Latest News and Events

Well done on a super start to the class of 2020/21!

Well done to all of our students for the last six fantastic weeks of settling in to Catherine McAuley NS. Students have worked hard to settle into new routines - and get stuck into lots of hard work:

First Assemblies held - Friday 2nd October

We hold fortnightly assemblies where one class does a short presentation for the rest of the classes in their bubble.  This is usually a presentation of learning that the class has been engaged in - and is developing/practicing the important oral language skills of presenting to a small audience. This may be the first time that students have had the chance to develop these oral language skills - and it is done is a very supportive way.

As part of these fortnightly assemblies, and as part of our whole school rewards and sanctions (in line with our Code of Discipline) teachers give three 'star awards' to students in their class to reward students for a goal they have been working towards/another academic or non acedemic achievement.  This award is read out at the assembly.  Each star award winner receives a special certificate and also gets to choose a prize.  

Each teacher across our three assemblies stated that they could have given a star award to each one of their ten students!  It was very tough to try to narrow this down to three students.  This shows the wonderful standard of new habits and hard work that all of our students have adopted over the past few weeks.  Well done to you all!

Bubble 1 Assembly 2nd October 2020 

Room 1 did a fantastic presentation on 'friendship' which was absolutely wonderful!!  They have set a very high standard for assembly presentations!!  They spoke about what it means to be a friend, and described the traits that they look for in a friend.  They also did a really super role play where the audience had to decide if behaviour was 'friendly' or 'unfriendly'.  Awesome job room 1!

Students from Ms. Cronin's class preparing for their assembly performance

Star award students from Room 1

Star award students from Room 4

Star awards students from Room 10

Bubble 2 Assembly 2nd October 2020

Room 8 presented a really informative piece on 'landmarks' which was fantasticl!! They presented their final projects which included illustrations and research facts on their chosen landmark.   Awesome job room 8!

Students from Ms. Jackson's class preparing for their assembly performance

Star award students from Room 8

Star award students from Room 2

Star awards students from Room 7

Bubble 3 Assembly 2nd October 2020

Room 9 presented an assembly that was 'out of this world'!! Each student represented a planet in our solar system using a scaled model they had constructed.  They presented facts about their planet - explaining the different kinds of condition on each planet, and creating a scaled visual representation of the solar system in our very own yard.  Awesome job room 9!

Students from Ms. Ni Chinneide's class during their assembly performance

 Star award students from Room 9

Star award students from Room 3

Star award students from Room 5

Star award students from Room 6

Here is a snapshot of some class activities

Room 1 Class activities and awesome assembly!

Sharing 'show and tell' with our neighbours in Room 2 via video link

Our display of our brilliant assembly materials on friendship

A well deserved treat - popcorn and a movie after our fantastic assembly!

 Room 2 working hard - and having fun!

Room 3 Drama superstars!

 Room 4 Wonderful independent work 

Room 5 Great independent work:real life maths - budgeting using Lidl magazines!

Room 6  Working independently - reading and enjoying golden time!

Room 7 - Striking a pose and enjoying extra P.E./Yard time

Room 8 Diligent students hard at work!

Look at our cool video here !

Room 9  Analytic problem solvers!

Room 10 - Master music makers!

Watch our brilliant video here from our music lesson here !

Current Covid19 restrictions in Dublin at present

Please be re-assured that we will re-double our efforts to support students to practice frequent handwashing and sanitisation in school - with particular attention on correct technique. We are minimising contact and possible risk of transmission/infection by ensuring children only have contact within nominated 'bubbles'.

Please ensure that your family adheres to the advice being given to all Dubliners (and those who attend school in Dublin!) - it is best summed up in this short video

Please click here for the latest advice for parents/guardians on what to do if your child has symptoms of coronavirus.

It is especially important to note that current advice clearly states that children cannot come to school if they have been given calpol or paracetamol in any form.  They must be 48 hours without any symptoms that necessitate the taking of a paracetamol product.  

Room 4 Mascots

The students in room 4 have been learning about what Dyslexia means for them - and learning about famous people who have a positive attitude to Dyslexia.  They also - quite rightly - identified that Dyslexia is their superpower!  Students also identified other individual superpowers/strengths that they have - see their wonderful display.

These creative students also designed their ideal school 'mascot' - watch their video showcasing their creative talents here .  Well done Room 4!!

Latest HSE advice for parents 

Here is a link to the hse live page with more detailed information for parents - with particular regard to specific symptoms and what to do.

