Initiatives
At North Kildare ETNS, we take part in a variety of exciting initiatives that enrich school life and support learning beyond the classroom. Explore the sections below to learn more about each initiative.
Amber Flag
The Amber Flag is awarded by Pieta House and is an initiative to promote positive mental health.
We are delighted to tell you that we have been successful and that our school has been awarded the Amber Flag! We are incredibly happy and proud and wish to thank everybody, throughout the whole school community, for all the help, encouragement and support they provided during this process.
The team at Pieta commended our application as “an outstanding initiative promoting positive mental health”. They also stated that they were “overwhelmed with the amazing initiatives being run in our school this year”. Their feedback represents a gratifying indictment of the ongoing, wonderful work that is undertaken in our school to promote positive mental health.
We have been awarded with certificates and the flag for the school and the committee members.
An Gaelbhratach
Táimid ag irraidh an Gaelbhratach a bhaint amach sa scoil. Is scéim spreagtha Gaeilge do scoileanna. Trí eachtraí difriúla, tá an scoil ar fad ag comhoibriú chun Gaeilge a chur chun cinn.
Gaelbhratach is an Irish language incentive for schools.
We have just finished our first year and we are hoping to be awarded our flag at the end of next year. We have a brilliantly dedicated Gaelbhratach team of teachers and students here at NKETNS helping to achieve this flag. We are focussing on lots of areas to promote the Irish language including songs, informal use of Gaeilge and storytelling.
We couldn't be prouder to be part of this unique scheme and can't wait to raise our brat Gaeilge in June!
Creative Schools Initiative in NKETNS
In September 2023, we were delighted to hear that North Kildare Educate Together National School had been accepted into the Creative Schools Initiative, which is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland. This initiative is focused on developing the creative potential of every child. It aims to put the arts and creativity at the heart of children and young people’s lives. Over the next two years, we will be working together to develop a whole school plan for creative initiatives in our school. Our goal is to integrate the arts and creativity into our approach to learning at NKETNS!
The voices of the children are at the heart of this project. Our newly created Creative Schools Committee help to lead this initiative. Two children from each class from 1st to 6th are democratically elected by their classmates and retain their positions on the committee for the duration of the school year.
Discover Science Awards
Science Foundation Ireland Discover Science & Maths Awards
Discover Primary Science (DPS) is a national programme from Science Foundation Ireland to foster interest in science and engineering among children in primary schools.
We have been taking part in the Discover Science Programme for many years. We have been awarded 14 plaques, one for each year we have taken part. We are hoping to add another plaque to our wall this year.
To be awarded a plaque requires lots of hard work from our students and teachers, not forgetting the parents who come in to do science and maths activities with the pupils during Science Week, Maths Week and Engineering Week.
Green Schools
Green-Schools is Ireland’s leading environmental management and education programme for schools run by An Taisce.
It promotes long-term, whole-school action for the environment. From recycling to cutting down on our energy use, here at NKETNS, we have developed lots of environmentally-friendly habits which we have brought home to our own homes too!
The great thing about Green-Schools is, it is a student-led programme with involvement from the wider community.
There are 9 key themes, which schools work towards achieving a Green Flag in each.
Litter and Waste
Energy
Water
Travel
Biodiversity
Global Citizenship – Litter & Waste
Global Citizenship – Energy
Global Citizenship – Marine Environment
Global Citizenship – Travel
We received our first Green Flag in 2004 for Litter and Waste. The focus is on litter and waste issues, encouraging a sense of responsibility. This is followed by Energy, which looks at the steps which can be taken at school to reduce energy consumption and raise awareness of climate change. The Water theme develops awareness around water conservation and how to effectively manage this important resource in schools. The Travel theme aims to increase the number of students walking, cycling, scooting, using public transport or carpooling to school. Biodiversity looks at increasing awareness in schools of the importance of native plants, animals and habitats. The Green Home flag was a collaboration between the school and the home on green issues. The Global Citizenship – Litter and Waste theme enables schools to discover how work on Green-Schools has positively influenced our global community. Global Citizenship – Energy theme gives schools the chance to revise Energy and look at issues surrounding energy use globally. This year, we were awarded our 9th Green Flag.
We were chosen as one of 8 schools to participate in a pilot programme for Global Citizenship – Food. Our theme was about raising awareness of growing food locally and food miles. Take a look at some of the work we've done on Food Miles.
Next year, we will be working towards our 10th Flag, Global Citizenship – Marine Environment. This theme focuses on raising awareness of marine ecosystems and the work being done to save them.
Intel Mini Scientist
The Intel® Mini Scientist Exhibition is a program which allows primary school students to develop science-related projects, which are then exhibited at fairs held within their own schools. Winning projects selected at this school level exhibition then go on to take part in the Mini Scientist Regional Final event, with the possibility of continuing on to the Grand Final event.
The competition supports the Primary Science curriculum and is a great way to encourage enthusiasm and practical learning in the area of science.
We have been taking part in this program for many years. Each year, our 5th class takes part in it.
Peace Proms
Every February, the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland performs a concert, Peace Proms, at the Simmonscourt Arena RDS in Dublin with a 3,000-strong children’s choir.
Our school has taken part in this concert since 2015.
It has been a wonderful experience for all involved.
The Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland is made up of teenagers and young adults from both sides of the Irish border. It was established in the mid to late 1990s. A major cease-fire was announced in Northern Ireland in 1994. Following the announcement, the idea of a cross-border orchestra was first mentioned at St. Louis Girls Secondary School, Dundalk. It was primarily to be a peace initiative and a means of uniting young people from different backgrounds and traditions through the medium of music. It has continued to develop, and now, in 2020, over 600 schools, almost 35,000 children, actively participate in Peace Proms each year.
CBOI performs largely in arenas: Echo Arena Liverpool, SSE Arena Belfast, Simmonscourt Arena RDS Dublin, Limerick University Sport Arena, Galway University Sports Arena, and Waterford Institute of Technology Sports Arena. The Orchestra (and the children’s choirs) are conducted by one of the UK’s leading professional conductors – Greg Beardsall.
Peace Proms is a free resource and choral education project for primary schools. The musical programme is tailor-made to ensure it is fun and engaging for children, fulfils important educational requirements, is very rewarding to teach, and the end performance is
an inspirational and thrilling experience for choirs, teachers, parents and audiences alike!
Peace Proms engages children and young people in music and enriches their lives through exceptional musical experiences and performances. It celebrates culture and diversity and promotes peace, unity and tolerance through music.
Every year, we apply to participate in this incredible concert. If we are successful (it’s a lottery and there is now a waiting list), we receive lyrics and music, along with backing tracks and dance moves for the songs from the Peace Proms head office. We decided in 2019 that from now on, we will apply for our fourth classes to take part each year.
Between September and November, we learn the songs and actions. In mid-November, we attended a workshop with the conductor, Greg Beardsall, along with choirs from some other schools.
We work on the songs and actions with Greg. He has a wonderful way of working with the children, and they have always enjoyed the workshop, learned a lot and grown in confidence when performing.
The concert itself takes place at the first weekend of February every year at the RDS. The Orchestra actually performs four concerts over the weekend, but our school takes part in just one. It has been a thrilling experience for the children, performing with 3000 other children and performing with a full symphony youth orchestra!
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