- St. Stephen's De La Salle BNS

News Archive:
September 2017 - June 2018

Summer Holidays:
Summer is here! St. Stephen's is now closed for the summer holidays. We wish all our pupils, their families, all friends of our school, and all of our teachers and staff, a very happy, safe and enjoyable summer break. St. Stephen's re-opens for the 2018/2019 school year on Monday September 3rd at 8:50am.

Retirement of Mrs. Eleanor Fewer of St. Stephen's Pre-School:
It is with sadness that St. Stephen's saw the retirement of Mrs. Fewer on Friday, June 29th. Mrs. Fewer has worked tirelessly in her role in St. Stephen's pre-school for many years, and has always been a dedicated, hard working teacher, who will be greatly missed. All of us in St. Stephen's, pupils and staff alike, wish Mrs. Fewer many happy years in retirement and thank her for her dedication and huge efforts, for which all of us in St. Stephen's are very grateful.

FÍS Film Festival 2018:
Mr. Russell's 5th Class 2017/18 entered the national FÍS film making competition for primary schools. The boys wrote a script and made storyboards for their 5 minute film, which is a short look at the history of Waterford's City Walls. The title for their film is "Waterford: Ireland's Oldest City". See the completed film here! The FÍS competition has a strict 5 minute time limit, meaning the boys had to cut a number of scenes. So they made a special, extended "Director's Cut", featuring 3 extra scenes, and that can be seen here!

Give us a wave! 4th Class were surfing in Tramore:
Mr. O'Sullivan's and Mr. Beglin's 4th Classes were riding the crest of a wave - literally! The boys went surfing in Tramore for their school tour. See photos!

Miss Lowe's 3rd Class take a History Walk:
Miss Lowe's 3rd Class enjoyed learning about Fair Day on Ballybricken in the early 1900s, on a history walk with Miriam and Stephen. Click here to see photos of the boys on the walk!

6th Class Graduation:
The annual graduation mass for the departing boys in our 6th Classes was held in the Cathedral on Wednesday, June 27th. Miss Power, Mr. Beglin, and the school choir provided the music and singing on the night too. A huge word of thanks to the Parents' Association for providing food and refreshments for all the boys and families afterwards! See photos of the departing 6th Classes here!

6th Class Trip to Wexford:
Mr. Keevers' and Mr. Hayden's 6th Classes had a BLAST when they travelled to Shielbaggan Outdoor Adventure Centre for the annual 6th Class trip. Photos from Mr. Hayden's Class are here and photos from Mr. Keevers' Class are here!

Busy Bees in Miss Byrne's Junior Infants:
It's been a busy few time in Miss Byrne's class! The boys learned about caterpillars, enjoyed Sports Day, had some Hurling fun in the garden, and went on their school tour. Wow! Well done boys!

Give us a wave! 5th Class went surfing in Tramore!:
Mr. Fitzgerald's 5th Class had so much fun on their school tour - they went surfing in Tramore!  Click here to see photos!

Miss Kenny's Junior Infants:
It's been an amazing year in Miss Kenny's Junior Infants! All the boys have worked so hard. See photos of how much the boys have grown, and check out the pictures from their class trip to Sallyfort Farm in Stradbally too!

Visiting the City Centre:
The boys in Mrs. King's and Mr. Hayden's classes enjoyed a walk in the city centre on Friday, June 22nd. Read more and see some photos here!

Jack Kennedy Cup Semi Final:
St. Stephen's played St. Declan's in the semi final of the Cup on Wednesday, June 20th. Click here to find out how the boys got on.

Busy Times in St. Stephen's Pre-School:
It's been a busy few weeks in St. Stephen's pre-school! See photos of the boys on their school tour, having fun for PE with the parachute, and great fun for Sports Day too. These boys are moving on to Junior Infants in September, and celebrated with a graduation ceremony on Tuesday, June 26th, including a slideshow looking back at the past year - see that here! Well done boys and teachers!

1st and 2nd Classes On Tour:
Mrs. Breen's and Miss Butler's 1st Classes joined Miss Flavin's and Miss Power's 2nd Classes for a trip this year, visiting Enniscorthy in Co. Wexford. Photos here!

#5thClassOnTour:
For their class trip this year, Mr. Russell's 5th Class went to Co. Cork on Tuesday, June 19th! The boys visited Titanic Experience Cobh and Fota Wildlife Park! See photos from their fantastic day out!

Mr. Hayden's 6th Class learn about Tribes of the World:
Mr. Hayden's 6th Class enjoyed a walking tour of our city with Stephen, and learned about tribes of the world, and how they are connected to Waterford. See photos and read more here!

School Sports Day:
Our Sports Day took place on Friday, June 15th 2018, in the De La Salle GAA grounds in Cleaboy. It was another super day out for all the boys, and there was great enjoyment and competition in the races. We have a huge selection of photos here!

Willie Moran Memorial Tournament:
The now annual tournament in memory of local teacher, Willie Moran, took place in the stunning WIT Arena on Wednesday, June 13th, 2018. St. Stephen's entered two teams - find out how the boys got on!

Tribes of the World Walking Tour of Waterford:
Mr. Russell's 5th Class enjoyed a walking tour of our wonderful city with Stephen on Thursday, June 14th. The boys learned about tribes of the world, and how they are connected to Waterford. See photos and read more here!

Hurling Medal Presentations:
The U11 Hurling has finished for the school year, and has been a very enjoyable and successful campaign. Read more and see the U11 Hurling panel!

