, Michelle Bailey, and the 5th year prefects gave them a tour of the school. 

GAA Blitz - Some of our 5th and 6th class boys took part in a GAA blitz in Bray Emmets. They had a great day and it was super to see the St. Laurence's jerseys being worn again after two years. The girls will have their turn to participate in a blitz on 12 May.

Golf Classic - We are so excited for the upcoming Golf Classic on 20 May. It's a fantastic day for the whole school community. We would encourage you all to participate in some way. The dinner dance is always a wonderful night and there are still some tickets available. All bookings can be done through Aladdin. On the day itself there will two further fundraising events. There will be a coffee morning in The Grove Bar from 9:30am for anyone who would like to attend (please bring cash only). We will also run a jersey day in the school where the children can bring a coin and wear a jersey for the day. We would be very grateful if raffle ticket money could be returned to the school as soon as possible. The golf committee have been working tirelessly to make this day happen and a massive amount of work goes on a daily basis. We are so grateful to you all. 

Uniform- From next September we plan to roll out the wearing of our school uniform. The children can wear their tracksuits on the days they have PE or on a day they have a sporting after school activity. On the other days all children from 1st to 6th class will wear their full school uniform. Junior and Senior Infants can wear their school tracksuits everyday if they wish.

Parent's Association - We had our final PA meeting of the year in the school on Wednesday evening. A big thank you to Karl, Louise, John Paul and all the class reps for the work they do. We are very lucky to have the support of the PA to make all the events happen in the school. If any parent would like to be involved going forward please let the PA know. 

Fun day - We are planning a FUN DAY in St. Laurence's on 23 June. This day will be filled with lots of fun activities for the children to enjoy. We feel it is important to acknowledge all the children have been through over the last two years. Their positivity and resilience has been astounding and this is our way of saying thank you to them. It will be a fantastic day. A special thank you to Mrs.Uí Bhroin, Assistant Principal II, for all her work in organising this.

Finally, I wish you all a lovely weekend and to those families whose children are making their First Holy Communion I wish you a joyful day. These special days create lovely memories to be cherished forever.

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin, Principal

APRIL 2022:

28 April: Annual Fundraiser Golf Classic and Dinner Dance

The booking form for the Golf Classic and Dinner Dance is now available online at the link below.  

 

The Golf Classic may be booked as individuals or as teams of four.  

Payment should be made through Aladdin Connect - an email link will also be sent for payment.  

25 April: Krafty Kickers Summer Camp

Krafty Kickers Summer Camp will be held in the school for the first two weeks of the summer holiday, namely from 4th to 8th July 2022 and from 11th to 15th July 2022.  Click here to find the information leaflet and registration form.

9th April: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

I hope you are all well and looking forward to the Easter Break.The children were full of excitement today and they enjoyed all the Easter activities this week. 

As you know the 6th class children held a cake sale on Wednesday. We are delighted to let you know that €3,755 was raised to help the Ukrainian people. We want to thank you most sincerely for your generous support and for all the wonderful cakes that were sent in for the day. I want to congratulate the 6th class children and their teachers for running this event. They did a fantastic job and we are so proud of them.

I also want to congratulate Mrs. Durkan's 4th class and Mrs. Malone's 3rd class for their participation in Science Blast. We definitely have some budding scientists in the school!

We recently took part in a local art competition to design a special place in Delgany. The Council was awarded a grant recently to design a public realm plan for Delgany village. The designs the children submitted were excellent and we had lots of winners throughout the school. Well done to all.

The first two weeks in July will see the return of the St. Laurence's Summer Camp, which is run by teachers in the school. More details will follow after Easter but it will be lovely to have this back in the school again.

Finally I want to thank you for all your support this term. Your children are simply the best and they brighten everyday for us. I hope you all have a lovely Easter and we look forward to seeing everyone back to school on Monday 25 April. 

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin

Principal


6th April: Cake Sale in aid of Crosscare

There was great excitement around the school today as the 6th Class children held a Cake Sale in the school hall. All proceeds from the sale are being donated to Crosscare who are supporting Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war and coming to Ireland.  

A big thank you to all those who baked cakes for the sale and donated money to this very worthy cause. 

MARCH 2022:

25th March: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

I hope you are all well and enjoying the lovely sunshine. There has been a taste of summer this week with many children coming to school in shorts and wearing sunglasses!

It has been busy here in St. Laurence's. Our 5th and 6th classes had a visit from the Wicklow Ladies Junior GAA team. They won the All Ireland this year and they brought the cup to the school to show the children.

As part of our  Creative Schools Initiative we are delighted to announce that we will now have an Artist in Residence who will be providing drama lessons to all the children in the school from now until the end of June. This is a wonderful opportunity for all the children.

