Newsletter

Dear Parents/ Guardians,

Non-Uniform Day (Friday 26^th March)

On Friday 26^th March, we will have a non-uniform day where the children can dress up in traditional costumes, county colours or their own clothes. For this non-uniform day, we will collect €3 per child /€5 per family for donation to Finding Charlie’s Voice. Finding Charlie’s Voice is a local initiative which aims to raise awareness in particular for Verbal Dyspraxia, but also for all speech and language communication needs. Finding Charlie’s Voice are kindly donating assistive communication boards to our school, which will help support our pupils’ communication through use of pictures and symbols.

Easter Holidays

Easter Holidays will commence on Friday March 26th March for two weeks. There will be staggered closure times, as follows:

11.50am

• Senior Infant classes will exit via the yard
• 2^ndClasses will exit via the Senior Hall doors at front of school

12 noon:

• Junior Infant classes will exit via the yard.
• 1^stClasses will exit via the Senior Hall doors at front of school

Where a sibling is being collected at the same time, but at different locations, the eldest child can wait with their teacher while the youngest sibling is collected first. Please be mindful of Covid-19 restrictions and public health social distancing guidelines. Thank you for your co-operation in this regard. School books will be sent home with children on Friday 26^th March as a precaution.

The school will reopen on Monday April 11^th.

School Reopening

We operate in accordance with the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre guidelines for children older than 3 months and up to 13 years of age which is available here. It is important that you please read this document and make yourself familiar with each situation.

In line with this, before the return of children to school, parents/guardians are asked to complete a Return Facility Declaration Form after every absence. Your child’s class teacher will send this form to you. It is important that all parents/ guardians of pupils complete this online form before returning on Monday April 11^th .

If your child has returned from another country abroad, before the child returns to school, please contact the HSE and the Dept of Foreign Affairs as to the duration of self-isolation (currently 14 days) and please contact your GP to arrange a COVID-19 test. See https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/b4020-travelling-to-ireland-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/ for up to date information.

We would remind all members of the school community of the dangers of spreading this virus through congregation of groups of people. Please be mindful of this during the Easter Holidays. At school we are doing our very best at having control measures in place to mitigate against the virus. We thank you for your co-operation and assistance in this regard.

School Self Evaluation

As part of our School Self Evaluation, we will be carrying out a Wellbeing survey of all students, staff and parents. This will be sent out after Easter and we would appreciate if you could complete it as soon as possible. We are hoping to focus on improving the exterior of our school, making it more colourful and making spaces where we can bring the curriculum outdoors. There will be a section on the survey for you to add any suggestions you may have for improving your child’s school environment. We would also appreciate your help in collecting some of the following items for some upcoming school projects. If you have any of these items, please put them aside and send them in to your child’s teacher after Easter.

• plastic bottle tops, milk tops, drink container lids.
• metal pots and lids (no frying pans)
• metal colanders
• metal dish drying racks
• metal baking tins
• plant pots
• paint for wood or metal

Many thanks for your continued support.

Farewell to Asta

Asta has worked in the school for over 16 years as a cleaner and is now returning to her home country of Lithuania. Asta has always been a treasured member of staff and we are very grateful for all that Asta has done for us to ensure that the school is a clean and safe place to be. Second class children made lovely cards for her. We wish Asta the very best as she embarks on the next chapter of her life.

I wish you all a wonderful Easter Break and I hope the Easter bunny comes!

Best wishes,

Teresa Moynihan