Updates from the Principal

2011-12-21T00:26:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-12-02T01:30:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-16T01:03:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-10-19T03:01:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-06-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

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

2011-01-25T00:42:00.000-08:00

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:

An Original Birth Certificate
An Original Roman Catholic Baptismal Certificate (if Roman Catholic) and a copy of same.
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

2011-01-08T05:19:00.000-08:00

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.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-22T05:07:00.000-08:00

Sacred Heart School will be closed today 22nd and tommorrow 23rd December due to the bad weather. We regret that the school had to take this action but conditions worsened yesterday and the health and safety of all is of paramount importance. School re-opens on January 10th 2011. We wish all our Children, Parents/Guardians, Teachers, SNAs, Cleaners, Bean an Tí, Lollipop Ladies, Secretary and Caretaker and all in the school community a very happy and peaceful Christmas. I hope all families got the school newsletter. Our date for Confirmation in 2011 is March and Bishop Raymond Fields will officiate. Communions will be on May 28th at 10 a.m. and 12 a.m. and not April as mistakenly published in the newsletter.

Bugsy Malone, the musical, will be our next major undertaking in February 2011. This is a major project and we need the support of the whole school community. Tickets, Tshirts, caps etc. will be on sale in the school early in the New Year.

Happy New Year to all

School return

2010-08-24T02:17:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that the summer is almost over and that all the boys and girls will be returning to school next Tuesday 31st August. This is a stressful time for families and I hope that you have managed to source books uniforms etc for the new school year. The school is open for enquiries this week.

Major refurbishment work has taken place in the school over the holidays. All toilets, wash basins, floor coverings, sink units and presses have been replaced in the old section of the building. New tiling and painting has been completed also. The whole school has been wired for internet access, which will be available in all rooms of the school from mid September. 10 new white board projectors will also be installed over the coming weeks.

These projects have all been funded by the Department of Education and Skills at an approximate cost of just over €200,000. Last year's roof replacement cost €270,000. This represents a considerable investment in our children's education and makes our school one of the best equipped in the country.....nothing less than our children deserve.

A special welcome to the boys and girls who are joining Junior Infant classes this year. I hope they will settle in well and we wish our 6th classes the very best as they enter second level for the first time.

Sad Week

2010-04-08T04:10:00.000-07:00

The Easter holiday period has been marked by unspeakable tragedy with the violent death of our past pupil Toyosi Shitt-abe. On behalf of the school community I offer our deepest sympathy and support for the Shittabe family and in particular to Kafila Shade and Khalido Abayome, Toyosi's sister and brother who are still with us in the school. Toyoshi is remembered as a lively boy and a keen sportsman. He was our player of the year in 2005/2006. This senseless death reminds us all how fragile life is and how we must at all times respect one another and treat each one in our community with kindness and compassion. The untimely death of Mrs Cahill, Lauren's (6th Class) has heightened our sense of loss and grief in the community and we send our sympathy and support to Lauren, Robert and all the Cahill family.

Easter News and more...

2010-03-25T03:17:00.000-07:00

As the Easter holidays approach, we congratulate the boys and girls from 6th classes on their confirmation on March 12th. They all were a credit to their parents and families. Thank you to you the parents for the way in which you prepared the children for the big day and of course to their teachers, Mr Sullivan, Mr Lyons, Ms Barry and Ms Kennedy. Thanks also to Mrs Kitt and Mrs Mooney who work with the classes and to Ms Desmond, who did great work with the choir which sang beautifully accompanied by Mr Culligan on violin and Ms McEntee on the organ. We thank Sr Claire , Clinton and of course Fr. George for their work with the boys and girls. Because these important milestones in the children's lives pass so smoothly on the day we often are unaware of the work and effort behind the scenes to ensure that they are respectful, prayerful and memorable for all.

Thank you to our quiz teams and Ms Connell who took part in the Credit Union Quiz and the National parents' Council recently.

The school Green Team was awarded its 3rd Green Flag. This is a wonderful achievement for the school and underlines our commitment to a greener environment. There has been some slippage on the litter scene recently and we are now embarking on a drive to reduce the number of black bags we use by asking the children not to bring in any litter with them and whatever wrappers etc they have to bring them home. W hope to reduce our waste collection charges by 50% this year.

The "Huntstown Hunnies", our school staff ladies team had a magnificent win in the ladies soccer blitz in Limerick recently. Well done to all of them and to Mr McDevitt their coach.

Ms Fitzgerald and Ms Lee ably represented the school last Sunday with their two acts in the schools' variety concert in the gym. Well done to the boys and girls in those acts.

On thespian matters, break a leg to Mr Sullivan in his lead role in the teachers' annual musical "Beauty and the Beast" in Belvedere College from 13 to 17th April.

Best wishes to Ms Scannell on her marriage to John on 10th April. Congratulations to Ms Desmond on her recent engagement.

