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Enrolment for 2025-2026
Halloween 2024!
Have a look at the fabulous Halloween costumes!
Child Protection
A review of the Child Safeguarding statement was undertaken by the Board of Management at their meeting of May20th, 2024.
Healthcraft
Check out the latest info on our exciting Healthcraft project with Ms Mc Daid’s 4th class under the Activities and Awards tab or just click here to go to the page.
Sportshall 2024
Well done to our fantastic boys and girls from 3rd and 4th class who competed so well in the Sportshall competition in the Aura Leisure Centre, Letterkenny, on Thursday, April 25th. Special thanks to the coaching from Mrs Mc Clafferty and Mrs Mc Macken.
Seachtain na Gaeilge highlights
Well done to Ms Mc Garvey for organising a fantastic Seachtain na Gaeilge. The boys and girls sang songs and recited poems and thanks to the teachers for their excellent preparation. Here’s a video of the 4th classes performing Texas Hold ’em as Gaeilge.
Measles information
If you wish to find out more information about measles, please read the document in the downloads section on the left side.
Fís award
Scoil Cholmcille recently received the “best drama” award in the Helix theatre in Dublin for their fantastic video. Well done to Mr Mc Gowan, Mr Heneghan and Mrs Daly and a special congrats to the pupils who came up with the story and planned the entire video.
Vex Robotics
Huge congratulations to Mr Breslin’s 5th class as they secured victory in the Vex Robotics competition ion Letterkenny ATU. They will now travel to Cork for the next level of the competition.
School Enrolment
School Closures
The school closures for 2023-2024 have been uploaded to the school closures page under the Parents tab.
T
Spar FAI Primary 5-a-side County Champions 2023
Well done boys!
“Thrilling” experience in our new sports hall
Ms Mc Nulty’ s 4th/5th classes had a lovely treat before the mid term as they were the first class to see inside our new sports hall. But as soon as they walked in, a strange thing happened. Ms Mc Nulty put a spell on Mr Crossan and the children, and they fell into a deep sleep. The only thing that can wake them from this sleep is music. Watch the video below to see what happens.
Guitar lessons
There have been some queries about when guitar lessons are restarting. When the Covid restrictions are relaxed to a point where we can have groups of children from different classes in the same room, they will restart. Mr Crossan will speak to classes from 3rd class-6th class when these restrictions are eased. In the meantime, there are lessons under the Activities and Awards tab if anyone wishes to practise at home
Graduation
We were all very sad to say goodbye to our two wonderful sixth classes. The children had a wonderful graduation ceremony where they each received their graduation scrolls and photographs. We listened to some lovely memories shared by the pupils from their time in our school and celebrated with special graduation cakes. This is the very first time in the school’s history that girls have graduated from Scoil Cholmcille.
The graduates were then clapped and cheered by the younger members of Scoil Cholmcille as we wished them all every success for their futures.
First Confessions
Well done to Ms. Mc Daid’s and Ms. Ferry’s classes on making their First Confessions on Friday, June 11th.
Aladdin Connect
Scoil Cholmcille is now using Aladdin Connect as the main means of communication with parents. You will have received a text from Mr. Cannon with the details on how to download it and register. You will receive an update to your phone when Mr. Cannon or a teacher has sent a message to you. You can also write a note explaining your child’s absence on the app as well. If you are having any issues with the app, please contact the school on 0749122772.
Child Safeguarding Statement
The Board of Management has completed its annual review of Child Protection including the Child Safeguarding Statement (see downloads section on the left) and Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment on May 24th.
Board of Management Agreed Report
The new agreed report from the BOM is available for download in the downloads section on the left side of this page.
Covid Information
If you need any advice/information about covid related guidelines, please read the documents listed below.
Letter to Parents returning pupils on 1 March
Return to school PupilDeclarationForm
If a Pupil is confirmed positive
When children should not come to school
Board of Management report February
The BOM report for February is now available in the download section on the left side of the page
Board of Management report for January
The BOM report for January has now been uploaded to the downloads section on the left side of this page.
Virtual Carol Service
Covid-19 brought about so many changes this year and in particular, the Christmas preparations in Scoil Cholmcille. We could not hold our annual Carol Service in St. Eunan’s Cathedral and so, Mr. Mc Gowan had a different idea – a virtual Carol Service. A committee was set up to organise it and video auditions were held to allow pupils from all classes to try out for the singing parts. We had some excellent auditions and eventually the list was whittled down to the boys and girls you see in this video. Special thanks to the pupils who sang or acted in this wonderful performance.
Moving to old school building
Today our second, third and fourth class pupils together with their teachers, SNAs and Support teachers moved to the “Old School” as part of the building extension works.
This “old school” building opened in 1898 and has been a place of education and learning for the boys and girls of Letterkenny ever since! It’s great to be back in this newly refurbished, newly painted, rewired historical building!
Saint Colmcille Anniversary
Evan Daly, a pupil of Scoil Cholmcille Letterkenny, lights a candle in the Cathedral of St. Eunan and Columba on December 7th to mark a year long celebration across Donegal and Derry commemorating the life and legacy of Saint Colmcille/Columba.
Halloween in Skull Cholmcille!
News update from Scoil Cholmcille!
NewsBulletinNo1 from Joe Crossan on Vimeo.
