Registration is now closed
The summer project committee will be in touch with an update on your application in the coming days.
Welcome to St Pius Summer Project 2024
Summer Project Registration - Now Closed
We are delighted to announce the registration for the 2024 St Pius Summer Project. The details are as follows.
When: Saturday, 2nd March at 10am (Note: the link to the registration will appear here on Saturday morning at 10am)
Cost: €50 per person.
Where: Online on the Summer Project website (the registration link will be shared on the homepage at 10am),
Places are limited so we recommend you are ready to register at 10am sharp to avoid disappointment. You will be asked to fill in a form to register your child's name(s) and you will then be brought to the payment page. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and we typically fill up within 10-15 minutes of opening the registration.
To find out more check out our Summer Project Beginners Guide.
Important dates to note:
Garda vetting verification will take place on Tuesday 16th April from 7-9pm
Child protection training will take place on Thursday 9th May from 6:30-9:30pm
In person enrolment will take place on Saturday 20th April from 10am
Please note the nominated supervisor from each family must be available to attend.
When: Saturday, 2nd March at 10am (Note: the link to the registration will appear here on Saturday morning at 10am)
Cost: €50 per person.
Where: Online on the Summer Project website (the registration link will be shared on the homepage at 10am),
Places are limited so we recommend you are ready to register at 10am sharp to avoid disappointment. You will be asked to fill in a form to register your child's name(s) and you will then be brought to the payment page. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and we typically fill up within 10-15 minutes of opening the registration.
To find out more check out our Summer Project Beginners Guide.
Important dates to note:
Garda vetting verification will take place on Tuesday 16th April from 7-9pm
Child protection training will take place on Thursday 9th May from 6:30-9:30pm
In person enrolment will take place on Saturday 20th April from 10am
Please note the nominated supervisor from each family must be available to attend.
Summer Project 2023- as it happened...
Final Day - Storytelling, Balloon Games and a Variety Show
The final day kicked off with rain and more rain, it was bucketing it down. Juniors and Seniors gathered in the Scout’s Den to listen to Storyteller Nial De Burca. Niall regaled them with funny stories and ghost stories and the kids were doing the actions to add to the drama.
Final day Games
The children then all came over to the school hall where they had their lunch out of the rain. We had the bouncy castle obstacle course, inflatable dart board and the other ‘It’s A Knockout’ events all ready to go for a fun battle. However, the rain just wouldn’t stop and so we had to cancel the competition and think of a plan b for 100+ kids..
Sam, one of our amazing committee members, came up with some creative (and safe) games the children could play. So we divided them into their teams and kids all came up with a name for their team. Suzanne Yates’ team was called the Dublin Deckers. She led them in musical statues and was pulling out some great dance moves ( St Mary’s Rugby Club disco c. 1989).
We also had a ‘pass the balloon’ competition, where the kids had to relay race passing the balloon from their knees to the other person’s knee (needless to say there were a few burst balloons). Next up the kids got their ice cream from the ice cream van (on a hot day it would have been glorious but unfortunately they had to queue in the rain).
Variety Show
The final event saw a variety show performed by the kids where they had to re-enact their favourite moment of the Summer Project through a play, song, dance or poem in their teams. There were kids from junior infants right up to 5th class all coming up with great ideas for the show. There were songs, poems, a rap and some really great dancing. Emilia Dolan Carty and her team made makeshift boats out of mats and re-enacted Clara Lara. Another group chose the disco as their favourite moment. The girls did the Macarena while the boys re-enacted the tuckshop with Sean MKone posing as a table! Stephanie Kenny did a great back flip, while Art & Isaac’s beatboxing was outstanding. A big well done to talented children who put on a very entertaining show.
Click here for the final day photos.
Thank you
And so the St Pius Summer Project has drawn to a close. We would like to thank the wonderful children for their energy, wit and creativity that makes the project so much fun. Children from junior infants to 5th class tried new things and made new friends and lasting memories. Thank you to your lovely children for making it so special.
A special thank you for Sam Hallows, who is one of the parents on the committee. She generously gave up her time to create 3 workshops for the summer project, two sessions of Baking for the seniors and Storytelling and Art with the juniors where they got to paint glass jars and make their own tie dyed tshirts. The children absolutely loved it. She always goes the extra mile to plan something special for the children. Thank you Sam for all your hard work and dedication to the Summer Project, you are amazing!
Lastly, thank you to you, the parents who chauffeured your kids around the different venues and had to change plans last minute to accommodate the many changes because of the rain. Thank you also for getting involved in the supervising and for helping to make the summer project a success.
If you would like to become a committee member or find out more about what’s involved, please reply to this email so we can get in touch with you.
There is still some unclaimed lost property. If you are missing something, please let us know.
Goodbye and thank you. We hope to see you again next year. Please spread the word with classmates and friends!
