School GAA Coaching/hurling skills Thank you to the Crusheen GAA coaches who have kindly offered to help with hurling skills in the school again this year. Crusheen GAA is busy planning for the Astroturf being completed over the next couple of weeks. In the meantime the following is the hurling skills timetable for the school.
3rd Class on Wednesday 6th and 13th at 1:10pm with Thomas Vaughan, Niall Griffin and Fergus Kennedy. Pupils are asked to wear their school tracksuit and bring a hurley and helmet on these days
1st & 2nd Classes on Fridays 8th and 15th at 1.00pm with Gerry O’Grady, Gavin Collins and Peter Casey. Pupils are asked to wear their school tracksuit and bring a hurley and helmet on these days
Mr. Gantley & Mr. Millane will do hurling skills with their classes 4th, 5th & 6th and will inform the pupils of those days. Pupils are asked to wear their school tracksuit and bring a hurley and helmet on these days
Assembly On Wednesday, October 25th all classes assembled in the school yard. Mr. Millane spoke to pupils about the importance of safety at Hallowe’en and he commended the pupils for their good behaviour for the first half term. Pupils who took part in the Cross Country Running in Lees Road were congratulated and the u10 boys received their team medals. Pupils who were part of the Community Games u11 hurling team spoke about the competition and they showed us their medals for winning the Clare and Munster competitions as well their silver All Ireland medals. Three of our pupils travelled to London at the weekend to take part in the Great Britain Irish Dancing Competition and they shared their experiences with the school - well done to Donal Óg, Pearl and Hannah!
Clare Community Games All Stars 2023 The annual Clare Community Games All Star Award Ceremony took place in Treacy’s West County Hotel, Ennis on Friday 13 th October. Fifty-seven children received awards for their endeavours. The All-Star awards are presented to celebrate those participants who have excelled in their activity and who have demonstrated the true ethos of the Community Games. We would like to congratulate Luke Hanrahan, a 5 th class pupil, who received his All-Star award in the ‘Hurling ’category. Luke played with the Crusheen/Ballinruan/Tubber team at the Community Games competitions this year. They did very well and reached the All-Ireland Final of the hurling competition. Although they were beaten into second place in the Final, they are deservedly proud of their silver medals and so are we!
Godly Play Senior Infants, 1st and 2nd class returned to Godly Play on Thursday 21st September in the Community Centre. We were delighted to meet our new facilitator Nicola. We listened to the wonderful Bible story of ‘The Creation of the World’. We drew beautiful pictures and enjoyed some tasty treats. We all had so much fun and are looking forward to our next session. By Senior Infants & 1st Class Community Games
We would like to congratulate all the pupils of our school who took part in the Community Games All Ireland Finals over the past few weeks. Many congratulations to the Crusheen/Ballinruan/Tubber U11 hurling team who were runners up in the U11 Hurling Final and secured All Ireland silver medals for their team. The following pupils were on the team: Oisín Collins, Luke Hanrahan, CJ O’Doherty, John Scully, Andrew Farrell, Darragh Donnellan, Michael O’Reilly, Cillian O’ Donnell and Cian Vaughan. Cian Vaughan also took part in the running and took a very respectable 5 th place in his race. Best wishes to Hannah Forde in 1st class who dances in the U12 Solo Dance competition. We also wish Elsie O’Grady and Freddie Slevin the very best in their U10 Art competition which takes place tomorrow 9 th September in Carlow
Clare FM visit to the school The school had a visit from Colum McGrath of Clare FM on Wednesday 18th of October. He was here to meet the pupils in advance of the Senior Hurling County Final which was taking place in Cusack Park that weekend. Everyone at school wore the Crusheen jersey or colours on the day and the school was festooned in red and white bunting. Our students sang their newly composed song ‘Up Crusheen’ written with the support of Ms Darcy to support the team in their endeavours on the pitch. Unfortunately, the Crusheen hurlers lost out on the day, but we hope that they will be back again next year!
Boys Cumann na mBunscol Football On the 28th September the boys from 4th, 5th and 6th classes went to a football blitz in Gurteen. We played Doora, Corofin and Inagh/Cloonahagh. We were narrowly beaten by Inagh/Cloonahagh in a closely fought game. The next two games were tough games and we were narrowly beaten in both games. As football is not our primary game, we put on a good show on the day! - Match Report by Niall McGreal in 6th class
Girls Cumann na mBunscol Football On Thursday 26th of October the girls from 4th, 5th & 6th went to Crusheen GAA pitch to take part in a Gaelic Football blitz against Scoil Chríost Rí, Ennis and Ballynacally/Clondrinagh/Caherea. First we played Scoil Chríost Rí. It was good match and we won well. The final score was 3-5 to 1-1. The second game against the combined forces of Ballynacally, Clondrinagh and Caherea was a tough match. Unfortunately, we were beaten by a stronger team on the day. Nevertheless, we have advanced to the Semi-Final of this competition. We will be playing Clonmoney after the mid-term break. - Match Report by Eadaoin and Caoimhe in 6th class
Swimming Classes Swimming classes will take place in Ennis Leisure Complex from 12.00. to 1.00 pm for pupils in 1 st, 2nd & 3rd classes on the 8th , 15th , 22nd & 29th November 2023. Swimming classes will take place in Ennis Leisure Complex from 12.00 to 1.00 pm for pupils in 4th, 5th, & 6th classes on 6th , 8th, 13th , 20th November and Friday 8th December 2023. All details have been circulated to parents/guardians.
Crusheen Comhaltas Classes For 2023/24 Crusheen Comhaltas are returning to the community centre with many classes available to students in traditional music and singing. Inviting budding singers and musicians: Crusheen Comhaltas are thrilled to announce the return of music and singing classes. If interested please contact the relevant tutor for more details. Traditional singing, Edel 086 8498792. Tin whistle/flute Conor 086 3952512 Banjo, Killian 086 0548801 Button accordion, Cormac 087 9665646 Fiddle, Eimear 086 3976130 Concertina, Tim 087 2605689 Grúpa ceoil classes also available to encourage young musicians to play together. Contact Tim or Eimear. We look forward to a musical year ahead!