Communion dates May 8th and May 15th at 11a.m.

Chocolate Heaven Day was a great success. The Parents' Association was overwhelmed by the response from families to its appeal for cakes etc. The parents' association do great work in the school not only fund raising but also in making Confirmation and Communion Days memorable by catering for the families in the school. This year's committee is doing trojan work for the school and keeping up a very important tradition of parental involvement in the school.

Uniforms/make up/earrings/tracksuits/shoes.... Parents are reminded to check the school policy regarding all these items. The vast majority of boys and girls adhere to the rules which are in place for very good reasons and as a result of long experience and consultation. Please ensure that your child is properly attired for school in the mornings.

The school staff will be making decisions soon regarding school tours next term. Because of cutbacks in schools and the fact that the school was not allowed replace the teacher with responsibility for this area, we may not be in a position to organise tours this year. The INTO has also instructed members that they cannot take on another teacher's responsibilities.

The Dragon Club awards will take place in the school on April 15th and all parents involved are invited to the atrium at 10'oclock for the event.

We have lots of football teams, soccer teams both boys and girls involved in games after school and on your behalf I thank all the dedicated teachers who give freely of their time for these activities. We also have hurling teams in training for next year. Our teachers also look after athletics teams and rugby coaching. Well done to all.

Our enrolment days went well. To date we have 103 places allocated. There are some places still available, so if anyone has forgotten to enrol they should do so as soon as possible.

The new roof on the old school will be completed during Easter. Thank you for your cooperation during the works. Over €230,000 will be spent on the completed project which is provided by the Department of Education and Science.

Initial steps have been taken to set up a student council in the school. More details later.

Have a very Happy Easter.

Enrolment/Frames/Bebo/Staff Meeting/Mid-Term

2010-02-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

Enrolment will take place on 9th 10th and 11th of February in the school from10 a.m. to 12 a.m. . It is important that each application is accompanied by original birth cert and copy of same, original baptismal cert and copy of same, child's PPS number and two recent utility bills (2 months) with confirmation of the parents'/guardians' address.

A number of children were disappointed that the stock of recording frames on sale by the The Parents' Association ran out before Christmas. The Parents' Association has managed to acquire more frames and will be selling them in the school in conjunction with the enrolments on Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday of next week.

A staff meeting will take place on Wednesday next from 12.30 to 2.30. During the meeting, the school staff will be receiving training on child protection issues which all school staff must undergo under the provisions of the Education Act regarding child protection.

Ceremony of Light for children for Confirmation will take place on Tuesday at 7.30p.m in the church. It is very important that all children for Confirmation and their parents/guardians attend.

I have written to parents/guardians of 6th class boys and girls advising them to monitor their child's activities on Bebo. Some parents have made the school aware that unkind and inappropriate messages are being posted on the Bebo site. Access to Bebo on the school site is blocked as part of the school's responsible use of internet policy. These reported postings are being made from children's home or from whatever other sites they have access to. I accept the school has no jurisdiction over these matters but if such actions affect a child's school attendance, their academic performance or their relationships within the school school it is of serious concern.

Mid-term break takes place February 15th to 19th. School re-opens on Monday 22nd February.

Catholic Schools' Week/Text a parent/Senior Infants/brown envelopes/Parents' association

2010-01-29T01:03:00.001-08:00

To mark Catholic schools' week a service will be held in the Church on Monday next February 1st St. Brigid's Day. The theme of the week is "A light for every generation" A number of activities are planned for the week including the making of St. Brigid's crosses, some project work on St Blaise and research around grandparents.

Ms Scannell and Ms Brogan will have to move from their classrooms with senior Infants from next Tuesday morning to the Gym to facilitate the replacement of the roof of their classrooms. Parents might consider adding a layer of clothing to the children as the heating in the hall may not be as effective as in the classrooms.

Text-a-parent: At this stage 95% of parents have provided a family contact number to facilitate better communications with families in the event of there being a need to contact families urgently for some unforeseen reason.

Thanks to the Parents' Association for its work in fund raising before Christmas and for the provision of two white board for our school. If you have not returned the brown envelope with a donation to the school you might do so as soon as possible.

Roof/swine 'flu/ enrolment/Haiti/parking

2010-01-27T03:42:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all for your cooperation with our roof replacement arrangements. Classes will be disrupted over the coming days as the work progresses. We hope to keep this disruption to a minimum. The workmen will be here over the weekend in an effort to keep the inconvenience to a minimum. Work will continue during the mid-term break also.The swine flu vaccine programme will be completed today. Any child who has missed out and wishes to have the vaccine must contact their local GP. Thank you to all those who helped out in the coordination of the work.Enrolment will take place on 9th 10th and 11th of February in the school. It is important that each application is accompanied by original birth cert and copy of same, original baptismal cert and copy of same, child's PPS number and two recent utility bills (2 months) with confirmation of the parents'/guardians' address.Congratulations to the children and teachers who undertook the fund raising for Haiti last Friday. Almost €2500 was collected in the cake sale. Thanks to all the parents and teachers and school staff for your wonderful cooking.By now you are aware that the Gardaí are clamping down on illegal parking outside the school in the mornings and evenings. The purpose of this is to ensure the safety of your children and the school supports this initiative. I appreciate that there are many families who have to drive their children to school but I'm sure many others could consider walking the short distance especially on fine mornings. A bit of extra exercise will do only good for the children!

