Principal’s Weekly Bulletin – 27/02/2026

Good afternoon (evening!!) Parents/Guardians, 

It’s been a particularly busy week! I hope you have all had a good week and are looking forward, as we always do, to a relaxing weekend ahead. 

As February draws to an end and we turn the page into March, there is a real sense that spring is beginning to unfold around us, bringing longer days and renewed energy to our school community. The brighter mornings and signs of new growth mirror the positive momentum we continue to build together in our classrooms and across all areas of school life. 

This time in school before Easter is always a busy and important one, with a strong focus on teaching, learning, wellbeing, and preparation for the months ahead. 

We are proud of the effort and commitment our students are showing each day, supported by the encouragement and partnership of home. 

Thank you for your continued support as we move into this new season with optimism, purpose and high expectations for all. Please take some time to read the important information below. 

Warm regards,
Sarah Green

Principal

An Tús Nua

The An Tus Nua group met on Monday and had a productive meeting. Please click here to read the agreed report from the meeting with the details of key actions going forward. The Chair, Keith O’Brien, met with the Family Association at their meeting yesterday ahead of the Parent Teacher Meeting, to encourage parental involvement in the run up and at the public meeting in April which is being planned for.
We have met with Councillors Ray Connaughton, Vincent Jackson, Daithi Doolan and Philip Sutcliffe; Catherine Ardagh TD, Jennifer Cummins TD. There has been correspondence and communication with Máire Devine TD and Aengus O’Snodaigh TD. There is strong support for St Seton’s and a willingness for all representatives to work together in a united way. 

Early next week, all parents and guardians will be sent a template email that we are requesting you send to the local representatives in this area, asking them to champion the cause of St Seton’s and the need for our new school building to be prioritised. 

We really need the help of our parents and guardians and the local community to get behind this campaign. Your voice matters and our students deserve the best. 

Emergency Works Application

An emergency works application is underway for the Senior Campus Driveway. We are applying to the Department of Ed for funding to resurface the carpark areas on both campuses. I will keep you updated on progress. We have employed interim measures to patch the area in the short term as it is a trip hazard and we are reminding students to take care as well as supervising the arrival to and departure from school.  

Attendance Update

The next attendance challenge commences on Monday and will run for the four weeks until Easter –  2nd March – 27th March. There has been quite some improvement in attendance during the last attendance challenge.  Please see the graphs below which detail the rates of ‘Satisfactory Attendance’ and ‘Satisfactory and Improved Attendance’ for the last two Attendance Challenges.

Below are the details of our next Attendance Challenge – Every Day is a Fresh Start! Please ensure your child comes to school every day and attends every day. 

The ESRI launched a research report on Thursday detailing the negative impact of poor school attendance. “School absence emerges as an important driver of later inequality, with very significant negative consequences for educational attainment, health, wellbeing and social belonging.”

The report can be read here. One of the best things you can do as a parent/guardian to support your child to have the best future outcomes, is to get them into school every day – even if they don’t want to. One interesting finding that stood out to me was that even short spells of absence at age 13 are linked to lower Leaving Certificate grades and there is a very large performance gap related to chronic absence, that is, missing 20 or more days a year reduces a students achievement in the Leaving Certificate established by 82 points.
As parents and guardians, you all want the best for your child. Please send them to school every day and do not give them the option of staying at home. The evidence shows that is what is best for their educational attainment, future wellbeing and sense of connectedness. 

Retirement of Staff Member 

Ms Linda Plunkett will retire from her role as SNA in ST Seton’s on 20th March 2026. We wish Linda well upon her retirement and hope that she enjoys more quality time to spend with her family. We will be inviting Linda to attend our next  staff meeting on 11th March to make a presentation to her on the occasion of her retirement. 

Programmes Update

TY Show Greased Lightning

We are currently gathering raffle prizes for the night of the show. If any parents / guardians would like to donate a prize, it would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Ms Maher by email: amaher@stsetons.ie

LCA & TY Application Process (2026/2027)

The application process for TY and 5th LCA began  this week. All 3rd Year students and interested TY students attended the information presentations.

– Application forms will go live on Monday morning
– Closing date: 20th March
– Interviews will take place on 27th March

All 3rd Year and TY tutors will spend some time on Monday going through the application forms and interview questions with students. Any parent / guardian who has questions about the process is encouraged to contact the school to speak with the relevant Year Head or Ms Maher, in her role as programme coordinator. 