Swimming First, second and third classes have completed two swimming lessons at Ennis Leisure Complex. All pupils have benefitted greatly from the lessons. Thank you to the parents who have accompanied the children and helped out at the pool.
Credit Union art winners Well done to all the pupils who entered the Credit Union Art competition. They put their imagination to the test and the entries from our school were brilliant. The theme for this year's competition focuses on 'My Community & Me' and asks participants to consider their local community and their own individual place within it. Congratulations to Ciara Wallace 4th class and Holly Hever 3rd class who both won prizes in the competition. Best of luck to Ciara as her entry will go on to a regional level, and regional winners will progress to the national awards ceremony in February 2024!
Hallowe’en Fundraiser On Friday 27th October our pupils dressed up in their Hallowe’en costumes. Pupils brought in €2 to support the Parents Association fundraiser. A total of €221 was raised. Thank you to everyone who supported this fundraiser.
Many thanks to all the families who supported this year’s Christmas Shoebox Appeal. A total of 101 boxes were donated which was very generous considering the size of our school. Your generosity will bring much joy and happiness to needy children around the world this Christmas! Planet Art Competition Congratulations and well done to Olivia in Junior Infants who won the Planet art competition. Olivia has won a prize of a trip to the soft play for her whole classroom. We are so delighted she is in our class! We are very excited and eagerly await our day out.
Halloween Hobble Pupils in Junior Infants to 1st class took part in a Halloween Hobble on Friday 27th October. They walked to the playground where they had lots of fun. The children really enjoyed the opportunity to showcase their creative and spooky Halloween costumes. Well done to all!
The first meeting of the newly elected Student Council took place on Tuesday 14th of November. Mr Millane attended the meeting and congratulated the pupils who are taking on their new role for the coming year. The Student Council will represent all pupils in our school. Pupils will have an opportunity to have their voices heard and will be able to contribute their ideas for making our school a happy place where everyone feels welcome. All pupils will be encouraged to participate in school activities and events throughout the school year. The newly elected members of the Student Council are as follows: Erin Noone – 2 nd class Cian Vaughan- 3 rd class Michael O’Reilly- 4 th class Luke Hanrahan- 5 th class Caoimhe O’Brien – 6 th class Lia Mc Allen- 6 th class We wish them well with their new role in the year ahead!
Clare County Cross Country Running Well done to the pupils who represented our school at the Cross-Country Championships at Lees Road, Ennis this week. The following pupils participated in the event: Tommy O Connor, Under 8 Boys Liam Vaughan, Under 8 Boys Elsie O Grady, Under 10 Girls Cian Vaughan, Under 10 Boys Ryan Vaughan, Under 10 Boys Oisin Collins, Under 10 Boys Cillian O Donnell, Under 10 Boys L Morrish, Under 10 Boys C J O Doherty, Under 10 Boys Mia O Riordan, Over 10 Girls Congratulations to Elsie who will progress on to the next stage of the competition.
Christmas Show 2023 We are looking forward to our Christmas show. All of the pupils are enjoying the lead up and are busy in preparation for the evening. We wish to extend an invitation to all our families to attend our Christmas concert this year. It is entitled ‘Who’s Got the Xmas Factor?’ a nativity musical by Sheila Wilson. It will take place at St. Cronan’s Church at 6pm on Thursday 14th of December. Our junior and senior infant classes certainly have the ‘Xmas factor’ and will be singing some seasonal carols to get us all into the Christmas spirit! The children are busy preparing for the performance and we are all looking forward to seeing everyone there on the night!
December 2023
School Assembly We had a school assembly on Wednesday the 29th of December. Certificates for ‘Dalta na Seachtaine’ and Handwriting were presented to students. Mr Millane reminded the pupils that ‘Advent’ is coming. Advent is a time when we prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas time. He asked everyone to be kind and nice to everyone at school and at home. Pupils are encouraged to perform ‘random acts of kindness’ in the coming weeks. This will make other people happy and will help us to prepare well for Christmas. In conclusion, Mr Gantley’s 4 th and 5th classes entertained us all with their singing of a Woody Guthrie song ‘This Land is Your Land.’
