As I retire I wish to acknowledge the wonderful pupils of Scoil Naomh Eltin past and present. Thank you for sharing your life’s journey in primary education with me. I have treasured each and every moment with you and I wish you the following:


Magical Wishes
If I were a magician with dancing eyes,
I’d grant all your wishes for a smile.
Sunny skies full of waltzing butterflies,
New friends to share your toys (for a while).

Two big purple teddy bears that speak,
Poodles that laugh, blue noodles that sigh,
Silly little mice dressed in pink boots that squeak,
Five polka dotted ice cream cones a mile high.

A dozen daisies dancing in a velvet case,
Triple rainbows after each gentle rain,
A magic mirror pool to reflect your pretty face,
And seven pennies for wishes not too plain.

I would give you twenty pop-up clowns,
Candy Leprechauns counting pick-up sticks,
Unicorns to ride in parades through glass towns,
Colourful floating bubbles (just for kicks).

Furry little kittens to tickle your cheeks,
Fourteen canaries dressed in turquoise tights,
A pocketful of sweets to last you four weeks,
Three little piglets in fields of flowers flying kites,

Gold tickets for all the rides at your favourite sites,
Fifteen princes to carry all your stuff,
A blinking magic carpet for special flights,
And play rooms that tidy in a single puff.

I would hand you the world on a silver string 
And listen to all the children laugh and sing.
                             Richard M. Deets

I wish to acknowledge the parents and guardians whom I have met throughout the years and who have put their trust in me.  Thank you for believing. 
 
In life there will always be people who inspire you. My thanks to the dedicated, inspirational and visionary teachers(past and present) of Scoil Naomh Eltin. 

Thank you to the special needs assistants who carry out their duties with care, concern and diligence.  

Thank you to the school secretaries (past and present) for communicating with care. 
Thank you to the ancillary staff and the school escorts. 

Over the years  I have worked with excellent Chairpersons and Boards of Management who have made many decisions that shape the school we have today. I have enjoyed your support and energy and would like to sincerely thank all those members, past and present, for your hard work and voluntary commitment to the school. I thank Donal Herlihy our current chairperson and our current Board of Management and I wish you well.
 
A special thanks to Ann Marie Sheehan, Deputy Principal who has been at my side and a powerhouse of hard work throughout the years. 

Thank you to the In School Management team who fulfil their leadership roles with a strong work ethic and commitment. 

Thank you to the school’s Parent Association(past and present) and to the dedicated chairpersons with whom I have worked throughout the years. Thank you Trina our current chairperson and our current Parent Association.  I wish you well. 

Thank you to the priests of the parish and thank you most sincerely Fr Robert for your giving and your unending support. Thank you for always being there to listen and guide
I acknowledge and express sincere thanks to  Bishop Fintan Gavin and the staff of the Diocesan Office who have guided me along the way. 

Thank you to the staff of the  Department of Education for this modern and comfortable school building and for your continued support. 

My thanks to the Sisters of Mercy for bringing me to Kinsale and for your guidance and care.

To the community of Kinsale and to those who supported the school in any way I say thanks. 

As you will know a new principal has been appointed and will join the school community in January 2021. The school will be in very capable and competent hands . I wish Terry Mc Carthy and the community of Scoil Naomh Eltin the very best in the years ahead and I leave you with a blessing:
 
Fiche fad saoil agaibh
Talamh gan cios agaibh
Togha bia’s deoch agaibh
Món on sliabh agaibh
Gealach is grian agaibh
Slainte de shíor agaibh
Gach rath oraibh agus go néirí an bothar libh
 
May you have a long life.
may you have land without rent.
may you have your choice of food and drink.
may you have turf from the mountain.
may the moon and the sun be yours.
may you have good health always.
Every blessing on you and may the road rise up to meet you.
 
 
Le buíochas
Susan O’ Hanrahan
Príomhoide
 
 
 

Comhghairdeas to our Scoil Naomh Eltin students who have won prizes in the Credit Union Art Competition. The students and categories are as follows: 

Under 7:
First Place - Alexandra Carp
 Second Place - Chloe Stembridge
 Third Place - Matilda Hadley

Age 8 - 10:
First Place - Josh Riordan

Age 11- 13: 
Second Place - Emma McCarthy 
Thirds Place - Aaran Cornally

Under 7: 
First Place - Tadgh Butler 
Second Place - Sofia Gudinovic

Under 8: 
Michéal Ward has received a winners medal again this year. Michéal won a medal along with a voucher last year for his artwork. 

