Year1

** FIRST YEAR NEWS AND EVENTS **
Here are some little items (& Photos) of news and interest concerning our first year at St. Eithne's Primary School.

Year 1
Staff: 8 Teaching Staff, 1 secretary, 1 caretaker and 3 classroom Assistants.
176 pupils.
Classes: Three Primary 1 Classes:- Mrs. Grant, Miss. Dunne & Mrs. Harley.
One large Primary 2 Class: Mrs. Mc Gonagle.
One Primary 3 Class: Mrs Spence( in the staff room)
and
2 small primary 4 classes: Mr. Gormley (In the library) & Mrs. Gillespie (In medical room).

School Opens. On Thursday 27^th August 1998 keys for a small section of the school (P.1 and Admin. blocks) were handed over to the Principal at 10.00 a.m. and the teachers began to move in to the classrooms. At the same time the caretaker and cleaners set about cleaning the school. The educational companies holding all our furniture, books and equipment were contacted and asked to send all the equipment as soon as possible. Pupils were to start on 1^st September. Believe it or not pupils walked into fully equipped classes on that first day in September. The desks and chairs had arrived the day before. However the school was still under construction. We really only had access to 4 classrooms. A primary 3 class camped in the staff room; a primary 4 class occupied the library and the remaining year 4 class squeezed into the medical room. We had no assembly hall, no canteen, no reception office and how we managed we shall never know. However, we did manage. The difficulties made us a stronger bunch and there were many fun times midst all the extra hard work needed by pupils and staff..	Christmas 1998. Each Year 1 class invited their parents to their class nativity shows. Parents came to class to watch their children perform a small Christmas nativity. The Primary 2 and 3 classes held their Christmas show in the foyer at the front entrance of the school. We had no hall and this was the only place available. Parents came to watch and had to stand at the front doors but the efforts of the pupils and teachers were rewarding. Primary 4 classes also held their Christmas show in the foyer and parents also attended this. Children sang and played recorders. We shall look back on these shows, with fondness, in the years to come.
Dinners & Lunches. St. Eithne's has two beautiful dining halls. However, in September 1998 we made do with dinner and lunch in the Primary 1 class areas. Dinners(Packed lunches) were made in Rosemount Primary and transported to St. Eithne's where our Dinner Lady (Isobel) served the children.	Halloween Dress Up. We started a tradition on our first Halloween. Children and staff all dressed up on the last before the Halloween Break. We were able to collect a little money for school funds.
Whole School Hand over. On Friday 26^th March we were given the keys to the whole school at last. The front railings of the school were still to be completed over the following few weeks. At long last we had access to the assembly hall and proper classrooms for the Primary 2, 3 and 4 pupils, at last. We were able to use the dining halls on the following Wednesday. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!	Sports Day. We were able this year to hold our first sports day in the school in June. Mrs Spence and the teachers organised a great day. With 176 pupils and plenty of playground space the day was very successful. It did rain half way through the day but we retired to the hall for musical hoops and later in the afternoon the sun shone and the remaining events took place.

YEAR 1 PHOTO ALBUM.

	This little album of photos shows various stages of the building and our gradual move into the school. These were great pioneering days for parents, staff and children as we gradually took over sections of the building when they were released to us.
Bishop Hegarty & Fr Paddy visit the site.		Mrs Mc Gonagle gets lost amongst the boxes as we move in.

First day: Parents with their children who wait on the playground to be led to the new classes.	Whole families on their way to the new school.	Nicole & Laura on computer outside the staffroom(then) which has now become the computer study.

March 99: The staff car park gets its final layer of asphalt.	The floor of the hall being laid.	Mr Gormley's class move from the library to their new class.

Back in Christmas Santa promised Miss Dunne a present. We finally got the whole school handed over after Easter. Better late than never.