News and Views from the region
Grandparents morning at Playmates
PLAYMATES Montessori Presentation school held its first ever Grandparent morning on Wednesday, February 12th.
Grandparents were invited in from 11.00am – 12.00pm and if grandparents were not available parents were welcome to come along. The teachers, children, grandparents and parents marvelled in the experience and watching the generations complete jigsaws, draw pictures and play with sand would have brought a tear to a stone.
Owner and teacher Jackie Walshe explained: ‘We got the idea from the national school.
‘During Catholic Schools week, the grandparents of Junior and Senior infant pupils were invited into Presentation school and we decided sure we might give this idea a go. The principal, Mrs Molloy arranged for the use of bigger chairs for the occasion and we would like to thank the 6th class girls who brought them down to our classroom and retuned them to the library afterwards. Grandparents were mostly local, however we did have one set of grandparents travel from Inniskeen, County Monaghan for their grandson meaning the same pupil had three grandparents and two great grandparents present on the day.’
Teacher Ailish added: ‘ The children were so excited and could not wait for 11am. They wanted to show their grandparents as much as possible in the hour and to be fair the grandparents were very willing participants. Some children engaged them in jigsaws, the trains, sand, cooking in the kitchen, story time, the list is endless but fair to say I think everything was covered.’
Teacher Edel expressed delighted in how the day went: ‘It was magical, the children were engrossed with the activities with the grandparents or parents. Even overhearing the conversations they shared was magical. Every child in the room had someone special there for them and they were so proud showing them around their classroom. It is definitely a day the children, grandparents and the teachers will treasure.
Playmates Montessori operates in both Presentation Primary (Ballymakenny Road) and St Joseph’s (Sunday’s Gate) schools.
They offer the ECCE scheme which is the free preschool for children turning 3 and 4 years of age in 2020 and the NCS scheme (National Childcare Scheme) for children not eligible for the ECCE year.
Limited places remain in both school for September 2020. Parents interested in more information can contact Jackie on 086 3697983 for the Presentation Preschool and Ruth on 086 0148490 for St Joseph’s Preschool.
Alternatively, pop into either school any school day, Playmates Montessori is in room 7 in the Presentation School, and for St Joseph’s you can use the entrance beside Scholars Hotel and they are the first classroom you meet.