- St. Stephen's De La Salle BNS

News Archive:
September 2015 - June 2016

** Please note that links to activities mentioned here in the News Archive may not work as that material may have been deleted or moved to a new section of the website! **

Summer Holidays:
St. Stephen's is now closed for the summer holidays. Thanks to all parents, guardians, and families for the wonderful support, and thanks to the boys for all their efforts all year. We wish our departed 6th Classes the very best for the future. St. Stephen's re-opens for the 2016/2017 school year at 8:50am on Thursday, September 1st. Have a happy and safe summer!

St. Stephen's awarded Scoilnet.ie Star Site:
All of us in St. Stephen's De La Salle were delighted in June 2016 with the news that our school's website had been selected as a Scoilnet.ie Star*Site. This is a much-coveted award all over Ireland, and recognises those schools that are embracing the web as a communication tool. Read the Scoilnet.ie Star Site review of our website here! (opens in a new window)

6th Class Graduation Mass:
Mr. Casey's and Mr. Keevers' 6th Classes celebrated their graduation mass on Tuesday, June 28th. See some photos here.

Senior Infants Class Trip 2016:
Rain, rain, go away. No, seriously, go away!!! Miss Lowe's and Miss Robinson's Senior Infants had to change their class trip at the last minute because of heavy rain - but that didn't stop all the boys from having a SUPER day out!! Check out their photos here!

Scuba-Dooba-Doo!:
Mr. Casey's and Mr. Keevers' 6th Classes went on their Class Trip to Shielbaggan Outdoor Adventure Centre! The two classes had a brilliant time on Thursday, June 23rd. Click here to see their photos!

Surf's Up, Mr. F! Mr. Fitzgerald's Class Trip was great fun!:
Mr. Fitzgerald's 4th Class took off for Tramore for their school tour - and no-one was board (bored, get it?!) The boys (and Mr. F!) had a blast surfing the waves. Click here to see some photos!

Fun on the Farm - Junior Infants on their Class Trip:
Mrs. Breen's and Miss Hickey's Junior Infants went on their school tour on Thursday, June 23rd... They went to Sallyfort Farm in Stradbally - and they had an AWESOME time! Click here to moooove page and see photos of their day out!

Give us a wave! Mr. Hayden's Class went surfing in Tramore!:
Mr. Hayden's 4th Class had so much fun on their school tour - they went surfing in Tramore and then had some time to play in the sunshine in Tramore! Click here to see photos from Mr. Hayden's class trip!

Jack Kennedy Memorial Cup - Semi Final 2016:
St. Stephen's faced St. Declan's in the Jack Kennedy Memorial Cup Semi Final at the RSC on Wednesday, June 22nd. Sadly, despite our best efforts, we went down to a 1-3 defeat. Well done to all the boys on the team for their efforts all year.

Chess Club Outing 2016:
With fine weather as always, the Chess Club set off on the annual outing on Tuesday, June 21st! Read more and see photos here!

Moving to the Beat - Mr. Russell's Class visit Beat 102 103:
Mr. Russell's Class visited The Broadcast Centre in Ardkeen on Tuesday, June 21st. The boys went for a guided tour of radio station Beat 102 103. Read more and see photos from their visit here!

School Sports Day 2016:
It was another thrilling day at the St. Stephen's School Sports Day on Friday, June 17th. Read more here!

Monkeys, Tigers and Lions - Oh My!:
It was a really great day in Mr. Russell's Class on Friday June 17th - as they travelled by train to Dublin Zoo! The class took a guided tour and learned lots about the Rainforests, before spending the day exploring our national zoo. Click here to read more about their amazing day out!

Hurling Medal Presentations - June 2016:

The 2016 end of year presentation of medals to the hurlers in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Class took place on Tuesday, June 14th. Click here to see photos from the presentation of medals to the hurlers!

Chess Club Awards 2016:
The Chess Club Awards were held on Monday, June 13th. All the players from both the beginners and advanced players section were present as medals and trophies for the 2015/2016 school year were awarded. See photos from the awards here!

History Trail:
Mr. Russell's Class took a History Trail around Waterford's City Walls on Friday, June 10th. The class walked the old Viking and Norman walls, as well as taking in a tour of Reginald's Tower. Check out their photos!

Sacrament of Confirmation:
Congratulations to all the boys in Mr. Casey's and Mr. Keevers' 6th Classes, as they made their Confirmation in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity on Saturday, June 4th. A big thank you and well done to Ms Power and the boys in the choir, who sang so beautifully at the service. Well done everyone!

