Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope you are keeping well this week as we see the signs of Spring beginning to appear. Our news this week is as follows

• Well done to all the pupils who attended Peace Proms in UL last Saturday night. A big thank you to Muinteoir Alanna, Muinteoir Noreen and Muinteoir Orla for preparing the pupils over the past few months as they knew their songs and moves so well. Thank you to Clare, Alanna, Orla, Kate, Mary and Sinead who accompanied the pupils on the night to the concert. It was a fantastic experience and we were all so proud of how well the pupils performed. We hope that the families who were in the audience enjoyed the show.
• Yesterday pupils from 2^nd to 6^th classes went to Mass in Mary Immaculate Church to celebrate Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. Thank you to Fr. Tom for his lovely words of welcome.
• We have been celebrating World Book day today with all classes taking part in D.E.A.R time – Drop Everything And Read! Why not try doing this at home too? It just takes 10 minutes out of your day and can really foster a love of reading.
• We are also celebrating Friendship Week this week with some fantastic events happening in every class. Juniors are going on a buddy walk tomorrow with their friends in 6^th class. Seniors have been drawing pictures of their friends being kind, 1^st class are making friendship chains and bracelets where they are writing positive comments about their friends on the links, 2^nd class had a buddy walk to Mass yesterday where they paired up with someone they might not play with very often and they have also drawn pictures of things that go together, 3^rd class made fortune tellers with positive comments to play with each other and they have made a compliment box too, 4^th class are making a Friendship Collaborative Colouring Collage ( I can’t wait to see it in the hall) and 5^th class drew handprints with positive comments about their classmates. Well done everyone on this terrific work. We always remember that the most important rule in St Tolas is BE KIND!
• As part of Friendship Week tomorrow is Crazy Hair Day. Pupils can wear their most out there hairstyle if they wish. We are asking for a donation of €2 which will go to Rare Ireland. This organisation supports families who have a family member with a rare illness or condition.
• 6^th class have been invited to attend a Confirmation Retreat by Shannon Parish next Tuesday 11^th March. This will take place in Mount St Joseph Abbey in Roscrea. The pupils will go on a Camino walk through the woods in the morning, attend Midday prayer with the monks and get a guided tour of the Abbey and then will be treated to a hot lunch before travelling back to Shannon. The parish is covering the cost of the retreat for the pupils and we are asking for €10 which will go towards the cost of the bus. We hope they have a lovely day.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, School Principal