The turning of the sod
Former Minister for Education, Joe Mc Hugh, came to the school to “turn the sod” and officially start the building project. We are very grateful to him for all of his hard work in ensuring Scoil Cholmcille was granted its long awaited extension. Special thanks to the former staff members and Mayor of Letterkenny, Donal Coyle, who were also in attendance.
Building Project 2020
In the midst of a pandemic, it is refreshing to hear good news and finally we have some! The diggers have arrived at Scoil Cholmcille. Dorrian Construction are in charge of the project and their first job will be our new multi-purpose hall.
6th class graduation
Over the past two days, Mrs.Kavanagh and Mrs. Dunleavy, Mr. Cannon and various staff members have been meeting with the 6th class pupils in our front yard to present them with certificates and a gift pack to mark their graduation from Scoil Cholmcille. It was a shame that we could not give the boys a traditional send off but we wanted to mark the occasion. The photos will be available on the 6th class blog and on the school Facebook page. Special thanks to the parents who came in with the pupils and we wish them all the best on their new journey in September.
More photos on 6th class page.
Construction in art
Well done to Paulius and TJ in sixth class for creating wonderful night skylines in art. We are all very impressed!
Haikus in 6th class
The 6th class pupils have been writing haikus. The idea is to have a three-line verse with 5 syllables in the first, 7 in the second and 5 in the last. Have a look at Igor Szymanowicz’ haiku.
Admissions Policy
The Minister of Education enacted the Education(Admissions to Schools) Act 2018 on 1st February 2020 requiring Boards of Management to draft two new policy documents, an Admissions Notice and an Admissions Policy by 30th April. These are now completed in draft form for parent consultation. If you would like to submit a query, clarification or amendment for the Board’s consideration, please email padraig.cannon@scoilcolmcillelk.ie before Wednesday 29th April, 12 noon.
Thank you and stay safe,
Mr. Cannon, Principal.
Please click on the links below to open the documents.
Covid-19 poem
This poem, “Ireland locked down”, was written by Jack Friel-Curran in Ms. Campbell’s 4th class. I think you’ll agree it is absolutely fantastic!
Solar System projects
Mr. Cannon said we needed more space in the hall and his wish came true. Have a look at these projects from our 3rd classes. Well done to Mrs. Carr and Mrs. O’Connor.
First Confession
On Wednesday the 4th of March Ms Mc Daid’s 2nd Class were super-excited to make their Sacrament of First Confession. Fr Kemmy, Ms McDaid and Ms Daly were so proud of the boys and girls. History was made on the day with our first ever girl making her First Confession with Scoil Cholmcille.
Sports Hall News
A massive congratulations to our 3/4th and 5th/6th class team who both came first in the recent Sports Hall Athletics in the Aura Leisure Centre, Letterkenny. They will now go through to the County Finals on Friday, March 13th. Thanks to \mrs Mc Clafferty, Mrs. Mc Macken and Peter Kelly or preparing the athletes.
Feis 2020
Mrs. Mulrain brought some pupils over to Loreto Convent to say poems or sing songs in Irish. Well done to all who took part. Maith sibh!
World Book Day 2020
Fastest Feet
Mrs. Mc Clafferty organised the heats for the “Fastest Feet”competition. This entailed a 30m timed run and as a result the following boys will receive an invitation to the Finn Valley event.
2009/10
1. Brendan N
2. Adam R
3. Adam Cetlawa
4. Temple
2011/2012 ( from 3rd up)
1. Kurt
2. Michael John
3. Cayden C
6th class project
Mrs. Kavanagh’s class have been doing projects about the International Space Station. Her display is out of this world.
Class blogs
Remember to check out your child’s class blogs. You will see some of the fantastic work going on in our classrooms.
Making St. Brigid’s Crosses
Mr. Mc Gowan’s 4th class were busy making St. Brigid’s crosses.
Board of Management report
The January B.O.M. report has been uploaded to our downloads section.
Facebook and Video launch!
Scoil Cholmcille have launched a new Facebook page. Please be sure to check it out and give us a like. We also launched our new promotional video on Friday, Jan. 17th and it has been very well received. It is currently being shown before films in Century Cinemas until Wednesday, Jan. 22nd. Special thanks to all who attended our launch, those who sponsored the food, provided seating, Charlie Collins for his MC duties and Cathal Curran for the fantastic work on the Facebook page and powerpoint presentation. Well done to Mr. Kavanagh and Mr. Mc Gowan for organising the whole event. Thanks to our SNA’s for all the help in organising the hall. Have a look at our video below.
Board of Management Report
The B.O.M. report for November has been uploaded. You can access it in our downloads section o the left side of this page.
10 @ 10
The children and staff braved the cold for some early morning exercises in the front yard. Mr. Kavanagh and Mrs. Mc Clafferty called out the movements and everyone joined in. Have a look at the clips below.
Carol Service
The annual Carol Service was a resounding success again this year. Special thanks to Mrs. Donaghy and Mrs. Daly for their trojan work with the choir this year. Ms. Keys did a wonderful job in coordinating the whole event and thanks also to the S.N.A.’s for the help with the costumes. Have a look at some of the highlights below. Thanks to all the parents and family members who came attended as well.
Click on the links below to watch the clips.
Photo Montage Carol Service 2019
Hosanna Rock
The 5th classes have been rehearsing “Hosanna Rock” in the hall. Mrs. Maguire and Ms. Collins have certainly been preparing them very well.