Please also keep an eye on this section of the DES website  as well as general advice from the HSE here

Catherine McAuley NS is back in business!!

We were so delighted to welcome all our pupils back in on Tuesday of this week.

It is great to be back!!  

Everyone (adults inlcuded) is getting used to early morning again - and as the week draws to a close, our new routines are becoming our "new normal".

Here are a snapshot of our students from this week!

Room 1

Room 2

Room 3

Room 4

Room 5

Room 6

Room 7

Room 8

Room 9

Room 10

Wonderful Work Wall!!

With all of the fantastic work being done at home at the moment  - we wanted to proudly post some of this work.  Please keep an eye on this section of our website as more wonderful work will be added.

Here are some super STEM challenges that room 6 have been up to!  Robots, boats that float, towers, houses of cards, enclosures for teddies, names in 3D as well as life-sized portraits!

And check out this great video here

Our next example is some wonderful artwork from Room 6 curated by the faboulas Joan!  What a lovely Summer garden in full bloom!  

First up from Room 3 we have some of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and wellbeing assignments.  Students created robots, constructed towers as tall as themselves, created short videos and described things that brought them joy during a typical lockdown day.   

Awesome work, well done!  

Hot off the press!  Lockdown ideas from the superstars of Room 10!!

Click here to see what some of our students have been doing to keep busy during lockdown - when they have finished their work/wilson (of course!!).  Well done to you all - and Ms. Jackson for these great tips.

Learning at home:    Not all heroes wear capes! 

We are in such uncertain times at the moment - and the current necessary measures have changed families lives across the country.  We understand that some family circumstances have changed overnight, and you may be having to deal with very sudden changes to your working arrangements: whether working from home or having to adjust to reduced hours, company closures or caring for family.

We responded as quickly as possible to make sure that children went home with appropriate work as well as maintaining remote contact and providing learning opportunities for students through gmail.  The work we have provided is to help give structure to the day at home - and help students maintain their progress.  

You are doing great!!      

Remember - you are not expected to replicate the school day.  Little and often is the best way at the moment

You dont want to end up feeling like this parent    

Prioritise reading - and Wilson work if you can

We are here to support you during this time 

Links to readers:    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12    

19/3/2020The Taoiseach announced that school closures may continue into 'April or May'. This is a fluid situation, and we will be in touch with you as soon as we have an update.  Four our condensed information on Coronavirus and school closures please click here

Dont forget - the best strategy for us all at the moment is social distancing

Congratualtions to all of our students who made their confirmation this term!

For those children who have been confirmed in their own parish - we hope you had a wonderful day of celebration with your families!   Well done to the children who made their confirmation in St. Andrew's Parish on 8th March - it was a really lovely ceremony and you all did us proud!

Assistive Technology talk for parents - Wednesday 25th March 7pm!!!

Do not miss this!!!!  Using technology to access the curriculum is key for students in Catherine McAuley NS.  We are helping all students to become more proficient with technology during their time here with us.  I am delighted to be able to invite you for a parent talk - definitely not to be missed - with James Northridge from Urability.  James is a leader in the field of Assistive Technology, and is severely Dyslexic himself.  He really understands (first hand) the challenges that you and your child face.  The Board are facilitating this really important talk for parents on Wednesday 25th of March in the school hall at 7pm.  This is a must - do not miss it. 

6th Classes represent Catherine McAuley NS at the ESB Science Blast! 3rd March 2020

Well done to Ms. Kennedy's and Ms. Ni Chinnéide's  6th class students who represented our school at the ESB Science Blast.  Their research and experiemnts were all about the science and engineering of bridges.  They got incredible feedback from the judges - and did a superb job! 

Captain's Run - Donnybrook Stadium 28th February 2020

The senior students were lucky enough to get tickets for the captains run held in Donnybrook Stadium.  They got to meet some of their Irish Rugby heroes!  Huge thanks to Karen O'Brien (SNA) who organised this visit for our seniors.

Election Day in Catherine McAuley NS!

Voting is brisk here this morning in Catherine McAuley!  There is a great turnout in our election for Student Council.  There is a desire for change - and after an enthusiatic campaign, candidates are tired but hopeful.

"6th class students are doing a very efficient job at the polling station"  Ms Kennedy (Returning Officer for this polling station) commented this morning.  Voting cards have been issued to all voters, who present their card at the entry.  They then proceed to the register where their name is ruled out.  Next they receive 'approved' voting ballots - before they go to the polling booth to cast their all important vote, indicating as many preferences as they wish.