3rd Classes School Trip:
Mr. Coghlan's and Miss Lowe's 3rd Classes enjoyed a wonderful day our for their school trip this year as they went to Castelcomer Discovery Park in Kilkenny! See photos and read about what they did by clicking here!

Hurling Medal Presentations:
The annual awarding of medals and plaques to the boys in 1st, 2nd and 3rd Classes who played hurling after school took place on Tuesday, June 12th. See a photo of the winners!

Artists at work in Miss Lowe's 3rd Class:
Miss Lowe’s 3rd Class had visiting artists from The Rogue Gallery in Waterford. They created fabulous art pieces based on the life and works of William Vincent Wallace. See photos here!

Busy Bees in Miss Kenny's Junior Infants:
The boys in Miss Kenny's Junior Infants have been VERY busy! Check out their activities, where they've been hurling, out in the garden releasing butterflies, and making clowns for art!

Chess Club Outing:
It's a tradition for the Chess Club - the annual day out in June! The Club returned to the beautiful Comeragh mountains this year, and enjoyed a walk in one of the most scenic parts of our county too, before stopping off for some food on the way home. See the photos from a very enjoyable day out!

Roots of Empathy - Final Family Visit 2017/2018:
The final Family Visit in Roots of Empathy 2017/2018 took place on Tuesday, June 12th, with baby Joey and his mum Amie coming to 5th Class for the final time. See the photos from an emotional day!

Athletics County Finals 2018:
Well done to our boys who took home more medals in this year's schools Athletics competition, this time in the county finals in Dungarvan. See photos of our county finalists here!

Sacrament of Confirmation:
The boys in Mr. Keevers and Mr. Hayden's 6th Classes celebrated a very special day as they made their Confirmation on Friday, June 1st. The boys worked so hard with their teachers to prepare and everyone enjoyed the big day. Well done also to Miss Power, Mr. Beglin, and the school choir who added to the special atmosphere with lovely music and singing.

Fun in the Sun!:
Mrs. Breen's 1st Class and Mr. Russell's 5th Class walked to the park in the glorious sunshine and enjoyed some great fun in the park. See photos here!

Senior Infants School Tour 2018:
Miss McGovern's and Miss Robinson's Senior Infants enjoyed a fun filled day out at Dunhill Community Centre and Fenor Play Park for their school tour on Wednesday, May 30th! See photos here and read about all the fun of the day!

Drumming Concerts:
The final drumming concerts of 2017/2018 took place on Wednesday, May 30th, in the school hall. The boys in Mrs. Breen's 1st Class, Mr. Coghlan's 3rd Class, and Mr. Hayden's 6th Class impressed everyone with their performances! See photos here, listen back to the concert audio here or watch the performance videos on the links below:

> Mrs. Breen's 1st Class
> Mr. Coghlan's 3rd Class
> Mr. Hayden's 6th Class

We Love Reading!:
Miss McGovern's Senior Infants regularly go to the library to read some books. See some photos of the boys picking out books to read at the library!

Chess Awards 2017:
The Chess Awards were held on Monday, May 28th, for all the beginners and the players who have played the game after school this year. See photos from the awards here.

Storybook Writing and Shared Reading:
Mr.O'Sullivan's 4th class boys worked really hard to make readers for Miss Robinson's Senior Infants, using as many words as they could from the word list used in Miss Robinson's class. The words were gathered from the time they started to read in Junior Infants. The boys created interesting and exciting stories and then they invited the Senior Infants to their classroom to read the books together. See some photos here!

Munster Squash Schools Competition:
Boys from St. Stephen's took part in the Munster Squash Schools Competition for 2018, entering two teams. Read how the boys got on!

De La Salle Day 2018:
St. Stephen's celebrated the feast of Our Founder, St. John Baptist De La Salle, with a special mass in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in Barronstrand Street on Friday, May 18th. It was wonderful to see families and friends of our school, past pupils and past staff members, come and celebrate with us on this joyous occasion! Well done to all the boys and their teachers, and thanks to everyone who came to celebrate the feast of the Patron Saint of Teachers!

Busy Bees in Miss Byrne's Junior Infants:
We're out of breath just looking at all the amazing things that have been happening in Miss Byrne's Junior Infants! Check out their activities with the links that are here!

Rang A Cúig - ag scríobh arís!:
Mr. Russell's 5th Class have been writing in Irish again! After the big success that the boys had with their "shopping" comic, they have made a new one - this time, about the theme "Ar Scoil" or "At School". Check it out!

Roots of Empathy - Family Visit 8:

The year of Roots of Empathy has absolutely flown by! Baby Joey was back in 5th Class recently for the 8th Family Visit - the second last time that Joey and his mum Amie would come in to teach the boys. It was another wonderful visit, full of fun, and looking at how Joey has grown over the 8 months. Check out the photos here!

First Holy Communion:

What a magnificent day! The boys in Miss Power's and Miss Flavin's 2nd Classes made their First Holy Communion in the Cathedral on Sunday, May 13th. The boys worked so hard with their teachers and it all came together for a very special day. Well done to all the boys and their teachers, and a big thanks to Mr. Beglin and the choir for making the day so special with the lovely music and singing!

Service of Light:

Well done to Mr. Hayden's and Mr. Keevers' 6th Classes for their participation in the Service of Light, the final ceremony on the path to their Confirmation, on Thursday, May 10th. Thanks to both teachers, and also to Miss Power, Mr. Beglin, and the choir boys who sang on the night too!

