St Pius X National School in Ballacolla is now accepting enrolments for the 2024-25 school year.
St Pius X NS is a co-education school that offers classes from junior infants to sixth class.
Mr Pádraig Kiely (Principal) teaches 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th class, Ms Marette Ryan teaches junior infants, senior infants, 1st class and 2nd class and Mrs Kay O’Connor is the Special Education teacher for Literacy and Numeracy based in the school.
Our rural school is situated in the centre of Ballacolla village, close to the local GAA grounds and the community hall.
It is located only a seven minute drive from nearby Durrow and Abbeyleix villages and five minutes from the motorway.
In St. Pius’ we pride ourselves on providing the children with the richest learning experiences possible.
All the children in the junior classes take part in early intervention literacy initiatives which give them a great advantage as they progress through the classes and this is further built upon in the senior room.
We have a wide range of resources available to us including our iPads, Chrome books and Interactive Whiteboards that enable us to engage the children in meaningful, creative and enjoyable ways.
Our number one goal is to constantly promote a school culture where the children always feel that they are included, affirmed and supported throughout their time in the school whether that be in the classroom, in the corridors, in the school yard or in our weekly assemblies.
We are also currently involved in a number of school initiatives including the Green Flag and Amber Flag Programmes.
The children are encouraged to join our school committees and to take responsibility for both our wellbeing and our environment.
Involvement in these programmes also provides us with the opportunity to develop a sense of responsibility, confidence and leadership within the pupils.
Extra-curricular activities are a key part of life in our school. Sport is seen as an important aspect of each child’s time in St. Pius’ as it offers the children the opportunity to develop their social skills as well as their physical and emotional wellbeing.
In the school, we see sport as an opportunity to foster a sense of inclusivity, togetherness and teamwork between the pupils.
The hurling pitch, community hall and community walkway are located directly beside the school and are used for both curricular and extracurricular activities.
We field mixed boys and girls teams in hurling, football and soccer and have been successful in competitions in all three sports in the recent past.
Each child is encouraged to participate in all sports, regardless of their ability levels, and every child from 3rd to 6th class take part in matches in both hurling and football.
In recent years we have also taken part in handball and rounders activities involving other schools, as well as having dedicated basketball, athletics and gymnastics coaches coming into the school.
Swimming lessons also take place every year for children in each of the classes.
There is also a strong tradition of music and drama in the school. In recent years the children in the school have learned the tin whistle, recorder, flute, ukulele and drums.
This year the children from 1st to 6th class have been learning the harp and are thoroughly enjoying the experience so far.
School plays have always been synonymously associated with our school.
The children’s most recent performance of ‘Robin Hood’ in St. Patrick’s Hall last June was a great success and proved to be a lovely opportunity for the children to showcase their creative talents and further develop their skills and their confidence.
We are also fortunate to have a Before and After School Den which operates on the school premises.
It is a rare commodity that offers parents flexibility around school drop-off and pick-up times.
This is a separate, not-for-profit, company run by parents of pupils within the school and it allows children to be dropped off from 8am and it is also available after school. It has proved to be a great resource for working parents.
A final point to note is that the small numbers in the school mean the staff can develop a close understanding of the needs of each child.
This also enables us to quickly develop a positive rapport with the pupils and to really understand and effectively support each individual child throughout their time in primary school.
Enrolment for the school is now open. For further details you can contact the school through the school email; stpiusxballacolla@gmail.com or on our school website;