Surf's Up! Miss Flynn's 5th Class on Tour:

Give us a wave! Miss Flynn's Class went to Tramore for their school trip! They went surfing and had a sea-riously good time! Click here to see how they got on!

1st, 2nd and 3rd Class School Trip:

Miss Flavin's and Miss Butler's 1st Classes, Mr. Coghlan's and Mrs. Allman's 2nd Classes, and Mrs. Kealy's and Mr. O'Sullivan's 3rd Classes took off on their school trip on Monday, May 30th. Find out how they got on!

Soccer - Jack Kennedy Memorial Cup:

Our school's soccer team for the 11-a-side Jack Kennedy Memorial Cup were in action on Tuesday, May 31st. 6 points out of 9 saw our boys qualify for the semi finals, as we try to retain the Cup that we won at the RSC last year.

Willie Moran Memorial Soccer Tournament:

Willie Moran was Principal of Holy Cross NS, Tramore. Prior to that he taught in CBS Primary School, Tramore. He was secretary of the Waterford City Branch of the I.N.T.O. for many years. Willie was also seriously involved in sport all his life. He set up the Waterford Primary Schools’ Football League. He was secretary of the Waterford Schoolboys’ Football League (WPSFL) for many years before serving as Chairman of the Schoolboys Football Association of Ireland. He was also instrumental in the formation of the schoolboys’ section of Tramore AFC. Willie passed away on 28th April 2013.

Tramore AFC and WPSFL joined forces to honour Willie’s name with a 7 a side soccer tournament for Primary Schools. It is a one-day tournament, the 2016 edition of which took place in Tramore AFC on Wednesday 25th May.

In St. Stephen's, we were delighted to enter 2 teams in this extra special tournament. Mr. Coghlan and Mr. Russell took a team each to the tournament - with each team making the Final in their category. Unfortunately, despite a huge effort from the boys, Mr. Coghlan's team lost their final 2-0, while Mr. Russell's team drew 1-1 only to lose 3-2 on penalties. But it was a marvellous day of football and we had some really great performances from our boys. Thanks to Mr. Duggan, Gary Power of the FAI and Tramore AFC for a wonderful day's football in honour of Willie Moran. We're already looking forward to next year.

A History Walk with Mr. Casey's 6th Class:
Mr. Casey's 6th Class enjoyed a hugely interesting History Walk with Stephen! The boys walked to the People's Park and enjoyed a thrilling tour around our historic city, learning about freedom and how many of history's greatest names that stood up for freedom are linked to our city! Click here for more!

School Trips 2016:

It's that time of year! Classes are planning and organising their trips - and we'll have photos! Keep watching for those! And why not browse our photo and video galleries, where you can see highlights of the 2015 class trips!

De La Salle Day 2016:

We celebrated the feast of our Founder, St. John Baptist De La Salle, on Friday May 13th. All the boys in 1st to 6th Class went to a special celebratory mass in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity and sang some lovely hymns as we gave thanks for the vision of Saint La Salle. Why not find out more about our Founder, St. John Baptist De La Salle, by watching the documentary video made by Mr. Russell's Class, exploring the question. The boys in 5th Class made the video for the 2016 Lasallian competition.

1916 Medals:

Mr. O'Sullivan's 3rd Class had a nice piece of history in their room recently, when Caoilan brought in some medals that were awarded in 1916. Read more about it here!

First Holy Communion:

A great, big, huge WELL DONE and congratulations to Mrs. Allman's and Mr. Coghlan's 2nd Classes, as the boys made their First Holy Communion on Sunday, May 8th. The two classes were magnificent on their special day! Well done also to Ms Power and all the boys in choir who sang so beautifully on the day. Everyone in St. Stephen's is proud of you all!

Radio Ga Ga!:
Listen to this!!! Mr. Russell's Class launched their own class radio station on Thursday May 5th! The boys spent months preparing a schedule and different types of shows. Watch their class Twitter for upcoming broadcasts - Check them out here!

Wheelie Good Fun in 4th Class!:
Mr. Fitzgerald's and Mr. Hayden's 4th Classes are enjoying 6 weeks of cycling lessons on Wednesdays at the moment - and having a wheelie good time! They're not only learning about cycling, but about personal safety, and road safety, as well as signs and rules of the road. The cycling lessons in 4th Class are generously sponsored by our school's Parents' Association. Check out the photos here!

