General Information
EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:
Extra Curricular Activities are a large part of our learning programme. Some of the options are listed below, but these change up from year to year to give everyone the widest possible experience.
SPORTS DAY:
Our school has a Sports Day in June every year.
DANCE & GYMNASTICS:
Pupils in our school receive termly dance and gymnastics lessons from the talented Lisa Coogan. This year Lisa will attend school in term two and all classes will receive gymnastics lessons.
SWIMMING:
Lessons take place for 9 weeks in each school year, for pupils from 3rd to 6th class in Carlow Swimming Pool. Unfortunately, this has to be paid for by parents as we do not receive enough funds from the Department of Education and Youth to cover any extras. Classes also complete the Land PAWS programme (water safety) in the classroom.
SCHOOL GARDEN:
Pupils with green fingers get the opportunity to grow plants, flowers, etc., in a school garden project. This will help supplement Green Schools work on the topic of biodiversity.
G.A.A.:
Hurling:
Indoor hurling takes place between Halloween and Christmas in Moneenroe Hall for 3rd to 6th classes. There is hurling training after school with training and matches weekly after St. Patrick’s Day. An outside coach takes hurling skills lessons for all classes during the school year. Last year due to interested teachers, our school was able to enter U11 & U13 hurling teams, Camogie team and boys & girls football teams.
GAELIC FOOTBALL:
Training usually starts back 2 weeks after our return in September. It generally takes the format of one training session and one match per week for 10 weeks.
HANDBALL:
Children who play handball can enter the Cumman na mBunscoil Primary School’s inter county league. Our school has been getting coaching from the Clogh Handball Club.
RUGBY:
Coaches from Kilkenny Rugby Club sponsored by Leinster Rugby come to our school in the second term, to coach all classes for 6 sessions.
CRICKET:
Coach Bernard O' Mara from Cricket Ireland comes to our school in term one, to coach all classes in cricket.
SOCCER:
Our school enters the F.A.I. 5 a-side small schools’ soccer competition. This takes place in Thomastown in March or April every year. In previous years, both our girl’s and boy’s teams reached the regional finals. An FAI Soccer Coach facilitates a couple of Soccer Coaching sessions for 3rd to 6th class in Term 2.
BADMINTON:
Badminton is offered to all senior pupils, who will have the opportunity to compete at events throughout the year.
ATHLETICS:
Our school takes part/competes in the St. Abban’s inter-school’s competition annually (generally in the third term).
QUIZZES:
Our school enters teams in the Castlecomer Credit Union and St. Abban’s table quizzes. Our school has a Geography /Biodiversity Quiz for 3rd to 6th class pupils every year.
CHESS:
Pupils in the senior class are taught chess and participate in Chess competitions.
MUSIC:
All classes participate in music workshops and choir lessons. Greta Murphy attends the school weekly for school choir practice. We attended the Peace Proms for the last two years. This year senior pupils will get the opportunity to participate at the National Concert Hall in Dublin for the school performance (date TBC)
Mobile Music has visited the school for programmes in drumming, the bodhan and music literacy. The senior pupils are receiving Ukulele lessons from Paul Hickey in term 1.
SCIENCE:
School staff provide a science Experiments Day.
6th class students participated in the ESB Science Blast Competition in 2025 and the current 6th class are looking forward to competing in 2026.
GREEN SCHOOLS:
Every year pupils from 3rd class upwards have the option to join the Green schools Committee. Meetings take place each term for the different class groups. Our school has received our 5th Green Flag (Biodiversity) and we are working towards our 6th Flag which is themed Global Citizenship – Litter & Waste.
BOOK FAIR:
Our school will hold a Book Fair for all pupils during the year.
CYCLING:
Children can cycle to school with their parents permission on suitable days and place the bicycles in the bicycle rack at the side of the school.
Jim & Jason from South East Cycle Safety provide informative sessions to older pupils each year.
HERITAGE IN SCHOOLS:
Our school applies to Kilkenny County Council each year to receive Heritage in-school visits. This year, we received a visit from “The Big Dig Team”, and the theme this year was The Stone Age.
GUEST VISITORS:
Every year we invite people from different backgrounds to visit and talk to pupils. These would include Gardaí, Historians, Authors, Internet Safety Experts, Nurses, Dentists, Vets, and Sporting Personalities. Local farmers bring animals to showcase to the pupils and speak about farming in the past.
Inland Fisheries Ireland visit our school to talk to the pupils about fishing and show the pupils live fish which are found in local rivers.