Tesco nominated charity
Scoil Cholmcille is up as a nominated charity for fund raising in Tesco. Please remember to collect those blue tokens after you buy your groceries. Don’t forget, “every little helps”!
4th class Christmas Play
Well done to Mr. Mc Gowan and Ms. Campbell for their wonderful production of “Scrooged”. It was a great performance and special thanks to Ms. Ferry and Mr. Crossan for helping out with the music. Special thanks to the staff and pupils of Little Angels Special School for their participation in the production. A special mention for Oisín from Little Angels for his wonderful rendition of “Fairytale of New York” at the end.
Gold Stars
The boys and girls received their certificates for 3 gold stars today. Well done everyone!
Christmas is coming!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Scoil Cholmcille. Preparations are underway for Christmas plays and our Carol Service. Santa’s robin has been spotted in the school grounds!
Pantomime
Scoil Cholmcille have been given the last night of the pantomime on January 25th, January 2020. Any money raised from ticket sales goes towards school funds. Information on ticket prices is available in the school.
Board of Management report for October
The latest Board of Management report for October has been included in our downloads section on the left side of this page.
Building plan for Scoil Cholmcille
Halloween in Scoil Cholmcille
Halloween Disco 2019
Indoor Gaelic Football
Group Stage
Scoil Cholmcille 4 Woodlands 2
Scoil Cholmcille 2 Glenswilly 3
Scoil Cholmcille 3 Lurgy 1
Scoil Cholmcille 5 Illistrin 0
Scoil Cholmcille 4 Termon 2
Semi Final
Woodlands 1 Scoil Cholmcille 4
Glenswilly 3 Termon 0
Final
Glenswilly 4 Scoil Cholmcille 2
We had fantastic performances from our footballers on Wednesday in the Gallinagh Tool Hire sponsored
indoor football tournament. The boys finished the group stages in second place on 8pts after their five games.
In the semi finals the boys played a great game and overcame a good Woodlands side.
And so to the final where they met tournament favourites Glenswilly.
This game could have went either way and was tied on 2 goals apiece until the final few minutes when Glenswilly
engineered two well taken goals. The two best teams were in the final and our boys can be very proud of their efforts throughout the
tournament. The future is bright !!
Soccer News
Scoil Cholmcille’s boys recorded a 3-0 victory over Kilmacrenan N.S. in the second round of the Letterkenny Cup at the Aura Leisure Centre today. A fantastic hat-trick by the in-form striker, Stephen Hegarty, was enough to secure all three points. 
Fundraising for Donegal Hospice
Well done to all the pupils and staff who raised €562 for Donegal Hospice on Friday, Sept. 20th.
Minister’s Visit
On Friday, September 27th, we had a very special day in Scoil Cholmcille. We were honoured to have the Minister for Education, Joe Mc Hugh, visit us with some very exciting news. He announced that the plans for our new extension have now gone to tender which is the last stage of the application process. Mr. Mc Hugh was treated to some beautiful music courtesy of our choir led by Mrs. Daly and Mrs. Donaghy. Mr. Mc Gowan had a small group performing two songs, one in English and one in Irish. Two pupils read a short history of Scoil Cholmcille and two senior infant pupils performed two Irish poems. The Minister recognised and applauded how we have fostered togetherness and inclusion in the school before giving us his good news. Below are some youtube clips and photos from a memorable day in our school.
This is dedicated to Joe Schmidt, sorry, Joe Mc Hugh…
Fun in the autumn sun
School Closures 2019-2020
The school closures for this school year have now been uploaded. You can find them under the parents tab. As always, there may be unexpected closures due to bad weather and these will be communicated via the website, Facebook page and text.
Trip to Rathmullan beach
Mr. Mc Gowan took his 4th class to Rathmullan beach for a Marine Explorers Workshop. This was organised by “Leave no Trace” and facilitated by Aengus Kennedy of Nature North West. The baby oysters pictured will be grown for a year and then sold to a restaurant. Thanks to Ms. O’Sullivan for organising this lovely trip.
Highlights from September 2018- June 2019
Board of Management Report June 2019
The BOM report for June 2019 can be accessed in the downloads area on the left side of this page.
Science Award
Congratulations to all the pupils in the school on achieving the Discovery Primary Science plaque for excellence in STEM.
Farewell to 6th classes
We bade farewell to our 6th classes on Friday, June 21st and we wish them every success in their new schools and
beyond.
May the road that you now take
Be free from sadness and tears
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
And be ready to conquer your fears
Table Tennis
Well done to Bartek in 6th class who became our 6th class table tennis champion for 2019. Hard luck to Shane Doherty, the gallant runner-up. It was a great final and teachers and pupils were on the edges of their seats. We were visited by Leon Martins de Lima, a former student, who was part of a table tennis team which reached the All-Ireland final in the Community Games recently. The team came 3rd which was a fantastic achievement.
Gold Stars Presentation
Well done to all the pupils who received their trophies for 9 gold stars. It’s a fantastic achievement!
Mini Zoo visit
Isak 9 cubes in 2nd class
Mrs. Carr’s class were having great fun with the Isak 9 cubes. They are used to help with Maths.
Read more books!
A colourful poster outside Ms. Collins’ room encouraging us to read more books. What a lovely sentiment!
Soccer News
Scoil Cholmcille boys were runners up in the large schools section in the recent Spar 5-a-side competition.