Final day Games
The children then all came over to the school hall where they had their lunch out of the rain. We had the bouncy castle obstacle course, inflatable dart board and the other ‘It’s A Knockout’ events all ready to go for a fun battle. However, the rain just wouldn’t stop and so we had to cancel the competition and think of a plan b for 100+ kids..
Sam, one of our amazing committee members, came up with some creative (and safe) games the children could play. So we divided them into their teams and kids all came up with a name for their team. Suzanne Yates’ team was called the Dublin Deckers. She led them in musical statues and was pulling out some great dance moves ( St Mary’s Rugby Club disco c. 1989).
We also had a ‘pass the balloon’ competition, where the kids had to relay race passing the balloon from their knees to the other person’s knee (needless to say there were a few burst balloons). Next up the kids got their ice cream from the ice cream van (on a hot day it would have been glorious but unfortunately they had to queue in the rain).
Variety Show
The final event saw a variety show performed by the kids where they had to re-enact their favourite moment of the Summer Project through a play, song, dance or poem in their teams. There were kids from junior infants right up to 5th class all coming up with great ideas for the show. There were songs, poems, a rap and some really great dancing. Emilia Dolan Carty and her team made makeshift boats out of mats and re-enacted Clara Lara. Another group chose the disco as their favourite moment. The girls did the Macarena while the boys re-enacted the tuckshop with Sean MKone posing as a table! Stephanie Kenny did a great back flip, while Art & Isaac’s beatboxing was outstanding. A big well done to talented children who put on a very entertaining show.
Click here for the final day photos.
Thank you
And so the St Pius Summer Project has drawn to a close. We would like to thank the wonderful children for their energy, wit and creativity that makes the project so much fun. Children from junior infants to 5th class tried new things and made new friends and lasting memories. Thank you to your lovely children for making it so special.
A special thank you for Sam Hallows, who is one of the parents on the committee. She generously gave up her time to create 3 workshops for the summer project, two sessions of Baking for the seniors and Storytelling and Art with the juniors where they got to paint glass jars and make their own tie dyed tshirts. The children absolutely loved it. She always goes the extra mile to plan something special for the children. Thank you Sam for all your hard work and dedication to the Summer Project, you are amazing!
Lastly, thank you to you, the parents who chauffeured your kids around the different venues and had to change plans last minute to accommodate the many changes because of the rain. Thank you also for getting involved in the supervising and for helping to make the summer project a success.
If you would like to become a committee member or find out more about what’s involved, please reply to this email so we can get in touch with you.
There is still some unclaimed lost property. If you are missing something, please let us know.
Goodbye and thank you. We hope to see you again next year. Please spread the word with classmates and friends!
Day 9- Golf, Forest School, Art, a Quiz and the Olympic Handball Finals
And so the 2023 St Pius Summer Project is drawing to a close. Hopefully the children have lots of cherished memories and have developed new skills, new friends and maybe even grown in confidence.
Junior - Forest School
Today the juniors had a busy afternoon they had in Bushy Park !! Forest school, playground, ice cream, bubbles and soccer! We had a great time today. We learnt how to climb down the side of a tree using a rope! The boys and girls were so brave. Ruari taught us about poisonous plants and how Terenure got its name
“Tír an Iúir” Land of the yew trees and we got to stand underneath a big yew tree! Teenage helpers Alex and Tom had a great game of soccer and were a great help with the kids.
Senior Golf
Luke was definitely hitting balls like his fav player John Rahm; Sean McKone, first timer was amazing and will definitely be back to play with Shane Lowry. Katie Lucey, Laura Dunne, Aoibhe Carroll and Saoirse all hit an impressive 150 yards!
Senior Quiz
Well done to the Muffin Men who came first in our senior quiz. In second place drum roll please…. it's Shreak Fest and in third place is The Monkey Doodles. There were lots of lovely singers during the music round and great guess words during the quiz rounds. All the groups won a prize for their table
Senior Artzone
Senior Artzone theme was 3D Butterflies. We saw lots of creativity and fantastic artwork.Sam was short of taking the class with his hilarious running commentary and there were a couple of sing songs thrown in along the way.
Olympics Handball Finals
Tonight saw the final round of the olympic handball and then onto the semi finals. Cara Van Rensburg’s team took on Senan Costello’s team. Cara’s team were winning for most of the game but Senan’s team came back in the last 2 minutes of the game to win and get through to the final.
Meanwhile the other semi final was Lucy Flemming’s team v versus Poppy Hickey’s Team. Having drawn in a previous match, it was always going to be a tense encounter. It was pretty even throughout with each team matching each other goal for goal. It was so competitive and at one stage it was hard to know if it was Olympic Handball or rugby they were playing. Lucy’s battle through and won 4-3 and progressed to the final.
The final was Lucy v Senan’s team. The tensions were high as the two teams battled it out. It was 1-0 to Lucy’s team at half time, despite some great goal attempts by juniors Art and Sarah Letch. There were human pyramids on the sideline cheering the teams on and the atmosphere was electric. Lucy’s team proved too strong and they won 2-0 in the end. A big well done to Lucy and her team.
