Our Lady Queen of the May - Message from Fr. Niall

Fr. Niall has once again sent us a lovely message about Our Lady-Queen of the May and please click on the Link to view this message.  Thanks again Fr. Niall.

SRTRC May 11th 2020

Hi All,

Thank you all so much for sending on your photos for Show Racism The Red Card Day on Monday May 11th.    We are absolutely delighted by the response and have put a small sample of your efforts on our Gallery above.   

Please click on the following link SRTRC from Ms. Terry. 

Parents Note 3rd May 2020

Dear Parents,

I found the beginning of this week difficult. The novelty of our present situation had certainly worn off and I yearned to return to normal.

Even things I’d usually enjoy started to annoy me. The morning run seemed boring and TV held no interest. Throughout this week I spoke to many teachers, parents and children experiencing the same sense of being fed-up. I found support and solace in finding out I wasn’t alone and as the week went on, that feeling of common purpose began to energise me again. We held our first Board of Management, 6^th class assemblies and Parents Association Zoom meetings this week and they gave me a real boost. I also have the privilege of seeing some of the inspirational work taking place by parents, children and teachers and this certainly lifted my spirits.

The realisation I have come to is that we will all find this emergency difficult at some stage and that is perfectly natural. We should be easy on ourselves and find support. Fr. Niall’s great video last week on gratitude also helped and is really worth watching. If you or your child get fed-up, take a break, be kind to yourself and find energy in others. It is always darkest just before the dawn.

As we enter the month of May we should remember the Greeks, Romans and Celts all celebrated new beginnings, light and growth at this time of year.

The Greek god Maia (May) was the god of flowers and growth, the Celts burned fires on hilltops on Mayday to burn away the old and start afresh. This is why Bealtaine is the Irish for May – Béal Tine (the mouth of fire).

On  May Day our Taoiseach chose to offer a gradual plan to ease the current restrictions. It is longer that we had hoped. We will not return to school until at least September. They are small steps, but we are starting a new beginning. It will take time and we will grow into it. He did not light a fire on a hilltop, but he did signal a new phase, a new beginning. This offers hope. Our normality will slowly emerge.

The poet Seamus Heaney wrote in Beacons at Bealtaine.

“Move lips, move minds and make new meanings flare
Like ancient beacons signalling, peak to peak,
From middle sea to north sea, shining clear
As phoenix flame upon fionn uisce here.”.

This week and this month are a time of great hope. If we hold our resolve we will triumph. The darker days are behind us and we face the light of summer. The ancient peoples celebrated this and we should too. We ask Mary, our Mother, in this month to lead us on this revival.

Best wishes and stay safe,

Rory D’Arcy.

SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD 11TH OF MAY

Show Racism the Red Card is on the 11th of May.  Please click on the following link

Show Racism the Red Card.

INTERCULTURAL WEEK 11TH-15TH MAY

Its Intercultural Week in  St. Oliver's.  Please click on the following link "Intercultural Week" to find out more. 

A May Message from Fr. Niall

Please click on the following  Link for a May Message from Fr. Niall. 

Parents Note 27th April 2020

Greetings to everyone,

I hope you are keeping safe and well.

Once again, work for the week ahead has been posted on the ‘Homework’ link above.

We wish to thank you for your support and feedback and we are conscious that every home and every child is different and consequently requires different supports. Staying in touch with your child’s teacher is a vital link in this individualised approach. A wide variety of methods of contact are in use, ranging from high tech to post.

We are conducting a survey to help inform this help. It takes two minutes to complete and contains seven questions and we ask you complete a separate survey for each child you have in St. Oliver’s . Please take some time to complete  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NBBYTYF

 Most classes have or will be introducing the Seesaw App. to help stay in touch. Make sure to watch out for the text inviting you grant permission to register and download the app.  

Fr. Niall has posted a lovely message and it is posted under Latest News, on the left hand column. Take some time to have a look.

Best wishes and stay safe and well,

Rory D’Arcy     This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.    0877559237

Results of On-Line Survey

Dear Parents,

Please see below the results of our on-line survey taken last week. 284 people responded to the On-Line Survey.

The link to the results are outlined below.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/stories/SM-6W3KFG69/

The feedback was both helpful and very positive and we circulated the results to our Teacher teams at each class level. I wish to recognise and acknowledge all the amazing work. Parents and Teachers are working hard to guide children through these strange times. We are in this together and we are here to help as best we can.

Remember our children will catch up academically, so do not let the work cause undue stress. As a parent, you know your child best. Pace the work, develop a routine but watch out for burn out!!! Wellbeing is the highest priority.

The comments and suggestions we received also shaped our planning. They were overwhelmingly positive and offered some new ideas. This week we arranged book drops to Senior Infants and First Class and held 6^th Class Zoom Assemblies to build on suggestions and ideas.

Finally, this week is Europe Week so why not try out some of the activities listed in the class homework.

Best wishes,

Rory D’Arcy

If you think we can help in any further way, drop me an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0877559237.