This week we welcomed our first Ukrainian family to the school. We are so proud of the children for all the kindness shown. It has been wonderful to see. We look forward to welcoming more families over the next few weeks. 

Our 6th class children will hold a cake sale on Wednesday 6 April to raise funds for the terrible tragedy in the Ukraine. We will also set up an online donation link on Aladdin if anyone would like to contribute. The monies raised will go to Crosscare who support Ukrainian families. We will send more details for the cake sale next week.

Unfortunately a Covid wave has hit the school again. We have had a lot of absences of children and staff. Once again the commitment and dedication of the staff has been so evident as we were able to keep all classes in school. Please remember that the HSE guidelines advise keeping children at home if they are symptomatic and to conduct an antigen test.

Finally I wish you all a lovely weekend and a very Happy Mother's Day to all our wonderful mammies and grannies.

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin

Principal

11th March: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

I hope you are all well and surviving the changing weather! The last two weeks have been very busy here in St. Laurence’s with lots of exciting activities.

Seachtain na Gaeilge:

Seachtain na Gaeilge is taking place at the moment. The children are really enjoying the activities from Ceilí dancing to drama, music and story trails. It’s great to hear them all using their Gaeilge throughout the day. On Wednesday 16 March the 5th and 6th classes will participate in GAA games with the other local schools and these will take place in Éire Óg. The children will be encouraged to use their Gaeilge throughout the event. Wednesday 16 March is LÁ GLAS. The children may wear something green with their school tracksuits. Funny hats, glasses, wigs or any props also welcome!

World Book Day:

We all had a fantastic day for World Book Day. The children and staff dressed up as their favourite book characters and they had a fun filled day with lots of exciting reading activities.

First Reconciliation:

The second class children celebrated their First Reconciliation in St. Anthony’s Church, Kilcoole. The ceremony was really beautiful and we are so proud of how wonderful the children were on the night. The second classes attended mass last Friday, 4 March in the Holy Rosary Church Greystones with the parish community. This will help the children prepare for their First Holy Communion in May. The parishioners were delighted to see the children at mass and really enjoyed their beautiful singing. 

Maths Zone:

You will all have received an email from Jennifer Berney in relation to a fantastic new zone on our website – MATHS ZONE. This is a wonderful resource that will assist you when helping your children at home with maths. The children are also beginning two new programmes NUMBOTS and TIMES TABLES ROCK STARS. These online programmes will help the children with learning their tables.

Annual General Meeting:

The School’s AGM took place on Wednesday 9 March. It was great to host this again in the school and it was lovely to see parents in the school hall. 

Internet Website Omegle:

Following on from my email the other day a number of parents very kindly sent me some information on the website OMEGLE. I have attached below a link to this information

https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/news-blogs/what-is-omegle-what-parents-need-to-know/

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and we can all look forward to the St. Patrick’s festivities next weekend.

Slán go fóill,

Ann-Marie Martin

Principal




3rd March: World Book Day

St. Laurence's celebrated World Book Day on Thursday, 3rd March. All the children (and teachers!!) were invited to dress up as their favourite book characters.  The children enjoyed taking part in some fantastic World Book Day activities including quizzes, crafts, webinars and much much more!! Read more about it here.

FEBRUARY 2022:

18th February: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

Happy Friday! I’m sure you are all looking forward to the weekend ahead. It has been lovely to see the days getting brighter and we all celebrated St. Brigid’s Day here in the school with some beautiful art work, prayer and song.

It has been a busy two weeks here in St. Laurence’s since I last emailed you all. Please find below some updates about school life.

Zeeko:

Zeeko is an Irish company based at Nova UCD whose mission is to teach Internet Safety to children, parents and teachers. The 5th and 6th class children have all had an educator from ZEEKO talk to them about safety online. The children all found it hugely beneficial. The parents talk, last night, was very well attended and we are hoping to provide a recording of this to parents next week.

Sacraments:

The 2nd class children are busy preparing for their First Reconciliation, which will take place in early March. The Sacramental Co-ordination Team will be visiting the children and the teachers next week.

Library Trip:

On Monday 14 February, our three 4th classes will be visiting our local library in Greystones. The librarians have very kindly offered to give the children a tour of the library and a storytelling session.

Kindness Week:

Kindness week will take place from 14 February to 18 February. The theme is ‘Choose Kindness’. There will be a theme per day. Monday: Self-Kindness, Tuesday: Kindness to Others, Wednesday: Kindness to the Earth and Animals, Thursday: Kindness to your family, Friday: A Celebration of Kindness.