Miss Kenny's Class are Loving Aistear:
Miss Kenny's Junior Infants enjoyed another theme for Aistear.... it was all about The Little Red Hen! Click here to see the fun with "The Little Red Hen" for Aistear in Miss Kenny's Junior Infants:

St. Stephen's participates in the Track and Field Athletics at the RSC:

St. Stephen's took part in the annual Waterford Primary Schools' Track and Field Athletics competition, which was held on Tuesday, April 24th, in the RSC. All the boys had a very enjoyable day, competing very well in all the events, with the school taking home a number of medals on the day. Read more here and see photos too!

Newsletter from the Office:
Check out our newsletter from Mr. Morris, with all the latest news and goings on around St. Stephen's. Click here to read!

Green Schools Workshop:
Mrs. Breen and four boys from our school's Green Schools Committee went to a Green Schools workshop on Thursday, April 26th. Read more about the workshop and see photos here!

Having a good owl time while learning!:
Mr. Russell's Class continued their virtual travels with a Skype to North Carolina in the USA, where they spoke with Rhana and learned about owls. See some photos here!

Miss Kenny's Class at the Library:
Miss Kenny's Junior Infants visited the City Library to hear some storytelling and do some art. Read more and see photos here!

Roots of Empathy:
The 7th Family Visit in the 2017/18 Roots of Empathy programme took place in Mr. Russell's 5th Class on Wednesday, April 25th. The boys were delighted to welcome baby Joey and his mum Amie back to take part in the latest theme. Click here to see the photos!

Miss Kenny's Class: Aistear at the Doctor:
Miss Kenny's Junior Infants have been learning all about the doctor in Aistear! Click here to see photos of these marvellous boys as they learned about the doctor and the hospital!

Website Changes:
We've made a few small changes to our website. We have added an option on the main menu (above) for the pre-school. "Special Events" has now moved under the "Archive" tab on the menu.

History Trail around Ireland's Oldest City:
Mr. Russell's 5th Class explored the history of Waterford with a history trail around the city on Friday, April 20th. The class visited the many towers that protected the city and took a tour of Reginald's Tower. See the photos from the day here!

Aistear-rific work in Junior Infants!:
Our Junior Infant boys here in St. Stephen's really enjoy their Aistear lessons! Recently, Miss Byrne's class learned about the skeleton and did lots of cool activites while learning about it, while Miss Kenny's boys learned all about Easter! Click on the links to see photos of these fantastic boys and the great work being done by the classes and their teachers!

Meeting author Michael Smith:
Mr. Russell's 5th Class were invited to Waterford City Library on Friday, April 20th, to a talk with author Michael Smith about famous Irish explorer Tom Crean. Read more here!

FAI Schools 5-A-Side Competition:
St. Stephen's entered two teams in the Waterford group stage of the national FAI Schools 5-A-Side Competition recently. Despite a great effort from the boys, our teams failed to qualify for the county finals. The squad will continue training in preparation for the Willie Moran Memorial Tournament and the Jack Kennedy Memorial Cup, which are both still to come in the 2017/18 school year, See photos of the teams and the boys in action here!

Term 3 - Summer Term:
This is always a busy term. 2nd and 6th classes are preparing for the sacraments of Communion and Confirmation. The Communion date for 2nd Class is Sunday, May 13th. Confirmation for 6th Class takes place on Friday, June 1st. Remember you can check ALL school closures and events on our calendar! Many more activities will be taking place - keep checking here and on our Twitter @StStephensDLS!

Bingo - as Gaeilge - in the City Library:
To help celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge, Waterford Libraries ran games of Bingo - as Gaeilge (in Irish!). Lots of classes from St. Stephen's went to the Central Library in Lady Lane to play and enjoy Bingo and Gaeilge. Thanks to Waterford City Library for the invitation! See a few photos here from one of our classes enjoying the Bingo at the Library!

Parents' Association Cake Sale:
Thanks to all the boys and their families for bringing in so many cakes, buns, sweets, and treats for the Cake Sale on Thursday, March 22nd, and also for supporting the cake sale. We're also very grateful and appreciative of the parents who generously gave up their time to come in and help members from the Parents' Association to run the Cake Sale. As with all fundraising activities undertaken by the Parents' Association, all monies raised will go back into the school to fund new equipment or activities for the boys. Thank you again for your terrific support!

Lasallian Competition 2018:
The awarding of prizes for the annual Lasallian Competition took place on Tuesday, March 13th, in the De La Salle Pastoral Centre in Castletown, Co. Laois. The theme this year was "The Lasallian Family". Once again, Mr. Russell's 5th Class entered from St. Stephen's, and the boys travelled to Castletown to present their work. Despite being the only primary school in the competition this year, the class secured 2nd place! Well done to all involved! See the stunning 2018 project from 5th Class here! And see photos from the boys' day out in Castletown here!

Lá Gaelach 2018:
Every year, we have a Lá Gaelach (Irish Day)! There's music, drama, chat and fun - and a mini concert too! The boys from the classes sing songs, play, speak in Irish, and enjoy all things Gaeilge as we celebrate our national language. 2018's Lá Gaelach was held on Wednesday, March 14th and Thursday, March 15th, with all classes taking part over the two days. Check out the Lá Gaelach page with links to the audio of the classes performing, the news ("Nuacht an Lae"), some audio highlights of some of the poems and songs performed by the boys, and photos from ALL the classes taking part!

Seachtain na Gaeilge 2017:
For Seachtain na Gaeilge 2018, the boys in St. Stephen's really made an extra special effort! Every day in the week running up to St. Patrick's Day, we had "Nuacht an Lae"! The boys from the different classes came on the intercom and gave us some news - as Gaeilge! Maith sibh, buachaillí! Éist leis an nuacht anseo - Listen to the news here!