Well done to all the children who took part in the Olympic Handball. The team spirit and camaraderie the children showed by cheering each other on, passing the ball and encouraging each other was so lovely to see and it really embodies the spirit of the summer project.
Click here for all today’s pics
The final day tomorrow
Thank you all for another great day. We look forward to the final day with legendary storyteller Niall De Burca and the It’s A Knockout competition where the kids will be divided into teams to battle it out. We're putting out the Child of Prague tonight so the rain stays away but bring your rain gear just in case!
Junior - Forest School
Today the juniors had a busy afternoon they had in Bushy Park !! Forest school, playground, ice cream, bubbles and soccer! We had a great time today. We learnt how to climb down the side of a tree using a rope! The boys and girls were so brave. Ruari taught us about poisonous plants and how Terenure got its name
“Tír an Iúir” Land of the yew trees and we got to stand underneath a big yew tree! Teenage helpers Alex and Tom had a great game of soccer and were a great help with the kids.
Senior Golf
Luke was definitely hitting balls like his fav player John Rahm; Sean McKone, first timer was amazing and will definitely be back to play with Shane Lowry. Katie Lucey, Laura Dunne, Aoibhe Carroll and Saoirse all hit an impressive 150 yards!
Senior Quiz
Well done to the Muffin Men who came first in our senior quiz. In second place drum roll please…. it's Shreak Fest and in third place is The Monkey Doodles. There were lots of lovely singers during the music round and great guess words during the quiz rounds. All the groups won a prize for their table
Senior Artzone
Senior Artzone theme was 3D Butterflies. We saw lots of creativity and fantastic artwork.Sam was short of taking the class with his hilarious running commentary and there were a couple of sing songs thrown in along the way.
Olympics Handball Finals
Tonight saw the final round of the olympic handball and then onto the semi finals. Cara Van Rensburg’s team took on Senan Costello’s team. Cara’s team were winning for most of the game but Senan’s team came back in the last 2 minutes of the game to win and get through to the final.
Meanwhile the other semi final was Lucy Flemming’s team v versus Poppy Hickey’s Team. Having drawn in a previous match, it was always going to be a tense encounter. It was pretty even throughout with each team matching each other goal for goal. It was so competitive and at one stage it was hard to know if it was Olympic Handball or rugby they were playing. Lucy’s battle through and won 4-3 and progressed to the final.
The final was Lucy v Senan’s team. The tensions were high as the two teams battled it out. It was 1-0 to Lucy’s team at half time, despite some great goal attempts by juniors Art and Sarah Letch. There were human pyramids on the sideline cheering the teams on and the atmosphere was electric. Lucy’s team proved too strong and they won 2-0 in the end. A big well done to Lucy and her team.
Well done to all the children who took part in the Olympic Handball. The team spirit and camaraderie the children showed by cheering each other on, passing the ball and encouraging each other was so lovely to see and it really embodies the spirit of the summer project.
Click here for all today’s pics
The final day tomorrow
Thank you all for another great day. We look forward to the final day with legendary storyteller Niall De Burca and the It’s A Knockout competition where the kids will be divided into teams to battle it out. We're putting out the Child of Prague tonight so the rain stays away but bring your rain gear just in case!
Day 8 Clara Lara
Today juniors, seniors and the parents all headed to Clara Lara. There was great excitement on the bus and we had a sing-song all the way. The kids all had great fun together going from go-carting, the big slide, the pirate ship and boating on the lake. It was lovely to see all the children playing together from all the classes. The boys and girls had a battle on the lake in the boats. I’m not sure who the winner was, so we’re calling it a draw.
Even the parents got stuck in with Bernie versus Kim on the scramble net. Kim took the lead early on but Bernie did some dirty tactics to win out in the end (the video evidence can be viewed on the blog). Anne Linton treated us all to homemade flapjacks again and her sister baked brownies for everyone. (we all need to up our game). Brona Waine didn’t sit down all day because she was man marking 2 four year olds - maybe next time Brona.. Attracta took a well earned 5 minute nap (we spared sharing the photo on the blog!).
Elena French, Orlaith Griffin, Sarah Letch and Charlotte Aspell hung out all day and loved the Tarzan ropes.
Sophia Aspell celebrated her birthday with all her pals and everyone sang happy birthday. We hope you had a great day Sophia!
Click here for pics of the day!
Final Day Notice
The final day will be going ahead even if it’s raining, so bring your rain jackets and wet gear.
Reminder to 5th class that your block prints can be collected from inside the hall tomorrow and Friday.
Even the parents got stuck in with Bernie versus Kim on the scramble net. Kim took the lead early on but Bernie did some dirty tactics to win out in the end (the video evidence can be viewed on the blog). Anne Linton treated us all to homemade flapjacks again and her sister baked brownies for everyone. (we all need to up our game). Brona Waine didn’t sit down all day because she was man marking 2 four year olds - maybe next time Brona.. Attracta took a well earned 5 minute nap (we spared sharing the photo on the blog!).
