Early Start
We, in North Pres, are very fortunate to be one of 6 schools in Cork which has an Early Start unit.
Early Start is a pre-school initiative which caters for children aged between 3 years 2 months and 4 years 7 months. It is a bright, spacious, well equipped and happy environment where children enjoy their first experience of school.
Learning takes place through play activities which include equipment like construction blocks, jigsaws, beads, sand, water, “home corner”, art and crafts, library, music and movement, physical activities and much more!
Parents are encouraged to be actively involved both inside and outside the unit through courses and trips.
Early Start is a great advantage to help children make the transition from home to Junior Infants.
Ms. Coleman and Ms. Conway have been very busy in the school garden recently. They have had lots of help from all of the classes. Some of the older girls helped painting tyres. We now have some very colourful minnions full of flowers welcoming us into our school everyday as well as some bright colourful flowerbeds in the garden. There is also a new insect hotel for any insects who feel like having a little holiday in North Pres. The younger class helped with all the planting that was done. All the children are looking forward to see what will grow over the next few months.
Santa and Mrs. Claus met all the children in Early Start today. The children sang them some wonderful songs before going up and having a chat with Santa. Santa was so thoughtful and brought a special gift for each girl and boy.
The children in Early Start had great fun recently when they enjoyed messy play. They got to play with water, sand, flour and shredded paper. They had great fun lying on the ground and making shapes when it was covered in paper.
North Pres held their open night for prospective pupils and their parents recently. The pupils from 3rd to 6th classes acted as guides for the evening and demonstrating everything our school has to offer. The school choir performed, while pupils from 5th and 6th class provided refreshments. The class rooms were set up to show all the resources that the school has including those for aistear, numeracy lift off, p.e and science.
The whole school enjoyed dress up day last Friday. The children wore their costumes into school and some of the teachers joined in the fun as well dressing up. Junior and Senior infants went trick or treating to the older classes, while 4th, 5th and 6th classes entertained the whole school by showing us the Thriller dance. Early Start loved hearing the story "Room on the Broom" and 3rd class did some Halloween art.
Today the school had an assembly to launch Friendship Week. All this week we are going to be kind to everyone in the school. The older classes will be reading and playing with the younger classes. There will be a competition for all classes where the children have to design a poster based on the theme of friendship. We will also be helping Ms Manley complete the display outside the seomra gorm by writing all the kind things that we did this week.
During the assembly today the whole school sang "You are my Brother" and Ms. O Brien's 4th and 5th class sang a lovely version of Ed Sheeran's song in Irish.
On Friday 23rd June North Pres. held its biennial Intercultural Day. This year's event was extra special because North Pres. raised its Yellow Flag. The event was attended by the newly elected Lord Mayor Tony Fitzgerald, Lady Mayoress Georgina and other community representatives from U.C.C., the Traveller Visibility Group, local primary schools and our Board of Management. The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress joined our previous principal Kathleen Haverty in raising the Yellow Flag. The school choir opened the ceremony, followed by entertainment from every class, project displays and concluded with a céilí. The parental support on the day was incredible. Over twenty countries were represented at our food stalls. It was a fantastic community event. Well done to all involved.
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The North Presentation Primary School community launched their fundraising drive to raise €35,000, to provide the children with the yard of their dreams.
The children created an aerial shot of leprechauns filling the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Funds raised will be used to cover the existing tarmac yard with a surface of synthetic coloured grass. This covering will incorporate a pitch with a running track around the perimeter. It will provide a soft, safe play surface for the children - shock absorbing & non-slip. It will also result in a safe athletics track and pitch for all team sports. You can see a sample of the yard surface while standing on Gerald Griffin St. and looking into our yard.
Today alone we raised €850 from the generous donations of parents and community groups.
The staff, pupils and Parents’ Association are hopeful that over the course of the next 12 months they can, together, raise this money. Now we need your help to spread the word of our commitment to getting the Yard At The End Of The Rainbow. Please help us to tell the people of Cork about our quest.
Here are some photos from today's Rainbow Day in school. The children performed some lovely Irish songs. They love learning Irish every day in school.
There was great excitement when Jimmy the Farmer visited our school and brought some animals with him. He brought a calf and we named her Molly. He also brought his sheep dog Miley. He was very friendly. Then Jimmy surprised us with a hen and she had laid some fresh eggs. Jimmy let us name her Rosie. We were very gentle with the animals. We investigated all the different vegetables he grows on the farm. We saw carrots, leeks, onions, poatoes, beetroot, parsnips and parsley. Patrick brought home some potatoes. It was a day we will never forget!