Nollaig Shona- Words of Appreciation The pupils and staff have reached the end of a very busy first term of the school year. As everybody takes a break for Christmas, I would like the acknowledge the wonderful work of the many people who have supported our school community this term. Thank you to Fr. Des Hillary who is a regular visitor to our school. We would like to acknowledge his commitment to the school community and his pastoral work with the pupils who will be receiving the sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation next year. Thank you to Anne in the ‘Imeall Bóirne’ pastoral office for her support in organising the enrolment applications for our pupils in the sacrament classes. Sincere thanks to Mary O’Donnell and the Pastoral Council for making the parish Church available whenever it is needed by the school. Thanks also to Josephine Kearney and Nicola Johnston for facilitating ‘Godly Play ‘and ‘Children’s Eucharistic Adoration’ during the past term. Our pupils are looking forward to continuing their involvement in these wonderful spiritual programmes in the new term. We are also very fortunate to have the use of the Community Centre and wish to thank Geraldine and the Committee for facilitating the school’s use of the ‘Halla’ when needed. The staff and pupils are very grateful to the parents who have come to the school to coach GAA skills this term. The pupils have really benefitted from and enjoyed the coaching sessions and look forward to improving their hurling skillset again next term. Thanks also to the parents who travelled with the pupils to swimming lessons in Ennis. We are always appreciative of receiving additional parent/guardian supervision for school trips. (If parents would like to support us with supervision on school excursions next term, a Garda Vetting form is attached to this newsletter. Please return the completed Garda Vetting form to the school office and we will be in contact with you.) A final word of thanks to the school’s Parents’ Association for all their support during the first term of this school year. We very much appreciate their commitment to the school community especially regarding fundraising for school resources, excursions and other school related expenses. On behalf of the whole staff, I would like to wish our pupils, families and school community a safe and happy Christmas and we look forward to welcoming you back in January 2024. Nollaig faoi Shéan agus faoi Mhaise Dhaoibh go léir! Mr. Millane
Christmas Show 2023 Our Christmas nativity musical took place at St. Cronan’s Church on Thursday evening, the 14th of December. Many thanks to all the school staff who helped prepare the pupils for the performance. The Church venue was the ideal setting for our Christmas nativity, and we are very appreciative to Fr Des for allowing us to use the Church on the night. Thanks to Fr. Des for his lovely words of welcome and to the members of the Pastoral Council who had the Church looking lovely and ready for the celebration of Christmas. Our pupils certainly had the ‘Xmas Factor’ as they put on a great performance on the night! Our junior and senior infants opened the concert and sang some beautiful Christmas carols which were full of joy and Christmas spirit! ‘Jump if you love Christmas’, Ralph the Reindeer’ and ‘Mary had a baby Boy’ had everyone singing and clapping along! Next, the school band entertained everyone with a lovely rendition of ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Oh Little Town of Bethlehem.’ Finally, we were reminded of the real meaning of Christmas as the children from 3 rd class brought the story of the very first Christmas in Bethlehem to life! Pupils from 1st to 6th classes joined in the chorus to tell the story of Jesus’ birth through song and showed us all that they also had the ‘Xmas Factor’! ‘Míle Buíochas’ to Tim Collins who organised the sound system and microphones for the evening. Thanks also to the school staff for organising and displaying the children' Christmas artwork in the church for the occasion. Christmas Raffle Many thanks to the Crusheen N.S. Parents’ Association who organised this year’s ‘Christmas Raffle’ fundraising event for the school. It was a great success, and the school management would like to sincerely thank the sponsors and parents who supported the raffle in any way. A total of €4,000 was raised. The raffle took place at the Community Hall on Wednesday 20th December at 3.15 pm. Many congratulations to all the winners and we wish them well with their prizes.
Christmas Recital We were delighted to welcome Tamas Chernal, music teacher and father of Olivia in Junior infants, to the school this week to play some festive tunes on his keyboard for the pupils and to teach them about the different genres of music. Pupils really enjoyed hearing him play and they sang and clapped along to many of our favourite Christmas Carols and other songs. Jared Hudson from 4th class who is one of Tamas’ music students also entertained us with his playing of ‘Carol of the Bells’ also known as ‘Ukrainian Bell Carol’ Jared also played the beautiful Christmas hymn ‘Joy to the World! Well done to Jared for such great playing and for entertaining everyone so well! 5 To end the session, Tamas played some well-known classics and the pupils had to name the title of the song! We are very grateful to Tamas for entertaining us so well this Christmas and we look forward to another music session with him in the New Year!
Godly Play Children really enjoyed their Godly Play sessions this month. They learned all about Advent and listened to a beautiful rendition of the Christmas story. The children drew lovely pictures in response to the story. Nicola prepared a wonderful feast of the children as a special Christmas treat. Thank you Nicola! By: Seniors & 1st Class
January 2024 Credit Union School Quiz 2024 The annual Credit Union School Quiz (Stage 1) will take place this Friday, 26th January. Our school is entering four teams and the pupils involved are looking forward to a great evening. Best of luck to everyone!
Student Council The members of the Student Council held meetings over the past two weeks. They discussed how our school could celebrate Friendship/Anti-Bullying week which is taking place this year from the 5th to the 9th of February. The Student Council members then brought the topic of discussion back to their classes and all pupils were asked to think about how we could make ‘Friendship Week’ a positive experience for everyone in our school this year. Pupils were asked to put their suggestions into the ‘class suggestion box’. When the Student Council met again, we read through all the suggestions before deciding on a few good ideas to bring back to the class teachers. We would like this year’s Friendship Week to be filled with fun activities where everyone can join in with their friends and classmates. Hopefully, everyone will make some new friends and learn how to be a good friend to others!
Basketball Boys and girls in the senior classes have been taking part in basketball training after school on Thursdays. They will be participating in the Marion Keane Basketball Tournament which will be taking place on Wednesday 7th February in Gurteen.
February 2024
We celebrated Friendship week in our school last week. We brought our favourite Teddies to school on Friday to join us for the day. We started the day by going on a Friendship walk with our friends from other classes. It was a lovely morning out and about in Crusheen and we finished the walk with a lap around the GAA pitch. After lunch we had hot chocolate in our classroom. The whole school has learned the song "Count on Me" and we are all going to sing it at assembly tomorrow. It was a great week! by Junior Infants Friendship Week was held from the 6th February to the 9th February. During the week all the classes did lots of fun things. 5 th and 6th classes went to the astro pitch and played some friendship building games with hoola hoops, footballs and cones. On Friday morning the older classes took the younger classes on an adventure walk with their teddy bears! The older classes did ‘blindfold trusting’ games and pairs had to work together to get to the other side of the pitch in only 7 hoops! Everyone loved Friendship Week because we all had lots of fun and we played extra nicely together. By Ailbhe O’Brien, 6th Class
Credit Union School Quiz 2024 The school entered four teams in the Credit Union table quiz on Friday, January 26th. The pupils enjoyed the quiz and it was a great opportunity to meet children from other schools and test out their general knowledge. The teams were: Eadaoin Barry Sarah Jane Moran Emily Slevin Aoibhe Donnellan Sarah Harkin Evan Wherrett Emily Griffin Nial McGreal Oisin Collins CJ O’Doherty Patrick Mulkere Eilí Hanrahan Ryan Holian Gearóid McNamara Ella O’Donnell Ciara Wallace
Marion Keane Basketball Tournament The Marion Keane Basketball Tournament for the boys took place on Wednesday 7th February in Gurteen N.S. The 5th and 6th class boys competed in the Marion Keane basketball blitz in Gurteen hall. We played Barefield N.S. in the first game and lost by one point. After a short break, we played Knockanean N.S. It was a very close game, but the Knockanean N.S. team scored late on and went on to win the game. In the final game we played the Gaelscoil. Again, it was a tight game, but in the end the Gaelscoil came out on top. We enjoyed participating in the tournament and hope to be back again next year! By: CJ O’Doherty,
5th Class Sixth class girls played in the annual Marion Keane basketball tournament on Wednesday, 14th February. The girls played against Barefield NS, Gaelscoil and Knockanean NS and they had a great day out.