Coffee Morning/Bake Sale
We had a fantastic coffee morning and we are so grateful to all those who called in for a cuppa and a chat. Special thanks to our sponsors for the spot prizes and thanks to Ms. O’Sullivan, Mrs. Mulrain and the S.N.A.’s for all of their hard work in setting up the hall for this lovely occasion.
4th class school tour
Mr. Kavanagh and Mr. Mc Gowan took the 4th classes all the way to Dublin where they had a tour of Croke Park and Dáil Éireann. From the looks of this video, they had a beautiful day! Click on the link below to watch some highlights.
Marble Hill Beach Clean-Up
Ms O’Sullivan and her Green Schools Team did a clean up on Marble Hill Beach.
Active Week
Some highlights From our very successful Active Week.
Guitar Lessons update
Mr. Crossan has uploaded YouTube tutorials on the guitar lessons page. You can find this page under “Activities and Awards”.
Walk on Wednesday
Well done to all the pupils who walked to school this morning. Thanks to Ms. O’Sullivan for coordinating this initiative.
Blog updates
Don’t forget to check out the fantastic work being done by the teachers and pupils on the class blogs.
Skipping School?
Mr. Mc Gowan’s class have been getting into the spirit of Active Week.
Young Pioneers
Well done to our new Young Pioneers from Mrs. Kavanagh’s 6th class. They have made a special promise not to drink alcohol until 18 years of age.
Green flag
Well done to Ms. O’Sullivan and the Green Schools Committee on winning our 10th green flag.
Local Politicians Visit
Some of our local politicians visited us for a question and answer session followed by a mock election. They were hit with some hard questions and had to respond with some good answers to keep the pupils satisfied. Well done to Mr. Mc Gowan and Mr. Kavanagh for organising the event and special thanks to the politicians who gave up their time to come into the school.
Green Schools News
Scoil Cholmcille was recently awarded its 10th Green Flag. Well done to Ms. O’Sullivan for her tireless work along with the Green Schools Committee.
Walk on Wednesday
Scoil Cholmcille will be participating in the National Walk to School on Wednesday Campaign next Wednesday , May 15th. We will meet at the cross in the Cathedral Car Park and walk accompanied by Aengus Kennedy to the school. We started our WOW campaign last Wednesday May 1st and have seen numbers increase this week. We are hoping for a big turn out next Wednesday and would encourage pupils to walk all or part of the way to school each day both for fitness and environmental reasons. It would also alleviate congestion at the school gate at drop off and pick up times.
Soccer news
Hard luck to our 5-a-side soccer team who were runners-up in the FAI Spar 5-a-side competition.
Board of Management Report April 2019
The April report from the Board of Management is available in the downloads section on the left side of the page.
Easter Draw 2019
We had our annual Easter Draw and what an effort everyone made this year. We raised €7250 and this will be spent on valuable resources for the pupils. Thanks to all the pupils who sold tickets, those who bought them, our generous sponsors and to Donegal Printing for covering the printing of the tickets.
Gaelic Football Blitz
Well done to our team who won their four matches at the blitz. Thanks to our dedicated coaches, Mr. Mc Gowan and Mr. Kavanagh.
Letterkenny & District League – Blitz 1
Results
S.C 2-5 Magherabeg 1-3
S.C 2-6 Stramore 1-5
S.C 3- 4 Educate Together 1-2
Cumann na mBunscol – first round first leg
S. C 2-4 Gaelscoil 2-3
Second blitz day In Letterkenny & District League takes place on May 2nd .
Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment
A review of the Child Safeguarding Statement has been undertaken by the Board of Management on April 2nd, 2019. This review and the Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment can be downloaded using the links in our downloads section to the left of this page.
Aldi rugby competition update
WHAT WE CAN WIN!
- 2 primary schools will win €50,000 each
- €2,500 voucher for sports and training equipment to a school in each province
- A training session with Paul O’ Connell, Aldi Play Rugby Brand Ambassador, and a set of new jerseys and an Aldi Play Rugby Kit
- Every school that enters with a fully completed poster (300 stickers) will get an Aldi Play Rugby Kit bag, 4 rugby balls and a set of Aldi Play Rugby water bottles for their school.
We are now on our 7th poster!!Wednesday is the last day for stickers as posters are being sent on Friday. Mrs. Mc Macken and Mrs. Ferry are currently promoting this competition in the school. The prizes are fantastic so PLEASE send in those stickers!!
St. Patrick’s Concert
Mrs. Mulrain organised a wonderful day’s activities and all the classes sang songs, said poems and performed short dramas in Irish. Well done to the teachers and pupils who provided us with some fantastic entertainment! Special thanks to the guitar students who practised songs at home and performed so well during the concert.
Launch of Easter Draw 2019
Mr. Cannon officially launched our annual Easter Draw for 2019. The prizes are fantastic and many thanks to our sponsors (names will be uploaded shortly). Tickets are €2 each or a book of 6 will cost you €10. These funds are very important for our school so please encourage the boys and girls to get selling!
Blog updates
Don’t forget to check out the class blogs to see what’s happening in the classrooms. Mrs. O’Connor’s 3rd class and Mr. Mc Gowan’s 4th class have been very busy.
Debating news
The third round of the Letterkenny Primary School Debate League took place yesterday where Scoil Cholmcille faced a strong challenge from Woodland NS. We proposed the motion, As a nation we are not doing enough for the homeless. Both sides were well researched and provided the audience with an entertaining and fact filled afternoon. Scoil Cholmcille were successful in proposing the motion.
