Our New Príomhoide

Welcome to our new principal Máire Ní Chróinín.

Miss Ní Chróinín took up duty as principal on Monday January 9^th 2012. Miss Ní Chróinín has come from Holy Spirit Girls’ School, Ballymun where she spent the last thirteen years of her teaching career. Already Miss Ní Chróinín knows St Patrick's JNS as a caring, friendly school with a skilled, enthusiastic and dedicated staff.

Miss Ní Chróinín has observed that while Skerries and Ballymun are very different areas they both have a strong sense of community and take great pride in their schools and in their children’s achievements. She aims to build on the huge achievements of her predecessor Mrs Jenkinson.

We wish Miss Ní Chróinín many happy, fulfilling years in St Patrick’s JNS.

Ní neart go cur le chéile!

Mrs Jenkinson Retires

Mrs Jenkinson started her teaching career in 1973 in St Patrick’s GNS in the old school on the Dublin Road. During her 39 years she was an integral part of the growth and development of the school as it is today – St Patrick’s JNS, Tennis Court Lane. Hundreds of pupils, former pupils, their families and the community of Skerries will remember her fondly.  Mrs Jenkinson retired December 31^st.  We had a very special Tionól in school just before Christmas to celebrate her last assembly as principal. 

  

 Over 340 pupils, the entire staff, members of the Board of Management, and Parents Association gathered in the halla, which was decorated with flags and bunting in the Galway colours in Mrs Jenkinson’s honour.   

Every class sang a special song for her.

Junior Infants sang a Christmas song.

Senior Infants sang ‘This Little light’ and Mrs Bowe’s class recited ‘Forever Young’. 

First class sang ‘Walking in the Air’, accompanied on piano by their teachers. 

 

 

Second class gave a special rendition of ‘The Galway Girl’ accompanied by Ms Wilde on guitar and dancing children. 

 The teachers sang an edited version of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, specially written for the príomhoide.

Dancing to the Galway Girl

Members of the BOM

Presentation from PA

Mr Jenkinson, members of the BOM, PA and caretaker enjoying the tionól

Mrs Jenkinson was given a card sighed by every child in the school

Junior Infant child placing Baby Jesus in the crib

 Presentations were made by Elaine Spillane on behalf of the Board of Management and Rachel McGloughlin on behalf of the Parents Association. Both of whom said it had been a pleasure working with Mrs Jenkinson.

Mrs Jenkinson’s principalship was open, inclusive and highly professional. She encouraged the holistic development of all the children. Her main aim was that the school would be a happy, secure and safe place for teaching and learning. She will be greatly missed.We wish her a long and happy retirement.

Green Schools News Update

We have been informed by An Taisce that our application for the renewal of the International Green Flag award has been successful. Congratulations!

A big ‘Thank You’ goes out to all the children, their parents and the whole school community for your involvement, co-operation and commitment.

The Green-Schools Award Ceremonies will be held in May when we will officially receive our fourth green flag for Travel.

Travel Forum

The first ever Green-Schools Travel Forum was hosted by St Patrick’s Junior School Thursday September 22^nd to celebrate European Mobility Week 2011. Seven schools from the area came to the forum to share ideas and experiences. St Patrick's JNS was declared a 'Car Free Zone' for the day. Everyone (including our visitors) lived up to our motto: 'Be cool! Walk, scoot, cycle, park and stride or car pool to school' . 

Our Travel Forum team showcased the work we have done so far on the Travel theme with a very impressive Power Point Presentation.




We had a morning of interactive fun and games on the travel theme organised by An Taisce. The schools present were reminded of the seven steps they must take to achieve a Green Flag for travel. 

 

Bike Parking

Since starting work on our fourth green flag for travel an increasing number of children make the journey to school on bikes, scooters or flickers. We enthusiastically encourage this sustainable method of travel. However we only have thirty bike parking spaces. These are uncovered. We are in the process of making an application to An Taisce for a grant for additional parking spaces.

 We have been monitoring and evaluating cycle parking usage over the last two months.
This has involved a lot of Curriculum work and skill development for those invloved: Estimation and Problem Solving; Communicating and Expressing; Integrating and Connecting; Reasoning; Understanding and Recalling; Counting and Numeration; Place Value; Comparing and Ordering.

Green School News

We have been doing a lot of work for our fourth Green Flag!

Our Green Schools Education Officer held Travel workshops in the school Jan 20^th and 21^st on the travel theme. Junior and Senior Infants had workshops about the sights and sounds seen and heard on the way to and from school. They learnt safety rules for walking and cycling.

First and Second classes learnt about active sustainable travel, our carbon footprint and climate change.

In February we carried out a ‘Walkability Audit’. Children from First and Second classes surveyed two Walking Bus routes. They looked for good points and bad points and potential dangers. They drew up a report and submitted it to Fingal County Council.