Welcome To St. Aidan’s National School Bawnboy Co. Cavan

On behalf of our pupils and staff I would like to welcome you to our school website. St. Aidan’s National School is a co-educational Catholic School with a current enrolment of 72 wonderful pupils!

St. Aidan’s is a school where every person is a valued member of a happy, vibrant learning community.

In St. Aidan’s we aim to provide a well-structured, caring and positive learning environment with plenty of fun and adventure along the way!

We hope our school is a welcoming place and we ask parents/guardians to communicate directly with us if they have any concerns or worries that need to be addressed.  As a staff, we feel hugely supported by our parent body, who constantly work in partnership with us.

Our website will highlight the many events and activities taking place in our school. With a highly dedicated and creative staff the holistic development of our talented and committed pupils is always fostered.

St. Aidan’s N.S. has a very supportive parent body and our school prides itself on the team element of pupils, parents and staff working together.

By browsing through our website, you will see that St. Aidan’s N.S. is a diverse, positive and industrious school environment.

I would like to take the opportunity to wish each of our students the very best for the year 23/24 ahead – there will inevitably be some bumps along the way but hopefully, with support, each child will overcome any challenges and have a happy and successful year in school.

Tá súil agam go mbainfidh sibh taitneamh as.

Best wishes,
James Rudden
Principal


Hurling / Camogie

We were excited to welcome Phillip back to our school on Wednesday! We are delighted and grateful to be working alongside Templeport GFC in developing coaching in our schools from grassroots level. 💛💚 
 
 Phillip is our local GAA coach and visits our school every week to coach all classes. The children will be playing hurling and camogie for the autumn term!! 🏑 
 
 This is a great opportunity and something new for many of our boys and girls. Ní féidir leis na páistí fanacht le hiománaíocht agus camógaíocht a imirt an seachtain seo chugainn arís!! 👏🏼

Visit from First Years

On Friday we welcomed back St. Aidan’s N.S alumni and the First Year Class from St. Mogue’s College who started back last week. 
 
 It was wonderful to catch up with them again and hear about the start of their journey at secondary school. As always, this fantastic group of young people arrived with great positivity, and helped the children in Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Class with their Art lesson. Thanks for calling in, and you’re always so welcome to visit us at St. Aidan’s N.S!! Go n-eirí an t-ádh libh!! 🙏

Míle Buíochas Ann!!

🙏 Throwback to a special evening on Friday 21st October 2022 where the St. Aidan’s National School community got to say thank you, and wish Ann Maguire, principal of St. Aidan’s National School Bawnboy for the past 15 years, for her enormous contribution to our school community. A huge thank you to Isabel Rofé for capturing such lovely photographs on the evening too, and for all her wonderful work with Templeport Development Association. A very special celebratory mass was held in St. Mogue’s Church where the children in St. Aidans sang songs and performed while Ann, Father Sean, and Mr Rudden shared some lovely words in saying thank you to Ann for her vast contribution to our school. A large crowd met down in the school afterwards for presentations from the Board of Management, Parents Association, children and staff, followed by tea/refreshments, memories and catch-ups. Ann has had a remarkable impact on the children she has taught for the past 36 years. She spent 15 years in Bawn, 5 in Ballyconnell, Kildallan and also Glenfarne, where she started her teaching career. That’s some amount of children that Ann has seen grow, develop and flourish into the individuals she encouraged them to be. Ann has worked hard to teach children the skills they need to realise their full potential in life. She has often gone above and beyond of what is expected of a teacher, and of a principal. She has shown dedication, and understanding to her young charges as she prepared them for lives full of promise, bringing each child with her and never leaving one behind. Ann has made a huge difference to their lives and will forever be in their memories and their hearts. She has guided, nurtured, inspired so many young people for many years. Retirement is the end of one phase of life and the beginning of a new and exciting chapter. As you mark another important event in the journey of your life, we wish you the most rewarding retirement ever. Every joy and happiness wished you to you Ann, and thank you so much for everything you have done, and continue to do, for St. Aidan’s N.S!! 🙏

SSE Renewables at St Aidan’s National School

SSE Renewables has awarded more than €10,000 in funding to community groups in the vicinity of its Corneen Wind Farm in Co Cavan. Over €143,000 in funding has been allocated to community projects in the area since 2003 through the organisation’s Community Fund programme. 
 