"Freedom" History Walk:

Mr. Russell's 5th Class enjoyed a thrilling History Walk with Stephen on Friday, April 29th! The boys walked to the People's Park and enjoyed a thrilling tour around our historic city. Click here to see photos from a superb afternoon of local and international history!

Lasallian Competition Trip to Castletown:

Mr. Russell's 5th Class entered the 2015/2016 Lasallian competition, with the theme "Who is John Baptist De La Salle?", making a documentary-style video, exploring the question. The boys travelled to the De La Salle Pastoral Centre in Castletown, Co. Laois, on Tuesday, April 19th, where all the entries were presented and judged. They finished very creditably in the runners up places and the boys received medals and lovely certificates. We're all very proud of them! See their absolutely brilliant video here. You can also check out photos from the day trip to Castletown here. And we send our congratulations to St. Gerard's College, Castlebar, who were the overall winners of the competition. We're looking forward to next year's competition already!

School Activities:

We had our new Junior Infants for September (and their parents!) come to visit last week, and we showed them some of the highlights of our wonderful school. We've now added the video to our website - why not click here and watch it too!

100 Word Challenge Founder Julia Skinner visits St. Stephen's:

Mrs. Julia Skinner, former principal teacher - and founder and curator of the Word Challenge, a weekly writing task that is undertaken by classes from around the world - visited St. Stephen's De La Salle on Friday, April 22nd! Julia called to Mr. Russell's Class, who take part in the 100 Word Challenge each week, Mr. O'Sullivan's 3rd Class, and Miss Flynn's 5th Class, to talk all about creative writing and the 100 Word Challenge, and then accompanied the boys as they went to meet with Ms Whelan's 6th Class and a few other classes in Mount Sion, for a writing workshop and 100 word challenge! Thanks to Ms Whelan and all at Mount Sion for the lovely welcome all our boys and teachers received. Read more about the day here!

Up, up and away! Aistear's at the Airport!:

Grab your passports! Mrs. Breen's Class were flying with their newest Aistear theme - The Airport! Read all about the activities and fun the boys had!

First Holy Communion:

It's a busy time in Mrs. Allman's and Mr. Coghlan's 2nd Classes, as the boys continue their preparations for their First Holy Communion on Sunday, May 8th. The two classes are working hard at their prayers and their songs as the big day gets closer. We all wish them well for their special day!

Commitment Mass in 6th Class:

A big well done to all the boys in Mr. Keevers' and Mr. Casey's 6th Classes, who had their Commitment Ceremony on Saturday, April 16th. These boys are entering their final preparations for the big day in June, when they will make their Confirmation.

Proclamation Day 2016:
St. Stephen's marked Proclamation Day 2016 on Tuesday, March 15th, a day when schools across Ireland flew the Tricolour that was presented to them by the Defence Forces. We were joined by Fr. Paul, parents, and families for this historic event. Visit our special 1916-2016 page here.

Bat's amazing! Learning about Bats in Mr. Russell's Class:
Mr. Russell's Class were very lucky to receive a visit from bat expert Andrew Harrington on Monday, March 14th. Find out what they learned about - and see photos of the talk, that included REAL bats - here!

Lá Gaelach 2016 in St. Stephen's De La Salle:

We had a great time celebrating Lá Gaelach in St. Stephen's on Thursday and Friday, March 10th and 11th! All classes put on brilliant performances. Maith sibh, a bhuachaillí! Visit our Lá Gaelach page to hear the songs and poems, and see some videos too!

5th Class Basketball:

The St. Stephen's 5th Basketball team competed in the 2016 Waterford Primary Schools Basketball Blitz on Friday, March 4th. Find out how they got on and see some photos from the Blitz!

World Book Day 2016 in St. Stephen's De La Salle:

We had a great time celebrating World Book Day 2016 in St. Stephen's! A load of  activities took place all around our school, and everyone had a great time as every class celebrated books, reading and all that goes with it! Visit the World Book Day 2016 page here!

Buddy Reading for World Book Day 2016:

Buddy Reading has become a staple of World Book Day in St. Stephen's De La Salle, and all the boys look forward to it each year! 2016 was no exception - and we have a beautiful video of the senior classes reading to the smaller boys! Click here to see Buddy Reading Video for World Book Day 2016!

Mr. Russell's 5th Class mark Engineering Week 2016:

The boys in Mr. Russell's Class visited the city's Central Library for Engineering Week 2016 - and met with an ESB Networks engineer! Find out what they did!