Acres CP school Visit ACRES is Ireland's new agri-environment climate scheme under Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan. This new agri-environment scheme is a farmer-friendly scheme to help address biodiversity decline while delivering an income support for up to 50,000 farm families in Ireland. Many thanks to Project Officers Shane and Keith who visited the school on Monday 13th February to present a workshop on ‘How we can support Biodiversity’ to the senior classes. ACRES Visit On Monday 12th of February 4th, 5th & 6th classes had a visit from Keith & Shane from Acres (AgriClimate Rural Environment Scheme). Shane spoke to us about Biodiversity, and he also taught us how we can help wildlife by putting up birdfeeders and not cutting the hedgerows down. There were bird activity sheets, word search and habitat colouring sheets as well as lots of learning about biodiversity, wildlife and the different habitats of birds and animals. We also played a good web game that we all really enjoyed. I hope that Acres will come back next year! By: Oisín Collins 5th Class
Keith and Shane from Acres came to visit 4th 5th & 6th classes to tell us a little bit about biodiversity and nature. First, they told us what biodiversity is. Then they told us what ACRES does to help people and animals. ACRES tries to get farmers to work with them to protect nature and wildlife. After the presentation we went outside and played the ‘animal game’. It was very enjoyable. By Evan Wherrett, 6th Class
Whole School Gymnastics Programme 2024 Gymnastic classes will take place over five Thursdays in the Crusheen Community Centre. The dates are as follows: Thursday 22nd and 29th February Thursday 7th, 14th and 21st March 2024.
Boys Indoor Hurling On Friday 9th February the 3rd and 4th class boys set off for Ennis National School to participate in an Indoor hurling tournament. In the first game we played the C.B.S. Ennis. It was a tough game, but we came out on top! In the second game we played Ennis National school. It was a great game of hurling from both teams, but the Ennis lads were the winners! In the final game we played the Holy Family N.S. team. It was a very enjoyable game of hurling, and we were unlucky to lose out in the end. Although we did not progress to the next round of the competition, we really enjoyed our day out and will be looking forward to getting involved in the tournament again next year. By John Scully, 4th Class
Girls Indoor Camogie On Tuesday 13th February, the girls from 4 th and 5th classes travelled to Ennis NS to play in an indoor camogie tournament. We played three games. In the first game we beat the CBS Ennis 6-0. In the second the Ennis N.S. beat us 5-1. In the final game we played the Holy Family N.S. and beat them 2-1. The games were tough and we did very well to win two of our games. We had great fun and we look forward to getting involved in the tournament next year. By: Lily Hassett & Sinéad O’Reilly
March 2024
Godly Play Godly Play resumed last week for Junior Infants to second class. We had a lovely session with Nicola. She told us a story all about getting ready for Easter. We learned that purple is the colour for Lent and it changes to white for Easter. After the story we discussed it and then we drew pictures based on it. Then we had the feast! To finish the lovely lesson Nicola played some music and we all had quiet time. We are looking forward to the next day already! By Ms. Darcy, Junior Infants Ennis
Book Club Festival – Children’s Event On Friday 1st March, 5 th & 6th class pupils travelled to Glór in Ennis to attend a Children’s Book Club event with Sarah Moore and Ellen Ryan, awardwinning children’s writers who spoke to the pupils about Ellen’s new books Gods Don’t Cry and Girls Who Slay Monsters. Ellen talked about the different gods and goddesses of all shapes and sizes from Ireland’s ancient myths, their adventures and what type of heroes they were. At the end of the session we did a personality test to see which god or goddess we would be. It was an enjoyable day and very interesting. We are very grateful to Brid Hayes, in Ennis Book Club festival for inviting our class to be involved in the workshops with Sarah Moore last term and also for inviting us to Glor for Ennis Book Club Festival. The pupils in 5th & 6th really enjoyed the whole programme. By: Emily Slevin & Aoibhe Donnellan 6 th Class
Crusheen Tidy Village Art Competiton The committee are running an art competition to promote the work of the Tidy Village committee in Crusheen. Pupils have been busy drawing their favourite flowers. One flower from each class will be chosen and displayed on the Tidy Village float for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Winners will receive an Easter egg.
Heritage Presentation 4th & 5th classes have been partaking in the Heritage Keepers initiative. This is a place based programme. Students have been investigating various geographical and historical aspects of the Parish. We will also be doing a field trip around the Parish with local historian and story teller Eddie Lenihan in May. This is something we are greatly looking forward to. By 4th & 5th class pupils
Whole School Gymnastics Programme 2024 The children from Junior Infants to Sixth class are enjoying five weeks of gymnastic classes. This is a wonderful learning experience for all our children. They have been learning techniques to perform cartwheels and tumbles. Today the children practised strength and conditioning exercises. They worked on upper body strength. We are excited to have Monika work with us over the coming weeks to develop our knowledge and skills in gymnastics. March
World Book Day All classes participated in a variety of activities for World Book Day. Pupils dressed up as their favourite book characters or authors, and they spoke about their costumes. The younger classes enjoyed being ‘book buddies’ with pupils from the older classes. Some classes had book character parades, book reviews and they drew their favourite book covers. Prizes were given to pupils who had made a great effort with reading, especially with the Accelerated Reader programme.
