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Hello to all our students, parents, guardians and members of the Esker School Community! It's hard to believe that June has rolled around again and we are approaching the end of a busy, successful, action-packed third term. Here we are at the end of another school year, with summer holidays beckoning. As I write there is a great buzz in the air as classes head off on school tours or trips to the park, the sun makes an appearance, allowing lessons to take place in our new Outdoor Classroom. It’s been a fun term, with so much going on, from Sports Day to Active Week, The Big Sing, Flag Raising, Stempathy, Sports Day, Santry Athletics and this week, Graduation- It’s all go! Read on for a flavour of some of the activities that took in your child's class place this term! Junior Infants Red and Green We had a busy few weeks in Term 3 in Junior Infants. The highlight was definitely the wonderful time we had on our school tour to Explorium on the 27th May. We headed off in the sunshine, very excited to be travelling on the big bus! Explorium, as the name suggests, is a place of exploration, and that’s just what we did in the Junior Town, where we got lost in the imaginary world of the supermarket, diner, bakery, construction site and hospital. We loved the climbing frames and REALLY loved the big slide (even though it was very fast)- we couldn't wait to zoom down again and again! and. We had so much fun! It was a great day with lots of tired but happy children on the bus on the way home! Sports day was another highlight this term for Junior Infants. We had a very busy morning competing in lots of different novelty races. We especially enjoyed the sponge race and the parachute. Some of our mums and dads raced too! It was great to see so many of them all here. Many thanks to all of the parents and older siblings who attended.    Senior Infants Red Senior Infants Red have had a great Term 3. We learned about Minibeasts, which included our very own pet caterpillars which turned into butterflies! We spent lots of time outdoors and really enjoyed our school tour to Explorium. We worked hard at reading during Lift-off and are really proud of our progress. Senior infants Green Senior Infants Green had a super day on their school tour to Explorium Science Museum. They enjoyed playing in the role play village as well as exploring the different science activities. A brilliant day was had by all! For the month of May the class learned all about mini beasts. They had lots fun learning about different creatures and searching the school grounds for mini beasts. Our theme for June is "under the sea". Our role play corner has been turned into an aquarium where we are using money to buy tickets to see different under the sea animals. Senior infants green have worked extremely hard this term. Well done everyone!   First Class 1st Class Red and Green were learning about Transport Infrastructure this term. We went on a fieldtrip to the oldest stone bridge in Ireland, King John's Bridge in Griffeen Park. We also had a fantastic time at Sports Day. We enjoyed playing silly football, parachute games, hoop games and skipping games. The obstacle course, the stations and the novelty races were so much fun and it was great to get the parents involved. The best part of the day was the sponge relay, where we all got soaked!   Second Class This term we were very busy in 2nd Red and Green! We were able to enjoy some of the sunshine and made the most of the rainy days. We completed projects about Space. We build rocket ships using recycled materials and worked together to write posters in our small groups. We also had a visit from Lily's sister Katie who is an artist! She taught us about the skills of creativity and imagination that are very important for artists. We created drawings that were inspired by everyday objects that we had to turn into something new. This term we also had our school tour to Bray where we visited the Marine Life aquarium, the beach and the playground. It was a fantastic day! Our sports day was a fantastic day too filled with potato and spoon races, sponge relays, 3-legged races, parachute games and even a disco!   Third Red What an incredible day we had in 3rd Class Red! Recently, our classroom was completely transformed into a spectacular Ancient Egyptian history museum, and best of all, the children took total control of the planning. From curation to creation, the students decided exactly how to bring history to life. The museum featured:
☕ The "Mummy" Cafe Everyone knows that no museum visit is complete without a trip to the gift shop or cafe! Thanks to the amazing generosity of our parents, we had a spread of delicious treats ready for our guests. 🎉 A Huge Success! The big day was a phenomenal success, and we were absolutely thrilled to welcome over 30 family members through our doors. The children did an outstanding job presenting their hard work and guiding their guests through history. A massive thank you to all the families who came to visit and support us. And finally, a huge maith thú to all the brilliant children in 3rd Red for putting on such a fantastic museum. You should be incredibly proud of yourselves! ✨  3rd Green: It has been an absolutely wonderful and busy couple of weeks for the fantastic children in 3rd Class Green! The highlights of our month were undoubtedly our amazing day out at the Zoo on the 9th of June and a phenomenal assembly performance where the children beautifully demonstrated the power of perseverance with a short play and a song. Back in the classroom, our budding scientists were busy exploring environmental care by planting cress seeds, predicting their growth patterns, and taking great care of their little pots. We have also put on our geography hats to examine rocks and soil. To top off our hands-on learning, we had a brilliant time working as real-life historians when an archaeologist visited us for an exciting archaeological dig. We've had an absolutely great time!  4th Red Term 3 has been packed with exciting activities and memorable moments for 4th Class Red. The children showed excellent responsibility on a class trip to Lucan library. It was great to see them finding, reading and discussing new books. Active week was also great fun. We enjoyed all the fabulous activities, including the mini-golf, scavenger hunts, skipping, dodgeball