There is an embargo on promoted posts by the DES. This means that any post of responsibility that becomes vacant from now on cannot be filled. We are currently in this situation, which means that, due to Dermot Murphy being promoted to Deputy Principal, there is a vacancy at Assistant Principal level which cannot be filled. Pastoral, curricular and administrative duties will therefore remain unfulfilled until such time as the embargo is lifted .If the Minister for Education and Science follows the advice of the McCarthy report it will put the education of our children back fifty years with even larger classes than currently exist and totally inadequate resources and facilities to deliver the revised curriculum.

We welcome children of all abilities to our school and  have a deserved reputation for providing a caring and welcoming environment for pupils with special needs and their parents. It is important to emphasise that they are children who have special needs and it is our obligation to provide an appropriately differentiated curriculum for them.Their participation in our school life has been a positive experience for all of our school community and is very much in keeping with our caring ethos.

Children today love coming to school. This wasn’t always the case! Staff in our school are conscious of the fact that they are role models for our pupils and respect has to be earned . Curriculum has changed for the better in my opinion. Today children are active learners and are lead to discovery as opposed to the traditional rote learning methods. A differentiated curriculum means that all children have opportunity to experience success regularly which helps develop their self-esteem and confidence. We believe in the development of the whole child not just the academic skills. The moral, spiritual, social, emotional and physical development of our pupils is also catered for both in class and indeed also after school hours. Here, teachers generously give of their free time, which is a culture in this school of which I am particularly proud.

Here is the happy team of our Special Needs Assistants

Our mission is to take care of the children entrusted in us by their parents. This responsibility “in loco parentis” is taken very seriously by all staff members.t The Board of Management and staff together have produced a Child Protection policy which adheres to the Child First guidelines and is now a statutory obligation of all schools. Child protection is a standard item on both Board of Management and School staff meetings and issues are dealt with as a matter of urgency by the Designated Liaison Officer which happens to be myself, the school principal. Any disclosure is forwarded to the HSE immediately for their attention. The safety of the child remains our priority.

The WSE (whole school evaluation) is, I suppose, a necessary event in our school life. Well, would you like to see a team of inspectors arrive at your school door on a dull November morning striking the fear of God in all that they survey? I jest of course. That was in the bad old days when the stress level of a teacher went off the Richter scale at the mention of the word “cigire”.Today  we see this WSE as an opportunity to showcase our school of which we, the community of Ballygall, are rightly proud. It is an assessment of the whole school, which includes management, teaching, learning, facilities, resources maintenance etc. etc. We eagerly anticipate their findings, and I will inform you of same.

We are rightly proud of the extensive menu of extra curricular activities offered to our pupils. Sports such as hurling, Gaelic football, soccer, basketball, tabletennis, athletics. are offered, as are chess, book club, fiddle playing and board games. We believe in the development of the whole child and by offering all of the above we feel we are giving ample opportunity to our children to develop skills as well as academics.

The School Trophy Cabinet is laden with Trophies and Awards for Sport, Music and the many other achievements of the students.

We are justifiably proud of our Sacred Space, which is situated in the foyer of our school. The staff and pupils have developed a calendar of events for our Sacred Space, which reflects the Liturgical calendar. The feast of St. Laurence O Toole has recently been acknowledged and as November is the month of the Holy Souls we felt it appropriate to celebrate the memory of loved ones who have died by pinning decorated stars, with loved ones names included, on the Sacred Space notice board in their honour.

Christmas is coming and Robbie, our School Caretaker and vital member of our family/team, below takes delivery of this year's Christmas Tree.  Our tree is donated to the school by the Tracey/O'Loughlin Family of Beneavin Road, for which we are very grateful.

I hope that, by now, any parents interested in sending their son to our school will be convinced by what they have just read about the Sacred Heart Boys School. I am pleased to inform you that there are a very limited number of places available for the school year beginning next September 2010. Please call in; you will be more than welcome to have a look around our school and what we have to offer. Our secretary, Elaine, is always available to meet and greet. Phone no. 8379586. Elaine keeps everything running smoothly.

I was appointed to the staff of this great school in 1980 by another fanatical Kilkennyman, Michael Lahart. I am happy to inform you that Michael is still in great health and remembers his time here with great affection.In 1997 I became Deputy Principal and in June this year I was thrilled to become Principal or the Sacred Heart B.N.S. I married Paula, my present wife, in 1987 and we have two daughters Ciara and Elaine. It gives me great pride to say that I have spent my professional career among this wonderful community of Ballygall and I suppose it’s a safe bet to say that this is where I’ll be to the finish. Go raibh mile maith agaibh.