New Infants

We would like to express a very warm welcome to our eleven new Junior infants. We are so excited to have you as part of our growing school community and we hope you have a wonderful time learning and making new friends in Ballygar NS.

Maths Stations

We are busy exploring all things related to numeracy through our Maths stations. At each station, the pupils get to play their way through key Maths skills. Whether it is sorting by colour, working on our one-to-one correspondences, or solving number problems with hands on materials, every child is actively involved and learning at their own pace. This approach allows teachers to support small groups, provide individual attention, and make Maths meaningful and enjoyable. The classroom buzzes with curiosity and teamwork as children discover that Maths is everywhere and fun! Hands-on learning, big smiles, and growing confidence that’s what station teaching is all about!

Assembly

We look forward to our school assemblies every month as it is an opportunity for the whole school to come together and celebrate all our achievements and to set new targets for the month ahead. For the month of September, the ‘spotlight’ was on our Junior and Senior Infant and boy did they shine through. Firstly, they sang the song ‘I can sing a rainbow’ using sign language to help celebrate world sign language day, next they preformed a Gaeilge rap called ‘Mo Corp’. Finally, they concluded with some very unique and interesting facts they had learned about squirrels. We were all so proud of their performance!

Buddy Reading

Every week we enjoy reading to our Buddies. These sessions are a wonderful way to build confidence, improve reading skills, and make new friends. We also introduced DEAR (Drop, Everything and Read) time to take place each Wednesday. We anticipate that friendships and the love of reading will grow throughout the year!

Roosky’s Honey

A big ‘hive’-five to Mr. Diffley who shared his bee-keeping skills through some fantastic demonstrations in the school earlier this term! Junior and Senior Infants enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the role of a beekeeper with a hands-on approach to the craft. Best of all, we were privileged to taste Roosky’s finest honey. Thank you, Mr Diffley!

Sound Hunt

We had a great time exploring all the sounds around our school environment. We heard lots of familiar and unfamiliar sounds around our school grounds. We identified birds chirping, cars passing, parents talking, the school bell and we even got to hear Ms. Hanley sing! We enjoyed sitting and taking in all the sounds around us.

Halloween Dress-up Day

Pulses were raised and we had some very frightening and unrecognisably scary students attend our school for our Halloween Dress-Up! There was a wonderful atmosphere and much effort and creativity went into the costumes. We commend this and well done to all the pupils for putting in such an effort and to all the parents who were no doubt under a little extra pressure as this was certainly not a usual school uniform day!

Autumn Exploration in Aghrane Woods

This term, Junior and Senior Infants set off on an exciting Autumn Exploration in Aghrane woods! Armed with their magnifying glasses and curiosity, they went searching for all things autumnal, from colourful leaves and shiny conkers, acorns and fungi. The children were thrilled to put their classroom learning about seasons and nature to the test, spotting signs of change all around them.

To finish off their adventure, they enjoyed a quaint Teddy Bear’s Picnic in the park. Everyone shared snacks, stories, and cuddles with their favourite teddies. The perfect way to end a fun-filled day of outdoor discovery. It was a wonderful celebration of learning, nature, and friendship. Well done, Autumn Explorers!

Friendship Week

The children enjoyed making beautiful friendship bracelets, sharing them with buddies, and talking about what makes a good friend. We also played lots of cooperative games, where everyone worked together, took turns, and encouraged one another. It was wonderful to see so much kindness, laughter, and inclusion throughout the week. Our pupils reminded us that friendship grows stronger when we help, listen, and care for each other. Together, we make our school a happier, friendlier place!

Library Visits

 Every week, our pupils enjoy a visit to the local library to choose new books to bring home. These visits give children the chance to explore a wide range of stories, discover new authors, and develop a real love of reading. The excitement of choosing a fresh book each week helps to build independence and encourages pupils to share their reading adventures with friends and family.

We are so lucky to have such a welcoming local library, and we are proud to see our pupils becoming confident, enthusiastic readers.