Message from the Principal
Christmas time is a time of reflection where we look back on the year just ending and often wonder where did the year go and what happened over the past 12 months? Christmas only marks the end of a term, however, it is useful to reflect on what has been achieved in the short period from September to December. As is always the case, schools are busy places and Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa Íosa is no exception. 2011 will go down in the history of the school as a very significant year for many reasons, but especially because the school embarked on the challenging road of providing education for a group of children with very special needs. Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa Íosa has a recognised and proud tradition of caring for all children but particularly children who have special needs. Our new class ,Coiscéim for children with autism, is further evidence of the commitment of the school community to children who have special needs. I thank the board of management, the parents and all the school staff for their support for this project and I wish Ms Gillan, class teacher, Ms Patti Forristal and Ms Lisa Sheehan, special needs assistants, every good wish in their new role. An Taoiseach Mr. Enda Kenny will officially open the new Coiscéim facility in the New Year
Our Parents’ Association has been very busy also during this term. Thanks to the Association for organising the bookfair with Ms Mullany. The Association organised the printing of the beautiful Christmas cards, produced by the children. Parental support is vital for the children and we welcome your continued involvement in school activities.
Our teachers have been working tirelessly to ensure that the new junior infants settled in well and our resource teachers have done great work on literacy and in helping with the socialisation process of the children. Parent/teacher meetings have been completed and we thank you for your attendance and the teachers for giving of their time over and above the call to duty to facilitate them. Since September, teachers have engaged in a range of activities after school hours under the terms of the Croke Park Agreement including professional development, school planning and staff meetings. Preparations for First Communion, Confirmation, class dramas and Christmas Carols have also been taking place in the school.
These are difficult economic times and the recent budget will have an effect on schools. Reduced budgets and a reduction in teacher numbers will unfortunately impinge on Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa Íosa but we will not know to what extent until later in the year. We thank all of you for your efforts to pay for your child’s school books etc. since September. The Parents’ Association will be having a voluntary envelope collection in the New Year and we ask you to do your best to contribute whatever you can afford. The Association continually supplement the school resources with funds raised.

Congratulations to Mr. Joe McNeice and Mrs. Paula Doyle on their election as parents' nominees to the new board of management.

School enrolments for Junior Infants 2012 will take place in early February. Advertisements will be placed in local papers

May I take this opportunity to wish you and your families a peaceful and happy Christmas.

Reminder: School closes 12 noon Thursday 22nd December.

Parent /Teacher Meetings etc.

Thank you to those parents who have already attended their parent/teacher meetings over the past two weeks. The remaining meetings will take place between 3p.m and 6p.m on Monday next December 5th. You should have a time scheduled at this stage but if not, please contact your child's class teacher for an appointment. Meetings will not begin until 3 p.m. to give parents an opportunity to collect their children from school and to give teachers a coffee break before the meetings begin. No children should be brought to the school during the meetings. We had a number of complaints last year from parents and teachers about noise levels in the corridors and around the school.

Christmas Cards

Final Christmas card orders are now being taken. This is a fundraiser organised by the parents' association and the children have enjoyed taking part in the design and production of the cards.

Clothes Collection

Thank you for your contribution to the clothes collection last week. I think the bad weather had an effect on the response and the parents' association will consider another collection after Christmas.

Facebook, Utube, Internet

Parents are reminded that young children should not be allowed unsupervised access to the internet. Children are exposed to serious dangers, if responsible monitoring is not taking place. Children can be bullied or indeed bully through the use of these sites and also as a result of unsupervised use of mobile phones.

Reminder: Christmas holidays commence December 22nd at 12 noon.

Coiscéim

Coiscéim
Monday 14th November was a red letter day in our school's history. Coiscéim, our special class for children with Autism opened its doors to six new children. Ms Julie Gillen, the unit's director and teacher and the two special needs assistants, Ms. Sheehan and Ms.Forrestal have done trojan work in preparation for the big day. The new classroom is situated in the old PE hall, which has been completely refurbished at a cost of over €100,000. We welcome the new children and we hope that Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa Íosa will be a source of support for them and their families over the coming years. Thanks to the board of management, the school staff and parents all of whom have been very supportive of this initiative. There will be an official opening ceremony later in the school year, where we hope the school community can celebrate this important milestone in the history of the school.

Board of Management
Next Monday night at 7.30p.m. there is a meeting of parents to nominate and elect parents' nominees for the new board of management which takes up office in December for four years to December 2015. This is an important meeting and I encourage as many parents as possible to attend. The board of management is the statutory body charged with managing the school and it is important that parents have their voice with the rest of the school community in deciding how our school should develop over the coming years.