Cumann na mBunscol Mini 7s Gaelic Boys On the 5th of March the boys in 4th, 5th & 6th classes travelled to Gurteen for the mini 7s Gaelic football competition. In the first game we played Tulla NS. It was a tight game but we came out on top. Next we played Doora NS. This was another tight game but we won 4:3. We got through to the semi-finals and played Barefield NS. This was a challenging game and we lost by 2 goals. However, it was a good day out and we are looking forward to lots more sporting games in the coming weeks. By CJ O’Doherty & Ryan Vaughan
St. Patricks Day Parade
Seachtain na Gaeilge We had a great week celebrating ‘Seachtain na Gaeilge’ in our school from 10th – 15th March. The pupils made an extra effort to use their Irish at school throughout the week. First & second classes enjoyed Storytime “as Gaeilge” each day. The whole school was decorated with Irish flags and shamrocks. All classes were treated to some traditional Irish music on Wednesday, 13th March. Local musicians Des Mulkere, Joe Feeny and Oliver O’Connell were joined by our own Ms. Considine and they played a variety of jigs and reels for the children. As everyone knows, we have no shortage of Irish dancers in our school! Some of them entertained us with beautiful Irish dancing during the performance. Táimid an-bhuíoch do na ceoltóirí don cheol álainn, bríomhar a sheinn siad duinn! Bhaineamar antaitneamh as! Pupils from all classes also danced the ‘Siege of Ennis’ in the school yard with the help of their teachers as part of ‘Seachtain na Gaeilge.’ It was wonderful to see Irish culture as strong as ever in our school! On Friday, we had our’ Lá Glas’ and we all took part in the ‘wearing of the green’ in honour of St. Patrick and our National Day of Celebration.
Assembly We had a school assembly today Friday 22nd March. Mr Millane welcomed everyone to the gathering. He congratulated Makayla Lyons on getting a place on the Primary Games Camogie team. He also congratulated the Girls Mini 7s Football team on making it to the INTO Mini 7’s Football Final. The INTO Mini 7’s Boys Football team and the boys’ soccer team were also congratulated on making it to the Finals in their respective competitions. Mr Millane presented certs for ‘Gaeilgeoir na Seachtaine’ and ‘Dalta na Seachtaine’ to pupils in each of the classes. Mrs Quinn then presented medals to the pupils who won the Community Games art and handwriting competitions. The winners of the Crusheen Tidy Village art competition were also presented with their prizes, so it was a very exciting assembly this week! To bring our assembly to a conclusion, Mr. Gantley’s 4th and 5th classes sang a couple of Irish songs. ‘Óró Sé do Bheatha Abhaile’ which was a rebel song in the early twentieth century. In contrast their second song was an Irish translation of a contemporary love song, Coldplay’s ‘Sky full of Stars.’ Maith sibh! Bhí an canadh go hiontach! Finally, Mr Millane wished everyone a happy and safe Easter time!
Visit of David Condon for World Book Day First & second classes were very excited to welcome Hannah Forde’s grandad David, to our classroom to celebrate World Book Day. David has written many books, including a book of stories for children. David told us the stories of ‘The Girl on the Bus’, ‘Foxy’ and ‘The Silver Chalice’. All the pupils were very inspired by David’s stories and many said they would like to be authors when they grow up! Visit of Mayor of Clare & Councillor
On Thursday Junior Infants, Senior Infants & 1st classes welcomed the Mayor of Clare, Joe Cooney, and Councillor P.J Ryan who is James and Dan's Grandad to our classroom. They spoke to us about their important roles as Mayor of Clare and Councillor. They told us that their favourite part of their work is travelling to other countries to represent Co. Clare. Mayor Cooney told us about his special chain of office he was wearing and he explained that the names of all the previous Mayors of Clare are inscribed on the brass plates of his chain of office. When they were leaving they gave us some treats for Easter!! We are very grateful to them for taking the time to visit us at school.
Library & Garda Station visit Last Tuesday, Junior Infants, Senior Infants & 1st Class pupils went on a trip to Ennis. First, we visited Ennis library where we got to explore the library and read some books. Afterwards, Eilis a librarian working at the library, read us three stories. There was one very funny story about a bear!! Next, we went to visit Ennis Garda Station where we met Garda Lorraine, Garda Irene and Garda Albert. We got to see the cells and the interview room. It was a great day out.
Buddy Day On Wednesday, 20th March, first, second, fifth & sixth classes took part in some ‘buddy games’ at the astro pitch. The aim was to let younger children and older children get to know each other and to work together at various tasks. They did a ‘silent birthday line up’, ‘hula hoop games’, ‘ball relays’ and they played other cooperative games together. It was a great success, and they are all looking forward to their next ‘buddy day’together!