Lastly, they post their vote in the senior/junior ballot box!!! We will have more information later on when our exit poll issues, and some early indication from tallies. 

Jim O'Callaghan (TD in Dublin Bay South) dropped into the election count centre - and congratulated 6th class on doing such a great job of running the election!

The count centre!

The very last count ....being double checked

Congratulations to our newly elected student council representatives!

Setting up Parents Association

Thank you to the parents who came along to the meeting last Wednesday evening that was facilitated by Carmel from the National Parents Council.  It was a really positive start to the process!! These parents have agreed to form a working group who will reach out to parents with the ultimate aim of getting a good group of interested parents together to form a Parents Association in the coming weeks. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  to make direct contact with this working group if you would like to be involved in the set up.

Internet Safety and Cyberbullying Talk this Wednesday evening 6.30pm!

We are delighted to welcome Ger Brick to our school this Wednesday (5th February) to give an internet safety talk to our 4th/5th/6th class pupils during the school day.  The Board is also funding a parent talk at 6.30pm as this is such an important area - which often spills over into school life. Please attend this talk - we are keen to support you as parents, and Ger will be able to help you navigate some of the necessary structures and boundaries that will help keep your child safe.   inetsafetytalk.com 

New Year Assemblies

Well done to all students in Rooms 1 and 2 who held the first assemblies of the new year.  They were absolutely fantastic!!

Students from Room 1 told us all about how to be 'bucket fillers' and to watch out for 'bucket dippers'.  They have displayed their colourful examples of both fillers and dippers on the noticeboard just as you come through the front door.  

Students from Room 2 presented a superb assembly about Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement.  Well done!

Christmas Performance 18.12.19

Just a reminder that our Christmas performance will take place in the school hall at 11 am sharp on 18.12.19. 

Here is a sneak peek from our rehearsals today....

If you would like to take your child home after the performance is finished - you can collect them from their classroom, and sign them out there (after the performance) as well as letting the bus driver know that they wont be going home on the bus. 

Fundraiser for St. Vincent de Paul 13.12.19

Well done to everyone today for all of their efforts and excellent selling skills - we had a wonderful fun day and raised (scroll down for the total amount!) a superb amount for our charity.

Thank you to all parents for your very generous donations of delicious cakes, bric a brac,  jewellery and raffle prizes. 

A fantastic day was had by all!

The most important part.....counting the money!!  Thank you and well done to Ms Kenneddy and Room 5 for co-ordinating our fantastic day today!!!  Having counted the money..we have a toal of €1090 euro!!! An amazing amount raised for a fantastic cause.

Last but not least - the raffle ! A great way to end the day.

December Update

We are looking forward to our fundraising day for St. Vincent de Paul this Friday the 13th of December.  It is a really fun day where students run a cake sale, a bric a brac stall and a jewellery stall as well.  There is also a raffle where can win all sorts of fantastic prizes!

If you would like to bake or send in something for the cake sale - please send it in with your child on the bus on Friday morning.  

If you would like to send in anything for the bric a brac stall (and thank you for all the donations received so far!!) please send it in with you child on the bus tomorrow or Thursday.  The types of things sold are pre-loved toys, games, books, unwanted gifts etc. 

Watch this space for photo updates!

A reminder also about our Christmas performance next Wednesday 18th of December at 11a.m.

The teachers and children are working so hard on their scenes at the moment, and cant wait to share it with you next week.  All welcome!

You can take your child home with you after the performance next Wednesday.  After the show, students will go back to their classrooms, and parents can collect them from their room.  

Looking forward to welcoming you then!

Dates for your Diary

Christmas Performance - Wednesday 18th December, approx. 11am

Last day of term - Friday 20th of December half day! Students finish school at 12 noon

Information Session for Parents Association - a date for the new year to be confirmed

Internet Safety/Cyberbullying evening session for parents - a date for the new year to be confirmed

First day of Term 2 - January 6th 2020

For students making their Confirmation: Wednesday 12th February 7pm (Chapel in the Mercy International Centre). Sunday 8th March: students will be confirmed as part of 11.30 am mass in St. Andrews Church in Westland Row.

Follow up to Parent Evening 

It was great to meet so many of you at the parent evening a few weeks ago.  Please find a copy of the notes here and the references can be found here . You contributed to detail some of the challenges from the first few weeks, and a more detailed response to the main themes can be found here.