Elena French, Orlaith Griffin, Sarah Letch and Charlotte Aspell hung out all day and loved the Tarzan ropes.
Sophia Aspell celebrated her birthday with all her pals and everyone sang happy birthday. We hope you had a great day Sophia!
Click here for pics of the day!
Final Day Notice
The final day will be going ahead even if it’s raining, so bring your rain jackets and wet gear.
Reminder to 5th class that your block prints can be collected from inside the hall tomorrow and Friday.
Day 7 - Climbing, Recyled Art, Golf and the Movies!
Today was another action packed day at the Summer Project. The juniors began the day with Sam and Storytelling with Recycled Art.
The children loved the butterfly masks. Art made so many characters from wooden spoons that he could start a novel. They also got messy with tie dye and painted stones. There was so much energy and creativity, the children had so much fun. A big thank to our committee members Sam who put so much work and effort into the recycled art and the senior baking!
Seniors were split into two groups and some did golf in the Spawell The kids had 2 professionals teaching how to perfect their swing. Aaron and Cormac (the pros) were amazed at their level of skill. They both commented on how sporty all the kids were.They were all able to hit the ball superl straight and at some distance too!
We also went into the putting green and all the kids had a chance to perfect their putting skills. There were definitely some Roy McElroys and Leona Mcuire’s.
Meanwhile the other seniors were up in Tallaght at the Dublin climbing Centre. They certainly had no fear while they scaled the heights.
The cinema was great with a good old sing song on the bus on the way up to Tallaght. The Children tucked into the treats and enjoyed the movie Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kracken. After the movie was over the kids all got up and started a dance party!
Olympic handball was as competitive as ever. There was sibling rivalry with Luke v Sarah Letch and Sarah coming out the victor scoring an impressive 4 goals - go Sarah (we hope your knee is better for tomorrow!). Thursday is the final round and then onto the semi finals and the finals!
Click here for today's pics
Thank you everyone for making the Summer Project such great fun. We will see you all tomorrow for Clara Lara.
The children loved the butterfly masks. Art made so many characters from wooden spoons that he could start a novel. They also got messy with tie dye and painted stones. There was so much energy and creativity, the children had so much fun. A big thank to our committee members Sam who put so much work and effort into the recycled art and the senior baking!
Seniors were split into two groups and some did golf in the Spawell The kids had 2 professionals teaching how to perfect their swing. Aaron and Cormac (the pros) were amazed at their level of skill. They both commented on how sporty all the kids were.They were all able to hit the ball superl straight and at some distance too!
We also went into the putting green and all the kids had a chance to perfect their putting skills. There were definitely some Roy McElroys and Leona Mcuire’s.
Meanwhile the other seniors were up in Tallaght at the Dublin climbing Centre. They certainly had no fear while they scaled the heights.
The cinema was great with a good old sing song on the bus on the way up to Tallaght. The Children tucked into the treats and enjoyed the movie Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kracken. After the movie was over the kids all got up and started a dance party!
Olympic handball was as competitive as ever. There was sibling rivalry with Luke v Sarah Letch and Sarah coming out the victor scoring an impressive 4 goals - go Sarah (we hope your knee is better for tomorrow!). Thursday is the final round and then onto the semi finals and the finals!
Click here for today's pics
Thank you everyone for making the Summer Project such great fun. We will see you all tomorrow for Clara Lara.
Day 6 - Yoga, Gymnastics, Baking Soccer & a Disco!
What a day!! The rain wasn’t our friend and we had to make three changes to the schedule but we carried on regardless and it was a great day!
The juniors did gymnastics in the morning. It was a great display- Dublin footballer style!! The boys and girls showed us how great they were at listening and how fast they were. They were all great sports and nobody complained when they were out Elena, Eden, Dalí, Clara Jane and Laura showed us how to tumble and handstand. They were awesome!! The hula hoop game was a real hit.
Unfortunately tennis was cancelled in the afternoon due to the weather.
Yoga
The seniors had a jam packed day with yoga in the morning. We had lots of stretchy bendy people and then a room full of frogs jumping about!
The kids did stone and rainbow, acted like whales and funny looking crabs who bent in directions which scared Michele the teacher..... It ended with a little relaxed chill out time!!
Swimming was wet like it has been all day!! Lots of fun with 63 kids splashing and screaming in Templeogue swimming pool.
Baking
The seniors had baking with Sam in the afternoon. They made Minion Oreo cake pops and a Cookie Monster cup cake. There were also some amazing artists in our colouring competition with Georgia Hallows and Beth Delaney in first place and Aoife and Ilona Van Rensburg in second place. There were so many acts of kindness it was difficult to only pick one from each class. Lucy Fleming told us not to start the class until her friend Beth arrived and Caoimhe Feeney helped Maura when she saw that she needed it. Lots of kindness and a really amazing group of children.