and of course the student versus teacher football match. The 4th class school tour to Fort Lucan was a big hit, with lots of laughs on the bus and lots of fun waterslides and rides to explore. Sports Day at Lucan Harriers was another highlight – the class showed fantastic sportsmanship and had great fun competing and cheering each other on, despite the crazy weather! One of the most interesting activities this term was the “Teach the Teacher” presentations, where each child got the chance to lead a lesson on something they’re passionate about, from baking and sport to crafts and drama. It was rewarding and enlightening to see the children share their interests and talents with the class. It’s been a wonderful term full of learning, creativity, and fun! Well Done Fourth Red, and best of luck next year.  4th Green Fourth Class Green have had a fantastic final term at Esker ETNS. We have enjoyed many memorable experiences, including Active Week, Sports Day, and our school tour to Fort Lucan. Our boys proudly took part in their first Esker Inter-School Football match in Adamstown, while our choir members had a wonderful time performing at the Big Sing. Throughout the term, we have learned many new songs and created lots of happy memories together.  Blue Class The final term has been a very busy and enjoyable one in Blue Class. The boys have had a fantastic year overall, filled with learning, growth, and many memorable experiences. One of the highlights of the term was our school tour to Dublin Zoo. The boys thoroughly enjoyed seeing the wide variety of animals and learning more about them. It was particularly exciting to make connections between the animals we encountered and the topics we had explored in class throughout the year. As we come to the end of another successful school year, we would like to thank the boys for their hard work, enthusiasm, and positive attitude. We have shared many wonderful memories together and look forward to celebrating all that has been achieved this year.  5th Class We had a busy term in 5th Class! A huge thank you to Anna who organised tea and biscuits for us . We had a calm and cosy morning and had some nice chats to settle back in after the June bank holiday! Our biggest undertaking has been completing our Stempathy Projects! We loved taking part in the Stempathy programme and managed to come up with some amazingly innovative solutions to everyday problems. At the time of writing we are busy preparing for our Expo. We can't wait to welcome the parents in to show off our amazing Projects on the 17th of June!   Sixth Class: The class of 2026 would like to say a huge thank you to our wonderful PTA for our hoodies! We loved showing them off while canoeing, zip lining, doing archery and obstacle courses on our school tour at CP Adventure. It’s a bittersweet few weeks for our Sixth Classes, as they prepare for Graduation and the ceremonial marking of the end of their primary school years. We in Esker are very proud of them and want to wish them the very best as they leave us to head off to pastures new. Keep in touch!   In other News. One of the highlights of the summer term every year is our representation at the Cumann na mBunscoil Athletics Competition. Weeks of training and preparation go into selecting the team to represent the school and preparing for the various events. Below is Heid’s thrilling account of a fantastic day! Santry - Morton Stadium - Cumann na mBunscol Athletics Competition Esker ETNS Storm Morton Stadium: Athletics at Santry 2026! On a spectacular day out at the historic Morton Stadium in Santry, our phenomenal 5th and 6th class athletes completely blew us away at the 2026 Cumann na mBunscol Athletics competition. Competing in Santry is a massive milestone for any young athlete, but our boys and girls didn't let the big stadium atmosphere faze them for a second. The sprinting events were an absolute masterclass in speed and grit. Competing across both Under 12 and Under 14 categories, our boys and girls flew out of the blocks. The sheer determination on their faces as they crossed the finish lines in the individual sprints was a sight to behold. If you want to talk about teamwork, look no further than the relays! The baton handovers in the U12 and U14 girls' and boys' relay events were seamless. Weeks of practice paid off in spades as our teams passed the steel flawlessly. In the grueling 600m distance races, our athletes showed tactical brilliance. Both the girls and boys paced themselves perfectly against fierce competition, finding an extra gear in the home straight to power over the finish line. The stamina on display was nothing short of heroic! Our athletes showed incredible technique and strength, launching the shot putt to record distances and securing well-deserved spots on the podium. Our jumpers seemed to defy gravity, flying through the Santry air and landing massive distances in the sandpit. With the bar raised high and the crowd watching, our high jumpers cleared heights that had everyone jumping up and down in pure exhaustion and joy. While the clinking of medals on the bus ride home was a beautiful sound, what made us proudest of all was the spirit of Esker ETNS. When they weren't competing, our students were on their feet, screaming their lungs out for their teammates. The camaraderie, the manners shown to officials was first-class. A massive thank you to all the staff who helped organize, coach, and manage the chaos on the day—we couldn't do it without you. To our amazing 5th and 6th class athletes: you worked hard, you believed in yourselves, you supported each other, and you showed the whole of Dublin what Esker ETNS is made of. Congratulations to every single one of you. You are all superstars, and your school is incredibly proud of you!  The O.C. This year saw the exciting launch of The O.C. -The Outdoor Classroom. Have you noticed it on your way into the school? On the grassy area just beyond the main entrance gates. It is such an inviting space to sit down and relax for a few moments! Through the support of ESD funding, we have developed this dedicated outdoor learning space featuring raised planters, biodiversity resources, bug hotels, bird feeders, nature books, a mud kitchen and sensory elements. Students across all class levels have enjoyed exploring, observing and learning outdoors through lessons linked to biodiversity, sustainability and environmental awareness. The O.C. will continue to grow and develop next year as a valuable learning space for our school community.  