Drumming Concerts 2015/2016:

Our drumming concerts for 2015/2016 are now finished - but you can relive the musical masterpieces by listening back to ALL the drumming concerts from ALL the classes 1st - 6th! Click here!

Spring into action with Aistear in Mrs. Breen's Class:
Spring is always such a wonderful time, with (usually!) better weather, longer days, and flowers starting to grow and leaves starting to appear on trees. Mrs. Breen's Junior Infants were learning all about Spring in Aistear. See how they got on!

FAI Schools 5 A Side Soccer Competition:
St. Stephen's soccer season is underway! Mr. Russell and Mr. Coghlan took a team each to the FAI Schools Spar 5 A Side Competition on Thursday, February 25th and were out again on Friday, March 11th. Find out how they got on!

Valentine's Greetings - for the 21st Century!:
Mr. Russell's Class took part in a global project to share greetings for St. Valentine's Day... but with a 21st Century twist! Find out all about it here!

Spring Newsletter from Mr. Morris:

Check out all the latest news from the office in the spring newsletter -  read it here!

Safer Internet Day 2016:

Safer Internet Day was celebrated around the world on Tuesday, February 9th, 2016. Mr. Russell's 5th Class marked the day with lots of discussion and they made some posters for SID too. Read more and see the posters here!

Pancake Tuesday in Mrs. Breen's Class!

Mrs. Breen's Junior Infants had a "flipping" great time on Pancake Tuesday! Read more here!

Indoor Hurling Champions!

On Tuesday February 9th, 2016, our school’s indoor hurling team were victorious in the Roinn A Group 2 Indoor Hurling competition which took place in the Cill Barra Sports Centre. Read more!

Snow joke! Mrs. Breen's Class were on an Arctic Adventure!
Aistear returned to Mrs. Breen's Junior Infants Class with a very "cool" theme - an Aistear Adventure in the Arctic! See photos from Aistear in the Arctic here!

St. Stephen's at the Credit Union Quiz:
The annual Credit Union quiz took place in the Tower Hotel on Monday, February 1 st, 2016. St. Stephen’s had 4 teams entered to represent our school. Find out how they got on!

Roots of Empathy Programme:
The Roots of Empathy programme is continuing in Mr. Russell's 5th Class! The boys have now almost reached the end of theme 5, "Sleep". Family Visit day for this theme was on Wednesday, February 5th. Every theme lasts for 3 weeks - the first week introduces the theme, the middle week sees the "Family Visit", when mum and baby come to the class and through observing the baby and asking questions, the boys learn about empathy. The final week of each theme builds on the previous two weeks. Read more about the programme and see photos from all the Family Visits so far!

"Bear" with us for an Arctic Adventure!
Aistear returned to Miss Hickey's Junior Infants Class with a very interesting theme - an Aistear Adventure in the Arctic! See how the boys got on!

Little Red Kettle:
Little Red Kettle visited us here in St. Stephen's on Thursday, January 21st. We all really enjoyed this year's show, with LOADS of boys getting the chance to take part in the play and flex their acting muscles!! Check out the photos! And click here to see the different video options!

Dates for your Diary:
The dates have been confirmed for the boys in 2nd Class and 6th Class! Mrs. Allman's and Mr. Coghlan's 2nd Classes will celebrate the sacrament of First Holy Communion on Sunday May 8th at 12 o'clock mass. The boys in Mr. Keevers' and Mr. Casey's 6th Classes will make the Sacrament of Confirmation on Saturday June 4th at 11 o'clock mass. Both ceremonies will take place in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in Barronstrand Street. We wish all the boys well in their preparations over the next few months!

Aistear is back! Mrs. Breen's Class enjoy January's theme:
The return of Aistear in Mrs. Breen's Class brought great joy and lots of smiles to all the Junior Infants! Find out what the newest theme was and see photos!

Creative Dance - watch out One Direction!!!:
Mr. Russell's Class have started creative dance lessons with Edel! There's been some stunning moves on show (watch me whip!) and we think that boy bands like One Direction should watch out for the moves from this class! See some photos here!

Hurling Coaching:
The boys in 4th Class, 5th Class, and 6th Class will be receiving Hurling coaching over the next few weeks! We will be visited by a GAA coach who will teach the classes some of the skills needed to play hurling, as well as playing some small sided games. We hope these classes enjoy their hurling training sessions!

Soccer Training:
Training for the 2016 soccer competitions will be starting during January for the boys selected from 5th and 6th Classes. More news soon!

Basketball Training:
Training for the 5th and 6th Class Basketball teams will be starting back on Tuesday, January 19th. The competitions will be starting soon too. Watch for more news as soon as we have it!