Miss Butler's Class explore The Curiosity Box:
What a lot of fun the boys in Miss Butler's 1st Class had - they explored a Curiosity Box! Learn more and see photos here!

"Thomas Francis Meagher" visits St. Stephen's:
We had a very special visitor at the start of March, from the man who designed the Irish Tricolour, and was later Governor of Montana in the USA. "Thomas Francis Meagher" spoke about his life and how he ended up in America. See some photos here!

World Book Day 2018:

Despite the snow storm at the start of March, we were able to get a lot of activities re-arranged for World Book Day 2018. There was lots of shared reading and buddy reading activities, dressing up, and lots of boys brought in their favourite books. Visit our special World Book Day page here!

Busy times in Miss Byrne's Junior Infants:

Wow, the boys in Miss Byrne's have been VERY busy in the past few weeks! They have learned about the Gruffalo in Aistear, and had the best attendance in the whole school in February, so they had a party! They dressed up as Book Characters and also enjoyed some Buddy Reading for World Book Day! Check out the photos on the links!

Storm Emma and "The Beast From The East":

Waterford and Ireland were battered by two storm fronts at the beginning of March. Click here to see photos of our school in the biggest snow storm for a generation!

Cycling and Road Safety Lessons:

The boys in Mr. O'Sullivan's 4th Class had "wheelie" good fun as they learned about road safety and had cycling lessons! See photos here as the boys enjoyed their cycling in the yard!

Grandparents Day in Senior Infants:
The boys in Miss Robinson's and Miss McGovern's Senior Infants enjoyed a lovely gathering in the hall for Grandparents Day! It was a special occasion and the boys were delighted to welcome their grandparents to our school. See some photos here!

#StopSinglePlasticUse Campaign from Mr. O'Sullivan's 4th Class:
Mr. O'Sullivan's 4th Class have started a campaign to raise awareness in the community about the problem of plastic pollution in the oceans. Single use plastic ends up in the oceans and is causing serious problems. Mr. O'Sullivan's Class made posters to back up their campaign - and you can see their posters here!

Zoom Ahead Reading Programme:
Well done to all the boys in Miss McGovern's Senior Infants and Miss Flavin's 2nd Class, who completed the Zoom Ahead reading programme. Read more about Zoom Ahead here and see photos of all the boys after completing the programme!

Cooking For Fun in Mr. Keevers' 6th Class:

The boys in Mr. Keevers' 6th Class had great fun and learned lots over a few weeks with the Cooking for Fun programme. There were some nice smells coming out of 6th Class every week! Thanks to the volunteer parents for coming in to help. See photos here!

Maths for Fun in Mr. Beglin's 4th Class:

Mr. Beglin's 4th Class had great fun with Maths over a few weeks with the Maths for Fun programme. The boys got to play lots of different Maths games and develop a positive attitude to Maths. Thanks to the volunteer parents for coming in to help. See photos from Maths for Fun in Mr. Beglin's 4th Class here!

Science for Fun in Mr. Fitzgerald's 5th Class:
The boys in Mr. Fitzgerald's 5th Class enjoyed lots of science experiments over a few weeks with the Science for Fun programme. Thanks to the volunteer parents for coming in to help. See photos here!

Clan Cluana visit St. Stephen's:
Irish History is always so interesting and fun to learn about, so we were delighted to welcome Clan Cluana back to St. Stephen's on February 23rd. They presented a dramatic retelling of "Fionn Mac Cumhaill" for the boys in 3rd to 6th Classes. We took a few photos during the show, which you can see here.

Daily Updates from St. Stephen's:
You can get daily updates on school activities, as well as links to new photos and videos from St. Stephen's by following us on Twitter! Our handle is @StStephensDLS. The twitter feed appears on the main page here on our website too.

Mr. O'Sullivan's Class - now on Twitter!:
Mr. O'Sullivan's class are now on Twitter! The boys want to raise awareness within our community about the huge problem of plastic pollution. They also want to show people how to make a real difference and stop the use of single use plastics, which are causing huge problems in the oceans. Follow the Mr. O'Sullivan and the boys as they work to help the planet! Their Twitter handle is: @4thmrosullivan!

A Farrier visits St. Stephen's:
St. Stephen's was visited by a farrier! He came to talk about how to shoe a horse, and brought Freddie the horse along too! Lots of classes came out to see how a shoe is fitted to a horse. Check out the photos here!

Zumba Dancing in Miss Kenny's Junior Infants:
Zumba was VERY popular with the terrific boys in Miss Kenny's Junior Infants! The boys had a great time dancing and exercising and just being happy with music and moving - see some video highlights of these brilliant boys here!

Valentine's Day in Miss Kenny's Junior Infants:
The boys in Miss Kenny's Junior Infants celebrated St. Valentine's Day in some style! They made some lovely Valentine's Bees and Valentine's Heart Hats!

Safer Internet Day 2018 in Mr. Russell's 5th Class:
Mr. Russell's Class celebrated Safer Internet Day 2018 on February 6th - by making a radio show with LOTS of tips and information about things to be careful of and ways to stay safe online, as well as making some posters promoting a safer internet! The boys featured on the national highlights on Webwise.ie, Ireland's e-safety initiative run by PDST Technology in Education. Well done to all the boys on making such a professionally presented programme. Listen back to the show here and see some photos here.

Gruffalo Aistear in Miss Kenny's Junior Infants:

Miss Kenny's Junior Infants REALLY enjoyed this theme for Aistear.... it was all about The Gruffalo! Read more here!