 For the first time in three years, the funding cheques were presented in-person at St Aidan’s National School, Bawnboy recently. The funding will be used to enhance the pupils’ school garden which supports biodiversity. 
 
 
 
 
 James Rudden, Principal of St Aidan’s said the school was “delighted” with the continued support from SSE Renewables and highlighted how it would enable everyone to continue working on the school’s outdoor biodiversity space. “We have been able to make a start on creating a wonderful outdoor learning space in the school grounds,” added Mr Rudden. 
 
Meanwhile, funding has been awarded to six community projects in the area including Bawnboy Tidy Towns; Bawnboy Men’s Shed; St Mogue’s College; St Mogue’s National School; Templeport GAA; and St Aidan’s National School. 
 
 Anne Reynolds, SSE Community Investment Manager, said the quality of applications increases every year at Corneen. “This highlights the fantastic work of the local people. We are delighted this year to be able to front load next year’s funding to ensure the shovel ready projects have the opportunity to come to fruition and make a lasting impact on the communities closest to the wind farm,” she added.

Sixth Class Graduation 2023!!

👩‍🎓 👨‍🎓 Our very first St. Aidan’s N.S evening graduation took place last Thursday evening and was one of those great occasions where we got to celebrate our young people, their achievements, their successes and their perseverance.
 
 We wish Sixth Class every success on the next part of their journey and hope they look back on their time at St. Aidan’s with very fond memories. 
Thank you to special guest Aogán O’Fearghaill, former GAA president, teacher, historian and writer, who spoke at length on the evening and had some really important pieces of knowledge to impart to our students. Go n-eirí an bothár libh!! 🙏

New Jungle Gym

Thank you to Peter and Martha McKiernan for their generous donation of a Jungle Gym to our school. Upon meeting the children on the Student Council, they explained that they would like more play areas for yard time so this is the first of what we hope are some new play areas for the children, that we will be organising ahead of the new academic year. Go raibh mile maith agaibh!! 🙏

Cumann na mBunscoil final encounter

ST. AIDAN’S N.S ABÚ !!! 🏐🏆 
 
 Comhghairdeas leis an bhfoireann peil gaelach Scoil Aodhán Naofa i bPáirc Breifne iarnón inniu!! Bhuaigh siad cluiche dian i gcoinne foireann láidir d’arbh ainm Scoil Naisiúnta Loch Gowna tar éis cluiche iontach le cúpla pointí. 
 
 An incredible end to end Cumann na mBunscoil final encounter between St. Aidan’s N.S and Gowna N.S came down to the final minutes where the girls pipped their opponents by a couple of points in an enthralling encounter !! 👏🏼 
 
 Both teams were clapped off the pitch at full time in what was an incredibly sporting encounter played in great spirits!! 💚💛 
 
 The girls played amazing and there was so much support there from the village and parish with flags, banners, and bunting. We had a proud homecoming through Ballyconnel and Bawnboy, before arriving back at St. Aidan’s for some delicious food provided by The Keepers Arms!! 🙏 
 
 A great team performance from the girls who have been putting in a great effort training all year, we are immensely proud of them!! 👏🏼 
 
 Big congrats to an amazing boys team from St. Mogue’s Currin, who were also victorious in their final, in what was a promising evening for all interested in following Templeport GAA!! 💚💛 It’s a day they’ll never forget in the famous ‘St. Aidan’s Maroon and White’ !! 🏆
 

New school garden area

A busy evening at St. Aidan’s N.S yesterday preparing our new school garden area!! ☀️ The children have been busy growing broad beans, onions, cabbage, lettuce, strawberries, beetroot, broccoli and potatoes and hope the harvest these before the summer!! 🥔 🧅 🍓 🥬 🥦 🥕 Great work from everyone involved and the children are very excited to chill in our new area at beak times!! 👏🏼