Kangaroo Maths 70 children in Esker ETNS participated in the Kangaroo Maths competition in May, which is the world’s largest international mathematics competition. It’s an online event for children from 1st to 6th class, with students from all over the world competing annually.The primary goal is to foster a love of maths, and our participants were really enjoying the competition until disaster struck -a power cut! Our participants were cut off in the middle of their entries, and couldn’t get back on it time to finish properly. What a shame. This impacted their final scores so no big prizes for Esker this year. But not to worry-Next year will be different!  News from our Committees Student Council The Student Council have had a busy final term. We reached out to Griffeen Valley Nursing home and organised a visit to meet the residents. We shared our interests with them and listened as some of them sang us songs and recited poetry. We organised a fun "Silly Day", took part in a school clean up, conducted a petition related to traffic for the council. We also collaborated with the Active Committee to discuss some new ideas. Well done to all the Reps for their hard work this year.  Green Schools Congratulations to the Green School Committee who were awarded the Green Flag for Global Citizenship, Litter and Waste. We are very proud of them. They worked very hard over the past two years to achieve this .On the 19th of May Ahmed, Roxy, Nora and Grace attended the Green Flag Awards Ceremony in The Helix and collected the Green Flag on behalf of the Green School Committee which was presented by An Taisce. The flag will be proudly raised on the school grounds on Wednesday 22nd.  Active Committee Our wonderful Active Committee have been very busy! They proved to be exceptional leaders during our recent school inspection, meeting with the PE inspectors and doing a phenomenal job explaining all the diverse sports and activities we enjoy in Esker ETNS. The committee then planned a fantastic Active Week that kept everyone moving, featuring a crazy golf course, a thrilling football tournament, and uplifting "Feel Good" yard music where they enthusiastically led dances for all the children. Furthermore, their helpful hands made our Junior Sports Day an absolute joy, ensuring that every station ran smoothly and safely. We are so incredibly proud of how these dedicated student voices have worked to ensure that everyone in our school is staying active, having fun, and feeling included! Extra Curricular Activities. Over the course of the year children had the opportunity to experiment with a wide range of hobbies and interests through their participation in our Extra Curricular Activities (ECAs). These are run voluntarily after school by teachers and ANAs. This year we have had Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Coding, Lego Club, Sports Club, Junk Art and Construction, Football, Frisbee, Drama Baking in Italian, Chess, Variety, Basketball, Games and Movies, Badminton, Quiz and Kahoot, Coding and Robotics, P.E. and Sports, Lego and Games, Garden and Book Club . To all the staff who gave so generously of their time to introduce the children to these new hobbies, we offer our sincere thanks. Garden Club This year the garden club enjoyed more success than last year. We have learned that we need to cover everything that we plant because we share our school grounds with lots of animals and birds that come out to explore and eat when the children have gone home! So far, we have harvested strawberries, peas, beans, onions, radishes and salad. Our potatoes are looking good too!  Book Club Students from both sixth classes have enjoyed taking part in Esker's first book club with Harriet this year. They have voted which books to read and we borrowed the books from the library. They have met several times in school over tea and biscuits to discuss and share opinions and it has been an extremely rewarding experience. The children read books they might not necessarily have chosen themselves and have enjoyed talking about them. It was so successfully that Harriet intends to continue with next year's sixth class. Drama Club Harriet has also been running Drama Club for most of this year. A group of children from 3rd to 6th have taken part after school on Thursdays and have enjoyed physical warmups, concentration and memory games and plenty of drama activities. We have enjoyed developing improv skills as well as following and creating scripts. The use of costumes and props has added to the fun! The students often have great ideas themselves for games they like playing and we learn every week from each other.  Arts and Crafts Club The children had a lot of fun with Carmen in arts and crafts club this term where they had the opportunity to be creative and explore their imagination through different art projects. Pupils have the opportunity to paint, draw, make models, create decorations, and experiment with a variety of materials and techniques.  Sports Club Children from 4th , 5th and 6th Class had the opportunity to join Seán's sports club this term. They played a range of sports including football, dodgeball, bench ball, basketball, crab football and playground games.  A message from Catherine As you know I will be retiring this year after 19 years in Esker, as class teacher, special education teacher and Deputy Principal. It has been a fine experience, working with a dedicated, committed team of teachers, ANAs and auxiliary staff. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the parents and guardians who I have had the pleasure to interact with over the years. I would also like to thank all of you who have sent in thoughtful gifts, messages and kind words in recent weeks. It has been a pleasure and a privilege working with your children, and I wish you, your children and your extended family the very best for the years to come. Wishing you all a happy and healthy summer holidays and we look forward to seeing you all again on Thursday the 27th of August at 9.20am.
Gemma & all the staff of Esker ETNS Comments are closed.
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AuthorUpdates from Gemma about our school. Archives
June 2026
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