Swine 'Flu Vaccine

2010-01-21T05:53:00.000-08:00

Parents,

The swine flue vaccination of children aged 5 to 18 will be available in the school on Monday and Tuesday next 25th and 26th January. Only children whose parents have completed and returned the consent forms will be considered for the vaccine. Please ensure that you have returned a completed consent form to the class teacher. Spare forms are available from the school secretary should you require them.

Please note the following from the letter received by the school from the HSE:
“On the day of vaccinations we recommend that students ensure they have eaten breakfast and any appropriate meals, this lessens the risk of fainting during vaccinations. In addition they should wear loose clothing to facilitate vaccination in the upper arm”.
Due to the volume of work to be achieved it will not be possible for the HSE to actively follow up students who are absent on the day of the vaccination or where vaccination is deferred because the student is unwell. These students should be brought by their parents to the mass vaccination clinics”.

The vaccination will take place in school hall where facilities will be in place for the HSE team. We understand that there will be approx 8 doctors present. From the information we have received the administration of the vaccime will be a very operation. The time-table in latest news section is a rough guide as it is not possible to give exact times for specific classes.

Please note that no child will be vaccinated unless the consent and treatment form is returned fully completed and signed.

Thank you.

Seán Ó Díomasaigh
Príomhoide

Swine 'Flu

2010-01-21T00:54:00.000-08:00

Timetable for Vaccination on 25/26th January will be sent home to parents and posted here later today Thursday 21 January.

Please support our Cake Sale Fundraiser for Haiti tomorrow 22nd January.

Swine 'Flu Vaccination

2010-01-21T00:15:00.000-08:00

The Swine 'Flu Vaccine will be available in the school hall on Monday 25th January and Tuesday 26th January. If you want your child to avail of this fre service you must have completed the consent form and returned it to the school. Some forms are still available at the school if you have mislaid the one provided by the school two weeks ago.

Thank you for your cooperation with the new temporary arrangements for entering and exiting the school while the new roof work is being put in place.

New Roof/Swine Flu/ Party Food

2010-01-19T05:44:00.000-08:00

Work on replacing old roof will commence tomorrow. There will be some disruption and new arrangements for children entering and exiting the school. Details have been sent to parents of children who will be effected by the changes.

We are still awaiting dates for Swine Flu' Vaccination. It has been very difficult to get any information from the HSE but we will let you know as soon as we have dates.

Of late there have been requests from parents to distribute party food for birthdays etc in the school. The school will not accept party food, cakes, presents for distribution to children on health and safety grounds.

New Year

2010-01-15T03:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to all our children and happy New Year to all. Thank you for your cooperation last week during the very severe weather. We decided to open on Tuesday as the weather improved dramatically on Monday but we realise it was difficult for many of you in the surrounding estates. On balance we think we made the correct decision. Families will have received a letter this week about the text-a-parent initiative we hope to launch shortly. It is important that each family fills out this form including an up to date mobile number for the family and returns it to the school immediately. The parents' association is supporting this venture as a further way of improving communications between school and families.

Confirmation will be on Friday March 12 at 11 a.m.

The swine flu vaccine was due to be beginning on Monday next but with the late opening it has been postponed. We are trying to get a new start up date for this programme and will let you know the details.
Work will commence shortly on the replacement of the old school roof. This will cause some disruption to parents and children. We appeal to all to be vigilant as you enter the school and respect the signs.

School Opening

2010-01-11T05:08:00.000-08:00

School will reopen tomorrow 12th January at 8.50 a.m. We look forward to seeing you all back in the morning as the snow has thawed considerably over the last 24 hours. However it will be wet under foot, so be careful and ensure you have suitable footwear and clothing. It is important also that it be emphasised to all children to be careful not to throw snowballs as snow may contain stones or pebbles.

School Closure Update

2010-01-08T10:50:00.000-08:00

A very happy New Year to all our Parents and children. You will be aware by now that the Minister for Education and Science has announced that all schools will be closed on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday of next week due to the extreme weather conditions. We are aware that this will create some hardship for families but the safety of children and parents is of paramount importance. Please keep up to date with developments through the school website on which we will post any new information. The Swine Flu' vaccination programme is due to commence on January 18th and hopefully the late opening will not effect these arrangements. Thank you.

2010-01-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

School Closure

The school will remain closed on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th January due to the severe weather conditions. Please visit the website for updates over the weekend.