Children of the Eucharist On Wednesday pupils in 3rd class went to St. Cronan’s Church for ‘Children of the Eucharist’. Josephine and Mary welcomed us into the Church. We blessed ourselves with Holy Water. We sang a hymn with Josephine while Mary took the Blessed Host from the Tabernacle and placed it on the altar. Mary told us a beautiful story about Joseph and Jesus when Jesus was a little boy. Josephine put on some lovely music and we had some reflection time. We would like to thank Josephine and Mary for inviting us to ‘Children of the Eucharist’. We really enjoyed our visit to the Church. By Cara Dillon, 3rd Class
INTO Mini 7s Football girls On Wednesday 15th March, the 5th & 6th class girls went to the Tulla GAA pitch to play in a Mini 7s football match. We were playing against Tulla N.S. The Tulla girls scored an early goal and were in the lead at half time. We had to be strong and determined to take on the challenge. We started to play better as a team in the second half and scored 2:1 without reply and were delighted to win the match! We will now move forward to the Mini- 7’s Finals after Easter. By: Emily Slevin & Aoibhe Donnellan, 6th Class
On Friday 15th March, the 5th & 6th class girls went to Tulla and played a Mini 7s football match against Tulla N.S. In the first half we were losing by a goal! At half time we made a few changes to the team and when play resumed we scored two goals and two points. Tulla then scored another a point, but the match ended and we won! We were all very happy and we can’t wait for the next round of the tournament. By: Sarah Harkin, 5th Class
INTO Mini 7s Hurling On the 15th March the 5th & 6th class boys travelled to Tulla GAA pitch to take part in the INTO mini 7s hurling. We had Flagmount/Dromindoora and Tulla in our group. We played the Flagmount/Dromindoora team, and we beat them. In the qualifier we played Doora and they were a very good side, but we came out on top. We are now through to the Finals, and we are looking forward to another day out. By Ryan Vaughan, 4th Class
FAI Soccer 5's Well done to the boys’ soccer teams who travelled to Lees Road Astro on Friday the 14th March. The school had entered two teams in the competition Crusheen White and Crusheen Red. Crusheen White met Ruan, Doora and Caherea. Crusheen Red played Toonagh, Kilmaey and Kilnamona. The two Crusheen teams got through to the finals. Crusheen White played Gaelscoil Shannon and Ruan and won the two of the games. Crusheen Red beat Ruan but lost to Doora. We had a good day out and we are looking forward to the finals. By C.J. O’Doherty, 5th Class
The girls from 6th class travelled to Lees Road for the FAI 5 aside soccer. The girls had two teams Crusheen White and Crusheen Red. The Crusheen White team put up a good fight, but they were unlucky on the day! The Crusheen Red team drew against Clonmoney Black and won against St. Senan’s of Kilrush, which led them to the next round. They drew against Newmarket and sadly lost against St. Tolas which meant they didn’t get through to the finals. However, the girls had a great day and played very well. By Caoimhe O’Brien & Emma Scully, 6th Class
The following pupils have been representing our school in the Clare primary games trials at various venues and times over the past few weeks. Primary Game Hurling – Niall Mc Greal Primary Games Camogie – Makayla Lyons Primary Games Boys Football: Evan Wherrett Primary Games Girls Football: Emma Scully Congratulations to Makayla Lyons who was selected to play for Clare Primary games camogie at half time during the Cork v Clare match in Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday 28th April, 2024. Best of luck to the other pupils as the selection process continues.
Crusheen GAA girls football U8/U10/U12 girls football training resumes on Sunday 7 th April at 11.00 am at the Astroturf in Crusheen. New members are always welcome! If you have any queries or if you would like to be added to the WhatsApp group, please contact Paula at 086 8964809 or James at 086 6063949. Crusheen GAA Lunchtime hurling Crusheen GAA will also run lunchtime hurling in the new Astro for boys and girls from infants, seniors and first class during the Easter holidays on Wednesday 27th March and Wednesday 3rd April at 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm.
Tresure hunt flyer Slevin School of Music Starlight flyer
April
Assembly We held a school assembly on Thursday 25 th April. There was a lot of good news to celebrate this week! Mr Millane congratulated the following: • The boys’ soccer team who participated in the FAI Schools’ Primary 5’s blitz on Tuesday and won the Clare stage of the competition. They will now progress on to the Munster Finals which will take place next month at Cahir Park AFC, Tipperary. • The Boston/Tubber/Ballinruan Community Games County winners who won prizes for draughts, running and hurdles. • Makayla Lyons who will play with the Clare Primary Games Camogie team at half time during the Clare vs Cork hurling match on this Sunday 28th April in Supervalu, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, at 2.00 pm. • Evan Wherrett who will play with the Clare Primary games team at half time during the Munster Senior football final Clare vs Kerry on Sunday 5 th May in Cusack Park, Ennis at 1.45 pm. • Ryan Vaughan, Elsie O’Grady and Cian Vaughan on winning medals in the Munster Athletics representing Ennis Track.
Bake Sale On Thursday next, the 2 nd of May the Student Council will hold a ‘Bake Sale Fundraiser’ at Crusheen Community Centre. All money received will go towards subsidising the cost of the buses for school tours this year. All baking and homemade goods can be left into the Community Centre that morning. Pupils from all classes will be given an opportunity to purchase some baked goods during the day. We would ask that pupils bring a small bag or lunchbox for any treats they buy at the bake sale. The Bake Sale will take place from 10.00 a.m to 2.30pm on the day or until the shelves are emptied! Parents are also welcome to call to the Community Centre to purchase some baked goods and treats. We look forward to your support on the day! Parents can also donate online through the School bank account. By:
Student Council Internet Safety & Cyberbullying Workshop On Friday 12th April pupils in 4th 5 th & 6th classes took part in an ‘Internet Safety’ workshop which was facilitated online by Ger Brick. Mr Brick has facilitated Internet Safety workshops with over 90,000 primary school children throughout Ireland. Internet Safety Presentation We had a very interesting presentation on Internet Safety’ with Ger Brick. He explained all about cyberbullying and advised us to ‘Stop, Block and Tell’ if we ever had an experience of being bullied online. He also spoke about the security of passwords and how easily they can be ‘hacked’. When using a password, he advised us to have a password with ten or more characters to ensure that it will be secure. We discussed what we can do if we or our friends are being bullied online. Hopefully, we will all be able to enjoy positive experiences when we are using the Internet. By Emily Slevin, 6th class.