Indoor Hurling Champions 2018:

Our 3rd and 4th class hurlers recorded a notable victory recently when they won the Eastern Indoor Hurling competition. The team was made up of a mix of some players from last year’s team but also some younger boys making their first appearance. Read more and see a photo of the victorious team here!

Zumba Dancing in Mrs. Breen's 1st Class:
Zumba was VERY popular with the boys in Mrs. Breen's Class during January and February! The boys had a great time dancing and exercising and just being happy with music and moving - and now you can see some video highlights of these terrific boys here!

Music, Drumming and Fun in Mrs. Breen's Class:
They say that music is food for the soul. Well, the boys in Mrs. Breen's 1st Class won't argue with that! They had a super time with their first ever drumming lessons - learning rhythms and songs and all about the drums! Check out this video from the class and see the fun that they had!

Zumba Dancing in Mr. Russell's 5th Class:
It's safe to say that Zumba went down very well in 5th Class throughout January and February! The boys had a great time dancing and exercising - and now you can see some video highlights here!

Newsletter from Mr. Morris:
Get the latest news from the office, including an update on funding for new classrooms from the Department of Education and Skills, the Stay Safe programme and more. Click here to read the newsletter from Mr. Morris.

Iontach! Greannán Siopadóireachta ó Rang A Cúig:
5th Class were working on the theme of "Siopadóireacht" (Shopping) in Irish. The boys made a comic book story about it! It's a terrific piece - check it out here!

Swimming Lessons:
3rd and 4th Classes are continuing their swimming lessons in the Crystal swimming pool. Swimming is part of the Aquatics module of the PE curriculum and is a fun activity which is also good exercise for the boys - who are all enjoying their lessons every week! 5th/6th and 1st/2nd will be taking part in their swimming lessons after the Easter Holidays.

St. Stephen's at the Credit Union Quiz:
The annual Credit Union quiz took place in the Woodlands Hotel on Monday, January 29th. St. Stephen's sent 4 teams to the quiz this year. Read more and see the teams here!

Miss Byrne's Junior Infants:
The boys in Miss Byrne's Junior Infants have been learning SO much over the past few weeks! Check out their photos from a cool theme of Arctic Aistear, flying with their learning in Airport Aistear, and all about Healthy Eating in Aistear too! And you can even see a video slideshow with highlights of these activities here! What lucky boys!!!

Miss Kenny's Junior Infants:
Miss Kenny's Junior Infants have been doing some tremendous work all throughout January! The boys have made some lovely snow globe art, worked hard at their writing and phonics, and gone flying around the world from the airport in Aistear! AND! You can see a cute video of the boys and their Airport Aistear theme here!

Mrs. Breen's Awesome 1st Class:
January has just been amazing for the boys in Mrs. Breen's 1st Class! The class have been enjoying their drumming lessons every Wednesday, and are getting on great. And they are dancing the day away on Tuesdays with Zumba! We'll have some video highlights of the wonderful January that boys in Mrs. Breen's 1st Class have had, coming soon!

Roots of Empathy:
The 4th Family Visit in the Roots of Empathy programme took place on Wednesday, January 24th. Read more about the theme and see photos here!

Climate Change Workshop for 5th and 6th Classes:
Our two 5th Classes and 6th Classes were visited by a volunteer from Waterford One World Centre, along with some students from transition year in De La Salle College, Abbey Community College, Ursuline Secondary School, and the Presentation Secondary School, on Tuesday, January 23rd. Read more about the workshop and see photos here.

Little Red Kettle:
It's something that we all look forward to every January - the visit of Little Red Kettle! The 2018 production was called "The Story That Everybody Was In". Boys from all the classes saw the show, and lots of boys took part too. Click here to see photos as the boys joined in the fun with Little Red Kettle! Or click here to see a slideshow!

Exploring Maths... in 3D!:
5th Class were learning all about 3D shapes in their Maths - click here to read more and see photos of what they were doing!

De La Salle GAA U21 Hurling Champions:
We were delighted here in St. Stephen's to see the De La Salle GAA club secure the Waterford U-21 'A' county hurling title on Sunday, January 14th. The team came to visit our school on Monday, January 15th, with the Eastern and County Cups. Read more here!

Basketball:
Basketball for 5th and 6th Classes is back after the Christmas break. 5th Class have now moved indoors for their training, while 6th Class continue in the yard on Tuesdays. It's only a few weeks now until the competitions take place, and the teams have now been chosen. Well done to all boys who have taken part so far, and best of luck to everyone who has made one of the teams!

Drumming 2018:
The final drumming lessons of 2017/2018 are underway! The boys in Mrs. Breen's 1st Class, Mr. Coghlan's 3rd Class, and Mr. Hayden's 6th Class are working on their rhythms now, and will be presenting their concerts soon. Best of luck to everyone involved!

Christmas 2017 in St. Stephen's:
Whew! It was a rollercoaster time in St. Stephen's in the run up to Christmas 2017! So many fantastic activities took place all around the school, from amazing artwork to captivating concerts. Catch up with the Christmas activities that took place as we prepared for Christmas by visiting our special page for Christmas 2017!

St. Stephen's Annual Christmas Carol Service:
It's always a highlight of the school year... The annual Christmas Carol Service from St. Stephen's took place on Wednesday, December 20th, in the Cathedral in Barronstrand Street. It was a wonderful celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas time. This year, we recorded the carols! Click here to listen to the glorious music from our annual Christmas Carol Service!

1st Class Christmas Concert!
Miss Butler's and Mrs. Breen's 1st Classes staged their Christmas presentation, which featured some fantastic recorder playing. Well done to all the boys in both classes! See photos here, listen back to the show here, or see the whole concert here!