Book Fair 2011
Book Fair 2011 is underway at the moment and the children are showing great interest in the selection of books on offer. Thanks to Ms. Mullany and the Parents' Association for their work in organising this very successful annual event.

All Ireland Cup
The Liam McCarthy All Ireland Hurling Championship Cup will visit the school on Thursday 17th November. This will be the first time that this prestigious cup will be here and we are especially lucky that one of the Kilkenny All Ireland winning team, Mr Herity is on our staff. Mr Herity has 3 All Ireland medals with Kilkenny in the number 1 jersey. Well done to him and the team. We hope to raffle (free) a Kilkenny Kit on the day among all the children.

Of Course Sam Maguire will also visit us later in the month, won of course by Dublin!

Parent Teacher Meetings will take place soon. Details will be sent to all parents by letter. It is important that parents meet with teachers so that we can work together to support the development of the children.

School closes for Christmas holidays at 12.00 on Thursday December 22rd and re-opens on January 9th 2012.

Welcome and well done!

At this stage the children have settled back to the new school year well and I want to thank all the parents, children and staff for your cooperation in facilitating the smooth return to school. There continues to be some disruption due to the ongoing preparation of our new classroom facilities for our children with autism. Our new facility wll be called "Coischéim" and will open on our return after mid-term on November 7th. This is an exciting new development for the school and we welcome our six new children who will be taught by Ms Gillen and asssisted by Ms. Forrestal and Ms. Sheehan.

Our Parents' Association has been very active already this term. The Association's AGM was well attended on October 12th and the committee are at present organising a Christmas card competition. Please support these very dedicated people who are working tirelessly to enhance the education experience for all the children.

I have already written to all parents and guardians regarding the book, art and craft photocopying monies still due to class teachers and I want to thank all those who have responded positively to the letter. Please do not hesitate to contact the school if there is a difficulty around meeting your commitments in this regard. We will deal sympathetically with each case.

The school will be closed on the day of the Presidential Election, 27th October and our mid-term break commences on Monday 31st October. Please remind your children of the dangers around fire works, bangers etc.

There are a number of young boys climbing on to the roof of the school at evening time and during the weekends causing substantial damage to the new roof and endangering themselves also. The roof is only completed one year and cost the tax payer €370,000. One of the boys has been identified on camera and the Gardaí are investigating. I would appreciate if any responsible adult sees these or others on the shool premises to please contact the Gardaí at 6667000.

Our COW days at school have been very successful with may boys, girls parents and teachers cycling or walking to work. Well done, but be sure your child brings his/her bicycle home each evening. Remember all should walk their bicycles through the school grounds.

Confirmation date for 2012 is March 23rd and First Communions will take place on May 12th 2012.

The boys and girls from 4th class are attending swimming on Thursdays.

Reminder about not sending juice cartons in with your children after mid term.

With the cold weather arriving please ensure that the children are well wrapped up for school.

Summer 2011 update.

Summer 2011

As we approach the summer holidays, we reflect on a very busy year and hope that summer will bring all a deserved rest and help renew their energy for the coming year. We mark the end of the year by acknowledging the contribution of the children, the teachers and the staff to the success of the school during the year.



2010/2011
This has been a year of many new milestones in the history of the school. Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa Íosa fielded its first hurling team, supported by the local club and by the dedication of Mr. Herity and Ms Donovan. The school participated in its first Basketball competition this year thanks to Ms Kirby and was very successful in a recent tournament.


Bugsy Malone, the musical, was another huge success in a list of many musicals the school has staged over a number of years. Mr Sullivan and Ms Donohoe, supported by all the staff deserve great credit for their work in this area.


Nearly 300 children took part in the National Children's Choir this year in the National Basketball Arena and a large number of children represented the school at the National Concert Hall in late May. Ms Murray and the teachers from 5th and 6th classes worked very hard to prepare the choir. The children sang beautifully and behaved impeccably. As principal I received many compliments about the way your children conducted themselves... well done all.


There were tables quizzes (Ms Connell), Masses and preparation for the sacraments of Communion and Confirmation (Ms Donovan and the sixth and second class teaches), Athletics (Ms Farrell), Soccer (Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Kestell), GAA football (Mr Lyons, Mr. Stapleton).

Croke Park Agreement

Much has been said and written about the Croke Park Agreement since it was accepted earlier this year. In addition to all the extra curricular work outlined above, the teachers at Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa Íosa have been working an extra hour per week planning school work, engaging in professional development, having staff meetings and meeting parents. As a result children have benefited from more time in school as all meetings etc. are now held after school hours. The board of management will continue to identify, in consultation with the teachers, the school priorities in the coming year as part of the Croke Park Agreement.