Bricks 4 Kidz
Mrs. O’Connor’s class have been busy building dragsters with lego. They had a great time working in pairs, following instructions and racing their cars. Check out the 3rd class blog for some photos.
Fastest Feet
Congratulations to all the boys who participated in the Fastest Feet Challenge in Finn Valley on Feb. 26th. Brendan won the u-10 section so well done to him and all the boys who ran like the wind and had great fun!
Digital footprint
Ms. Collins’ 5th class did some fantastic work know around Social Media. Check out this eye-catching display.
Mid Term
Hope our pupils, staff and parents have a lovely mid-term. Scoil Cholmcille will reopen next Monday, Feb. 25th at 9:20 a.m.
Some highlights from our very successful Friendship Week
Football Kit
Special thanks to Damian Daly (Kernan’s Spar) and Gabriel Duffy (Top Oil), for sponsoring our new Gaelic kit which was unveiled on February 12th. The beautiful teal/grey kit designed by O’Neills was chosen to complement our new school uniform. We are delighted with it! Thank you Damien and Gabriel.
The 6th classes made their Confirmation on Saturday and they were a credit to the school. Special thanks to their teachers, Mrs. Dunleavy and Mrs. Kavanagh, for their excellent preparation and also to Mrs. Daly and Mrs. Donaghy for their fantastic work with our choir.
Senior Infants
Check out the senior infant blog as they have been so busy writing letters to their friends and doing gymnastics.
Open Day 2019
Sincere thanks to the parents who visited our school on Saturday, Jan. 19th, for our open day. It was a lovely occasion. Thanks to the staff members who helped to organise the various activities and to those who attended on the day.
Board of Management Report
Click on this link to view the report from the Board of Management.
Carol Service
Our annual Carol Service took place on Wednesday, Dec. 19th at 1:00 p.m. in St. Eunan’s Cathedral. It was a beautiful occasion and it showcased the musical talent of our choir directed by Mrs. Donaghy and Mrs. Daly. It began with a lovely performance by our infant classes who were in no way daunted by the big occasion. This was followed by a selection of carols and pupils from various classes told us about the story of Jesus’ birth. Special thanks to Ms. Keys for organising the service and to all the S.N.A.’s and teachers who helped out with costumes. Thanks to all of you who attended today and hope you enjoy the photos and clips below.
Click on the links below to watch some clips from the Carol Service.
Choir at Letterkenny Shopping Centre
Below are some photos and a video clip from our choir’s performance in Letterkenny Shopping Centre.
Choir Newsflash!
Scoil Cholmcille choir have won the Highland Radio/Letterkenny Shopping Centre Christmas choir competition. They will be performing in Letterkenny Shopping Centre on Sunday, November 25th at 2:00 p.m. when Santa arrives. Well done to the boys and of course to our two musical directors, Mrs. Donaghy and Mrs. Daly. Have a listen to their entry below.
Using our new tablets
Mrs. Carr’s class were using our new Samsung tablets. Ms. Keys was using them with her EAL group to practise their English.
New entrants 2018
September 3rd, 2018 was a historic day in Scoil Cholmcille. Today we welcomed girls into the school for the first time and it was a fantastic day for both pupils and staff. We now have girls in both junior infant classes and some spread throughout the school in the other classes. We wish all of our pupils all the best in the coming school year. We also extend a special welcome to our new parents and we hope your children have a wonderful time in Scoil Cholmcille!
Guitar concert
Mr. Crossan and his guitar students put on a short concert for parents and pupils. Ms. Mc Nulty’s class helped out with the singing.
Table Tennis finals
We held our annual table tennis tournament and as usual, it provided lots of excitement. Thanks to Paddy Delap for his fantastic coaching and to Ms. Janice Daly for organising the matches and recording the results.
Results were as follows:
4th class: Eimantas Butvilas (1st), T.J. McMorrow (2nd) & Liam Duff (3rd)
5th class: Adam Patton (1st), Darragh Timoney (2nd) & Nosa Smith (3rd)
6th class: Marc Casey (1st), Kyle Conaghan (2nd) & Rehan Ananth (3rd)
History in Scoil Cholmcille
This year marks the end of an era as we move from being an all boys school to co-ed in September 2018. To mark this occasion, we decided to have some special activities. We first planted a beech tree in the school grounds, signifying strength and longevity. We then unveiled two “buddy benches” to show how much we value friendship in our school. Finally we planted a time capsule to be opened in fifty years. In this we placed a newspaper, photographs of classes, some artwork and various other items showcasing the sort of work being done by pupils and teachers in 2018.
Click on the link below to listen to the lovely singing from the junior infants while we unveiled the Buddy Benches.
Goodbye to 6th classes
We bid farewell to our 6th classes on Tuesday, June 26th. We wish them well in their new schools in September.
Defeat the Keeper
The Defeat the Keeper was a great success and we raised €2972.50. Special thanks to Sean Rogers for building the goal. Well done to Mr. Kavanagh and Mrs. Mc Macken for organizing the competition. Thanks to all those who sponsored the boys. Thanks also to the Donegal goalkeeper, Shaun Patton, for presenting the prizes.
Winners were as follows:
Junior Infants – Zhekai Liu (Ms. O’Sullivan’s class)
Senior Infants – Dylan Tinney, Shaun Paul Gormley and Pedro Magee Evangelista.
