Parents Newsletter – Friday 15th of May.
Dear parents/guardians,
Hope you are all safe and well. Thanks to all the parents who returned the feedback survey on home schooling and distance learning. We received over 100 so far and Ms.Foley has put a summary of the data on our website for you to read. It is reassuring to know we are doing a good job in difficult circumstances, and with some appreciation for the challenges of the home environment , with many parents working from home or on the front line, and others having lost their jobs. We have seen some positive signs in recent weeks and hopefully better days are not too far away as the country re-opens safely.
I want to thank our school staff, who have all risen to the challenge of engaging your children in recent weeks, and they will be able to access their classrooms from May 18th (Phase 2) forward , to further support your child’s education , and following the protocols outlined by the Govt. and HSE.
In the coming weeks we will get additional materials out to parents of all classes, (Junior and Senior Infants, First and second Classes) , including workbooks, copies, readers and portfolios of work already done this year, in a safe staggered way, observing full social distancing. This process will commence from Monday 25th so please wait until you get further details from the school.
We are aware that many of our second classes would be normally looking forward to their First Communion day at this time and Fr. John will be hosting a special online Mass for all our Communicants, with an input from their class teachers, on Sunday 24th ofMay@10.30am, so please tune in at that time. We also hope to bring our Second Classes down after 8th of June (Phase 3) in small groups to visit their classroom, collect a token of appreciation from the school and say goodbye to their teacher. This will be done safely and with full social distancing.
Booklists with the name of the incoming teacher will go out via email in early June Given that our pupils have missed all of term three we will be reducing our school fees for next year by a third and recompensing our Second Classes via Easi Payments. Our annual Pupil Reports go out in the same format (email) along with the booklists. This year’s annual attendance will reflect the shorter year, and as standardised tests cannot take place this term, it won’t include that data. Reports will be based on assessment of work already done.
For parents of incoming Junior Infants we will be putting up an online video presentation on the school website on Wed 27th of May, and available thereafter, with all the practical information you need, and we will bring our classes in for familiarisation after the 10th of August, when restrictions ease.
A big thank you to Ms.Holzle, who has made reusable face masks for all staff and to her son Owen, who is producing the online video presentation above, and also for editing a video message to parents and children from all staff. Also a thank you to Esker Rí nursing home (Clara, Co. Offaly) who have been inundated with local donations, and have passed on a large consignment of sanitising gel to us. Finally I would like to wish Ms.Daly (R.6: Senior Infants) well as she commences her maternity leave. Ms. Ann Marie Weafer has done a full handover with her and will continue with the distance learning arrangements already in place.
Thanks for your ongoing co-operation,
Michael Maher.