INTERNET SAFETY:
Ger Brick of iNetSafetyTalk provides an internet safety talk to all pupils in the senior classes. Ger also speaks to parents through a yearly zoom talk.
SHOEBOX APPEAL:
Our school takes part in the annual shoebox appeal as often as possible to help those in need at Christmas time.
DRAMA/THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE:
Our school endeavors to organize a Drama / Theatrical Performance for pupils annually, or to put on a Christmas Show/Easter Show. Storytelling / Drama visitors are organized for all classes during the year.
Funky Kids will attend the school in Jan to April to for creative workshop which will conclude with a show at Easter.
ART:
Local Kilkenny artist Mairead Holohan will be hosting art workshops for the whole school in spring 26.
ACTIVE SCHOOL:
Last year our school was awarded our first Active Schools Flag. This is a Department of Education and skills initiative which recognises schools that strive to achieve a physically educated and physically active school community by awarding them with an Active School Flag.
CODING IRELAND:
Provide digital skills curriculum for schools, which provide student friendly step by step lesson that are easy to following in coding.
STUDENT COUNCIL:
The Student Council is made up of 12 students from 3rd to 6th class who are elected or put forward by their peers/teachers at the beginning of each school year. The Student Council helps with fundraising activities throughout the school year, e.g. Bake Sale/Jersey day.
An annual Jumble Sale in aid of the Asthma Society of Ireland will take place in term 3. This fundraiser is in memory of our former student Cory Hynes.
OUTDOOR CLASSROOM:
We have an outdoor classroom at the rear of the school. This area has mud kitchens and Astroturf on which all classes can work and play.
RESTORATIVE PRACTICE:
Staff are trained in RP and we implement it as part of our Code of Behaviour / Wellbeing. Restorative Practice questions are displayed in both yards. 70 Act of Kindness for Kids pdf
ASSEMBLY:
The first Friday of each month the pupils participate in a school mass and assemble afterwards, in which each class takes a turn in a performance. At the assemble there are 4 awards presented to each class, monthly Bí Cineálta (Kindness) award, Literacy Star, Numeracy Wizard and Gaeilgeóir Mionna.
MOBILE LIBRARY:
The mobile library visit the school once a month on a Friday. All pupils can avail of the service.
STEM:
An afterschool STEM workshop will take place in 2026. STEM is an integral part of our numeracy programme. All pupils have access to a large range of STEM resources.
SACRAMENTS:
Children are prepared for their First Holy Communion in the school by their class teacher. This involves practicing in the Church. First Holy Communion is an annual event and is received in 2nd class.
Confirmation is every second year and pupils from 5th and 6th class in Moneenroe School and Clogh School receive the sacrament together. The sacraments are rotated between both Churches. Practices take place with both schools in the relevant Church.
SCHOOL TOURS:
All pupils get the opportunity to attend a school tour in June.
MOBILE PHONES:
Children are not permitted to bring mobile phones to school.
YARD SUPERVISION:
During break-times there will always be a number of members of staff outside supervising the children. Incidents during break-time are dealt with by the teacher on duty. Any incidents are subsequently reported in the “Incident Report Book” in the teachers’ staff room. The school’s three designated First Aiders are Kathleen Connolly, Pauline Barcoe and Lynda Cadigan. Any accidents during school time will be reported in the “Accident Report Book. The school’s three SNA’s, Kathleen, Pauline and Lynda complete yard supervision daily.
CROKE PARK HOURS:
At present there are 15-minutes supervision before school starts in the morning. This will be undertaken as part of Croke Park Hours. Other issues dealt with under the Croke Park hours are:
-
Staff meetings first Tuesday of every month
-
Long and short term planning.
-
Policy revision.
-
Organizing and supervising school activities.
-
Undertaking professional development.
-
Familiarisation with new curriculum.
-
Communication with parents/pupils/correcting tests.
-
Planning for next term and next school year.
-
Visit from Department Representative.
-
Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) delivery to staff and in service workshops
ASSESSMENT:
All pupils from 1st to 6th class undertake weekly tests in their quiz/test copies. Quiz/test copies are corrected over the weekend and sent home to be signed by parents/guardians on Mondays.
Pupils from 1st to 6th class undertake termly and half-termly tests in the core and S.E.S.E subjects. These test scores are communicated to parents via Report Cards and the Homework Diary.
Pupils from 1st to 6th class undertake Summer Standardised Tests in the last week of May every year. Standardised test scores are reported to parents in the annual Report Cards.