Soccer
Senior Soccer was rescheduled to the Spawell Dome. It was Ireland, England. Scotland and Wales competing for the Summer Project Championship. The competition was fierce. There was great footwork from Tom Lucey, amazing saves from Conor Keys (Dublin player Killian O’Gara was even saying how great he was!) and great tackling from Stephanie Kenny. Killian Griffin won the most competitive award.There were three rounds and Wales led by Julie French, sailed through to the final. Meanwhile, Scotland and Ireland had a penalty shoot out to qualify for the final. It was a tense affair with Conor Keys saving three penalties and despite Olivia Aspell’s slick penalty, Scotland got through to the final.
Wales won with Scotland in second, Ireland in 3rd and England in 4th place. Well done to all the kids- it was great craic.
Disco
The seniors finished the day off with a disco where they rocked the boat, did the Macarena and generally went wild (aided by the sweets from the tuck shop). Sam Hanlon had all the moves and at one stage had a crowd around him cheering him on. There were lots of games including wrapping the supervisors in toilet paper - ‘which mammy wore it best’. The tunes were pumping and even teenagers joined in the dancing from behind the tuck shop desk.
Click here for pics of the day!
The juniors did gymnastics in the morning. It was a great display- Dublin footballer style!! The boys and girls showed us how great they were at listening and how fast they were. They were all great sports and nobody complained when they were out Elena, Eden, Dalí, Clara Jane and Laura showed us how to tumble and handstand. They were awesome!! The hula hoop game was a real hit.
Unfortunately tennis was cancelled in the afternoon due to the weather.
Yoga
The seniors had a jam packed day with yoga in the morning. We had lots of stretchy bendy people and then a room full of frogs jumping about!
The kids did stone and rainbow, acted like whales and funny looking crabs who bent in directions which scared Michele the teacher..... It ended with a little relaxed chill out time!!
Swimming was wet like it has been all day!! Lots of fun with 63 kids splashing and screaming in Templeogue swimming pool.
Baking
The seniors had baking with Sam in the afternoon. They made Minion Oreo cake pops and a Cookie Monster cup cake. There were also some amazing artists in our colouring competition with Georgia Hallows and Beth Delaney in first place and Aoife and Ilona Van Rensburg in second place. There were so many acts of kindness it was difficult to only pick one from each class. Lucy Fleming told us not to start the class until her friend Beth arrived and Caoimhe Feeney helped Maura when she saw that she needed it. Lots of kindness and a really amazing group of children.
Soccer
Senior Soccer was rescheduled to the Spawell Dome. It was Ireland, England. Scotland and Wales competing for the Summer Project Championship. The competition was fierce. There was great footwork from Tom Lucey, amazing saves from Conor Keys (Dublin player Killian O’Gara was even saying how great he was!) and great tackling from Stephanie Kenny. Killian Griffin won the most competitive award.There were three rounds and Wales led by Julie French, sailed through to the final. Meanwhile, Scotland and Ireland had a penalty shoot out to qualify for the final. It was a tense affair with Conor Keys saving three penalties and despite Olivia Aspell’s slick penalty, Scotland got through to the final.
Wales won with Scotland in second, Ireland in 3rd and England in 4th place. Well done to all the kids- it was great craic.
Disco
The seniors finished the day off with a disco where they rocked the boat, did the Macarena and generally went wild (aided by the sweets from the tuck shop). Sam Hanlon had all the moves and at one stage had a crowd around him cheering him on. There were lots of games including wrapping the supervisors in toilet paper - ‘which mammy wore it best’. The tunes were pumping and even teenagers joined in the dancing from behind the tuck shop desk.
Click here for pics of the day!
Day 5 - Fairies, Bushcraft skills and Butterfly Houses
Thank you so much for such a great first week. We’ve had so much fun and we hope all the children are enjoying themselves. We would like to give a shout out to all the kids for the energy, enthusiasm and kindness they are showing each day, it really makes the Summer Project so special.
Juniors- Trip to Malahide Castle
The Juniors had a super day in Malahide Castle. We had so much fun in the playground with the girls and boys having great craic together. We had a lovely picnic and saw beautiful butterflies in the butterfly house. It was Callum’s birthday, so we sang happy birthday on the bus. Dara and Íde made a little bed for the fairies too!
Seniors- Hell & Back
Once again St Pius’ finest took on Hell and Back and came out the other side filthy and exhausted but with the biggest smiles on their faces.
We got stuck in right away hurtling down a water slide, leaping off Ireland’s Fittest Family’s Water Jump, kayaking and tackling a floating obstacle course.
After a quick stop for lunch under the trees we then faced the Hell and Back Obstacle course. Water jumps, tyres, cargo nets, rope climbs all had to be overcome with the reward of a giant water slide at the end.
Finally we had our bushcraft skills session where we built our own shelters among the trees and after all that hard work we finally got the relax around a camp fire and roast marshmallows.
What a day, unbelievable fun and kindness to be seen all around throughout the day. It was so heartwarming to see the children work together as a team and help and encourage each other as they faced each and every challenge. Today it really was very cool to be kind!