New Term 2016:
All of us here in St. Stephen's welcome everyone back for the new school term! Fáilte ar ais!

A Zoo-ly Amazing Experience at the Reptile Zoo!:
Mr. Russell's 5th Class visited the Reptile Zoo on Tuesday, December 22nd! The Reptile Zoo was part of Winterval, and was located in City Square. Check out the photo gallery from 5th Class' visit to the Reptile Zoo!

Mr. Hayden's Class visit Waterford Crystal:
Mr. Hayden's Class visited Winterval - and took a tour around the magnificent Waterford Crystal factory! Check out some photos of Mr. Hayden's Class on their tour of Waterford Crystal!

Christmas Concert in Mr. Russell's Class:
Mr. Russell's 5th Class presented their Christmas Concert on Monday, December 21st, with a very enjoyable selection of festive favourites, along with a class-written song called "Shave It Off", a song about a certain teacher losing his hair!!! Thanks to all the parents and family members who came along to an enjoyable afternoon of music!

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening - Christmas Art in Mr. Hayden's Class:

Mr. Hayden's Class made some smashing art for Christmas, taking inspiration from Robert Frost's famous painting. Check out their fantastic results in the gallery below!

Doing a Pizza Maths in 4th Class:

Mr. Hayden's Class love their Maths! They were learning all about fractions in Maths recently - check out their work with pizza fractions!

The Story of the Nativity and Christmas Songs:
Miss Tyrrell's fantastic 1st Class presented their Christmas Concert on Friday, December 18th, in the school hall. It was great to see so many parents and family members coming in to support the boys as they told the story of the first Christmas, as well as performing a rap version of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and some popular Christmas songs! See photos from Miss Tyrrell's Class' concert HERE! Or you can watch videos of the concert in two parts - click here for Part 1 or here for Part 2!

Miss Flavin's 1st Class had a wonderful day with a Golden Ticket to Winterval!:
What a day the boys Miss Flavin's 1st Class had! The boys went off to Winterval on a Golden Ticket on Thursday, December 17th. See all the fun that Miss Flavin's Class had with their Golden Ticket to Winterval!!

The 100 Word Challenge Showcase:
Mr. Russell's Class are taking part in a weekly writing challenge that includes classes from around the world! Already, Cian has made the Showcase, and Sam B has been chosen for the Showcase TWICE! The final Showcase of 2015 was released on Sunday, December 20th, and we were all delighted to see that Daniel D was chosen for his story about the FA Cup Final. Read more about the 100 Word Challenge and read the Showcase stories, as well as the class' Writing Wonders!

Just the Ticket! Miss Tyrrell's 1st Class spent the day at Winterval!:
Wow, what an amazing day the lucky the boys in Miss Tyrrell's 1st Class had!!! They took to Winterval on a Golden Ticket on Thursday, December 17th - and everyone had a magnificent time! See photos from Miss Tyrrell's Class at Winterval!

Mrs. Breen's Class on the Winterval Express Train!:
Mrs Breen's Class were on the right track - literally! They took off on the Winterval Express Train and enjoyed a trip all around Waterford City! Catch up with the boys as they enjoyed their journey!

Out of this World! Miss Flavin's 1st Class present "Christmas with the Aliens!":
Move over Star Wars! Miss Flavin's Class presented their Christmas show, "Christmas with the Aliens" and wowed everyone in attendance! See some photos from the 1st Class show!

On the right track! Senior Infants were on the Winterval Express Train!:
Choo, choo! What a journey that the boys in Miss Lowe's and Miss Robinson's Senior Infants went on! The two classes boarded the Winterval Express train and enjoyed a wonderful journey around Waterford! See some photos from this choo-choo-ly memorable day!

Christmas Carol Service:
The annual St. Stephen's Christmas Carol Service took place on Friday, December 18th, in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, in Barronstrand Street, at 11:30am. As always, this was a highlight of our school calendar, and allowed a break from the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations to have some time to remember the birth of Our Lord, the very reason that we celebrate CHRISTmas. We were delighted to be joined by some of our retired teachers, as well as parents, families, and parishoners of the Cathedral, as we sang joyous hymns to celebrate the arrival of the baby Jesus in a most uplifting experience!

Mr. Russell's Class visit the Toy Museum:
What a fun time Mr. Russell's 5th Class had! They visited the Toy Museum on Wednesday, December 16th. See how they got on!