End of Era

This summer marks the end of an era for the school with the retirement of Ms. Anne O’Neill, who has been in Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa Íosa for 23 years. Anne’s contribution to the school has been enormous. Her gentleness and her care for the children will be missed. Anne has been a wonderful colleague and we thank her for her contribution to the school community and wish her a very happy retirement. We also wish Mr. Conor Lyons the best as he takes time out to travel next year. Mr. Lyons has contributed much to the development of games in the school and we thank him for his work. Ms. Kirby is taking time out to do further studies which will be of great benefit to the school on her return.

We extend good wishes to Ms. O’Driscoll who goes on maternity leave in September.

Special Class for Children with Autism

The board of management has accepted a request from the Department of Education and Skills to provide for a special class for children with autism from the beginning of Septemeber 2011. This is a huge challenge for the school. New facilities will have to be put in place for the new school year. Six children will be enrolled in the class and a teacher and two SNAs will support them. The new facility will be in the old general purpose room and preliminary work with architects and builders for the refurbishment of this area are under way. Teachers are also undergoing training and registration for enrolment is underway. The school has a strong tradition in the provision of support for children with special needs and this development will provide much needed help for children with autism in the area. My experience in this area in the past has been very positive despite the challenges.


Laneway

A meeting between the school, the community centre and Fingal county Council was facilitated by Cllr Patrick Nulty to try to resolve the fencing and laneway beside the school. The matter is still unresolved but it is hoped that some developments will take place in coming days.






Sympathies

I would like to extend the heartfelt sympathy of all at Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa Íosa to the Lenihan family on the death of Brian Lenihan T.D. Mr. Lenihan was a good friend to the school and the community over many years and was in no small way instrumental in ensuring that the people of this area had a schools' infrastructure second to none. On a personal level he was a man of great charm, with and was caring and deeply interested in the welfare of the you people in this are. Ar Dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.


It is with regret also that we record the death of our caretaker Michael's dad. We extend our sympathy to Michael and his family.

Parents' Association

The Parents' Association have contributed enormously to te school over many years and this year is no exception. The newsletter outlines many of the activities it is involved in on behalf of the parents. The Association is constantly thinking of novel ways of raising funds to provide extra resources for the children. On your behalf and on behalf of the school community, thank you.

IT

Nearly all classrooms have now been fitted with white board projectors from grants provided by the Department of Education and Skills and thanks to Mr Kieran Lyons for the trojan work he has done to ensure that the work was completed on budget.

Tracksuit

The new tracksuit is now available at Happy Events in the Centre and thanks to the Parents' association for its work in bringing that project to fruition.

Christmas to Easter

The term from Christmas to Easter has been very busy. The very cold snowy days of early January seem very far away, yet it is only 14 weeks since we came back to school after Christmas. During this time the school has produced and staged the musical Bugsy Malone at An Draíocht and performed a wonderful repertoire of choral music in the Basketball Arena. The school hurling team trained, played and won in its first ever hurling game for the school. Many children ran at an athletics’ meetings in Porterstown. Children have written books, won national awards and taken part in many competitions and quizzes. They came second in the local Credit Union Quiz and did very well in the National Parents’ Council Quiz recently. Our girls’ and boys’ football teams have been training hard and representing the school. Basketball has commenced and our soccer teams have been on the field regularly. Junaid Abdulkarim has just won an An Taisce Green Schools’ award winning a digital video camera and €300 for the school and a brand new bicycle for himself.

The Sixth class boys and girls have been confirmed after weeks of preparation and our Communion classes are nearing their big day. Well done to those confirmed and particular thanks to the boys and girls who voluntarily contributed some of their Confirmation money to four special charities. It is a pity that the ceremony has in recent times become very noisy due to people talking and moving in and out of the church on a continual basis. We hope there will not be a repetition of this for our First Holy Communion. The children, teachers and parents put a lot of effort into these important spiritual milestones in the children's lives and it is important that all present respect the occasion.

Over 100 children have enrolled for next September and we look forward to welcoming them to the school soon.

The staging of Bugsy Malone was a major achievement and one which the school undertakes every few years. To all concerned I say a hearty congratulations! It was a magnificent production and the boys and girls were a credit to themselves, their families and the school. Over 1200 people went to see the show and such was the demand for the tickets that the school could have put on many more performances. This was a team effort of huge proportions and I want to congratulate and thank all the staff, parents, friends and the community for all the work and support.

Many of the activities outlined are over and above the call of duty and I acknowledge on behalf of the children and the parents the dedication of staff to the school at a time when the public service is getting poor press. Enjoy the Easter break and I have no doubt that the next term will be equally as busy and we hope as memorable as the last.

