Muireann O'Loughlin Class of 2023 was recently awarded a Sports Scholarship at Marino Institute of Education. She's undertaking the B.Ed in Primary Teaching. Muireann is a graduate from the Class of 2023.

Congratulations Muireann from all at HFSS.

Our service puppy in training has finished her first day at work! Esme joined us at HFSS today. She is 13 weeks old. We are already all smitten.

Esme is a shepadoodle. She is a very gentle pup. A sister from the litter is in Piper's Hill College (Naas) and another is in the Curragh Community College. 

We are incredibly grateful to the charity, My Canine Companion, for supporting our school and giving us this opportunity.

https://www.mycaninecompanion.ie/

Reminder: Please note, as per our calendar, classes will finish at 3.25pm for all students this Thursday 7th November to facilitate the 3rd Year Parent Teacher meeting.

We are delighted to share with you all that we will be welcoming a very special new member to the school team this November. HFSS, in collaboration with My Canine Companion (MCC), will welcome a school therapy puppy to our school community this month. MCC developed Ireland’s first school therapy dog programme. Originally piloted in Munster in 2020, the organisation now has 60 school dogs working nationwide, supporting students and staff throughout their school day.

HFSS will be one of four secondary schools in County Kildare to be among the first schools in Leinster to be a part of this programme. Research has shown the benefits of therapy dogs in education settings. MCC schools have reported a significant improvement in areas of wellbeing, mental health, anxiety, absenteeism, staff and student morale since the introduction of an MCC school therapy dog. This will be a working dog and will always be with a trained handler. Sarah Allen (Principal), Niamh Loakman (SNA) and Eithne Frahill (SNA) will be trained handlers for the dog.

https://www.mycaninecompanion.ie/mcc-school-therapy-dog-programme

The school policy and risk assessment is available to read in the pdf attached and is also available to access on our school website.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will the MCC school dog do on a day-to-day basis?

The dog may visit different rooms around the school during a day but will have its own chill out zone designated where the dog can have downtime. This again will be designated by the handler in consultation with MCC instructor.  The dog will always be kept under effective control.

How do I know that my child will be safe around the dog?

A risk assessment and policy will be in place and will be available on the school website. When moving around the school, the dog will always be under effective control. Students will receive instruction on how to interact safely with dogs.

Will my child pick up infections from the dog?

The dog will be fully vaccinated, treated regularly for worms and fleas and will not attend school if ill. Students will be required to wash their hands before and after handling the dog. There will be a dedicated dog toilet area away from areas that students access. There is also a dedicated bin for dog waste, which is labelled.

What if my child is allergic to dogs or afraid of them?

Parents can request that their child has no contact, or restricted access to the dog in these situations.

From all of the staff at HFSS, we wish our students, and their families a wonderful October mid-term break.