Online Safety Usage Initiative We would like to thank everyone who participated in the Internet Safety survey. We are grateful to all who took the time to engage with us, providing us with valuable insights and feedback. We received responses from 71 parents in total, representing at least 105 students. Here is a breakdown of responses by class groups: -Infant Classes: 29 -First/Second Classes: 26 -Third/Fourth Classes: 32 -Fifth/Sixth Classes: 18 Findings: The majority of families are eager to work together towards safeguarding our children online. Feedback: • Enhanced internet safety education for parents and children requested. • Suggestions for information sessions and signposts to other platforms for additional support. • Concerns raised about pressure on children (and parents) due to peers having smartphones. • Advocacy for more local activities as alternatives to screen time. Our Aim: Establishing a voluntary agreement regarding smartphone usage and offering resources and support to parents are two key components of this initiative. Over the coming weeks, Norah and Dermot will seek consultation on the final voluntary Charter, with the aim of implementing the Safer Internet Initiative in Crusheen N.S. from September 2024. Please feel free to contact us @ [email protected] More information for parents on this important topic is available online from the Dept of Education. ‘Keeping Childhood Smartphone Free’ A guide for parents and parents’ associations who wish to engage with their school community regarding internet safety and access to smartphones for primary school children is available online. https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/ece25-keepingchildhood-smartphone-free/
FAI Schools’ Primary 5’s Soccer On Tuesday 23rd April our boys’ soccer team participated in the FAI Schools’ Primary 5’s blitz at Lees Rd, Ennis. After playing in some very competitive games, they were the eventual winners of the Clare stage of the competition. They will now progress on to the Munster Finals which will take place next month at Cahir Park AFC, Tipperary. We wish them all the very best of luck in the next stage of the competition. FAI Soccer 5's-
Match Report On Tuesday 23rd April 5th and 6th class boys travelled to Lees Road in Ennis for the Primary 5s schools Clare finals. In our group we had Doora N.S. and Kilmihil N.S. In our first game we played Kilmihil N.S. and we won 1:0. In our second game we played Doora N.S. and we won 1:0. These wins allowed us to qualify for the final group. In the final group we had to play Coore N.S. and Liscannor N.S. We played Coore N.S. first and we were unlucky to lose the game 1:0. We then needed to win against Liscannor N.S. to get into the finals. We rose to the challenge by winning this game 4:0. Then it went to a three-way penalty shoot out between the three schools. In the final penalty shootout, there was great excitement with some great penalty saves from our goalie Odhran Hassett. After a great effort by our team players, we won the penalty shootout. We were all so excited! We are now looking forward to the Munster stage of the primary 5s schools’ competition which will take place on Thursday 16th of May. By CJ O’Doherty and Oisín Collins
Cumann na mBunscol Girls Camogie Match Report The girls in 5th & 6th class played in a camogie blitz in Crusheen. We played two teams Boston/Tubber and Flagmount. We beat both teams. On the 2nd of May we will travel to Eire Og GAA pitch in Ennis to compete in the Finals of the Mini 7s Camogie competition. By: Mia O’Riordan and Áine Maples Cumann na mBunscol Girls’ mini-7’s Football On Wednesday 17th April the girls in 5th & 6th classes travelled to Clarecastle to take part in the ‘Cumann na mBunscol’ mini-7s Football competition. The schools involved were: Scoil na Maighdine Mhuire, Newmarket N.S. Kilnamona N.S. Knockanean N.S. Ballyea N.S. Crusheen N.S. Miltown N.S. Lissycasey N.S. Carraigaholt/Moveen/Kilbaha N.S.
Match Report The first game we played was against Newmarket. They were a strong team, and it was a tough match! We were disappointed to lose in the end 1:3 to 2:3. After a short break we played Miltown Malbay. They were also a very good team and despite our best efforts we could not beat them. The final score was 3:3 to 1:1. In our final match we played Ballyea. They were very strong also. We kept it very close and nearly had them. However, in the end we were beaten 1:3 to 1:1. Our three captains for the day were Makayla Lyons, Caoimhe O’Brien and Ellie Whelan. We had a very enjoyable day and we have enjoyed representing our school in the INTO mini 7s over the years. We are looking forward to the Championship matches in the next few weeks. By Éadaoin Barry & Emily Slevin
INTO Mini 7s Hurling On the 10th April the 4th, 5th & 6th class boys went to Sixmilebridge to play the Mini 7s hurling finals. We played Ogonnelloe and Sixmilebridge. We drew with Ogonnelloe and we lost by a point to Sixmilebridge. Even though we lost we still had a great day! We have had lots of hurling over the past few weeks and we are looking forward to more games in the Championship. By: Ryan Vaughan & Patrick Mulkere
St. Flannan’s Super 8s Hurling Blitz On Wednesday 17th April the boys in 4th, 5th & 6th travelled to St. Flannan’s College to take part in the St. Flannan’s Super 8s competition. In our first match we played Ennis National school and we won 3:5 to 1:0. In our second match we played Stonehall and after a close match we won by a few points. In our last group stage match we played Kilmaley and we also won that match by a few points. So that took us to a Semi Final and after a tight game, Newmarket came out on top. We had a great day of hurling and we are looking forward now to the Championship. By: Oisín Collins & Daragh O’Rourke
Treasure Hunt fundraising event by Crusheen N.S. Parents Association The Parents’ Association is always looking for new and innovative ways to raise funds for our school. We would like to thank Natasha Bourke and the Crusheen N.S. Parents Association for organising a ‘car treasure hunt’ which took place on Sunday 14th April 2024. It was a great success and everyone who participated enjoyed the day! Many thanks to everyone who came out on the day to support this fundraiser. A total of €700 was raised on the day which will be used to fund the bus costs for the school tours
Tresuer hunt flyer
Rugby give it a try poster
May 2024
Junior & Senior Infants School Tour On Tuesday 14th May our Junior and Senior Infant classes travelled to the Burren Nature Sanctuary in Kinvara. They enjoyed the Indoor Play centre as well as the outdoor activities which included a Burren Nature Trail, meeting and feeding the farm pets, playing in the adventure playground and visiting the Fairy Woodland. They also enjoyed having their lunch at the picnic area. Thanks to parents Nicola, Aisling and Olivia for helping on the day. Thank you to Burren Nature Sanctuary for a lovely school tour. https://www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie
Senior Classes Tour On Wednesday 15th May, 3rd to 6th classes travelled to the University of Limerick Adventure Centre, Two Mile Gate, Killaloe for a day of outdoor sports activities. It was a fine sunny day, and the pupils were very excited to head away from school for a day of fun and adventure. Pupils took part in various activities including kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, a high ropes aerial obstacle course, archery and other team building exercises. The different activities provided the pupils with opportunities to participate in physical adventure challenges and to develop their teamwork skills. We would like to thank parents Fiona, Aisling and Natasha who helped on the day. Thanks also to the staff at Killaloe Adventure Centre who were very helpful and kind and made sure that everyone enjoyed their day in Killaloe.