There is an information meeting for all the 3rd & TY students and their parents and guardians ahead of TY and 5th Year scheduled to take place on 19th March. Please keep the date free if you have a student in 3rd or 4th Year.

Being Well Classes – 2nd March 2026

Each class in St Seton’s has a ‘Being Well’ Class with their tutor on Monday’s at 9.45. These classes are part of our Wellbeing Programme in St Seton’s. Ms Howell has taken over the coordination of the ‘Being Well’ classes for the rest of the year. I have listed below the topics for next Monday’s lessons.

1st years: Powerpoints and worksheets on Being Happy!

2nd years: Organisational Skills

3rd years: A presentation on the topic of Future choices- looking at options for next year.

4th years: Presentation on LCA / LCE for 5th Year

5th years: Grit! Resilience Powerpoint and worksheet. 

6th years: Internet safety powerpoint.

Le Cheile Day – 5th March

Le Chéile Day takes place on Thursday. This is a day where we celebrate being part of Le Cheile Schools Trust and the unique characteristic spirit of St Seton’s! 

Transitions Planning: 

1:1 Parent / Guardian Meetings for Incoming 1st Years

I am grateful to everyone on the Transitions team (BFL, SET, HSCL, SCP) who met with parents / guardians of incoming 1st years. There was huge positivity from parents / guardians following the meetings and a lot are feeling reassured and more prepared for their child’s transition to St Seton’s. Special thanks to Catherine Brennan who coordinated the administration of these meetings which is no small task for 150 incoming students. 

Planning for TY, 5th Year. 

Thanks to Ms Maher, in her role as Programmes Coordinator, and the 3rd and 4th Year Year Heads for all the preparatory work underway for 3rd Years moving to the Senior Campus and TYs beginning 5th year. Ms Dunleavy, supported by SNAs Linda and Nicola,  are leading the specific transition work underway with 3rd year Haven students to ensure as smooth as transition to Edison as possible. Their first transition visit to Edison is next Friday from 11am. 

Parent / Teacher Meetings

Thank you to all the 3rd and 6th Year parents who visited us yesterday for the 3rd and 6th year parent teacher meetings. These are always very valuable meetings to take place after the mock exams. A huge amount of preparatory work goes on behind the scenes to ensure the smoother running of the PTMS so special thanks to all those who assisted with preparations and tidying up. Our TY helpers were fantastic ambassadors on the night too – Well done! 

Bi Cinealta Review

Our Bí Cineálta review process has been underway since November. Click here to view a short presentation of the summary findings of our review which I presented to the Family Association yesterday. The final recommendations to implement as a result of the review are almost completed and the review will be signed off on by the Board at the next Board meeting being held on Tuesday, 24th March.  

Gan Script Podcast

The latest episode of Gan Script, our Bi Cinealta Ambassador’s monthly podcast, is now live on Spotify – CLICK HERE!. In this episode, Seany Kinsella opens up about his journey through addiction, homelessness and recovery. He speaks honestly about the challenges he faced, from struggling with substance use to experiencing homelessness and how bullying in his younger years shaped parts of his story.

This is a raw and powerful conversation about resilience – about hitting low points and still finding a way forward. Sean talks about mental health, the importance of community support and how mentorship and guidance helped him rebuild his life. More than anything, this episode is about hope. Sean wants young people to know that recovery is possible, growth is possible and your past does not have to define your future. It’s a real story about struggle, strength and choosing to become someone who gives back.

Well done to our two young podcasters from 2nd year – Millie Rose and Ava Lily! 

Essential Digital Parenting Event 2026

Cybersafe Kids hosted an “Essential Digital Parenting” webinar on Wednesday, February 25th 2026.

Alex Cooney, CEO and co-founder of CyberSafeKids, was joined by Dr. Colman Noctor, child & adolescent psychotherapist, to discuss how parents can be more involved in their children’s online lives and the challenges, opportunities and risks facing parenting in the digital age.

I watched the webinar and it was really excellent. I encourage all parents to watch this fascinating conversation by clicking on the link HERE. 

I have also added their booklet resource on Essential Digital Parenting HERE for you all to take a look at. 

RSE Module for all year groups – SPHE Dept.

All students will be taught classes in Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in SPHE class in the coming term. As per the Department of Education guidelines, it is recommended that all students participate in these classes. These classes seek to teach students all about healthy relationships.
Should you seek any clarification on any aspect of RSE, please contact the school.