First class – Martin Ward (Mrs. Shields’ class)
First class – Oran Daly (Mrs. Carr’s class)
Second class – Jack Devlin (Mrs. Mulrain’s class)
Third class – Ryan Browne (Ms. Mc Nulty’s class)
Third Class – Adam Rogers (Mrs. O’ Connor ‘s class)
Fourth class – T.J. Mc Morrow (Mr. Mc Gowan’s class)
Fifth class – Carragh Mc Hugh (Mr. Kavanagh’s class)
Fifth class – Ruairí Gibson (Mrs. Dunleavy’s class)
Sixth class – Rudi Minnock (Mrs. Kavanagh’s class)
Overall champion – T.J. Mc Morrow (Mr. Mc Gowan’s 4th class)
Mini World Cup 2018
Check out our video showing some highlights from our inaugural Mini World Cup. The soundtrack will conjure up memories of June and July 1990 (for those of us of a certain age)and the images and video clips capture the action and excitement from the games and the presentation ceremony.
Forget the International Rally! Scoil Cholmcille World Cup has just ended and the winners are Uruguay! We had past pupil Dale Gorman (Leyton Orient) and Olly Horgan (Manager of Finn Harps) in to present the trophies and speak to the boys. Thanks to Mr. Coll, Mr. Mc Gowan and Mr. Kavanagh for organising the tournament. Top scorer was Steve Fotso. The most improved player was Amir in 6th class. Runners up were Brazil in 2nd place and Switzerland in 3rd place. Player of the tournament was was Rudi Minnock from 6th class.
New Uniform
This is our new uniform for junior infants in September 2018. The jumper is jade green and is available in County Seat and Speer’s on the Main Street in Letterkenny.
Life cycle of Butterfly
Junior infants have watched the butterfly cycle at first hand. They watched the baby caterpillars grow bigger and then progress to the pupa stage. Now they are watching them transform into Red Admiral butterflies.
3rd class blog
Mrs. O’Connor’s class have been very busy. Check out the 3rd class blog to see what they have been up to. Here’s a sample of their work.
Green Schools News
Ms. O’Sullivan and her Green Schools Committee have been busy again. Check out the Green Schools page for more information.
109,000 visitors and counting! Thanks for all the hits on the website!
We could be over 110,000 by the end of June
and we started with 39,000 last September!
Fun day 2018
Hip-Hop dancing
Mrs. Mulrain’s class were enjoying some hip-hop dancing as part of Active Week.
Debate team award
Congratulations to our debate team who were presented with the winners cup in the primary schools debating league. Thanks to Mrs. Cannon, Ms. McGrath and Mrs. Kavanagh for their hard work and preparation with the team this year. Well done to the team who debated so well this year.
Active Week
We began our Active Week in Scoil Cholmcille today. We are encouraging our pupils to get outside and stay active.
Extreme Makeover
Thanks to Peadar Jim’s Property Maintenance for the fantastic job they did on the school and the grounds.
Defeat the Keeper!
The “Defeat the Keeper” fundraiser was launched on Thursday, May 24th. Each pupil has a sponsorship card and every euro he collects gives him one shot to “defeat the keeper”. Mr. Cannon showed the pupils the lovely trophies for each class winner and the overall trophy. There is also a Brazil jersey up for grabs! Special thanks to Adam Rodgers’ father, Seán, for building the defeat the keeper frame and donating it to the school free of charge. Have a look at the photos below.
G.A.A. Blitz
The boys from 5th class took part in a GAA Blitz hosted by the transition year students from St. Eunan’s College. The event called “Future Leaders Programme ” saw 6 schools compete against one another .
Scoil Cholmcille made it all the way to the final but unfortunately lost out to a very good Termon N.S .
There were good performances on route to the final with fine victories against Drumkeen and Stranorlar National Schools . Well done to all the boys who took part .
Visit from dental hygienist
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Hope you are enjoying all that’s happening in Scoil Cholmcille!
Finn Valley Athletics
Well done to our athletes who won 20 medals in Finn Valley. Pencils thanks as always to our tireless coaches, Mrs. Mc Clafferty and Mrs. Mc Macken.
World Cup fever in Scoil Cholmcille!
Mr. Mc Gowan, Mr. Coll and Mr. Kavanagh have organised a mini football competition for boys from 3rd – 6th classes. Each team represents a country playing in this year’s World Cup. It is being run at lunch time and has proved a great success so far. Have a look at some of the latest photos below.
Coffee Morning Cake Sale & Prize Draw
The coffee morning raised around €2,500 and we are so grateful to all who came on to help us raise much needed funds.
Special thanks to all the parents who sent in the delicious cakes and treats for our coffee morning. It was a lovely occasion and thanks to all who called in for a cuppa and a chat. Well done to Mrs. Mulrain and Ms. O Sullivan for organising the day and thanks to the SNA’s and 6th class pupils who helped out Int the hall and the Aistear room.
Friendship Week 2018
This year for Friendship Week we will release lots of bubbles instead of balloons as we are even more environmentally aware of plastics in the environment due to our ongoing work for our current Green Flag – Global Citizenship and Marine Environment.
First Communion 2018
Well done to our 2nd class boys on making their First Communion on Saturday, April 28th. Special thanks to their teachers, Mrs. Mulrain and Mrs. Carr and the SNA’s, Mrs. Daly and Mrs. Emery. The choir as usual were fantastic and thanks to Mr. Frank Breslin, Mrs. Assumpta Donaghy, Mrs. Triona Daly and Ms. Ruth Mc Nulty.
