Dear Parents/ Guardians,
As we approach the end of the academic year, I want to thank you all for your continued interest and support in your child’s learning. Your dedication, co-operation and commitment has ensured a smooth running of the school this year; a year, which has been extremely challenging year for everyone, particularly as a result of Covid-19. I want to thank you most sincerely for all your work, co-operation and support over the past twelve months. The following are some notices as we conclude this academic year
Change of details
If you have changed your email or phone number or address recently, please let Maureen, our secretary know on 01 6282691 so we can update our school records. If you are moving school over the holiday period please inform us in writing to info@stthomasjns.com as we have waiting lists for most classes.
First Holy Communion
The sacrament of First Holy Communion for the class of 2020 and 2021 will be celebrated over the coming months – July and September 2021 respectively. Further information can be found on St. Patrick’s Parish website here. There is an end of year Mass this Sunday, 27th June at 10.30am on the parish YouTube channel for children who will be celebrating the Sacraments. The link is as follows https://www.stpatrickslucan.ie/
Photographs will be taken for the current 3rd class on Monday 27th September and the current 2nd class on Wednesday 29th September.
If anyone has communion outfits which do not fit and one is willing to give to the school for us to give to families in need, please let us know. Likewise, if you are in need of communion outfits and are in financial difficulty, please get in touch and where such outfits have been donated to us, we will pass them onto families in need. All information is treated confidentially.
Summer Holidays
Summer Holidays will commence on Tuesday 29th June. There will be staggered closure times, as follows:
11.50am
- Senior Infant classes will exit via the yard
- 2ndClasses will exit via the Senior Hall doors at front of school
12 noon:
- Junior Infant classes will exit via the yard.
- 1stClasses 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.
The school will reopen on Monday 30th August. We will continue to stagger class starting and finishing times as follows and continue with our current covid protocols:
- Junior Infants: There will be 9.30am starting time from 30th August and the times will gradually increase each week. Please see the information email you received for the junior infant staggered times for reference and for details regarding the meet and greet times and dates for your child’s class.
- Senior Infants begin at 9am and finish at 1.40pm
- 1st class being 9.10am and finish at 2.50pm
- 2nd class begin at 9am and finish at 2.40pm
Please note that the school office will close on Tuesday 29th June and will reopen on Wednesday 25th August.
Book Rental
We would encourage our parents to avail of the book rental scheme available to first and second classes only. This allows parents of pupils in 1st/2nd class to rent the English Wonderland Readers from the school for the year at a very reasonable price. They are then returned to the school at the end of the year as they are school property. All other books on the booklist need to be purchased. Our Book Rental Scheme can be availed of through the Easypayments tab on the school website.
If you have any outstanding school equipment fees to pay from this academic year 2020/2021, please contact your child’s class teacher to ensure the payment is made as soon as possible. If you are experiencing difficulties, please contact the office on 01 6282691 or at info@stthomasjns.com.
Thank you from our PA
St. Thomas’ JNS PA would like to thank Ms Moynihan and all the teachers and support staff for the wonderful job they did over this last most challenging year. They kept our children safe and engaged while in school and worked very hard during the lockdowns. We realise the pressure of working in these Covid times and we want to say how much we appreciate it.
We would also like to say a huge Well Done to the parents who worked their way through the lockdowns. This has been a very difficult time especially for our children. We can only hope that things will continue to improve.
This has been a very different year for the PA. From Zoom meetings to not being able to do our usual events and fundraising. Despite this and because of the hard work over the past years helped by the support of all parents here are some of the things we were able to do.
Halloween Treats, Christmas Treats and a Santa Visit!
We purchased 4 picnic tables for the outdoor classroom.
We donated over €2000 to the school to help equip the new SEN room.
Thank you to our Parents Association
Many thanks to Maria Casey, Chairperson of our Parents Association and all committee members and parents who assisted the work of the PA during the year. In particular, many thanks for all the support, time and dedication that you have given St. Thomas’ JNS. All those activities and donations mentioned above among others support the educational, emotional and physical wellbeing of all pupils in our school and the Board of Management is very thankful for all that you do. Céad míle buíochas!
School Uniforms
Bernard Owens (our school uniform suppliers) have appealed to parents to purchase uniforms via their website www.bernardowens.ie. With the current HSE guidelines in place this is the safest and most efficient way to do so. If you have any queries regarding size please contact the shop via info@bernardowens.ie or call 01 6244488. If your child has grown out of his/her school uniform, we would be delighted to accept clean spare uniforms which will be made available for needy families in the school. Please drop them into the office at any time.
2021/2022
Best wishes to out 2nd class pupils who will be graduating on Friday 25th and moving to Scoil Áine next September. We will miss you and we wish you the very best in the years ahead. To our incoming Junior Infants, we look forward to meeting you in August and know that you will enjoy your time in at St. Thomas’ JNS.
Next year, as some of you may be aware, I will be going on maternity leave and Ms. Murray will be acting up as Principal. Many thanks for your good wishes and I wish Ms. Murray all the very best for the coming year.
Many thanks and wishing you a wonderful and sunny summer!
Teresa Moynihan