SPRING NEWSLETTER 2026

Seachtain na Gaeilge

Our new Aistear curriculum encourages us to be more inclusive and proactive with using Irish Language and Culture in playschool. Each year we participate in Seachtain na Gaeilge but this year we have been practicing our Irish words all year and are getting very good at some of them. This is done with one-on-one conversations, group discussion, songs, poems and visual displays helping to promote each child’s language and literacy development.  Some of our Irish words you can practice at home are Dia Duit (Hello), Slán (Goodbye), le do thoil (Please) Oscail le do thoil (Open please), Nigh do lámha (Wash your hands).  We sang Rolai Polai suas suas, and Lámh Lámh eile a haon a dó, which has lots of benefits including learning about our cultural heritage, promotes language diversity and fosters our sense of community.

We celebrated St. Patricks Day with lots of colour and songs. The children embraced the theme of Ireland and engaged in some great activities on the run up to our St. Patricks Day parade. We made shamrock hats, and painted some great Irish flags. On Thursday and Friday, we all dressed in green and had fun taking part in the parade. Everyone walked sang and smiled as we waved our flags and sang Ireland’s Call, the National Anthem and a few more Irish tunes

Emotional Learning

This term we focused our learning on our emotions, reading books that help us understand why we feel the way we do; we explored different emotions using teddies, puppets and games. Did you know developing strong social and emotional skills can help children feel confident with building relationships, taking initiative to get their needs met, expressing how they feel in safe ways and asking for help when they need it. It also promotes positive social and emotional development and provides an important foundation for lifelong learning and development, including mental health.

Nature

We have been learning all about nature, watching the blossom bloom on the cherry blossom tree and the leaves on our lilac tree unfold after a long winter. Last September Elaine our chairperson gave us a sunflower, we dried it over the winter and harvested the seeds this spring. We used these seeds to plant some lovely sunflowers for our mammies for Mother’s Day, learning all about how plants grow, we hope our mammies liked their sunflower, cards and keepsakes we made for them.  We’ve also been very busy in the garden, planting lots of pots to brighten up our playschool too and we’ve been busy in the mud garden digging for worms, and making mud pies. At circle time we talk about the weather and what it’s like outside, encouraging us to take notice of our environment, understanding of the passage of time and teaches us about change

WORLD BOOK DAY

After reading The Three Little Pigs, we had great fun exploring STEM by building and testing houses, boosting problem-solving and teamwork while showing how reading stories builds imagination and early learning skills. We also read the Three Little Pigs, we had great fun exploring STEM by building and testing houses, boosting problem-solving and teamwork while showing how reading stories builds imagination and early learning skills. We also read We're Going on a Bear Hunt, this time we went on a sensory adventure walking barefoot through mud, grass, and ice, and water before entering a dark cave. Books are so much fun but they also support our curiosity, and language development through storytelling, and build our confidence through shared exploration and play. Books are so much fun

Space

We had a wonderful time exploring outer space, looking at the planets that make up our galaxy, what it’s like to be an astronaut and what it’s like on the moon. Learning about space helps foster our curiosity, critical thinking and imagination. There was great excitement and curiosity as we talked about stars, planets, and the vastness of space. Storytime took us on magical journeys beyond the stars, sparking imagination and a love for learning.

STEM Week

We had great fun building bridges, houses, and tall towers during STEM Week. The children experimented with a variety of materials, blocks, loose parts, pipes, magnetic bricks and lots more, learning how to balance, design, and construct their own creations. There was lots of excitement as they tested their structures and worked together to solve problems, developing their confidence, creativity, and early engineering skills

Share your job, skill, talent

We invite parents to visit and share their job, skills, or talents with our children after the Easter break. These visits are an important part of our curriculum as they enrich learning by connecting real-world experiences to our playschool, inspiring curiosity and broadening children’s understanding of the world. Your involvement helps build confidence, communication skills, and a strong sense of community

Next Term

Next term, children will explore the life cycle of a butterfly, learn about oral health, discover life on the farm, and develop an understanding of transport and road safety through fun, hands-on activities.

Dates for your Diary

Reopening on 13^th April , Open Night for new children 21^st May, Graduation 12^th June, Closing for summer holidays 24^th June