Summer is coming?
Senior infants looking at the wildflowers growing by the sundial.
Young Pioneers
Well done to these boys from 6th class who recently joined the Pioneer Association as Young Pioneers. 
Walk on Wednesday
This week’s winners are Mrs. Mc Clafferty’s senior infants.
Soccer News
Our school team played in the 5-a- side county finals in Killygordon recently. Check out the soccer page (under the sports tab).
Senior Infants Blog
Check out the senior infants blog. One of Ms. Quinlan’s pupils has been singing an Ed Sheeran song. He sounds perfect…
Athletics news
What a week in Scoil Cholmcille! Our 3rd and 4th class athletes came first in the All-Ireland Sportshall championship in Athlone and our 5th and 6th class athletes came second, missing out on first by only 4 points! Well done to Mrs. Mc Clafferty, Mrs. Mc Macken and Peter Kelly for the training at lunchtimes and after school.
School Debate News
Congratulations to our school debate team who won the recent debate, “Charity begins at home”, against Scoil Mhuire gan Smál. It was a very hard fought debate and the tension was palpable as everyone waited on the results of the adjudicators. Special thanks to Mrs. Cannon, Mrs. Mc Grath and Mrs. Kavanagh for their excellent preparation. You can watch Jack Meredith below as he outlines Scoil Cholmcille’s argument for the motion.
Easter draw 2018
We raised €6000 in our Easter Draw this year! Special thanks to the pupils for their hard work, the parents for supporting them and to our sponsors for the fantastic prizes. Well done to Christian Doran (1st class) and Shaun Storey-Boyle (5th) who took home the sellers’ prizes, two brand new bicycles with safety helmets.
Inland Fisheries Visit
Owen Kelly and Tommy Mooney from the inland fisheries board visited Mr. Kavanagh’s class today. They got to see some of the insects and larvae that the fish feed on. They also saw some the Salmon and Trout that were getting ready to smolt.
Seachtain na Gaeilge
Pupils from all classes performed songs and poems in Irish to mark Seachtain na Gaeilge. Click on the names below to watch clips from the day.
Ireland’s Call (Come on Ireland)
River Life investigations
Junior Infants finding out about river life, insects and salmon
School Choir
The pupils had a lovely visit from Ms. Veronica Mc Carron, the famous choir mistress from Britain’s Got Talent. She came to tell the boys about Donegal Choir of Ages which takes place in Letterkenny in the coming weeks and is open to all ages. Registration takes place in the Regional Cultural Centre on Friday, March 23rd between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
She was very impesssd by our choir and even led them in an Ed Sheeran song.
Sports Hall 2018
Great news from the Aura today. Scoil Cholmcille have won the county final and will now go to the All-Ireland Championships in Athlone on Wednesday, March 23rd. We won the 3rd/4th class category by 36 points and the 5th/6th category by 30 points! Well done again to Mrs. Mc Clafferty, Mrs. Mc Macken and Peter Kelly for the training and preparation.
Something Fishy
Mr. Kavanagh’s 5h class have made a fantastic video about water pollution. Click on the link below to watch.
Health and Medication page update
In view of the recent meningitis cases in Co. Meath, we have uploaded some important information for parents about meningitis and septicemia. You will find this under the Health and Medication section under the Parents tab.
Gold Stars for March
Check out the gold stars page under the Activities and Awards tab.
First Confessions
Best of luck to our second classes making their First Confession tonight
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Fastest Feet
Children came from clubs and schools from all over Donegal to compete. Seven of our students competed in the under-10 and under-12. They were timed over a 30m distance.
Results:
U-10: Brendan Ndambria (1st), Adam Rodgers (3rd)
Temple Akipo also competed.
U-12: Eimantas Butlvilas & Troy Preston. Holder (joint 3rd)
Mikey Mc Donnell and Jason Knetia also competed.
Well done to all those who took part and thanks to Mrs. Mc Clafferty for her excellent preparation with the boys.
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Fire Safety
Check out the third class blog. They listened to a talk on fire safety
Easter Draw 2018
The annual Easter Draw was launched on Wednesday, Feb. 21st. Books of 6 tickets are €10 each or €2 per ticket. Each pupil has received two books to sell and they are allowed to keep €2 for every book sold. It is essential that pupils return ticket stubs and money to the school. If tickets are not sold, please return those books to the school. Pictured below are members of the Parents Association with Mr. Cannon and Mrs. Shields. The laptops shown were purchased last year using funds raised from the Easter Draw.
Confirmation
The Confirmation ceremony took place on Saturday, Feb. 24th at 4:00 p.m. in St. Eunan’s Cathedral. Well done to the 6th class teachers, Mrs. Kavanagh and Mrs. Dunleavy, and thanks also to Mrs. Daly and Mrs. Donaghy for their excellent preparation with the choir.
Junior Infants enjoying Spring sunshine
Ms. O’Sullivan’s class were out for a walk in the Spring sunshine.
Scoil Cholmcille on RTÉ 1
RTE visited the school last Friday as part of Operation Transformation. Michael and Gráinne came to do the 10 @ 10, ten minutes of exercises with our pupils. Have a look at the short clip below. Well done to Mr. Kavanagh, Mr. Cannon, the pupils who spoke so well and to all those who helped with the preparation for the event.