Special Education Teachers may administer differentiated tests with specific pupils as the need requires, with parents’ consent.
Junior & Senior Infants – sight words, letter sounds and names are checked most days using flashcards with the class. Assessment sheets for phonics and number work along with word check lists that are carried out in school are sent home for parents to sign and return to school. Termly maths assessments are also carried out.
Pupils in Senior Infants undertake the MIST screening assessment (listening skills, letter sounds, writing words, dictation). Parents are notified of any areas of concern.
Pupil Report Cards are sent home during the last week of the school year.
INSPECTORATE:
Our school’s District Inspector is Jean Pender. All schools receive regular inspections in subject evaluation, child protection etc, and we also carry out self-evaluations in different areas each year for continuous improvement.
NUT ALLERGY:
Every year there are pupils in some class groups who have a NUT ALLERGY. As you are aware, this is a very serious condition. Therefore, we would ask that children in their grouping do not bring any food items that contain nuts to school.
These food items would include:
• Raw nuts of any type.
• Peanut butter, or any other nut butter.
• Nutella or similar chocolate spread containing nuts.
• Any bars or sweets with visible nut content, e.g. Snickers, Mars Bar, M&M’s, etc.
• Any cakes, biscuits or snack bars with nuts.
SCHOOL LUNCH SCHEME:
As part of our DEIS programme, every child in the school can avail of a hot lunch daily. This scheme is funded by The Department of Social Protection. Pupils can choose from over 10 meal options a day, for example, chicken curry, roast beef with mash & veg, pepperoni & mozzarella ciabatta, plus a drink of water, (water stations are provided in all classrooms). There are Halal, Vegetarian and Vegan options available also.
For small break there will be a class snack box where pupils can choose an item, for example rice cakes, breadsticks, popcorn, etc and a piece of fruit.
Fresh Today from Wexford supply the lunches fresh every morning. You can amend your child’s order at any time online, and orders in by Thursday evenings will be amended for the following week. All pupils are given their own unique log in details by Fresh Today.
TREAT DAY:
Moneenroe NS has a healthy lunch policy. Friday is treat day and children are allowed to bring in one small treat. A suitable treat would be a fun-sized bar, bun, scone, slice of cake/tart, biscuit, popcorn.
HEALTH ISSUES:
MEDICAL NEEDS:
We would stress the importance of the school being notified of any specific medical needs, allergies, etc., that your child may have. This information will be kept in a differentiation folder in the child’s classroom so that all school staff will be aware of the child’s medical needs. If your child requires medication i.e. epi-pen or inhaler, please ensure that you have an extra one to keep in the school. Please ensure that all medication is in date.
IMMUNISATION:
The HSE visit the school each year and children in Junior Infants receive the MMR and 4in1 vaccination. A Nurse also visits the school annually to check vision and hearing for Junior Infants. Permission forms are issued to Parents from the HSE through the school.
FLU VACCINATION:
Flu vaccinations will be available to pupils in October. Permission forms will be issued for anyone who wish to avail of this service.
HEAD LICE:
Head lice are regular visitors in all schools! We would ask that you check your child’s hair regularly. If you find that your child has head lice, lotions and shampoos are readily available from local pharmacies to treat the problem. Please report it to the school so as we can alert parents and ask them to check their children (it goes without saying that no names will be used if we have to alert parents of an outbreak of head lice).
PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION:
We have a very active Parents’ Association in the school.
They are a vital part of our school community. The committee consists of 10 to 12 members. This includes the two Parents who are on the Board of Management of the school (elected by the Parent Body). Parents’ Association elections take place annually. All parents receive voting papers for all elections. The Parents’ Association helps to manage and run many fundraisers for the school, and some examples are listed below. Our school’s Parents Association has a regularly updated Facebook Page.
FUNDRAISING:
The cost of running the school, i.e., Insurance, Heating, Electricity, Telephone, etc., (as with all schools) exceeds the grants provided by the Department of Education and Youth.
The school has a very active Parents’ Association and they run some fundraisers during the year. These include the Christmas Raffle, making and selling St. Brigid’s Crosses, Wellie Race, Kids Mini-Marathon, Used clothes collections, and Silver Circle to name a few.
Your support is greatly appreciated.
COMMUNICATION:
If at any time, you wish to speak with your child’s class teacher or the principal, please make an appointment through the school office. Office hours are between 9.00am and 3.00pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Requests for appointments can also be made via email at moneenroeschool@gmail.com. Teachers will meet with parents between 8.45am to 9.15am and 3.00pm to 3.30pm by appointment.
