St. Leonard's National School, Dunnamaggin

Local historian and poet; Claire O'Neill gave a local history talk to students on Monday, reminiscing on life in Dunnamaggin, the shops, the lifestyle of people, Captain Pat Walsh and brave Nellie Peters. Flowers were laid on Pat Walsh's grave as we honour him at Easter. 3rd Class did projects on the history of landmarks in our area; The High Cross, the Three Churches, Captain Pat Walsh, Dunnamaggin GAA and LGFA & Camogie clubs and the Schools in Dunnamaggin. Many thanks t

Well done to 3rd & 4th Class who had a great morning in Mullinavat GAA, playing Gaelic football, camogie and hurling with schools from Mooncoin, Carrigeen, Stoneyford, Newmarket and Monrue. Thanks to Paudie and Philly for organising the blitz.

Well done to the girls who competed in the Mini 7s Football competition in Thomastown. The girls played very well and were competitive in all three of their games. Well done to Thomastown who progress to the next round.

Well done to the four boys who competed in the Cumann na mBunscoil quiz and to Mrs Croke for preparing and mentoring the team.

Bhí cheolchoirm againn innú ar scoil do Seachtain na Gaeilge. Bhí gach éinne gléasta í glas agus rinne na ranganna an damhsa "Droichead Átha Luain" agus chan siad Amhráin na bhFiann agus Óro Sé do Bheatha Abhaile. Rinne gach rang dán nó amhráin comh maith. Bhí an craic agus sport againn.

4th and 5th class worked as civil engineers this week. They learned about different types of bridges and the support structures involved. They worked in groups to construct their own bridge and then tested its weight bearing capability.

Well done to our quiz team who performed brilliantly in the Cumann na mBunscol Quiz on Tuesday night. Maith sibh buachaillí!

Maidin dé Luain bhí Tráth na gCeist ag ranganna trí, ceathair, cuig agus a sé. Míle buíochas do Bean Uí Croc don Tráth na gCeist.

Well done to the boys who represented St. Leonard's N.S. last Sunday in Nowlan Park. They played a challenge match against St. Declan's of Waterford during half time in the National Hurling league game between Kilkenny and Waterford. A fantastic experience for the boys. Maith sibh!

Congratulations to our Under 11 and Under 13 Quiz Teams who participated in the St. Canice's Credit Union Quiz. Both teams achieved excellent scores and represented our school with pride. Maith sibh.

Well done to our four 4th class students who participated in the U11 quiz.

Cycle Right Stage 1 – Cycling Safety Programme for 5th & 6th Class Our 5th and 6th class pupils are taking part in the Cycle Right Stage 1 Cycling Safety Programme, delivered by South East Cycling Safety. This nationally recognised programme is aligned with Cycle Right, the national standard for cycling safety training in Ireland, and is supported by Cycling Ireland, the RSA and An Taisce. This initiative forms part of our Green-Schools Travel theme, encouraging active, susta

Cycle Right Stage 1 – Cycling Safety Programme for 5th & 6th Class Our 5th and 6th class pupils is taking part in the Cycle Right Stage 1 Cycling Safety Programme, delivered by South East Cycling Safety. This nationally recognised programme is aligned with Cycle Right, the national standard for cycling safety training in Ireland, and is supported by Cycling Ireland, the RSA and An Taisce. This initiative forms part of our Green-Schools Travel theme, encouraging active, sustai

Congratulations to all the children on a truly wonderful Christmas concert today. The pupils brought the Christmas Story to life beautifully in the church, creating a very special and memorable occasion for everyone present. Ms O’Keeffe’s class set the tone with lovely tin whistle music, while our 5th and 6th class pupils confidently narrated the story. 2nd class did a fantastic job acting out the Nativity, with wonderful performances from Mary, Joseph, the angels, shepherds

Santa Claus arrived into school on Monday with his reindeer and elf on tow! The excitement was electric! Santa confirmed thst all the boys and girls in Dunnamaggin are on the 'Nice List" and just asked that they leave a carrot out for Rudolph. Merry Christmas Santa and safe travels next week. Many thanks to the Parents Association for providing selection boxes for all the children. All proceeds from the festive visit are going towards Crumlin Children's hospital.

On Thursday we had a very exciting visitor; local author TJ Reid came to talk to our classes about his books and how he became an author. He read a chapter from his book, "Demon Wars" and we brought his just published new book also. Lots of questions, lots of interest and lots of inspiration to start writing stories and books ensued. Many thanks to TJ for coming to talk to us.

On Thursday, Mrs Langton and Mrs Croke's classes set off on an exciting Science Week adventure. Our first stop was Dunmore Caves , where we enjoyed a guided tour deep underground. We saw impressive stalagmites and stalactites, and learned about the 700 bats that live there. We also discovered that Viking remains had once been found in the caves, adding a fascinating historical twist to the visit. Next, we travelled to Castlecomer Discovery Park to take part in their Science

3rd and 4th classhad their final session of 2025 with Philly Campion on Thursday. Thanks to Dunnamaggin GAA for allowing us to use the astro turf!

Witches, skeletons, zombies, Michael Jackson, Superheros, The Lorax and many more characters invaded St Leonard's on Thursday for Halloween dress up day. The Costume parade, followed by a spooky dance or two and the announcement of the "How many Spiders" made for a very special and scary day in school 🎃

4th and 5th Class visited 3rd class during Maths Week to "test" their Maths Eyes and check their maths skills!