1981 – 2017 Confey was separated from the Parish of Leixlip in 1979. Fr. Paul Freeney was the first curate in charge of Confey. He resolved to put the wishes of the first Parish Priest of Leixlip, Fr. Patrick Savage to rights. In 1832 Fr. Savage was appointed to Maynooth and Leixlip and his first task was to build a church in Leixlip. Fr. Savage had a Foundation Stone engraved with St. Charles Borromeo’s name on it, but the Archbishop of the day, Dr. Murray, had other ideas and insisted on the church being dedicated to Our Lady. Despite its chequered history, the Foundation Stone survived, and Fr. Paul Freeney chose this name for both the church and school in Confey. He then set about building a school. San Carlo Junior School opened it’s doors in September 1981 for the first time. There were six teachers on staff : Mrs. Mc Cann (Principal), Mrs. Buckley (D.P.), Mrs. Divilly, Ms. King, Mr. Keegan and Mr. Aherne. The number of pupils on roll was 201. The average class size was 35 and there were was no Learning Support position in the school. The first Principal of San Carlo J.N.S. was Mrs. Margo McCann and her D.P. was Mrs. Eva Buckley. Mrs. McCann retired in 2008 after 27 years service to the school. She left behind a rich legacy in the field of education in our school. The children who joined Senior Infants and first class in September 1981 previously attended Scoil Eoin Phoil, Green Lane, Leixlip. These children travelled from Confey to Green Lane daily by bus until our school opened. The children came from the following areas: Confey, Glendale, Riverdale, St. Mary’s Park, Avondale, River Forest and the surrounding areas. The pupil numbers steadily increased until 1991 when we had 725 children on roll. This caused a serious accommodation problem due to the late delivery of prefabricated classrooms which lead to “dual days” for the pupils. This meant that one half of Junior Infant pupils attended in the morning and the other half of the pupils attended from noon onwards.Our teaching staff numbered 24 at this stage. Currently there are 271 pupils enrolled in San Carlo J.N.S. We have 12 mainstream teachers, two Learning Support teachers, two Resource teachers, 2.83 SNAs, 2 job- sharing secretaries, one caretaker and four part-time cleaners. In the early days the school hall played a big part in the life of Confey parish as it was used for Sunday masses and other parish gatherings while the church was being built. The first group of children received their First Holy Communion in May 1982. The ceremony took place in a prefabricated church and Fr. Sean Malone officiated in place of Fr. Paul Freeney who was ill. . The second Principal appointed to San Carlo J.N.S. was Mrs. Eva Buckley and she lead the school from 2008 until her retirement in December 2011. During her time as Principal the school was insulated and a new gas boiler was fitted. Mrs. Bridie Divilly became the third Principal of the school in January 2012. A native of Galway, she has lived in the parish since she got married. She has worked tirelessly for the good of the pupils of San Carlo and the wider community. In March 2012 Mrs. Divilly applied to have new windows fitted throughout the school. Mrs. Divilly retired in August 2014. The current Principal, Mrs. Catherine Diggins was appointed in September 2014. The Deputy Principal is Mrs. Regina Fitzgerald. New windows and doors have been fitted, a lobby area has been created and a full electrical upgrade of the school has been completed. San Carlo J.N.S has just been awarded it’s second Active Flag and it’s second Green Schools Energy Flag. We are also applying for Digital Schools status and will know shortly if we are successful. San Carlo Junior School has now reached the stage where we have past pupils returning as parents and teachers. We also have past pupils who return here to do Transition Year work experience and Teaching Practice. It is great to see pupils, teachers, parents and all stakeholders in the community working alongside each other. The school is fortunate to have a very active Parents Association. Their fundraising and general involvement in school life has enriched the range of activities and resources available to the children. Thanks to their fund-raising efforts the school will be installing a sensory garden and playground in June 2017. The support of parents over the years has been greatly appreciated and every cent raised has gone back into resources and activities that benefit all children. The future for San Carlo J.N.S. and it’s many pupils looks bright. Catherine Diggins Principal.

The uniform for September 2018 will be Girls: navy pinafore/trouser with a blue cardigan/jumper. Tie with a narrow gold stripe . Blue shirt and navy/white tights or socks. Boys: navy trousers, blue jumper, blue shirt, tie with a narrow gold stripe and navy/black socks. (Please remember that pupils may wear their brown uniform until it no longer fits) This uniform is generic therefore all elements, except the tie, are widely available from chain stores and on line. The tie will be available, at a reduced rate, solely from the school. I have spoken with the suppliers and I will let parents know as soon as they are ready for purchase. This new change of colour will make the uniform more easily available and cheaper to parents.