June Newsletter

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Another busy school year is drawing to a close! We would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for your continued support throughout this school year.

Summer Holidays:

The school will close at 12 noon on Wednesday 24th June for the Summer Holidays.

Sixth Class:

Congratulations to our 6th Class pupils who are finishing their time with us here at Glounaguillagh. We wish you every good wish as you transfer to your respective secondary schools. We celebrated our 6th Class pupils at our end-of-year Graduation Service earlier today. It was a meaningful occasion for pupils, families and staff, providing an opportunity to reflect on their journey through primary school and celebrate all they have achieved. A sincere thank you to Fr. Kevin and to Seán Treacy for their contribution in helping to make the service such a special and memorable occasion.

Retirement:

At the end of this school year, we will say farewell to Mrs. Teresa Foley as she begins a well-earned retirement. Teresa has been a valued member of the Glounaguillagh N.S. staff for many years and has made an enormous contribution to school life through her kindness, dedication and care for the children she has supported. On behalf of the entire school community, I would like to sincerely thank Teresa for her commitment, professionalism and friendship over the years. We wish her every happiness, good health and many happy and fulfilling years in retirement.

School Reports:

The end-of-year report cards were released on the Aladdin app last week and are available to view there.

Calendar 2026/2027:

Please find attached an updated School Calendar for 2026/2027. We have received confirmation of two of our whole school closure dates for the coming school year. We will receive confirmation of the other two Oide led closure days as well as confirming the school led closure day, in between the Oide dates, in Term 1. We will share an updated calendar once received.

Class Groups 2026/2027:

Junior & Senior Infants – Mrs. Doyle

Senior Infants & 1st Class – Ms. Quirke

2nd Class – Mrs. Fleming

3rd & 4th Class – Ms. O’Shea

4th & 5th Class - Mrs. Galvin

6th Class – TBC

SETs – Ms. Pigott and Ms. O’Sullivan/Ms. Tyther (job-sharing)

Staffing Update:

As parents will have noted from the class allocation letter, one teaching position for the 2026/2027 school year remains to be finalised. At present, a fixed-term teaching position arising from a job-share arrangement remains subject to Department of Education staffing processes. Once this process has concluded, we hope to be in a position to advertise and fill the post as soon as possible. Ms. Norma Tyther and Ms. Aoife O'Sullivan will job-share in our Special Education teaching position for the 2026/2027 school year. Mrs. Juliet Russell will also job-share for the coming school year. All appointments will be communicated to parents as soon as the recruitment process has been completed. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Caitríona McCarthy, Mrs. Emma Phelan and Mr. Niall Fenton Toms for their commitment, professionalism and contribution to our school throughout the year. Each has played an important role in supporting our pupils and school community, and their efforts have been greatly appreciated by staff, children and parents alike. We are very grateful for all they have done and wish them every success in the future. We look forward to welcoming both returning and new staff members to Glounaguillagh N.S. in September.

Thank You:

As we come to the end of another busy school year, I would like to extend a sincere word of thanks to our Parents' Association. Your continued support, enthusiasm and generosity have made a tremendous difference to school life. Whether organising events, supporting fundraisers or lending a helping hand behind the scenes, your contribution is very much appreciated. A special word of thanks to our Parents' Association Chairperson, Wayne Doyle. Wayne has always been willing to help whenever called upon and has given generously of his time throughout the year. No matter the task, he has been eager to get involved and support the school in any way he could. We are extremely grateful for his commitment, assistance and ongoing support.

Garden Fête:

Our Garden Fête and Mollie's Birthday Bash proved to be a wonderful way to round off the school year. It was lovely to see pupils, parents, grandparents and friends of the school enjoying an afternoon together in the sunshine. There was a fantastic atmosphere throughout. Thank you to everyone who attended, supported the event and helped make it such an enjoyable occasion for all.

Garda Blitz:

Some of the 5th and 6th Class pupils enjoyed a fantastic day at this year's Garda Blitz in Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney. The blitz provided a wonderful opportunity for children from schools across the county to come together, play football and enjoy a fun-filled day in a great environment. A sincere thank you to the organisers, An Garda Síochána and all those involved in coordinating the event. We are also grateful to Stephen Enright for his assistance in helping us secure a place in the blitz.

Athletics:

Well done to all the pupils who represented Glounaguillagh N.S. at the Mid-Kerry School Sports in Killorglin. As always, our children competed with great enthusiasm, determination and sportsmanship. Congratulations to those who progressed to represent Mid-Kerry at county level, and a special word of congratulations to Caoimhe Foley, who secured a bronze medal in the shot putt. We are very proud of all involved.

Mid-Kerry Schools Football:

Congratulations to our football team, who enjoyed a very successful year in the Mid-Kerry Schools Competition. Following qualification from the Mid-Kerry Mid-Size Schools Blitz, the team progressed to the Division 2 Shield Final in Cromane, where they produced a tremendous performance to defeat Réalt na Mara on a scoreline of 5-06 to 4-06 in difficult conditions. Thank you to all the parents and family members who travelled to support the team. We are also grateful to the Mid-Kerry Board for listening to and acting on feedback from schools. A special word of thanks to Stephen O'Sullivan and all in Cromane Coiste na nÓg for the considerable effort that went into organising a well-structured and enjoyable competition for all involved.

The Cúl-est P.E. Class:

We were delighted to learn that Glounaguillagh N.S. was selected as one of just 15 schools nationwide to win Kellogg's and the GAA's "The Cúl-est P.E. Class" competition following a successful nomination submitted by Ms. Quirke. Our 5th Class pupils enjoyed a fantastic coaching session led by PJ Reidy, Kerry GAA Games Development Coordinator, assisted by Sophia Doherty. We were also pleased to welcome Kieran from Kellogg's, who travelled to Kerry to be part of the occasion. Despite the less-than-ideal weather conditions, the children embraced the experience and thoroughly enjoyed the day. To top it all off, each pupil received their own football to take home. A sincere thank you to Kellogg's, the GAA, PJ, Sophia and Kieran for providing such a memorable experience. A special word of congratulations to Ms. Quirke for submitting the winning entry and to our 5th Class pupils, who represented the school so well throughout the day.

Say Yes to Languages:

Since January, our 5th and 6th Class pupils have been participating in the Say Yes to Languages programme under the guidance of Ms. Caitríona McCarthy. The programme provides pupils with an opportunity to experience an additional language alongside English and Irish, and over the past number of months the children have been learning Spanish. To celebrate the completion of the module, Caitríona organised a special Spanish Afternoon, during which pupils had the opportunity to sample a variety of Spanish foods and put some of their new language skills into practice. The event was thoroughly enjoyed by all. We extend our sincere thanks to Caitríona for her enthusiasm, expertise and commitment in delivering the programme and providing such a positive and enjoyable learning experience for our pupils.

Kerry FC Visit:

We were delighted to welcome players and staff from Kerry FC to the school last week. During their visit, the children in 5th & 6th Class had the opportunity to learn more about the club, ask questions and take part in an enjoyable coaching session focused on football skills and activities. We are very grateful to Kerry FC for offering schools the opportunity to apply for a visit. Thank you to all involved for a fantastic morning which was thoroughly enjoyed by the children.

September Reopening:

We will re-open on Tuesday 1st September.

Finally, on behalf of everyone here at Glounaguillagh National School, I wish parents, children and family members a well-deserved and enjoyable break.

Kind regards,

Sinéad Pigott

Principal