Our Learning Support team in Crehana N.S. consists of two learning support teachers. Our learning support teachers are Mrs. Claire Foster and Mrs. Margaret Bailey. Learning support teachers offer individual learning support to many children in our school. They also engage in team teaching in each classroom, which is offered to all children.  Literacy, Maths and social, emotional and behavioural well-being are focused on in Learning Support. Team teaching involves the Learning Support teachers teaching in class with Classroom teachers. Team teaching is offered in every class throughout the school year. It includes Reading groups, Maths workshops, Reading fluency sessions, Peer tutoring, Early Intervention , Aistear in the infant rooms etc. The Learning support teachers complete many assessments within the school in Literacy and Maths. They also liase with outside professionals e.g occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists, physiotherapists etc.

The learning Support page has been added to the Crehana N.S. website in response to our Well-being questionnaire results. These questionnaires were completed as our school is focusing on the area of Well-being as part of the school self evaluation programme over the coming years. In response to these questionnaires which were answered by children, staff and parents the organisation and access to support offered by the Learning Support team in the school needs to be explained and information needs to be provided regarding the learning support, as  well as the emotional and behavioural support offered by our schools learning support team to all children and their families. 

Launch of the Crehana NS Garden- created by the Nurture group – March 20th 2024

We have created a school vegetable/ fruit garden in Crehana N.S! The Nurture group which is facilitated by Mrs. Foster created this outdoor learning space. We had the help of our caretaker John Larkin, who built and filled our raised beds. We will be encouraging a food education programme in the school that aims to enhance food literacy. Through garden-based learning and hands-on growing experiences, we will assist students in developing a deeper understanding of the origins of healthy, sustainable food and most importantly learn how to grow their own food.

We firmly believe that a school garden is a  fantastic project for our school. It represents an amazing learning tool that can have an enormous impact on our students’ development. Having a garden is a great reflection on our school and any innovative, progressive school should not be without a garden as we move towards a more sustainable society that aims to improve wellbeing, take on climate action and tackle the biodiversity crisis.

We were equipped  with a comprehensive garden kit from GIY Ireland, which included four raised beds, soil, seeds, and bulbs, along with curriculum-linked lesson plans  These resources support school gardens and elucidate the rationale behind GIY (Grow it Yourself) to students. Collectively, this programme transforms knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours surrounding food. We also got growing packs from Supervalue Let’s Grow and Incredible Edibles.

Each ‘SuperValu Let’s GROW’ classroom pack included seeds for cress, peas, salad leaves, pumpkins and sunflowers. There are also 32 compostable pots, 32 magic compost discs and expert GIY resource booklet with growing guides, lessons and activities created by GIY and lots of classroom goodies.

Agri aware Incredible Edibles is a healthy eating project for primary schools. The aim of the project is to educate students about growing fruit and vegetables and to increase their knowledge of food origin and quality. It also highlights the important role that fresh produce plays in a healthy balanced diet and the importance of consuming at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Participating schools, as we are were sent free grow packs that contained seeds to grow strawberries, potatoes, lettuce, spinach, chives, carrots and turnips, as well as other materials to help them get started growing! We would like to be recognised nationally as an Incredible Edibles School. There are three levels of School Status; Gold, Silver and Bronze. Each school that enters a logbook will receive a certificate of achievement and a rosette! We could also win prizes for the whole school, including raised garden beds and soil, water tanks, gardening hampers and more!

We have also planted a number of tree saplings- alder, willow, birch, hawthorne and spruce. We got our trees from Crann Ireland as well as the Spar National Tree day initiative. We would like our children to learn how important trees are to people, our culture and heritage and the natural world.

We hope to extend our school vegetable and fruit garden over the coming years and have all classes benefitting from this fantastic learning experience. We would like to thank the above sponsors and look forward to growing and eating our own produce over the coming months!!

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The Nurture Group Plants seeds- March 7th  2024

Play Therapy with details of a local Play Therapist

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Here in Crehana N.S. in an effort to boost children’s wellbeing we are very lucky to be able to offer a Nurture Group this year to a small group of children. A nurture group is a place where children can feel safe and secure and is designed to be a bridge between home and school. The children are given the opportunity to participate in a range of activities in a relaxed, structured environment which promotes and supports their social and emotional development as well as boosting their self-esteem and self-confidence. The Nurture group has completed many activities so far including – emotional/ wellbeing games, Zones of Regulation activities and lessons, Baking- making cookies and milkshakes, gardening- Planting Willow Trees, Sensory circuits, Guided Meditation using Headspace, Art Therapy sessions, Yoga poses, Brain Gym, Mindful Breathing Techniques, Outdoor games, reading and Quiet time, Halloween pumpkin carving, as well as Christmas crafts- making a Christmas Nutcracker tree decoration for a person I love. The Nurture Group is run by the learning support team.

Nurture Group Lighthouses January 2024

What are fidget tools ? 

Fidget tools. Sensory gadgets. Concentration tools. These devices go by many different names and come in different forms. But all of the tools can be used to make small movements, usually by using your hands or feet, and often offer tactile input too.

Calling them “fidget tools” instead of “fidget toys” can help remind students of their purpose. They aren’t for playing; the tools can help with self-regulation, attention, and calming.

What students can benefit from fidget tools?

Many teachers find students benefit from having the option to use fidget tools.

Children with autism may find using fidget tools soothing and calming as the tools helps them meet their sensory needs. For children with ADHD, sensory gadgets are great tools as they provide a movement outlet that allows the child to focus and concentrate better. Some people with anxiety also benefit from using fidget tools.

What makes a good fidget tool?

A good fidget tool:

• Is quiet and safe
• Can be used without looking, so the user can focus on the lesson
• Can be used out of other children’s eyesight to eliminate distraction
• Meets the student’s sensory needs (some prefer certain textures while others avoid them)
• Fits the student’s physical abilities (they must have the fine motor skills or strength to use the tool)
• Is relatively cheap (or durable, if more expensive)

ABC school supplies also have a good range of fidget tools. Click here to see an example

Amazon have lots of fidget packs. Click here to see an example

Smyths toys also have a good range of fidget tools. Click here to see an example