Senior Infants Christmas Concert!
Miss Robinson's and Miss McGovern's Senior Infants' Christmas Concert took place on Thursday, December 21st. The boys and their teachers prepared some excellent songs. See photos here, or listen back to the concert here!

Christmas Art in Mr. Hayden's 6th Class!
Snow joke how good these boys are at art! Mr. Hayden's 6th Class used different materials to make snowmen. See more here!

5th Class Nativity Play:
It was a huge production that might have even made it in the West End or Broadway - but St. Stephen's was home to "Stable Manners", the 5th Class Christmas Play that took the school by storm! Check out the cast photos here, see photos on this link from the performances for other classes, or here to see the FULL show! Well done to ALL the boys as everyone who saw the show loved it!

3rd Classes visit the Giving Tree and The Apple Market:
Miss Lowe's and Mr. Coghlan's 3rd Classes brought their hand made decorations to hang on the Giving Tree, and took a walk to the Apple Market too. See photos here!

1st Classes on a Winterval Golden Ticket:
How lucky are these boys! Mrs. Breen's and Miss Butler's 1st Classes spent the day at Winterval on Tuesday, December 19th with their Golden Ticket! It was an awesome day for both 1st Classes - click here to see a video slideshow or here to see ALL the photos!

Santa visits Miss Kenny's Junior Infants!
WOW! The boys in Miss Kenny's class had a very special visitor - Santa came to say hi and give some chocolate to the boys! See a little slideshow here!

5th Class visit a Storyteller:
5th Class visited Reginald's Tower on Tuesday, December 19th to meet a storyteller, who told them some stories about the Vikings and the Norse Gods. Read more and see some photos!

Aistear in Miss Kenny's Junior Infants!
It's been a very busy few weeks in Miss Kenny's class! The boys have been exploring the Arctic and learning about Christmas in their Aistear themes! Read more and see photos on Miss Kenny's class page!

Carol Singing:
Miss Power, Mrs. King, Mrs. Musgrave and the school choir travelled to Maypark Nursing Home on Thursday, December 14th, to sing some carols and Christmas songs for the residents there. Read more!

Drumming Concerts 2017:
The final drumming concerts of 2017 took place on Wednesday, December 13th as 1st Class, 4th Class and 5th Class staged their performances! Check out the photos from the concert here, or click the links below to watch the concert from that class:
> Mr. Fitzgerald's 5th Class
> Miss Butler's 1st Class
> Mr. Beglin's 4th Class

There were more fantastic Drumming Concerts on Monday, December 11th as 2nd Class, 3rd Class and 6th Class presented their performances! Click here to see photos from those concerts or click the links below to see the concert from that class:
> Miss Lowe's 3rd Class
> Miss Flavin's 2nd Class
> Mr. Keevers' 6th Class
Well done to all the boys who take part in these very worthwhile activities!

You've Never "Scene" Art Like This:
Mr. Beglin's 4th Class made some very impressive winter scenes with silhouettes for a recent Art lesson. See the stunning pieces created by the boys here!

Digital Schools of Distinction:
It is a source of great pride that we have been awarded the prestigious status of Digital School of Distinction. (Read more here.) A celebration and the official awarding of the status took place on Friday, December 1st, when we were joined by members of our school's Board of Management and Parents' Association, Mayor Cllr. Pat Nugent, and Mr. Robbie O'Leary, who represented the Digital Schools of Distinction programme. Click here to visit our special page, which contains links for the DSoD report, photos, audio and more highlights of the day.

Drumming Concerts 2017:
It's that time again! Drumming Concerts have been taking place and Monday, December 4th saw the first of this year's concerts, with some brilliant rhythms on show. Click here to see photos from the concert or click the links below to see the concert from that class:
> Mr. O'Sullivan's 4th Class
> Miss Power's 2nd Class
> Mr. Russell's 5th Class
Well done to all the boys who take part in these very worthwhile activities!

Hurling Presentations - December 2017:
The presentation of medals to all the boys who play hurling after school with Br. Frank, Peter Galvin, Mr. Fahy, Mr. Fitzgerald and Mr. Hayden took place on Wednesday, December 6th in the hall. It was great to see so many parents and family members come along to support the boys. See the photos here!

Roots of Empathy:
The boys in 5th Class welcomed Amie and baby Joey back to their class on Wednesday, November 29th, for the second Family Visit in Roots of Empathy. Find out what the theme was, and see photos here!

Primary Schools' FUTSAL:
3rd and 4th Class boys were at the WIT Arena on Friday, November 24th, for the annual FAI Schools FUTSAL. Mr. Coghlan and Mr. Russell took a team each to the event, and all our boys did very well. Read more and see photos here!

Cooking for Fun in Miss Lowe's 3rd Class:
Cooking for Fun has finished in Miss Lowe's Class after a very successful run! Check out some photos here!

Radio Presenter visits 5th Class:
Award winning radio presenter Roddie Cleere visited 5th Class to talk about radio and confidence in speaking. Read more here!

Parent Teacher Meetings:
Parent Teacher Meetings for boys in Senior Infants to 6th Class place last week. Thanks to all parents and guardians who came in to meet our teachers and discuss your son's progress!

5th Classes - "It Takes Guts" at WIT:
Mr. Fitzgerald's and Mr. Russell's 5th Classes visited Waterford Institute of Technology on Wednesday, November 15th, for a science workshop about guts and the workings of the human digestive system. Read more here!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar:
Miss Kenny's Junior Infants enjoyed a new theme in Aistear - they read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and did lots of follow on activities! Check it out!