Visit to the Giving Tree:
Mrs. Breen's Junior Infants, Miss Robinson's Senior Infants, Miss Flynn's 5th Class and Mr. Keevers' 6th Class visited the Giving Tree in George's Court on Wednesday, December 16th. All the boys made decorations for the tree. It's a very special tree because for every decoration placed on the Giving Tree, a toy is donated to a local charity. See photos from the classes' trip to the Giving Tree!

We've been taking p-ART in some excellent work in Mrs. Breen's Class!:
What a gallery of amazing art work the boys in Mrs. Breen's Class have been putting together!! These lucky boys have been busy making Christmas art in Aistear, as well as making ice cool snowmen, and beautiful robins! Visit Mrs. Breen's Class' art page and have a look at their masterpieces!

There's been an Art Attack in Miss Flavin's Class!:
There's been a tremendous amount of art work taking place in Miss Flavin's Class over the past few weeks. The boys have made some art pieces that are nothing short of stunning! Check out the awesome art work from Miss Flavin's 1st Class here!

Santa-rific fun in Mrs. Breen's Class!:
What a week of fun and learning the boys had in Mrs. Breen's amazing Junior Infants! The boys enjoyed the latest theme in Aistear, and this time, it was a very timely theme - Christmas!! Read all about what the boys got up to and see lots of photos from Christmas Aistear in Mrs. Breen's Class - or see a festive slideshow from our Christmas Aistear fun!

Drumming in St. Stephen's!:
There's been great fun and fabulous music around St. Stephen's! Mrs. Kealy's and Mr. O'Sullivan's 3rd Classes and Miss Barry's 2nd Class staged their concert on Wednesday, December 9th, while Miss Tyrrell's 1st Class, and Miss Flynn's and Mr. Russell's 5th Classes presented their performance on Thursday, December 10th. The concerts were drum-mazing! You can hear the audio from the concerts by clicking here or visit the video galleries on the main menu above to see videos from selected concerts!

Hurling Medal Presentation to 1st, 2nd and 3rd Class Hurlers:
There's been some amazing games and lots of fun with after school hurling in the yard since September. The first term has come to an end now, and all the boys who go hurling with Br. Frank, Peter Galvin, Mr. Casey, Mr. Fahy and Mr. Keevers were presented with medals in the school hall on Tuesday, December 8th. See photos from the presentation here! And remember that hurling will return after the Christmas break!!

5th Class Upcycling at Waterford City Library:

Mr. Russell's 5th Class met with Ella from Waterford Council at Central Library on Tuesday, December 8th. The class took part in an upcycling workshop. Read more about what the boys did - including what upcycling actually IS - by clicking here!

A Ho! Ho! w-Ho!-le lot of fun in Miss Hickey's Class:
What a festive week of fun and learning in Miss Hickey's awesome Infants! The boys have been enjoying the latest theme in Aistear, and this time, it's one we all love - Christmas!! Click here to visit Miss Hickey's special Aistear page!

The Skype's the limit!!!:
Mr. Russell's Class have been all over the world recently! The class had a thrilling Mystery Skype with a class in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday, November 30th. Then, the boys celebrated the worldwide Skype-A-Thon on December 4th and 5th with 3 amazing Skypes! The boys visited Melbourne, Australia, to speak with Mr. Lannen's Class about our different cultures, then virtually travelled to Dallas, Texas, USA, for a Mystery Skype, before rounding off the week with a Mystery Skype with the boys and girls in Mr. Minshall's class in Scotland! Then, on Monday, December 7th, the class were joined on Skype by Jean Pennycook, LIVE from Antarctica, where Jean is studying Adélie Penguins!! Read more about these amazing adventures by clicking here!

Fun on the Farm - it's Little Red Hen for Aistear in Miss Hickey's Class!:
What a fun week of in Miss Hickey's Junior Infants Class! The boys had great fun in Aistear, this time, the theme was the Little Red Hen! Click here to visit Miss Hickey's special Aistear page!

Junior Achievement in 5th Class:
Mr. Russell's Class are being visited by Shane from Genzyme for 5 weeks as part of the Junior Achievement programme, which teaches young people about different types of businesses, and how they operate, as well as exploring entrepreneurship, advertising, and different skills needed for different jobs. See how they're getting on here!

Nothing "fowl" here - it's Little Red Hen for Aistear in Mrs. Breen's Class!:
What a week of great fun and learning! The boys in Mrs. Breen's Class have been enjoying the latest theme in Aistear, this time, it's the Little Red Hen! Visit the special Aistear page for Mrs. Breen's Class here and read all about it!