We are all so proud of all our entries!

5th Class A have been learning all about inclusion and awareness of difference. Someone Like Me is a fantastic competition that aims to promote disability awareness among primary school children and give them a greater understanding of what unites children of differing abilities. Someone Like Me enables children to learn about and discuss these topics and creatively express what they've learned through art. Here are pictures of the amazing work created by our fantastic students! 

I am calling on behalf of Kinsale Community Health & Wellbeing Community Resource Centre, (The Well) which is an initiative working in conjunction with the HSE Community Healthcare Department. We are located in the old medical centre and service the needs of Kinsale Youth Support Services, the Men’s Shed and Kinsale Youth Café. 
 
This unique partnership with the HSE will bring the building previously used by South Doc, Dept of Social Protection and the School Dentist back into life servicing the needs of our multi-generational community.
 
The building is in need of substantial refurbishment to meet the needs of our diverse age groups comprising of kids, young adults, parents and grandparents and the general public. We are seeking the support of the general public in fund raising for this project by inviting family and friends to participate in our “Twelve Days of Christmas Quiz”.

From 
​The Well Project
 

Good morning Parents and Guardians
 
This morning I would like say hello to all our school community. It is very startling to realise that we are currently finalising enrolments for  the school year 2021/2022. Where has that time gone? The school is running very well  with education and wellbeing  running hand in hand. Our wonderful students have adapted well to the new norm.  However it is nevertheless a very busy time with new challenges  to face each day.  I commend our wonderful staff and students  and I thank you our parent body for your continued support and encouragement 
 
It is hard to imagine that we are only beginning to know our current Junior Infant parents/guardians  and those of new pupils in other classes.   I sympathise with you all at this time but in particular with those who are in our school for the first time this year. The many social and inclusive events and activities of  a normal school year have been put aside as we have continued under Level 3 , Level 5 restrictions and now back to level 3 with some variations. We miss our traditions and we miss getting to know you but as the days go by we continue to be reminded of the  challenging times that we are in and yet we look in anticipation to the future. 
 
I understand that you are communicating with teachers via email and that this may fill the void to some degree.  However in any other year at this stage we would be like old friends.  We would have had many conversations on the school yard each day.  We would have met you as we celebrated Halloween and Science week to name a few. We would have met you at parent /teacher meetings.(These have been rescheduled to January as per instruction from the Department of Education and Skills.)We would have met you at Parent association meetings. Trina our Parent Association chairperson reminds me that we would now be furiously preparing with you for the annual Christmas Bazaar. 
 
Nevertheless in spite of all this we are doing well and we are so pleased to have our wonderful pupils in school. They are progressing their educational journey and the school is a really happy place to be.
 
In January your child’s teacher will organise parent/teacher meetings which this year will take place by phone. Your child’s teacher will be in touch early in the new year. 
 
In the very near future you will see a glimpse of our school during Covid times when we upload our open night video. (This is a simplified version of our normal actual  open night) Thank you to parents Síofra and  Dominic for volunteering and for supporting this venture. 
 
In December you will also be invited to  a second glimpse inside the school  but the children have asked me not to share………..
 
On behalf of all our staff I thank you and I thank your wonderful children. 
Let us look to the future, be safe and enjoy this very special time of year
 
Please be reminded that school will close on:
​
Wednesday Dec 9th at :
 
12:00 noon for classes  whose school day starts at 9:00am
 
12:15pm for those whose school day starts at 9:15am. 
 
School will close for the Christmas holidays on Tuesday December 22nd at:

12:00 noon for those classes whose day starts at 9:00am

12:15pm for those whose classes start at 9:15am.

School will re -open on Wednesday  January  6th 2021. 
 
I remind you that all staff may be contacted via individual teacher email. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have concerns via the school office on 021 4774040 or by email on info@scoilnaomheltin.ie


Slán tamall
Susan O’ Hanrahan