Canoe Believe It!:
5th Class visited the Canadian Canoe Museum on Skype on Friday, November 17th. Read more and see some photos!

Dance Away with Miss Lowe's 3rd Class:
There were so many dance moves on show in Miss Lowe's 3rd Class as they enjoyed their dance and zumba lessons in the hall! See more here!

Mr. Hayden's 6th Class - Learning for Science Week:
Mr. Hayden's 6th Class visited Waterford City Library  to learn about rocks, copper and geology as part of Science Week 2017. See photos here!

Cooking for Fun:
Miss Lowe's 3rd Class enjoyed a spot of cooking - for fun! Check out the photos - Week 1 is here and Week 2 is here!

Maths for Fun in 1st Class:
The Maths for Fun programme has begun in Miss Butler's 1st Class! Over a few weeks, the boys will play lots of Maths games, all with the aim of promoting a positive attitude to Maths. Mr. Fahy is running the programme, along with the generous help of volunteer parents and grandparents!

3rd and 4th Class FUTSAL:
Mr. Coghlan and Mr. Russell will take a team of 3rd Class and a team of 4th Class boys to WIT Arena next week, where the Waterford area games of FUTSAL will take place. Best of luck to all the boys taking part!

Roots of Empathy:
We are delighted here in St. Stephen's that the fantastic Roots of Empathy programme (read more here) will run again in our school this year. Mr. Russell's 5th Class is taking the programme once again, and RoE facilitator Miriam is returning to deliver the programme over 27 weeks. The first Family Visit took place on Wednesday, November 8th. Read more and see photos here!

Science for Fun in 5th Class:
Week 3 of Science for Fun in Mr. Russell's 5th Class saw more fun taking place - this time with rockets! Read more and see photos from the final week of Science for Fun in Mr. Russell's Class!

Home School News:
Check out all the updates to the HSCL page and all the activities that Mr. Fahy has been overseeing recently!

Busy times in Miss Flavin's 2nd Class:
The boys in 2nd Class have been having a GREAT time recently! The boys played traditional Halloween Games, dressed up in spooktacular costumes, and celebrated Maths Week in Miss Flavin's Class!

5th Class are off to the Red Planet!:
Well, the boys themselves aren't actually travelling to Mars! NASA intends to send a new mission to Mars in May 2018, and as part of the mission, NASA invited people all over the world to have their names included on the mission to the Red Planet. Mr. Russell's 5th Class 2017/2018 took their chance to be a prt of history, and included their class name. See their boarding pass here!

Halloween Parties:
There was terror-ific fun in our school on the day of the Halloween holidays! Check out some photos from the Halloween parties in Miss Kenny's Junior Infants, or Mrs. Breen's 1st Class, or Mr. Russell's 5th Class!

Miss Kenny's Junior Infants - Halloween Aistear:
Miss Kenny's Junior Infants had fang-tastic fun learning about Halloween in Aistear! The boys had a great time talking about all the different things that people think of that happen at Halloween! See spook-tacular photos from Aistear in Miss Kenny's Class!

Mayor's Visit:
The annual visit of the Mayor to St. Stephen's took place on Friday, October 27th. The Mayor presented certificates to boys who did not miss any days of school in 2016/2017. See photos from the Mayor's Visit!

Maths Week 2017:
Maths Week took place in St. Stephen's despite the hassle caused by ex-Hurricane Ophelia. Many classes were able to do their activities. Check out Maths Week 2017 in St. Stephen's!

School to Work Day:
Mr. Coghlan's 3rd Class joined with pupils from St. John of Gods on Monday, October 23rd, for a workshop about "Our City". Read more here!

Science for Fun - Week 2:
Week 2 of Science for Fun in Mr. Russell's 5th Class saw some really interesting fun and experiments taking place! Read more here!

Miss Kenny's Junior Infants - Aistear in Autumn:
Miss Kenny's Junior Infants have been learning all about Autumn! The boys had a great time talking about autumn - and even had a chance to go outside and collect some leaves! See photos from Autumn Aistear in Miss Kenny's Class!

5th Class are travelling the world:
Mr. Russell's 5th Class have been travelling the world on Skype! The boys linked up with Sacred Heart Primary School in Granard, Co. Longford, for a game of Mystery Skype. They had a wonderful talk from The Turtle Hospital in Florida, USA, to learn about green sea turtles and the work of the hospital, as well as virtually visiting Niagara Falls in Canada, to learn about the formation of the falls and about Niagara itself. They also virtually visited the Wildlife Center in Virginia, USA, to learn about Snakes! Visit their class page to read more and see photos!

Waterford's Weather:

Wondering what the weather's going to be like in Ireland's Oldest City? Look no further! We've added a weather page to our website. Click here to see the upcoming forecast, and see what the wind will be like in Waterford!

Science for Fun:

Science for Fun! has kicked off in 5th Class! The boys are doing lots of scientific experiments and learning loads about science! Check out some photos from Week 1!

De La Salle College Musical:

Each year, De La Salle College stage a musical in the college hall. And in what has become a tradition for us in St. Stephen's, 5th and 6th Class go to see it! For 2017, the College staged "We Will Rock You". 5th and 6th Classes went to see the show on Friday, October 20th. All the boys and teachers enjoyed the show. Well done to everyone involved in the production too!

Maths for Fun in Mrs. Breen's 1st Class:

The boys in Mrs Breen's 1st Class are enjoying Maths... for Fun! Mr. Fahy and a number of parents and grandparents run the maths activities. See photos here!