Junior Classes Story Session ‘Spring Into Storytime’ is a series of story time sessions delivered online and in libraries across county Clare during the month of April for preschool and primary school aged children. The aim is to bring the fun of reading and stories straight to children in their classrooms. Our junior classes were delighted to take part in a reading session on Tuesday 30th April. Aidan Courtney, librarian and illustrator presented an online session which involved listening to the story ‘Dodos Are Not Extinct’ by Peter Donnelly, and then engaging in a drawing activity in response to the story. The pupils really enjoyed listening to the story and responding to it in a fun and imaginative way through their own artistic expression.
Student Council The Student Council would like to thank everyone who supported the Bake Sale at school. It was a great success, and pupils from all classes enjoyed their home baked treats on the day. A total of €1600 was raised and these funds have been used to subsidise this year’s school tours for all pupils.
All our classes are participating in “Food Dudes Week”. They have all received a variety of fruit and vegetables to taste and enjoy at lunch time during this past week. Food Dudes is a programme designed to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables at home and in school. The national roll out of the Food Dudes Healthy Eating Programme has seen over 3,000 primary schools and one million children take part. We hope that following their participation in this programme our pupils will learn to enjoy eating a variety of foods as part of a healthy and balanced diet.
FAI Schools’ Primary 5’s Soccer Congratulations to the boys’ soccer team on reaching the FAI Small Schools Munster Finals 2024 which took place on Thursday May 16th in Cahir Park AFC, Tipperary. While they were beaten by Cork and Limerick in closely fought games. They were happy to get the win against the Waterford team. They all enjoyed participating in the tournament and look forward to being back again next year. Thanks to Denis Hynes, Football Development Officer Clare for co-ordinating the Clare and Munster FAI Primary 5s Munster Finals. We are very grateful for all the work Denis does in organising the competition for primary schools. Denis also took time to visit our school with a preparation session in advance of the Munster Finals. Soccer Training Report On Thursday 9th of May, the boys in 5th and 6th classes had a soccer training session in the school yard with Denis Hynes. We practised some drills and some games including ‘one on one’, ‘two on two’ and head catch’. He also shared a few game tips with us and we used them in the matches which we played. It was a training session which we all enjoyed! Thank you, Denis Hynes. By Ryan Vaughan and CJ O’Doherty
Girls Soccer This tournament took place in Lee’s Road Ennis. Our first match was against Kilrush N.S. They proved to be a good team, but we managed to beat them by a goal. Our next match was against Newmarket. They were a very strong team and they beat us. Our final match was against Shannon N.S. We played well and were unlucky that things did not go our way on the day! Although we didn’t progress to the next stage of the competition, we enjoyed the day out and hope to be back again next year! By Ellie, Mia and Éádaoin.
Thank you Frances We would like to thank Frances, our wonderful SNA who travels to all the matches with Mr. Gantley and Mr. Millane and caters for all the pupil medical needs. Frances has been a huge support to all the teams at every game. Thank you Frances for your kindness to all the boys and girls teams this year. Camogie Match Reports On Wednesday the 1st of May the Crusheen N.S. camogie team played Sixmilebridge in Crusheen pitch. We had a strong start and played well in the first half. There were some great scores from Mia, Eadaoin and Aoibhe. However, things did not go so well for us in the second half and the Sixmilebridge girls proved stronger in the end. However, we enjoyed hosting the game in our local pitch and hope to be back again next year. By Caoimhe
Match Report The next game was played on May 8th in Cratloe where we were playing against the local team. We had much better luck on this day. Crusheen came out stronger than our opponents. In the second half Crusheen proved their ability and skill on the pitch. The Cratloe girls were no match for us on the day and we were delighted with the win. By Ellie, Mia and Éadaoin
Mini 7’s Camogie Match Report On Monday 13th May we travelled to Ballyea and played three matches in the Mini 7’s blitz. We played Clarecastle N.S. in our first game. Although, we put up a great performance, we lost by a point in the end. Our next game was against Kilmaley N.S. In this game, the Crusheen girls put on a great performance and scored 3 goals and 2 points to Kilmaley’s 1 goal and 1 point. We were very pleased with that result! Our third and final game was against Kilmury N.S. Crusheen played well against a good Kilmury team. After a competitive game, the Crusheen girls came out on top! As we had won just two out of our three games, we did not qualify for the Final. It was a little disappointing, but we were happy with our performance and enjoyed taking part in the competition. By Ellie, Éadaoin and Mia
Hurling Match Reports On Thursday 9 th May the Crusheen boys played Clonmoney in the Crusheen GAA pitch. It was a hot, sunny day and it was a tight game. At the end of the first half, we were a point up. Some great scores from Luke, Daragh and Evan kept us in the game. However, after a late free in from Clonmoney, they edged ahead by a point in the last minute of the game. By CJ, Patrick, Oisín, Ryan and Daragh
Match Report On Friday the 10th of May, the boys from the senior classes had a ‘Cumann na mBunscol’ hurling match in Crusheen GAA pitch where we were playing Stonehall. It was a beautiful sunny day and we had great support from school on the side lines. Our team played well and everyone contributed to a great win on the day. Luke was the big goal scorer on the day with help from the rest of the team. by CJ, Oisín, Daragh, Ryan and Patrick
Match Report On Monday the 20th of May, the senior class boys went to Kilmaley to play in the ‘Cumann na mBunscol’ hurling blitz. We played Kilnamona in the first match and we played Kilmaley in the second match. We won the match against Kilnamona by a good margin. Kilmaley however were tougher than Kilnamona and after a brave fight, we lost that game. We enjoyed our day out and if Stonehall beat Kilmaley, we will be back playing in the competition again! By Patrick Mulkere and Daragh O’Rourke
Safer Internet Crusheen The Safer Internet Crusheen committee are grateful for the response which they received from the recent parental survey. Based on the responses to the survey, they have now drafted a Safer Internet Charter for parents to review. They would appreciate if parents could read the Charter and send their comments and feedback to [email protected] The committee would also encourage parents to discuss this Charter with their children to help them understand the importance of taking care when using social media and being online. Your support for this voluntary Charter would support the community’s commitment to promoting safer internet usage for children and young adults.