Storytelling at Waterford's City Library:
Mr. Russell's Class visited Waterford's Central Library on Friday, November 20th, for a fun storytelling session as part of Library Week 2015! The boys had a great time as the interactive stories were told, with some of the class even getting to draw on the flipchart to add to the stories! Visit Mr. Russell's Class here and read more about it!

We have SCIENTISTS in Mrs. Breen's Class!:
Yes, we have loads of budding scientists in Mrs. Breen's Class! The boys performed two (very cool!) science experiments!! Read about their experiments and see photos here!

3rd Classes visit WIT for Science Week 2015:
Mrs. Kealy's and Mr. O'Sullivan's 3rd Classes visited WIT for Science Week 2015! The Science Museum presented a fun workshop and the boys really enjoyed themselves - particularly when the bubbles were brought out! Check out a slideshow of the fun that the 3rd Classes had at WIT - watch the video here!

Healthy Eating in Mrs. Breen's Class!:
Mrs. Breen's Class have been learning about Healthy Eating for Aistear! The boys were all in different groups so that they could all try out different activities. The boys all had a really great time and took LOADS of photographs - have a look at them here or check out their very cool slideshow of our Healthy Eating Fun here!

Science for Fun in Miss Flynn's Class!:
Miss Flynn's Class have been having tons of fun with Science for Fun! Check out all the photos here!

Egg-citing times in St. Stephen's!:
The baby chicks that hatched in early October have now left us to go and live on the farm. We'll miss them! This was all sponsored by our absolutely wonderful Parents' Association, to whom we are very grateful! We've now compiled all the video footage we have, and made a highlights video! Check that out here!

Halloween Video:
Check out our terrorific video with highlights of all the spooktacular goings-on in St. Stephen's for Halloween! Click here!

Halloween Fun in St. Stephen's!:
There was some monstrous fun in St. Stephen's for Halloween! Check out the different activities here!

Mayor Visits St. Stephen's!:
The Mayor of Waterford, Eamon Quinlan, visited St. Stephen's on October 22nd, to present certificates of attendance to the boys who didn't miss a single day of school last year! Well done to those boys! Mr. Quinlan also spoke about the importance of including everyone in our games, and presented our school with a replica of the Proclamation! Click here to catch the photos from the Mayor's visit to St. Stephen's!

Drumming Concerts in St. Stephen's!:
There's been great fun and fabulous music in the 4th and 2nd Classes! The lucky boys in these classes presented their big drumming concert on Tuesday, October 20th, in the school hall, which was packed to the rafters with so many parents and family members coming in to support the boys - and of course, to enjoy some fantastic drumming too! Visit this drumming page for the audio of the brilliant drumming in all 3 classes!

Literacy Lift Off in St. Stephen's!:
It's a reading scheme that's been running in our school for many years - and now it's on our website! Take off on a reading adventure like no other - one that the boys all look forward to every week! And now you can read what it's all about. Visit the NEW Literacy Lift Off page here!

Maths Week in St. Stephen's!:
Always such a mathe-magical time, Maths Week was a very busy week in St. Stephen's! As always, there was a whole host of events and activities happening in St. Stephen's to promote positive attitudes towards Maths. Visit our special Maths Week page to see how Maths Week 2015 was celebrated around the classes!

"Check" out St. Stephen's Chess Club!:
St. Stephen's Chess Club is in full swing for the 2015/2016 school year - with loads of new members, as well as the return of familiar faces! See photos from the Chess Club and read about the games by visiting the club here!

St. Stephen's is presented with the Irish Tricolour and Proclamation:
St. Stephen's received a visit from two officers representing the Irish Defence Forces on Monday, October 5th. Read about it and see photos from the presentation here! And you can watch highlights from the visit here!

Miss Hickey's Junior Infants:
Yes, it's true -  Miss Hickey's Class now have their own class area!!! These very lucky boys have been making some terrific art - and they went to visit the newly hatched chicks and had their photos taken with them! Visit Miss Hickey's boys in the Class Pages option on the main menu above!

Busy Times in Mr. Russell's Class!:
It's been a busy few weeks in Mr. Russell's Class! The boys in 5th received a visit from Mrs. Musgrave's husband. He had a fascinating story to tell! Mr. Musgrave told us all about his grandfather, who was involved in the 1916 Rising in the GPO in Dublin's O'Connell Street. He also brought medals with him that were presented to his grandfather. The boys in 5th Class visited the newly hatched chicks, as well as starting the brand new programme "Science for Fun!". And they've started their Halloween Art too - check out all the boys' work by visiting them on the "Class Pages" tab above!