U-10 Gaelic Football:
Our U-10 Gaelic Footballers concluded the season on Tuesday, October 10th with their final blitz in De La Salle, Gracedieu. This blitz was the third over the past number of weeks. Find out how the boys got on!

Maths fun on the iPads in Mrs. Breen's 1st Class:
The boys in Mrs Breen's 1st Class had a super time learning about their Maths... they played with geometric shapes on the school iPads! The boys made all kinds of interesting things, and had to pick out the right shapes to make pictures. Everyone had lots of fun and learned loads too! Check it out!

Miss Kenny's Junior Infants:
The boys in Miss Kenny's Junior Infants have had a very busy start to school! Check out a slideshow of the boys on their first day of school, or photos of PE fun and games with their buddies in Mr. Fitzgerald's 5th Class! We all wish we could be in that class - look at all the fun they are having!!!

U11 Gaelic Football:
The St. Stephen's U11 Gaelic Football team was in action on Tuesday, October 3rd. The boys played games against St. Mary's NS, Ferrybank, St. Declan's, and Gaelscoil na nDéise. The boys won one game while they were unlucky to lose the other two games. Well done to all the panel and to teachers Mr. Keevers and Mr. Hayden!

Senior Infants and their 6th Class buddies visit the People's Park:
Senior Infants and 6th Class went to the People's Park on Friday, September 29th. The boys collected lots of nice things for their nature area in their classroom. See photos of the boys in Senior Infants having fun with their buddies in 6th Class!

News and Welcome from Mr. Morris:
Get all the latest news from the office with the start of year newsletter from Mr. Morris!

Home School Liaison News:
Catch all the latest from Mr. Fahy, our Home School Community Liaison teacher - with news about Science for Fun, school radio and more in the HSCL Newsletter!

Nature and Fun in the People's Park:
Mrs Breen's 1st Class and Mr. Russell's 5th Class teamed up and went to the People's Park on Tuesday, September 26th. The boys collected chestnuts, twigs and leaves for their nature table, and had some fun in the playground afterwards. See a slideshow of the boys having fun in the Park! Or browse through the photos here!

Mr. Russell's 5th Class learn about Rosa Parks:
Mr. Russell's 5th Class went to visit Carrickphierish library on Wednesday, September 20th, to hear a talk and learn more about Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement. It was an excellent talk, and the boys had a great time and learned lots about Rosa and how different the world was in 1955. See photos and read more here!

Waterford Primary Schools' Cross Country Athletics:
The Annual Waterford Primary Schools' Cross Country Athletics took place on Tuesday, September 20th, at the RSC. Athletes from St. Stephen's took part and the boys had an enjoyable afternoon. Read more and see photos here!

School Calendar 2017/2018:
Our School Calendar for 2017/18 is on Google Calendar but if you want a version you can print out, click here for a PDF!

Athletics Competition:
Boys from 3rd to 6th Class are taking part in an inter-school athletics competition in the RSC on Tuesday, September 19th. Best of luck to Mrs. Musgrave and all the boys taking part!

After School Activities 2017/2018:
After school activities are underway for 2017/2018. See the actitivies and their times here.

Digital Schools of Distinction:
All of us in St. Stephen's greatly enjoyed the visit of Dr. Daithí Ó Murchú to our school on Thursday, September 7th. Dr. Ó Murchú visited as a Validator for the DSoD award, for which all of us in St. Stephen's have been working towards for some time now. The visit went very well, and our teachers, pupils and classes showed how we use ICT to add to the learning in our school.

Daithí informed us that he has recommended St. Stephen's is awarded the prestigious status of Digital School of Distinction which will be a great reward for all the amazing work of our pupils and teachers. It has to be said that without the support of our school’s Parents Association, through fundraising for new IT equipment, and significant investment from our school's Board of Management in our IT infrastructure, this achievement would not have been possible. We now await the publication of the report and formal awarding of the status to our school!

FÍS Film Competition:
5th Class 2016/2017 from St. Stephen's entered the national FÍS Film Festival for 2017. The boys worked very hard for weeks using green screens and costumes. Unfortunately, the film from St. Stephen's wasn't chosen as one of the finalists for 2017. Hard luck boys,  but you can be proud of your efforts and the wonderful film that you made - well done!

School Year 2017/2018:
St. Stephen's is open for the 2017/2018 school year! Everyone has settled back in and there's already some terrific work taking place all around the school! Remember to follow our school on Twitter @StStephensDLS to see even more fantastic activities happening around our school!

Gaelic Football:
The schools' Gaelic Football season is underway! The U13s have begun training, along with the U11s. Cleaboy has been very busy already - and there's lots more to come!

Waterford GAA - Senior Hurling Runners Up 2017:
Hard luck to Derek McGrath and the Waterford Senior Hurling panel who were defeated by Galway in the All Ireland Final on Sunday, September 3rd. The team gave all of Waterford a summer of excitement and fantastic hurling, and the support they had was evident in St. Stephen's on the Friday before the game when all our pupils wore Blue and White for the Déise. Many of our pupils and staff were on hand for the team's Homecoming on The Quay, where over 15,000 supporters showed their appreciation for the team and management. No doubt that Waterford will be back next year to battle for the Liam McCarthy Cup once again!

Small Changes to our Website:
Check out the new Parent's Area of our website, which features information about our school's Parents' Association and their work, e-safety tips for parents, as well as links to websites to help with school work at home! Also, the "Contact Us" option is now located under the "News" tab on our main menu. Hover your mouse over that option and the Contact Us tab is at the bottom!