Helmets:

A number of children are cycling and scooting to school which is fantastic to hear. However, some children are not wearing helmets and we would really like to emphasise the importance of this. I spoke to the children from 4th to 6th class today and reminded them of the importance of wearing a helmet and how helmets keep them safe.

Finally, I wish you all a lovely weekend and many thanks for all your continued support.

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin

Principal

4th February: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

Happy Friday! I’m sure you are all looking forward to the weekend ahead. It has been lovely to see the days getting brighter and we all celebrated St. Brigid’s Day here in the school with some beautiful art work, prayer and song. 

It has been a busy two weeks here in St. Laurence’s since I last emailed you all. Please find below some updates about school life.

Zeeko: 

Zeeko is an Irish company based at Nova UCD whose mission is to teach Internet Safety to children, parents and teachers. The 5th and 6th class children have all had an educator from ZEEKO talk to them about safety online. The children all found it hugely beneficial. The parents talk, last night, was very well attended and we are hoping to provide a recording of this to parents next week.

Sacraments:

The 2nd class children are busy preparing for their First Reconciliation, which will take place in early March. The Sacramental Co-ordination Team will be visiting the children and the teachers next week.

Library Trip:

On Monday 14 February, our three 4th classes will be visiting our local library in Greystones. The librarians have very kindly offered to give the children a tour of the library and a storytelling session. 

Kindness Week:

Kindness week will take place from 14 February to 18 February. The theme is ‘Choose Kindness’. There will be a theme per day. Monday: Self-Kindness, Tuesday: Kindness to Others, Wednesday: Kindness to the Earth and Animals, Thursday: Kindness to your family, Friday: A Celebration of Kindness.

Helmets:

A number of children are cycling and scooting to school which is fantastic to hear. However, some children are not wearing helmets and we would really like to emphasise the importance of this. I spoke to the children from 4th to 6th class today and reminded them of the importance of wearing a helmet and how helmets keep them safe. 

Finally, I wish you all a lovely weekend and many thanks for all your continued support.

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin

Principal

JANUARY 2022

21st January: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s) and Guardian(s), 

Happy Friday to you all! I am sure you are all looking forward to the weekend ahead.

I just wanted to touch base with you all and update you on life in St. Laurence’s over the last two weeks.

The boys and girls have been working really hard and are getting back into the routine of school. Their positive attitude is phenomenal and they are really enjoying all elements of school life.

School attendance has been very good and while we are still dealing with Covid the situation seems a lot better and we look forward to brighter days ahead.

After school GAA and football has resumed and is going very well. 

The children from 3rd to 5th are enjoying their tin whistle lessons on a Friday with Niall from Music Generation and it’s lovely to hear the music coming from Catherine’s Garden

4th class pupils are busy working away on their Write a Book Projects – some budding novelists are in the making!

6th classes are participating in the wonderful experience of Sound Therapy which is proving to be very beneficial for their well being.

Next week is Catholic Schools Week and the theme is “Catholic Schools:Living life to the full.” There will a different thought and reflection for each day which the children will hear over the intercom. 

Finally I just want to thank you all for your ongoing support.

Kindest regards

Ann-Marie Martin

Principal


24 June: Update from Mrs. Martin

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),


Just a short email to update you from a very busy week in St. Laurence's!


Fun Day - Yesterday we had a fantastic day here. We had a lovely ceremony for Mrs. Mooney to thank her and wish her well on her retirement. She was absolutely thrilled and some of our 6th class students and the Student Council prepared a beautiful ceremony. Following this we all had such fun on bouncy castles, blowing bubbles, playing drums, joining in with zumba, face painting as well as various outdoor sports. This was finished off by a lovely ice cream from the ice cream van. It was truly the best fun ever. I just want to say a huge huge thank you to the wonderful staff and parents for making this day possible. We couldn't do it without you all. One person deserves an extra special thank you. Mrs. Uí Bhroin worked tirelessly for weeks before the event to ensure that everything ran smoothly and that every child had a great day. Míle buíochas Mrs. Uí Bhroin.

School Uniform Sale - Just a reminder that our second hand uniform sale will take place on Monday 27 June at 1:45pm in the school garden.

Class splits - our 1st, 2nd and 4th classes are all being split this year. Next week each class will have an opportunity to meet their new class mates. 2nd class will meet their new 3rd class on Monday, our 1st classes will meet their new 2nd class on Tuesday and our 4th class will meet their new 5th class on Wednesday.

Junior Infants - Our new Junior Infants will visit the school on Tuesday 28 June  to meet their new classmates and their teachers. A very exciting time for them and for us!

6th Class - A big few days ahead for our 6th classes. We hope they enjoy their last few days with us. 

Finally I wish you all a lovely weekend. 


Kind regards


Ann-Marie Martin, Principal