From the Principal’s Desk….
It’s hard to believe that we are already at mid term. At the risk of sounding like an auld lad ‘The Grand Stretch’ in the evening being the only indicator that yes we are ready for the break.
Last week's Peace Proms were a great success. Rang a 3 agus Rang a 4 performed brilliantly and were mentioned by the conductor for their dance moves in the free style section. The children in fourth enjoyed the bigger event this year in the RDS in comparison to the more intimate event in The Helix last year. This video will give you a taste of the scale of the event.
They also got me involved in a Maths lesson trying to see if we could afford to send them to accompany the Peace Prom orchestra for their performance in Carnegie hall over the St Patrick’s Day festival. Sadly despite very reasonable flights we don’t have sufficient funds for what would be an exciting event. The conductor did mention that they are always looking for new members of the orchestra so perhaps one day some of our own talented performers could form part of the peace prom orchestra and get to New York that way.
Rang 2 got to the forest this week and it was the success that it has always been. We had some interesting discussions about ownership and possession of dens in the forest and how that caused conflict which I am happy to report they have resolved. If some of the adults in power had learned this lesson perhaps the world would be a more peaceful place. While that was happening in the forest back in the class they were designing their dream school.
A group in Rang a 6 have been getting ready for an inter class football tournament which will be starting after the mid term break. I have been watching with interest how they are trying to create as fair an event as possible allowing all the children the chance to enjoy the competition even if they don’t win. This takes time!!
Senior Infants were celebrating the arrival of the first of our spring bulbs in art this week. They went on a walk noticing the signs of spring with their buddies in Rang a Cúig and stopped by a park for some shared fun.
Have a lovely weekend everyone,
Paul
All the children are enjoying new games in the yard and the BOM wishes to thank the PA for funding for these. The BOM also wishes to thank the school community for its generosity to the Festive Charities. Over €2000 was raised, divided between the two nominated charities- SVP and the Irish Red Cross for flooding relief in Pakistan.
The BOM would like to hear from the school community regarding what they would like to know about Voluntary Contributions. Questions/ comments can be sent to bomchair@rmds.ie with the intention of having an information desk at the gate before the Easter break.
Thank you to all the staff for their work on the Anti-Bullying, Respect and Stay Safe programmes which were all recently completed.
Green Schools Tips
Saving Water - Part 2
Bathing
Showers are preferable to baths in relation to conserving water. But a rain-head shower coupled with a pump can use nearly as much.
Putting up a wall-clock in your bathroom in sight of the shower can help reduce shower times. You can even get special waterproof timers for in the shower itself.
The added benefit of a clock or timer is that it reduces queues for the bathroom!
Dual-Flush Toilets
Dual-Flush Toilets are specifically designed to save water and are now commonplace. But research from Waterwise estimates that 5% of Dual-Flush Toilets are leaking up to 400 litres a day each. They are prone to grit or other debris stopping the flush mechanism from sealing fully, creating a constant trickle down the inside of the bowl.
So please routinely check for this trickle and/or get your plumber to check when they are next over. Usually it's a quick job to shut off the water supply to the toilet and clean any debris out of the flush mechanism. If you are handy, there are lots of tutorials online.
Dishwashers
Ensure the dishwasher is full before starting. Use your Eco setting. The spray arms should move freely and not have anything stuck in the nozzles. Make sure your filters are clean and that salt levels are adequate.
Washing Machines
Again, use the Eco setting and try to make sure that the machine is full. In fact, loading only a few items means that they won't wash properly. Clothes are cleaned by rubbing against each other.
But don’t overfill your machine, you should be able to get a hand-width (8cm or 3 inches) between the top of the pile of clothes and the top of the drum.
For further information, Irish Water has produced a documentary: 'The Story of Water' https://www.water.ie/storyofwater/
Roland Ramsden
Andrea Scott
Green Schools Committee Parent Representatives
The Student Council received several suggestions from the classes asking about using different toilets for boys and girls. This led to a discussion about whether gendered toilets was a good idea. The outcome of this discussion was a request to all the children who stand up when using the toilet to be mindful of those coming after them and clean up a mess if one was made.
This bracelet was found outside the school. If it is yours or you know the owner please contact the office.
Ranelagh Multi-Denominational School, Ranelagh Road, Dublin 6, D06 Y658
Telephone/Fax: (01) 4961722 ● E-mail: secretary@rmds.ie
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Roll No. 19928Q ● Principal: Rosemarie Stynes