Going forward, the school will communicate with parents mainly through the Aladdin App or email, and you will receive messages from us from time to time about different things happening in the school. Notes and information may also be sent via school diary, test copy and Parents Association Newsletter. We would ask you to check with your child each day to see if they have any note from the school.
We ask that you ensure the school always has an up-to-date and immediate contact number and email address for parents / guardians.
If your child has a particular health problem, e.g., eyesight, hearing, toilet related problem, asthma, nut allergy, etc., please inform the school.
ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL:
TUSLA, The Child and Family Agency was established some years ago to support school attendance and follow up on children who are not attending school regularly. Under the Education Welfare Act 2000, schools must report any children who are absent for more than 20 days in a school year. As a parent, you must let the school know in writing if your child is absent and give the reason why. Our school has a School Attendance Strategy - it is available here
If a child has to go home early, (which should be an exception, rather than the rule) written consent is necessary. Parents must sign the child out stating the time of leaving the school and enter the time they arrive back if the pupil returns to school.
If a child is too sick to go to the yard he/she is too sick to come to school. Exceptions are made in the case of ongoing or chronic illness and limb injuries. Otherwise all children are expected to go to the yard as it is a vital part of social interaction.
SCHOOL DAY
School starts at 9.20am for all pupils.
The school day for Junior and Senior Infants ends at 2pm.
To help them settle in, Junior Infants only will go home at 12 noon for the first ten (10) days.
1st to 6th class go home at 3pm.
Break Times are 11.00am to 11.10am and 1.00pm to 1.30pm.
Punctuality is very important so we ask that all pupils be on time every morning, to be in their line with their class before school starts. The same goes for collecting your children
at 2.00pm and 3.00pm.
Pre & Post School Supervision: The arrival time to our school is between 9.05am and 9.20am. Teachers will undertake 15 minutes of pre-school supervision each morning. Teachers supervise pupils when exiting the building after school.
SCHOOL COSTS:
All text books, workbooks and copies will be supplied by the school and remain the property of the school, and are required to be returned to the school at the end of the school year. There is a charge of €30.00 to help cover the cost of photocopying and art
and craft materials.
6th CLASS HOODIES:
All 6th Class students will receive a school hoodies by the end of September each year..
BOARD OF MANAGEMENT:
The Board of Management is the main governing body of the school and is responsible for making big decisions regarding the school. The Board of Management consists of two Diocesan Representatives, two Teachers, two Community Representatives and two Parents. The Board of Management meet five to six times each year. Elections take place every 4 years. The present Board of Management are in office until November 31st 2027.
PARKING:
In the interest of Health & Safety, parking is prohibite doutside the school wall as cars block the view of children crossing the road.
BUS AREAS AND DISABLED PARKING SPACES ARE TO BE KEPT CLEAR AT ALL TIMES.
HOMEWORK:
Homework will be based on reinforcement of the day’s work. Establish a routine. Children receive homework Monday to Thursday night (inclusive). No homework is given at weekends (unless one chooses to use it as a disciplinary measure). Children
from 1st class up must have a homework journal which will be supplied by the school. Homework should be signed nightly by parent/guardian.
TIME HOMEWORK:
Children from 3rd to 6th class – time homework nightly. Homework for children with specific learning needs is differentiated by the class teacher/Learning Support teacher.
Teachers may wish to specify a maximum time spent on homework for children with specific difficulties. Class teachers’ co-ordinate with SET teachers (Special Education Teachers) regarding homework given to their class.
‘HOMEWORK OFF’
No homework on Friday.
The children may receive ‘homework off’ in the lead up to the school holidays at the teachers’ discretion.
No homework on the day before the school tour.
HOMEWORK FOR JUNIOR INFANTS:
English
Revise sounds and make words.
Learn New Words (5 minutes).
Shared Reading Book (5 minutes)
Worksheet or page from workbook or write new letter (10 mins).
Maths
Worksheet or page from workbook (10 mins).
HOMEWORK CLUBS
Homework/After Schools are offered by external bodies on the school premises.
There is a cost of €5 per session.
HUNGRY FOR HOMEWORK runs every Monday to Thursday from 3-4pm for interested pupils from 1st to 6th class. Contact: hungryforhomework@gmail.com (Mr Kelly).
2 TO 3 CLUB runs Monday to Friday from 2-3pm for Junior and Senior Infants.
Contact: 2to3club@gmail.com (Lorraine).