The class also recorded 2 podcasts, both of which are Irish songs, and they've invited some science experts to speak to the class on Skype in the coming weeks, as well as producing some super artwork. Visit the class using the Class Pages option on the main menu above!

Maths for Fun! in Miss Barry's Class!:
It's back! Maths for Fun! is a hugely popular activity in St. Stephen's - and Mr. Fahy is now looking after the programme, with the generous help of volunteer parents and grandparents. The boys in Miss Barry's Class were lucky enough to be chosen first, and they had a lot of fun for their first session. See the photos from Maths for Fun! in Miss Barry's Class here!

Mrs. Breen's Junior Infants:
It's been a busy few weeks in Mrs. Breen's Class! They've made some terrific art! Visit Mrs. Breen's boys in the Class Pages option on the main menu above!

School Calendar:
Our school calendar has been updated. You can view it here!

St. Stephen's is now on Twitter!:
Yes it's true! St. Stephen's is now on Twitter! You can follow our school @StStephensDLS - watch for tweets about events and adventures in our school, reminders for school holidays, as well as links showcasing the absolutely awesome artwork, magical maths, and wonderful writing from classes all around our school! There's also an option now on our "News" menu where you can see what we're tweeting about here at St. Stephen's!

Cross Country Athletics:
The Annual Waterford Primary Schools' Cross Country Athletics took place on Tuesday, September 15th, at the RSC. 31 athletes from St. Stephen's took part. Find out how they fared here!

Miss Flynn's 5th Class:
Check out some photos from Miss Flynn's 5th Class, as the boys enjoyed Gaelic Football and some bowl making using clay in Art! Visit their class page on the menu above to read all about it!

New School Year News from the office at St. Stephen's!:
Read the September newsletter from Mr. Morris here and see a PDF of our school calendar for 2015/2016 here. And you can see all our after school activities for 2015/2016 here!

News from Mr. Fahy, our Home School Community Liaison Co-ordinator:
Mr. Fahy is the new Home School Community Liaison Co-ordinator here in St. Stephen's, taking over from Mrs. Mulvaney, who gave great service to our school in that capacity for the last number of years. There's some exciting news about upcoming events, as well as some tips for helping your child's attendance at school. Visit the HSCL page here.

St. Stephen's congratulates Waterford Intermediate Camogie Squad:
St. Stephen's De La Salle congratulates Waterford's Intermediate Camogie squad, who won the All Ireland Final on Sunday, September 13th, in Croke Park! Two of the victorious panel play camogie for the De La Salle GAA Club. The team have now completed the double, adding the Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie title to the Division 2 league title that they won earlier in 2015. The final score was Waterford 2-09 Kildare 1-05. Comhgairdeas cailíní!

E-Safety:
You may have noticed the banner on the top of our website - we are now certified as an e-safe school! We take every reasonable precaution to enable our pupils to make safe use of the many amazing online technologies that are available to aid learning in our school. We also have compiled a number of e-safety tips for parents and guardians - please take some time to read this very important information here.

Drumming with Rhythm and Shakes!:
It's that time again - and it's going to be drum-mazing!! Mr. Fitzgerald's 4th Class, Mr. Hayden's 4th Class, and Mr. Coghlan's 2nd Class are starting their drumming lessons. We'll add some photos soon as the boys learn their rhythms for their big concert coming up in October!

School Year 2015/2016:
We're delighted to see everyone back after the summer holidays - and a very warm welcome to all our new Junior Infant boys who started school in Mrs. Breen's and Miss Hickey's Classes!

News Archive 2014/2015:
We added a new feature to our website over the summer, a news archive for the past year. See what made the news in our school by visiting the 2014/2015 archive!

Worldwide Visitors:
We have added a flag counter to our home page! It marks on a world map where the visitors to our website are from - why not check it out and see how many countries have visited St. Stephen's De La Salle on the web!

Retirements of Mrs. Quinn and Mrs. Stafford:
It was with great regret and a sense of sadness that the end of the 2014/2015 school year saw the retirements of Mrs. Quinn and Mrs. Stafford. They have both given many years to our school and have been an intergral part of creating and maintaining the special atmosphere that we have here at St. Stephen's. Everyone associated with our school wishes both Mrs. Quinn and Mrs. Stafford well in their retirements, and we are all grateful to them for their kindness to everyone and their efforts for our school down the years.