Confirmation Enrolment Ceremony

Well done to our students, and students from Scoil Chaitríona Baggot St. who took part in the enrolment ceremony on Wednesday afternoon in the chapel in the International Mercy Centre. These students will be receiving the sacrament of confirmation in March, and have now officially started their preparation with Ms. Ní Chinnéide. 

Welcome back!

We were glad to welcome students back after the mid term break, and well done to all of those students who kept reading during the break and filled in their reading log.  With seven weeks to go to the Christmas holidays - we are getting back to good habits with classwork and homework.  

Please ensure that you sign your child's reading log and journal every night. 

We enoyed a super spooky Hallowe'en Party just before the mid term break!

Term 1 so far!

We were delighted to welcome Trish and Lisa from 'Hidden Strength' who gave a superb motivational talk to the whole school.  Their big messages included:

• The are always opportunities in adversity
• Try to find a moment's courage to take on challenges
• If you experience a setback - acknowledge the feelings of disappointment. Then ask yourself if you want to try again, and if so "What do I need to tweak/improve?"
• To succeed we have to get really good at trying again
• Asking for help/encouragement can be really beneficial

We went out to protest about action needed for climate change as a whole school!

Rooms 1 and 10 went to the launch of "The accidental adventures of Onion O'Brien: the head of Ned Belly" by Jason Byrne in the Liberty Hall Theatre.  Hannah and Mason were brave enough to get up on stage!!

We also went to the launch of Bressie's new book "Take 5" in Dubray Books.  We had a super morning.

Date for your diary! 

There will be a parent talk held in the school hall on the evening of Wednesday the 16th of October at 7p.m.. This is a really important evening to attend as it will give lots more information about placement, and the year ahead.  It is especially important for parents whose children have just stated here in Catherine McAuley.  I understand that it is a huge effort to come in, especially for families who are travelling a long distance - but it is a really important time of the year to link in with you. Looking forward to seeing you all then!

https://create.kahoot.it/share/know-your-school-rules/4fcff71b-30e8-48ad-903e-b3017cd85d09

Room 5 Welcome Ministers McHugh and Madigan to Catherine McAuley NS!

Ms. Kennedy and the 6th class students in Room 5 did a fantastic job welcoming the Minister for Education, and the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to our school today.  The school was also delighted to welcome the directors of the Arts Council and the Creative Ireland programme as part of this visit: as a grant award was made to Catherine McAuley NS as part of the Creative Schools Initiative announced today.

The students in Room 5 had been doing some cross curricular project work inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.  They had made a range of model spaceships, complete with circuit driven lights and buzzers!  They had also made 'claymation' animations using the iPads, as well as using google docs to demonstrate their digital literacy skills.  Both ministers were really impressed with their creativity and ingenuity.  They did an outstanding job representing our school today - well done!

A crew from news2day also came to speak to Ms. Kennedy and the students about their wonderful project work - and their creative skills.  Dont forget to tune in today at 4.20 to see them on the show!

Well done Room 5!!!

Eoin made individualised name plates for Joe and Josepha - and he illustrated each letter of their name. They loved them!  

Great start to the first term!

Well done to all students on such a fantastic first full week back in school! It is great to see everyone settling in so well to the new school year in Catherine McAuley NS.

Show and Tell with rooms 1 and 2 

Room 3 working hard in maths

Room 4 sketching in the garden

Room 5 completing their space models in the garden

Room 6 with their brand new aquarium display

Room 7 working hard

Room 8 taking a well earned break!

Room 9 writing planet poems

Room 10 playing maths games 

First Day of Term 2019/20! 

Welcome back to all returning and new students! School starts back on Thursday 29th September at 850 am. Bus drivers will be in contact to arrange pickups early in the week. We look forward to welcoming all students and remind everyone that all books and copies will be provided by the school. Just bring yourself, your pencil case, a healthy lunch and a great attitude to our new school year! 

Published authors in Catherine McAuley!

Congratulations to Emily Rose Hitchcock Agnew and Adam Young who had their merit stories from the 'Write A Book' project published in an anthology of stories from 6th class pupils. Superb achievement!!

Sports Day 2019!

We had our sports day on Thursday 20th of June.  Juniors held theirs in Merrion Square, and seniors went to Herbert Park. A fantastic day was had by all!! Well done to all students for their participation and great attitude.

FAI soccer coaching session

Visit from our favourite farmer! Eoin, who is a past pupil of Catherine McAuley NS brought his mobile farm to our yard! A super day was had by all.

