February 2026

Ballinure National School

February Newsletter 2026

Dear Parents, Guardians and Friends,

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it has certainly been full of life and

learning here in Ballinure NS!

We began the month celebrating St. Brigid’s Day, learning about her life and weaving

beautiful St. Brigid’s crosses. The classrooms were alive with creativity and wonderful

discussions about Irish traditions and the first signs of spring. The children loved spotting

snowdrops and daffodils around the school grounds.

We were absolutely delighted to welcome our lovely new tables and chairs this month. The

bright, colourful furniture has completely transformed our classrooms. Not only are they

vibrant and cheerful, but they are also extremely comfortable and perfectly sized for our

pupils. The flexible layout allows us to easily create group work stations, circle discussions or

individual learning spaces. The children are so proud of their refreshed classrooms and it has

brought a wonderful new energy to our learning environment.

Our Senior Room have been working exceptionally hard on problem-solving in Maths, using

a range of collaborative strategies and showing great persistence. The Junior Room have been

focusing on playful learning, developing early literacy skills through storytelling, role play

and lots of hands-on activities. The balance bikes continue to be a firm favourite at break

time — and it’s lovely to see seniors and juniors taking turns and encouraging one another.

Pancake Tuesday was a highlight of the month! The whole school came together in mixed-

age groups for a wonderful morning of learning and fun. Pupils used their mathematical skills

to carefully measure ingredients, reading scales and calculating quantities. Older pupils

supported younger ones, ensuring everyone had a hands-on role in the process. There was

fantastic teamwork and cooperation throughout. Of course, creativity shone through when it

came to decorating — from fruit designs to artistic chocolate drizzles, the results were both

beautiful and delicious!

We are also thoroughly enjoying our weekly hurling sessions with our GAA coach, Michael.

The children are developing excellent skills in striking, hand-passing and teamwork, while

also building fitness and confidence. It is wonderful to see pupils of all ages encouraging one

another and showing great determination on the pitch. Michael’s positive energy and

encouragement make every session enjoyable, and we are so grateful for the expertise he

brings to our school each week.

In SPHE, we have been exploring kindness, friendship and inclusion. As always, we are so

proud of how our pupils look out for one another across classes. Small schools truly have big

hearts.

We also marked Safer Internet Day, discussing how to be responsible, respectful and safe

online. The children engaged thoughtfully and showed great awareness of the importance of

digital kindness.

Valentine’s Day brought a lovely splash of colour to our classrooms. The children created

beautiful heart-themed art using paint, pastels and collage, and composed thoughtful little

rhymes about friendship and kindness. Messages about caring, gratitude and appreciation

filled our displays. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the importance of kindness in

our small school community.

We are also delighted with our five new fish who have quickly become very important

members of Ballinure NS! Each morning, pupils eagerly greet them before lessons begin. The

children take turns feeding them and have shown great responsibility in caring for their new

aquatic friends. It has been lovely to see such excitement and pride as they learn about caring

for living things.

Irish dancing with Jackie continues every Tuesday and there is great energy in the hall as

reels and jigs improve week by week! We are also seeing wonderful confidence grow in our

senior pupils during Spanish lessons — their pronunciation is excellent.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. It is a privilege to work in such a warm

and supportive school community.

Le meas,

Karen Bond

Principal

Ballinure NS