Themed Weeks
Maths Week
Maths Week is a celebration of maths and a reminder of how interesting a subject it can be. Maths Week reminds us that maths is all around us.
Children participate in many activities as the week unfolds broadening their understand of the value of Maths in our everyday lives. You can read more about Maths Week at www.mathsweek.ie.
Seachtain na Gaeilge
Seachtain na Gaeilge happens in March every year, usually around Lá Fhéile Pádraig – St. Patrick’s Day. During Seachtain na Gaeilge, everybody in the school makes a special effort to speak lots of Irish. Gach bliain tá Seachtain na Gaeilge den scoth againn! Seachtain na Gaeilge is an action packed, eventful week in our school. All pupils engage in enjoyable activities and events to celebrate our Irish culture and heritage. The infant classes participate in a céilí in the hall, whilst the senior classes participated in puc fada and cic fada competitions.
Rang a sé even air their own radio programme as Gaeilge each day! Lá glas is the highlight of the week, when children are encouraged to dress in green. We also regularly have a performance from the Maynooth Post Primary Trad Band. Is léir gur bhain na paistí an taitneamh as Seachtain na Gaeilge.
Science Week
Science Week is a very well anticipated week-long event in our school that takes place in November. Science week aims to celebrate science in our everyday lives. Science Week includes a wide variety of events involving not just our school but also the wider school community – industry, NUI Maynooth, libraries, teachers, researchers and students throughout Ireland. Science Week offers our student the chance to explore a wide range of Sciences based activities, meet and speak with scientists, and provides a range of opportunities for the school to engage with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
Wellbeing Week
By adopting a whole school approach, St Mary’s B.N.S aims to produce a wide range of educational and social benefits for individual children, including improved behaviour, increased inclusion, improved learning, greater social cohesion, increased social capital and improvements to mental health (Weare & Gray, 2003).
Here are some initiatives we run during Wellbeing Week in our school:
- Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (NCCA, 2009) which encompasses four themes, Well-being, Identity and Belonging, Communication, Exploring and Thinking. This programme runs from Junior Infants to 2nd class.
- Project based learning from 3rd class to 6th class
- Buddy Reading Projects
- Fun Yard Games
- Outdoor Learning
- Sensory circuits / movement breaks
- Yoga classes
- Worry and Wishes Jars
- Guest speakers / teachers
- Silly socks and Shirts Day
Literacy Week
Literacy week is an annual celebration in Maynooth B.N.S. The whole school takes the time to appreciate language and literacy in numerous forms through school wide activities and events. Language and literacy are twin cornerstones of communication both inside and outside of the school environment.
In previous years we have taken the opportunity to hold Spelling Bees, poetry and story writing competitions showcasing the skills and talent in our school community.
Story telling from school staff and visiting authors has often been a frequent fixture of our literacy week. Buddy reading and writing activities between classes are also a favourite.
We participate, with great enthusiasm in “World Book Day” – the whole school community dresses up to represent their love of books and their favourite characters.
