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Automated External Defibrillator (AED) At Thomastown National School

17/2/2026

The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) that has been installed at Thomastown National School is now fully operational.

The AED is located on the wall inside the side gate of the school (photographs below).

The AED has been registered with the National Ambulance Service. If anybody in the locality calls 999, they will be informed of the location of this device.

If any member of the community has reason to use this AED, they are asked to inform a member of the school staff of this at the earliest opportunity. This is important as we will need to arrange for necessary checks to be carried out to ensure that the device is ready for use again.

Thank you to the parents of our school for their financial contribution to this venture. Their generosity has covered the cost of the installing the AED in a heated cabinet that will protect the device from cold weather conditions. We have just over €500 left over after all costs have been finalised. This money will be donated to Bansha Community First Responders and it will go towards installing another AED in the local area. Sincere thanks to you all for your support of this hugely worthwhile cause. Our thanks also to Bansha Community First Responders for collaborating with us on this project.

Please spread the word about the new AED in Thomastown National School. Our Eircode is E25 F840.

This information may save a life.

Building Confidence On Two Wheels!

14/2/2026

For the six weeks prior to the Christmas holidays, our 5th & 6th Class pupils took part in an exciting and educational cycling course designed to build confidence, safety awareness, and strong riding skills. Held in our school yard and classroom, the course gave pupils the opportunity to develop essential cycling abilities in a safe, supportive environment.

Before heading outside, pupils took part in Theory and Rules of the Road Training in the classroom. They learned about:

Road signs and their meanings
The importance of helmets and safety checks
Safe road positioning
How to stay alert and aware of their surroundings

Through discussions, videos, and interactive activities, the children developed a strong understanding of how to stay safe when cycling.

Out in the school yard, it was time to put theory into practice! Pupils worked on key bicycle-handling skills, including:

Starting and stopping safely
Balancing with control
Smooth pedalling
Confident cornering

Each session helped improve coordination, control, and overall confidence on the bike.

An important part of the course focused on learning how to:

Turn left and right safely
Perform shoulder checks
Use clear hand signals

These skills are essential for cycling on roads, and pupils practiced them repeatedly until they felt comfortable and confident. Over the six-week programme, the pupils navigated junctions, practised signalling, and demonstrated their road awareness in realistic scenarios — all within a controlled and safe space. For the final session, the pupils put their newly acquired skills into practice in an on-road and trainer-led cycle on a local road adjacent to the school. Many thanks to Ray and Tina from RAYC Sports for a fantastic six-week programme.

Lego Robotics Workshop

14/2/2026

This week, our 5th & 6th Class pupils became real engineers and programmers during our exciting LEGO Robotics Workshop! Using LEGO Education WeDo 2.0, the pupils designed, built, and programmed their very own robots — and they absolutely loved it!

Working in small teams, the pupils carefully followed instructions to construct their models using LEGO bricks, motors, motion sensors, and smart hubs. They showed fantastic teamwork skills — sharing ideas, solving problems, and helping one another along the way.

It was wonderful to see their creativity shine as they discussed how each part of the robot worked and predicted what might happen once it was programmed.

Once the robots were built, it was time for programming. Using simple drag-and-drop coding blocks on iPads, the pupils brought their robots to life. Throughout the workshop, everyone developed important STEM skills such as problem-solving, logical thinking, creativity, collaboration and resilience. Huge thanks to Jacob and Sarah from Analog Devices who facilitated the entire workshop.

Welcoming The County Champions!

23/11/2025

An Gabhailín/Cill Fiacaile Abú!

23/11/2025

We were absolutely delighted to welcome members of Golden Kilfeacle GAA club to the school on Friday. The entire school community came together to celebrate their incredible achievements as the County Intermediate Hurling and County Under 19 Football Champions (and, as of today, we're delighted to add County Junior B Football Champions to their long list of achievements this year!).

We were particularly delighted to see our past pupils returning to share in this joyous occasion. Their success and dedication continue to make us proud. It was a fantastic chance for our current pupils to engage with these role models and learn from their experiences. Thank you to Jack Leamy, Sam Hall, Aidan O'Connell, Niall Heffernan, Colin Tuohy, Shane O'Connell, Jack Bergin, Ben Currivan, Daniel Quealy and Harry Fogarty for taking the time to come to the school on Friday.

An Gabhailín/Cill Fiacaile Abú!

Up Golden Kilfeacle!

23/10/2025

Our younger pupils have been getting ready to cheer Golden Kilfeacle GAA to victory! Good luck to everyone involved in Saturday's County Intermediate Hurling Final.

Good Luck To Golden Kilfeacle GAA In The County Final!

23/10/2025

Our pupils have a special message for the Golden Kilfeacle GAA Intermediate hurlers ahead of the County Final on Saturday. Best of luck to everyone involved and all our past pupils!

Parish GAA Blitz

22/10/2025

All our pupils really enjoyed taking part in the whole school parish GAA blitz along with the pupils in Golden National School prior to the summer holidays. They played two hurling games and two football games with the emphasis on participation and enjoyment for all. The teams were well managed by the 5th & 6th Class children in both schools.

Thank you very much to James McCarthy and Golden/Kilfeacle GAA for helping to organise this event.