Thank you for your cooperation during the disruption outside the school during the recent roadworks. We hope these will be completed before we reurn after Easter. Safety is a primary concern and I urge you all to use the designated crossing areas in the mornings and after school. Please respect our Lollipop Ladies, Terry and Vera who do a tremendous job for the school on a daily basis in rain, hail, wind and sunshine.

The school has been trying very hard for a number of years to have the issue of the side entrance to the school dealt with. I understand that our local councillors are working to have the matter resolved. In the meantime, thank you for your patience.

As we seek to gain our 4th Green we are focusing on transport. We need to look at how we come to school and try to walk or cycle rather than always travelling by car. There will be a new bus lane on the school side of Huntstown Way soon so parking will be totally prohibited (as it is at present!) in the mornings. Try to encourage your child and indeed take up the challenge yourselves as parents to walk,cycle or take public transport to school.

Our Parents' Association deserve special mention for their commitment to the school and the hard work they do fund raising, helping out with our various big school events and generally supporting the school throughout the year. They organised the envelope collection this year, which was very successful and thank you to all the families who contributed so generously. The Association researched and have produced a new more suitable and harder wearing tracksuit which will be available for September. Those who have the present tracksuits may continue wearing them and there is some old stock available in the shop over the next few weeks at bargain prices of €25. (Tracksuit bottoms: €12.50)

Bugsy/Enrolments/Swine Flu/Snow days

Preparations for Bugsy Malone, the musical are at an advanced stage. The curtain goes up on February 9th at 8p.m. in the Draíocht in Blanchardstown. There will be performances also on the 10th, 11th and 12th of February at 8p.m. and a matineé on Saturday 12th at 2p.m. We wish all the participants every success and hope that the venture will be well supported by the school and local communities. Hoodie tops, hats and a variety of other merchandise are now on sale at the school to publicise the event and to raise much needed funds to cover the costs of the production. Tickets are on sale at the Draíocht ond online at www.draiocht.ie The Students' Council recently raised €1400 with a novel funky shoe and hat day. Well done to all the organisers.

Enrolment for children for junior infants will take place in February. This year the school will also take enrolments on one evening from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. to facilitate families who cannot enrol during the day. Children must have reached their 4th birthday before the 1st of September to be enrolled in primary school.

Enrolment dates and times are as follows:

Tuesday 15th February from 10a.m. to 12 p.m

Wednesday 16th February from 10a.m. to 12 p.m.

Thursday 17th February from 10a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 7 p.m to 9 p.m.

Applicants for enrolment must bring the following:

1. An Original Birth Certificate
2. An Original Roman Catholic Baptismal Certificate (if Roman Catholic) and a copy of same.
3. Two Current utility bills (Gas/ESB/Landline telephone only) dated within two months of registration week.

Please be vigilant regarding Swine Flu and continue to take the precautions as outlined on the HSE website.

The board of management have decided that all reasonable efforts will be made to make up class contact time lost by the children due to the snow in December. It has agreed that at least three days will be made up by rescheduling staff meetings to outside school time and that a planning day due to teachers will now beused as an ordinary school day. The board also decided that the traditional half day on the day of Easter holidays would now be a full day and that the school will close an hour later (1p.m)than the normal closing time of of 12.00noom on June Thursday 30th. Teachers will, of course, make every effort to make up the remaining time lost in the normal course of their work.

2011

Greetings to all and best wishes for 2011. School reopens on Monday 10th. The weather forecast for early next week is for cold frosty conditions. Please make sure that children are well wrapped up for the wintry weather. Thankfully, the outlook from mid week on is better.

Preparations for our musical, Bugsy Malone are intensifying and tickets are on sale. The organisers will be selling "musical merchandise" on our return to school to help publicise the event and to raise funds to cover the cost of the production. We appreciate all your support in this venture, which is a major undertaking for the school.

Our very active Parents' Association has been researching the quality of the school track suit. This is in response to a number of concerns expressed by parents over the past year. The committee members have tested a number of options and have now agreed with our supplier on a more suitable material. More information will follow soon.

A reminder to all that school begins at 8.50 a.m. and all children should be in their lines at 8.45a.m. I have spoken to all the children about the importance of punctuality.

We dont expect the return of the Swine Flu to have a major effect in the school but if you suspect your child may have it or indeed any illness, do not send them to school.

2011 will be a difficult year in terms of staffing. We expect staff reductions, particularly in the area of language teachers and perhaps some mainstream class teachers. We do not have the details at this time but will keep you informed.

Enrolments for Junior Infants will take place 15th, 16th and 17th February. Confirmation Day is Friday 25th March and Bishop Raymond Fields will officiate.