Catholic Schools' Week took place from 19th - 25th January celebrating the theme 'Alive in Christ'. Our highlight is always our Grandparents' Day prayer service which this year took place on Wednesday, 22nd January. We were delighted to have Ms. Reid on keyboard to accompany the children singing 'Oh, What a Spirit Filled Day!', 'A Mhuire Mháthair', 'The Lord, He is My Shepherd' and 'Christ Be Our Light'. Ms. Robinson on accordion then accompanied the pupils on tin whistle to play the 'Kerry Polka' and 'The Dawning of the Day'. Thank you to all the grandparents who attended and to the parents who assisted with the refreshments.

Congratulations to John Holloway, chairperson of our Board of Management, who was recently awarded a Cineáltas certificate by Minister Norma Foley in recognition of his leadership and promotion of wellbeing in our school. Fr. Joe Deegan presented him with his award during our Grandparents' Day celebration as part of Catholic Schools Week.

Thanks to Ms. Robinson for giving the pupils an opportunity to learn how to cook a variety of recipes. You can see the pupils peeling, chopping and preparing acai bowls below. We hope that they will practise their cooking skills at home!

Thanks to all the team on the ARC (Aquaculture Remote Classroom) who explained to the 5th and 6th class pupils the importance of aquaculture (farming plants and animals in water). They gave a very informative workshop in their specially designed vehicle. The pupils had a chance to engage in a range of hands on activities from map reading to using virtual reality. The workshop covered a wide range of topics from the History, Geography and Science curricula. Remembering the legend of the Salmon of Knowledge Pupils had to work out the optimum places for a salmon, muscle and oyster farm. They each have different requirements. Learning about the food pyramid All the jobs supported by the aquaculture industry in a community

On Wednesday evening, 18th December, the pupils of Horseleap N.S. staged a beautiful performance of the musical 'Silent Night' in Horseleap Church. The musical told the story of how the famous Christmas carol came to be written in Austria in 1818. The children proved to be wonderful actors, singers and dancers and even managed to sing a verse of 'Silent Night' in German! Thank you to the Parents' Association who organised a raffle for the night and to all who donated prizes. The pupils in the Senior Room painted the backdrops depicting the Austrian countryside and the nativity scene.

Ms. Robinson's final recipe of 2024 was for fruit smoothies. The children in 5th and 6th class had a great time preparing different flavoured smoothies for everyone!

Thank you so much to Criodán, Science Outreach Executive with Midlands Science who visited our school on 13th December to present certificates to the children who participated in the recent 'Swift Art Competition'. Criodán also presented a prize to Ava who came third in her category. Congratulations Ava!

Today is Christmas Jumper Day at Horseleap N.S. Thank you for all the kind donations which will be sent to Children's Health Foundations to support the children's hospitals in Dublin.

Sixth class pupils made energy balls as a treat for the rest of the school today. They tasted delicious and are a lovely healthy snack idea for over the Christmas holiday. Thank you to Ms. Robinson for organising this special treat! As part of the SPHE curriculum and SET, Ms Robinson is encouraging Healthy food and Independent and creative cooking skills in the school. Cooking local foods and in season, the pupils started with stewed apple. The pupils had a choice of toppings and flavourings. Next was apple crumble which they learned to brown in the air fryer. Homemade chips were very popular using Maris Piper potatoes with Celtic sea salt. Omelettes were made and served with small wraps. Pupils learned they are a high source of protein and a filling lunch or breakfast option. Energy balls with oats and honey as the main ingredients were produced as healthy on-the-go snacks. This whole school activity is getting great feedback from pupils who are using the skills at home and sharing knowledge together.

The children in our school were lucky to be part of two videos this year on the theme of caring for our environment. Thank you to Picker Pals and Dr. Paddy Madden for inviting our school to participate. Here are the links to these videos: Picker Pals: https://youtu.be/JolO0Jdj4iU Education for Sustainable Development: https://youtu.be/q2fS9Df9eh0

Pupils in the Senior Room had an opportunity to make airfryer chips with Ms. Robinson. The whole school was treated to a bowl of delicious handmade chips! We hope that the pupils will practise their new skills at home!

Our school is working towards our third Active School Flag this year. Every morning we begin the day with exercises and activities. This helps us to concentrate well for the rest of the day and helps to keep our minds and bodies healthy. This week was the first week of 'Active Break Every Day' four week challenge. Every day we do an active break either sitting at our desk or standing behind our desk. Active breaks have been proven to adjust energy levels, improve focus and help children self-regulate their emotions.