Trips in Term 3 Classes have been on some great trips this term. They have included:

The Botanic Gardens

Fighting Words workshop: where students work with writers and illustrators to create their own text!

Author visits to Dubray books: including Anna McPartlin

Presentation to Self Help Africa We were delighted to present the cheque for €420 to Deborah from Self Help Africa.  Well done everyone! 

School Closure Tuesday 4th June  A reminder for parents that there will be a closure to facilitate an open day for new students starting in September 2019. School will re-open on Wednesday 5th June.

Coin Trail 2019! Well done to all students for taking part in our annual fund raising coin trail for Self Help Africa.  It was a great success, and congratilations to Room 4 for their amazingly long trail !

School closure for polling on Friday 24th May! Parents please note that the school will be closed for polling. 

Santry 2019 Congratulation to all of the students who represented our school so well at both the track and field events at Morton Stadium.  Students trained really hard for these events, and we are really proud of all of our athletes!

Follow up to ILSA conference  If you are a teacher who attended the conference and would like more information about further CPD opportunities please click here

May 2019 We couldn't believe our luck to find free ice cream in Merrion Square!

April 2019  Our yard reward trips (positive reinforcement/whole school reward as part of our Code of Behaviour) took place just before the Easter holidays were fantastic! Seniors visited the Explorium sport and science museum.  Juniors went in two groups: to a playground/sports centre, and to the fire station in Dublin airport! Thanks to Karen, Elaine and Debbie.

14/3/2019

Annual Hat Parade  Room 1 hosted a fantastic hat parade this afternoon.  All students took part and displayed their beautifully crafted hats...and got to share in the pot of gold!!

13/3/2019

Ceilí 2019!  We had a super ceilí this afternoon - well done all!

11/03/2019

Congratulations to our 6th class students who made their confirmation in St. Andrew's on Westland Row yesterday!  We hope you had a fantastic day of celebration with your families.

25/02/2019

It was great to welcome students back today after the mid term break!

Just a reminder that fortnightly swimming lessons will resume this week. 

The first group to resume this Wednesday the 27th of February will be seniors.  Juniors will start back next Wednesday the 6th of March.

Please ensure that your child comes to school with a towel, swimming togs and a hat on their designated day.

04/01/2018

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!

We are looking forward to welcoming all students back for the first day of term on Monday 7th of January.

Reminder: There will be a school closure for curriculum development on Monday 14th of January. 

As we are beginning a new school term, we wish to do so on a positive note - and look forward to a successful and fun term ahead.  In the coming week we will be once again reinforcing our class, school and bus rules. This is a good time to speak to your child about rules on the bus, especially those ensuring safety: seat belts must be worn at all times, and mobile phones/tablets/tech with a camera/recording function are not permitted on school transport.

Also a reminder that there is a school calendar printed on the inside of the back cover of your child's school journal.

7/12/2018  

Dates for your diary

Friday 14th December 2018: Student fundraiser for St. Vincent de Paul. 

Wednesday 19th December: Christmas performance 11am sharp in the hall.  After the performance if you would like to take your child home you can sign them out from their classroom. 

Friday 21st December: Last day of term, school finishes at 12 noon.

Monday 7th January 2019: First day of the new term.

Reminder 20/11/2018 Internet safety talk, all welcome 630 pm

Some of our fantastic Halloween costumes! 

5/10/2018

Dates for your diary: 

17th October: Open Night 7pm in the school hall

School closed for election Friday October 26th.

School closed for mid term October 28-november 2nd inclusive. 

20th November: Internet Safety/Cyberbullying talk for parents, 6.30pm in school

2/10/2018

Fantastic morning with Ciaran, Rory and Mike from Fitter Faster Stronger gym on Leeson St., who visited school today.

Ciaran shared his experience of being dyslexic, and the strategies that have worked for him (like us...he loves Roald Dahl!)

He spoke to the students about the four pillars of a healthy lifestyle:

• Healthy food
• Getting plenty of sleep
• Positive minset and self talk
• Daily exercise

They led a session in the hall which was great fun, and this ended with the wall sit challenge!!

Welcome back 2018 -2019 

School starts back on Thursday August 30 th at 845 am.

All books and copies are supplied through school Book rental scheme so all you child needs is a pencil case , a healthy lunch and a drink. 

You bus driver will be in touch before Thursday . Any enquiries about buses should be addressed to school transport on 01 8302222

Children will be assigned to classes on Thursday, subject to change in the first month. 

Look forward to seeing you all on Thursday !