A special shout out to our Anne Linton by far the fittest committee member who did the obstacles course- not a bother on her! She also made delicious flapjacks for everyone (we’ve no idea how she managed to squeeze in making brownies with her busy schedule - she is definitely a superwoman!).
A big Happy Birthday to Lucy Flemming, we hope you had a great day.
Click here for the pics of the day.
Juniors- Trip to Malahide Castle
The Juniors had a super day in Malahide Castle. We had so much fun in the playground with the girls and boys having great craic together. We had a lovely picnic and saw beautiful butterflies in the butterfly house. It was Callum’s birthday, so we sang happy birthday on the bus. Dara and Íde made a little bed for the fairies too!
Seniors- Hell & Back
Once again St Pius’ finest took on Hell and Back and came out the other side filthy and exhausted but with the biggest smiles on their faces.
We got stuck in right away hurtling down a water slide, leaping off Ireland’s Fittest Family’s Water Jump, kayaking and tackling a floating obstacle course.
After a quick stop for lunch under the trees we then faced the Hell and Back Obstacle course. Water jumps, tyres, cargo nets, rope climbs all had to be overcome with the reward of a giant water slide at the end.
Finally we had our bushcraft skills session where we built our own shelters among the trees and after all that hard work we finally got the relax around a camp fire and roast marshmallows.
What a day, unbelievable fun and kindness to be seen all around throughout the day. It was so heartwarming to see the children work together as a team and help and encourage each other as they faced each and every challenge. Today it really was very cool to be kind!
A special shout out to our Anne Linton by far the fittest committee member who did the obstacles course- not a bother on her! She also made delicious flapjacks for everyone (we’ve no idea how she managed to squeeze in making brownies with her busy schedule - she is definitely a superwoman!).
A big Happy Birthday to Lucy Flemming, we hope you had a great day.
Click here for the pics of the day.
Day 4 Summer Project
Junior- Jungle Dave and Artzone
Day 4 was a resounding success (except maybe for the rain). The Juniors had the best day ever. It kicked off in the morning with Jungle Dave which the kids got to meet Sean the snake, Dermot the Scorpion and Keith the Chameleon. Everyone was so brave and either held or touched a tarantula. There are lots of cool pics of the children with the snake around their necks and the chameleon on their head -they’re absolutely fearless!
They even got certificates at the end to say they were qualified in holding a tarantula!!
In the afternoon the Juniors did Artzone where they got creative and sculpted dogs out of modelling clay- they’re so impressive.
Senior - Trek in Djouce Woods
Well the rain may have poured but it didn’t dampen the spirits.We cancelled the Sugar Loaf climb and headed to Djouce Woods instead. The trip started with singing on the bus and when we got there the heavens opened up and it was a wet trek through the woods. There were soggy sandwiches and smiles as the children battled through. Sam O’Hanlon set up a group called ‘The Unstoppables’ and unstoppable they were. They even made up their own song!
Congrats to Maeve, Clodagh and Tara who apparently won (I’m not sure the others knew it was a race though!)
Olympic Handball
Olympic handball was as competitive as ever. It was the Clara-Jane Bastik versus Aidan Bastik - the brother and sister rivalry. There are a few teams at the top level on points, so it’s shaping up to be an exciting final week next week.
Day 4 was a resounding success (except maybe for the rain). The Juniors had the best day ever. It kicked off in the morning with Jungle Dave which the kids got to meet Sean the snake, Dermot the Scorpion and Keith the Chameleon. Everyone was so brave and either held or touched a tarantula. There are lots of cool pics of the children with the snake around their necks and the chameleon on their head -they’re absolutely fearless!
They even got certificates at the end to say they were qualified in holding a tarantula!!
In the afternoon the Juniors did Artzone where they got creative and sculpted dogs out of modelling clay- they’re so impressive.
Senior - Trek in Djouce Woods
Well the rain may have poured but it didn’t dampen the spirits.We cancelled the Sugar Loaf climb and headed to Djouce Woods instead. The trip started with singing on the bus and when we got there the heavens opened up and it was a wet trek through the woods. There were soggy sandwiches and smiles as the children battled through. Sam O’Hanlon set up a group called ‘The Unstoppables’ and unstoppable they were. They even made up their own song!
Congrats to Maeve, Clodagh and Tara who apparently won (I’m not sure the others knew it was a race though!)
Olympic Handball
Olympic handball was as competitive as ever. It was the Clara-Jane Bastik versus Aidan Bastik - the brother and sister rivalry. There are a few teams at the top level on points, so it’s shaping up to be an exciting final week next week.
Day 3 Summer Project
From Block Printing, to creative pottery, mental and physical challenge games and Tag Rugby- Day 3 had it all. The juniors had a great day with Picture Bingo- there were lots of funny animal noises and nearly everyone had a chance to shout ‘Bingo!’.
In the afternoon the Juniors had Giddy Studios where they got to paint ceramics. The colours and designs were just fabulous.
