What do 2nd, 3rd and 4th Class think of
​St. Peter's National School?

"Everybody is kind and you are friends with everybody. We don’t have a uniform. We have spooky walks and other activities. You make lots of friends and I love the school tours. This school has so many things"

"I love our school because not only are we learning everyday, we’re having fun too"
"We had a water fight, swimming lessons, the Spooky Walk and the Reptile visit"
Stay up to date with our 2nd, 3rd and 4th class activities on our dedicated news and events page.

Meet our 2nd, 3rd, and 4th class teaching team

Laura McGovern
Deputy Principal, Teacher of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th class
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Graduated: UCD and Marino Institute
Years Experience: 7+ years
​Years with St. Peter's National School: 6 years
Hometown: xxx
Interesting fact: When my head is not in a book, I love to go for walks especially around the magnificent metropolis that is Mullingar. I love spending time with my family, friends and my adorable cat, Marty. In my spare time I love to go to concerts and spend time body-boarding in West Clare. One day I hope to learn how to surf!
My name is Laura McGovern and I am currently teaching 2nd, 3rd & 4th Class. I am passionate about languages having previously studied English Language & Literature, Linguistics and Spanish in UCD. My love of languages led me to explore how children acquire language which then sparked my interest in how children learn in general. Acting upon this, I completed a Post Graduate qualification in Early Years Education which led me to studying primary education in Marino Institute. 

This year I am teaching 2nd, 3rd & 4th Class. We love to read and were thrilled to have a zoom call with author, David Walliams to discuss his many books. We enjoy trips to the ]library and enjoy a weekly session of D.E.A.R – Drop Everything And Read! Paired reading experiences enhance our enjoyment of reading while developing our fluency. We are lucky enough to take part annually in ‘Fighting Words’ a creative writing workshop run in Dublin City by none other than Roddy Doyle!
I love to involve technology in my teaching. In our class we use chromebooks and we create projects on Google Docs and Slides. The children love challenging each other in games on Mathletics and seeing themselves gaining in the league tables. Seesaw is a wonderful tool for children to record work they have completed in school and share at home. We use Class Dojo to win points for effort and kindness. Children can use their points for special treats such as prizes from the teacher, extra yard time and class parties!
We are extremely lucky in St. Peter’s to have two dedicated Special Education Teachers and three Special Needs Assistants. In my class this means that for Literacy and Numeracy, 4th Class are taught in their smaller group by one SET teacher, 2nd are taught by another SET teacher and I take 3rd Class. The smaller class sizes means children get extra support in these core subjects.  Additionally, children with additional needs are supported by SNAs within the classroom during lessons and get targeted movement breaks during the day. 
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For me, St. Peter’s greatest strength is the school community. From the day I started I was warmly welcomed by staff, parents and pupils alike. This wonderful sense of community means that St. Peter’s is a warm, friendly environment where everyone is valued. I have made lifelong friends with my colleagues and had the privilege of teaching remarkable children. Our weekly whole-school assemblies are a special time for us all to come together and celebrate each other’s achievements.




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Managing a multi-grade classroom - a teacher's perspective

At the core of multi-grade is the sharing of knowledge and experience. One of the greatest moments in teaching is when you hear “Oh, I get it!” and the multi-grade setting means everyone gets to share in these special moments when peers share their knowledge with each other.
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Teaching a child for more than one school year means that as a teacher you get to understand each child so much better. This enables me as a teacher to cater to learning needs at a more personalised level. For the children, being in a multi-grade classroom widens their social circle. They develop skills to establish and maintain friendships with other children of the same age, as well as older and younger. 

Ger McGuinness, Special Needs Assistant (SNA)

Years Experience: > 15years
​Years with St. Peter's National School: 12 years
Hometown: xxxxx
Interesting fact: I was a young Ballroom dancer and my passion for performing continued on into my adult life when I joined the O’Connell Musical Society. I’ve since retired my dancing shoes and now my Saturday nights from late September to December are filled with watching Strictly Come Dancing.​
I started my full time position as a SNA in St. Peter’s National School in September 2019. Previous to that I subbed in St. Peter’s as well as many other schools in Meath and Kildare for a number of years.

When I started in St Peters the warm welcome I received was second to none.  Since then there hasn’t been one day that I didn’t want to go to work. I find working as a SNA very rewarding, although sometimes challenging.   I really enjoy interacting with the children and seeing them progress. My favourite part of the day is seeing them all coming through the gate in the morning.