Watch the video here: Scoil Cholmcille 10 @ 10
Debate
Well done to our school debate team who defeated Kilmacrennan N.S. The motion was “Climate change cannot be stopped”. Thanks to Mrs. Cannon for her excellent preparation with the team.
Ceremony of Light
The Ceremony of Light for the Confirmation classes took place on Thursday, Feb. 8th at 6:00 p.m. in St. Eunan’s Cathedral. It was a lovely ceremony and well done to Mrs. Kavanagh and Mrs. Dunleavy for their excellent preparation.
Grandparents’ Day 2018
On Wednesday, February 1st, we celebrated Grandparents’ Day as part of Catholic Schools Week. Many grandparents came in to visit the school and they helped the pupils to make Saint Brigid crosses. It was a very special occasion for the school. Have a look at the photos from the day.
Donegal Sports Awards 2017
Well done to Athan Doherty, our 6th class pupil from last year, who won Best Primary School Sports Boy at the Donegal Sports Awards on Friday night in the Mount Errigal Hotel. Athan is a talented athlete and was part of our All-Ireland Champion Sportshall team for the past five years.
Well done Athan. We are all very proud of you and wish you well for the future.
A special mention for Mrs. Eilis Mc Clafferty who was nominated for the Sports Teacher Award.
4th Class trip
Check out the 4th class blog in page. Mr. Mc Gowan’s 4th class visited the water treatment plant in Letterkenny.
Open Day
The open day was a fantastic success. Special thanks to all the parents who came in to visit us. Well done to the teachers and SNA’s for their fantastic preparation for the day.
Science and Engineering in the infant classes
Check out the junior infant blog page to see how they got on with their science and engineering workshop with employees from Seagate in Derry.
Fundraising for St. Vincent de Paul
Members of the local St. Vincent de Paul receiving a cheque for €700 which was raised by pupils and staff performing carols on Dec. 8th.
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Carol Service
The Carol Service took place on Wednesday, Dec. 20th and it was arguably the best ever. Special thanks to all who took part, Mrs. Donaghy and Mrs. Daly for the musical preparation and the S.N.A.’s who worked tirelessly in the background. Below is a link to “O Holy Night” sung by Jonah Mitchell from 5th class
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Bah! Humbug!
Mr. McGowan and Mr.Kavanagh have been injecting some Christmas spirit with their production of “A Christmas Carol”.
Extension News
Check out the Letterkenny Post today to see news about our new building plans.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…
Carol Singing
Well done to the staff who braved the cold on Friday to perform carols in the Market Square. All funds raised will go to Vincent de Paul. Our pupils were down in the shopping centre on Friday afternoon and performed carols assisted by Mrs. Daly, Mrs. Donaghy, Miss Mc Nulty, Mrs. Mc Macken and Mr. Crossan. More pictures to follow.
Sports Hall Athletics
Well done to our athletes from 3rd/4th and 5th/6th classes who came first in their categories today in the Aura Centre. They have now qualified for the county finals in March. Special thanks to Mrs. Mc Clafferty, Mrs. Mc Macken and Peter Kelly for the fantastic coaching.
Bishop Mc Guckian has given his official approval for Scoil Cholmcille to go co-ed in September 2018. We are now enrolling girls and boys from junior infants to 6th class for the school year 2018-2019.
Library Visit
Mrs. Mulrain’s 2nd class visited the library recently and they met author and illustrator, P.J. Lynch.
Scoil Cholmcille Makeover!
Scoil Cholmcille has been getting a makeover during the mid-term.
School Debate
Scoil Cholmcille won the first debate of the year on Thursday afternoon against a well prepared and capable Gaelscoil team. The motion for the debate, which our team was proposing was ‘Social Media is a bad influence on children.’ There were some very interesting and lively discussions. The team worked very hard and congratulations to the speakers on the day and the backroom team who ably assisted them. Updates on the team and the next debate motion can be found in the debate section of our website.
Well done boys!
Thank you also to the judges, who kindly gave up their own time to judge this difficult debate and give some constructive criticism as well as some sage advice. It is much appreciated.
Voluntary contribution
Letters have been sent out to parents with details of the voluntary contribution. Parents can pay €10 per week or a one-off payment of €30. This money will go towards the purchase of iPads, library books and valuable resources for the school.
Green Schools
Check out our Green Schools page as Ms. O’Sullivan’s Green Schools Committee have been busy.
Enrolment News
We are delighted to inform parents that we intend to enrol girls and boys in Scoil Cholmcille in 2018. Full details about our new arrangements will be published on the website in the months ahead.
Mamy przyjemnosc poinformowac, ze od wrzesnia 2018 roku zamierzamy przyjmowac zapisy dziewczynek i chlopcow do Scoil Cholmcille.
Scoil Cholmcille Debate Club
Senior classes are preparing for the upcoming debate – “Social Media is a bad influence on Children.” It will be a very interesting debate!
Green School News
Our lovely Autumn flowers are in bloom all around the school grounds. Thanks to the Letterkenny Tidy Towns Committee for donating them to us.
39,000 visitors and counting!
We have had a great response to our new website since last December. Check back during the year for weekly updates on this page and don’t forget to check out the class blogs to see all of the exciting work being done in the classrooms.
Welcome Back!
Welcome back to our pupils and staff. Hope everyone had a lovely summer and here’s to the year ahead! Have a look at some of our new infants and their first day!