It was a great day out for the 2nd/3rd/4th classes at Go Quest today. The competition was high and adrenaline pumping 60 mins of intense action. Congrats to the winning team ‘team Luke Letch’ who completed an incredible 11 challenges and amassed a score of 54 points - followed very closely by ‘the cheesy Doritos’ at 53.
Trip to Town
The 5th & 6th Classes had a Trip to Town. They did block printing in one of Dublin’s oldest printers. The artwork was amazing. Dillon Yates will be exhibiting in IMMA for sure and Eva Linton did some beautiful flowers. They had lunch in McDonalds and also did the Viking Splash Tour and scared poor unsuspecting tourists with their roars. One group went to the Wax Museum and got to pose with the stars (and Donald Trump!) while the other group did a treasure hunt in the Natural History Museum (congrats to Eva, Aoibhe and Aoife for winning the quiz!). They had ice cream, fist bumped a Garda outside the Dail and headed home on the bus.
Tag rugby
Tag rugby was epic, they had a round robin of three matches and then the finals. Some people were out to win (Tom and Peter) and the competition was intense. There was some good passing, tagging and really great teamwork. Team 1 won (Tom and Peter)- well done to Katie Lucey, Tom Lucey, Lucy Flemming, Killian Griffin, Marney Bailey and Emilia Dolan Carty. Team 6 were runners up but fought hard and it was down to the last second of the game. Well done everyone!
Click here for the pics of the day.
A few notes:
The Junior’s Giddy Studios painted pottery will be available to collect from the hall tomorrow and the 5th & 6th block prints will be available to collect from the hall next Monday.
Thursday 6th July
Tomorrow will be another jam-packed day with the juniors getting to pet snakes and wild animals with Jungle Dave and getting creative in the afternoon with Artzone. The Seniors are heading to the Sugar Loaf and in the evening we have the next round of Olympic Handball.
Thanks everyone for all the fun, they really are a great bunch of kids.
See you all tomorrow,
The Summer Project Committee
In the afternoon the Juniors had Giddy Studios where they got to paint ceramics. The colours and designs were just fabulous.
It was a great day out for the 2nd/3rd/4th classes at Go Quest today. The competition was high and adrenaline pumping 60 mins of intense action. Congrats to the winning team ‘team Luke Letch’ who completed an incredible 11 challenges and amassed a score of 54 points - followed very closely by ‘the cheesy Doritos’ at 53.
Trip to Town
The 5th & 6th Classes had a Trip to Town. They did block printing in one of Dublin’s oldest printers. The artwork was amazing. Dillon Yates will be exhibiting in IMMA for sure and Eva Linton did some beautiful flowers. They had lunch in McDonalds and also did the Viking Splash Tour and scared poor unsuspecting tourists with their roars. One group went to the Wax Museum and got to pose with the stars (and Donald Trump!) while the other group did a treasure hunt in the Natural History Museum (congrats to Eva, Aoibhe and Aoife for winning the quiz!). They had ice cream, fist bumped a Garda outside the Dail and headed home on the bus.
Tag rugby
Tag rugby was epic, they had a round robin of three matches and then the finals. Some people were out to win (Tom and Peter) and the competition was intense. There was some good passing, tagging and really great teamwork. Team 1 won (Tom and Peter)- well done to Katie Lucey, Tom Lucey, Lucy Flemming, Killian Griffin, Marney Bailey and Emilia Dolan Carty. Team 6 were runners up but fought hard and it was down to the last second of the game. Well done everyone!
Click here for the pics of the day.
A few notes:
The Junior’s Giddy Studios painted pottery will be available to collect from the hall tomorrow and the 5th & 6th block prints will be available to collect from the hall next Monday.
Thursday 6th July
Tomorrow will be another jam-packed day with the juniors getting to pet snakes and wild animals with Jungle Dave and getting creative in the afternoon with Artzone. The Seniors are heading to the Sugar Loaf and in the evening we have the next round of Olympic Handball.
Thanks everyone for all the fun, they really are a great bunch of kids.
See you all tomorrow,
The Summer Project Committee
Day 2 Summer Project
Day 2 was fulfilled day with lots of activities. The Juniors did Kaizen Dojo and learned how to hold a Samurai Sword - needless to say they loved it. The juniors had lots of fun at drama, acting out scenes in statue form from Cinderella. We definitely have some budding actors and actresses- watch out Hollywood. To finish of the day the juniors did yard games with Dublin player Killian O'Gara. There was lots of fun (especially the parents playing dodgeball!). Click here for all the pics from day 2.
The Seniors had a jam packed day too with a martial arts lesson at Kaizen Dojo. Stephanie won the obstacle race with an impressive time of 15 seconds and the girls beats the boys at dodgeball!!
Next up the Seniors had bowling with some impressive strikes. Harlow got an impressive 81 and one of the parents had to rescue a stray ball! The seniors loved the drama class and acted out scenes from Shrek- apparently it turned into a comedy show. Click here for all the pics from day 2.
