Junior School
At the risk of repeating myself – hasn’t the year simply flown? It seems such a short time ago since our gorgeous new Junior Infants and twenty-six new Standard 6 pupils joined our Junior School community. And now those tiny Juniors are very proud and excited to be Senior Infants (almost!) and our Std. 6 pupils are First Years! We wish them blessings in abundance on their journey ahead - they are a super year group - engaged, motivated, friendly, co-operative and kind.
Social awareness is always high on our list of priorities and this term we were delighted to raise funds for the Martin Family Trust – how heart-warming it was to witness the whole school community from Montessori to Leaving Cert participate in the Icelandic Clap – a very special moment indeed. Our Easter Egg Art Competition raised much needed funds for the orphanages in Moldova which Louise visits each year, and Ice-Cream Day raised lots of smiles and money for Down’s Syndrome Ireland.
At their Graduation Ceremony, Standard 6 presented the school with a beautiful work of art which you will see proudly displayed in the upstairs hall. It is a stunning painting of a cherry blossom tree – however its composition and symbolism encompasses so much more than that. Many parents worked on creating the painting and Catherine Murphy (Std 6 Mum and artist!) explained that firstly the symbol of the cherry blossom tree was chosen “as it represents freshness, youth, beauty and spring”. There are 52 blossoms depicted on the tree and each one is made by an individual pupil. It is their mark and made with the most personal and unique of all marks – their fingerprints. And at the centre of their blossom is their initial. I know that the painting will bring joy to all who see it – and I hope that in years to come our Standard 6 pupils will come back to gaze at it, and to show their children, and please God their grandchildren, the symbol of their 12 year old self represented forever in the St. Gerard’s School community.
I want to take this opportunity to commend our wonderful pupils who make each day a joy. Particular congratulations to Ms. Flanagan and the Green Schools Committee, who following a visit from the Cathaoirleach of Dun Laoghaire County Council were presented with a certificate for the Junior School in recognition of our “efforts in pioneering for a clean environment and safeguarding local wildlife” – what an accolade! I also commend Mr. McPhillips and our Student Council, under the Chairmanship of Ally Finnegan-Quirke, who undertook new and exciting initiatives this year – such as the very popular Tuck Shop – for which they bought stock, worked out their pricing, ran the business and made a profit of E167! Entrepreneurs indeed!
Three other very special occasions this term have been the celebration of the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation. Each ceremony was a most spiritual and moving occasion and the children participated through prayer and song and with reverence and spirituality. I would like to say a sincere thank you to our In-House Committee who, following both Communion and Confirmation, organised a wonderful reception for the children and their parents and relatives, which helps to make these ceremonies truly family and community celebrations. Other highlights of 2017 have included – Write-A-Book, the wonderful Standard 4 and 5 Talent Show, exciting school tours to Ziplines and Adventure Centres, a visiting artist-in-residence, the fabulously innovative Std. 6 Science Fair, success for the girls in the Delgany Golf Cup and the hockey leagues, and the term ended with a fantastic Sports and Prize Day, a fun-filled Family Tennis Evening, and an amazing production of “High School Musical” by our Standard 6 pupils - what a whirlwind of activity – all that and learning too!
Finally, a big thank to you the parents for your constant support and encouragement - from costume design to painting backdrops; from running our School Library to outdoor education in our Junior School garden; and from bar-b-quing at tennis evenings to simply supporting all of our educational endeavours. Your kindness is greatly appreciated. I also thank our Junior School staff who are an exceptional team – their passion for education, their kindness and their joie de vivre make St. Gerard’s a fantastic environment to work in - for adults and children alike. One thing is for sure – and I know I say it every year - we cannot stop the march of time…but perhaps we can learn to cherish the moment more. And so I wish you the gift of time during the holidays....time to relax and time to enjoy, cherish and take pride in your wonderful children. A very happy Summertime to one and all!
Newsletter Team: Once again our Newsletter has been compiled by a very talented group of budding journalists from Standard 6. Well done and thank you to Katie Callan, Ben Crowe, Josh Halpin, Ava Ledwidge, Caoimhe Lennon, Aisling Lyons, Lara McCarthy, Jess Mortell, Rory O’Connell, Ava Stanley, Abby Tuthill and Hugo Wyse. And a very special thank you to Stephanie. As if running the busy School Office with efficiency, effectiveness and a ready smile wasn’t enough – Stephanie heads up our Newsletter Team and edits this wonderful production. Thank you Stephanie for everything you do which helps to make our Junior School community such a welcoming place to be.
2017