Unfortunately the rain bucketed down so we had to cancel Tag Rugby. There were lots of disappointed kids so we're going to reschedule to tomorrow.
The Seniors had a jam packed day too with a martial arts lesson at Kaizen Dojo. Stephanie won the obstacle race with an impressive time of 15 seconds and the girls beats the boys at dodgeball!!
Next up the Seniors had bowling with some impressive strikes. Harlow got an impressive 81 and one of the parents had to rescue a stray ball! The seniors loved the drama class and acted out scenes from Shrek- apparently it turned into a comedy show. Click here for all the pics from day 2.
Unfortunately the rain bucketed down so we had to cancel Tag Rugby. There were lots of disappointed kids so we're going to reschedule to tomorrow.
Day 1 Summer project
Senior Rounders
Summer Project 2023 off to a flying start this morning for our Seniors with rounders, games and blue skies in Terenure College. Amazing energy from everyone there (parent volunteers included) and wonderful to see so many children embracing our “It’s Cool to be Kind” motto already. Brilliant stuff. Click here for the pics of the day.
Junior Quiz
Junior quiz 10am 3rd July. Alex rescuing a toy off the ceiling. The kids were all enjoying the quiz and some quirky answers including Mr Neary's 1st name being "jambo" Click here for the pics of the day
Senior Rock Climbing
Senior Rock Climbing was awesome with the children scaling new heights and even climbing into a cave to sign their name. Everyone loved climbing the welly boots and honking the horn when they reached the top. There was no fear at all!!. Click here for the pics of the day
Olympic Handball
Olympic handball was true to form and always bedlam on day one. The teams were sorted and the games began. One of the most special things of the summer project is that the older and younger kids play together and Olympic Handball is always great craic with the young kids getting stuck in. Competition was mighty but the teenage refs kept everyone in check. Well done to everyone!
It's Cool To Be Kind
A big congrats to Conor Hewitt who won the 'Cool to be kind' prize on day one for volunteering to move to another team even though he didn't know anyone on the team. Well done Conor, you're a great example to everyone of being kind.
Summer Project 2023 off to a flying start this morning for our Seniors with rounders, games and blue skies in Terenure College. Amazing energy from everyone there (parent volunteers included) and wonderful to see so many children embracing our “It’s Cool to be Kind” motto already. Brilliant stuff. Click here for the pics of the day.
Junior Quiz
Junior quiz 10am 3rd July. Alex rescuing a toy off the ceiling. The kids were all enjoying the quiz and some quirky answers including Mr Neary's 1st name being "jambo" Click here for the pics of the day
Senior Rock Climbing
Senior Rock Climbing was awesome with the children scaling new heights and even climbing into a cave to sign their name. Everyone loved climbing the welly boots and honking the horn when they reached the top. There was no fear at all!!. Click here for the pics of the day
Olympic Handball
Olympic handball was true to form and always bedlam on day one. The teams were sorted and the games began. One of the most special things of the summer project is that the older and younger kids play together and Olympic Handball is always great craic with the young kids getting stuck in. Competition was mighty but the teenage refs kept everyone in check. Well done to everyone!
It's Cool To Be Kind
A big congrats to Conor Hewitt who won the 'Cool to be kind' prize on day one for volunteering to move to another team even though he didn't know anyone on the team. Well done Conor, you're a great example to everyone of being kind.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
St. Pius Summer Project is a voluntary community summer project run by a committee of local parents for over 30 years.
All primary school children from the St Pius Parish and School are welcome, from Junior Infants to 6th Class, provided the child has completed one year at primary level.
The emphasis is on fun, teambuilding and a wide variety of great value activities in a safe, familiar environment. It kicks off the summer holidays in great style, with the children meeting old friends and making new ones.
Try your hand at a new activity this year and get in training for yet another year of our famous Olympic Handball tournament!!
Acknowledgements:
St. Pius Summer Project is run by a committee of volunteers, mainly parents of children in St. Pius X BNS & St. Pius X GNS. We are grateful to those past volunteers who have helped the Summer Project grow from strength to strength over many years.
We are a non-profit organisation and are supported by South Dublin County Council and affiliated with Crosscare who provide a Child Protection Training and a Garda Vetting process.
We thank our school principals Mr. Coyle & Ms. Doyle for their kindness in making the school facilities available to us. We also thank our local scouts for the use of the Scout Den on Greenlea Road as our sister venue for the project.
St. Pius Summer Project is run by a committee of volunteers, mainly parents of children in St. Pius X BNS & St. Pius X GNS. We are grateful to those past volunteers who have helped the Summer Project grow from strength to strength over many years.
We are a non-profit organisation and are supported by South Dublin County Council and affiliated with Crosscare who provide a Child Protection Training and a Garda Vetting process.
We thank our school principals Mr. Coyle & Ms. Doyle for their kindness in making the school facilities available to us. We also thank our local scouts for the use of the Scout Den on Greenlea Road as our sister venue for the project.