Letter (1) 09092021

Dear Parents                                        Issue: 01                                                                 September 9^th 2021

 

The staff and I wish to welcome you all back to Scoil Chroí Naofa at the beginning of this new school year. We hope that pupils, staff & parents will have a safe and happy school year.

 

Staff News:

• Mrs Neasa Duffy is teaching the second Junior Infants class
• Mrs Laura McSpadden is teaching the 1^st / 2^nd class
• Mr Shane Kelly is teaching the 5^th / 6^th class
• Miss Laura McLaughlin will be covering for Ms Michelle Dolly who is currently on maternity leave
• Mrs Hennessy will be job-sharing with Mrs Comer as part of the Special Education Team

 

Important Dates to note:

• Thurs Sept 9^th: Internet Safety webinar for the three 5^th & 6^th classes.
• Fri Sept 10^th: Jersey day in honour of Galway in the Camogie final. Children are asked to bring in a donation of €1 or €2
• Wed Sept 15^th: Public Health nurse screening Vision & Hearing of children from last year’s Junior Infants cohort who were not seen during the summer. Texts have been sent to those concerned.
• Thursday Sept 30^th Staff Meeting Term 1 – all the children will go home at 1.15pm
• Thursday Nov 25^th Staff Webinar Term 1 – all the children will go home at 1.15pm

 

YouTube Links:

The following “Back to School” iMovies have been compiled by Mrs Cronin and put up on the school YouTube channel:

• Junior Infants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLDGp6kXaUc
• Whole School: https://youtu.be/krVBQ9dc9oA

 

Start of Term Reminders:

Children can be dropped off from 8:40am and are to make their way directly to their classrooms / prefabs. Class starts at 8.50am.

Pick up for Infant Classes is 1.30pm (Junior Infants go home at 1.30pm from Monday Sept 13^th)

Pick up for 1^st class to 6^th class is 2.30pm

When the school day is over the following arrangements will apply:

• • Jun Inf & Sen Inf: teacher will bring children to their designated exit door and will release the children into the care of the adult who is there to collect them. Please be aware that there are classes working in the prefabs. We would be grateful if your children could be kept reasonably quiet while passing. Please remind them also, that they are not allowed to go up and down the steps of the prefabs.
  • 1^st Class: Please make sure that you arrange with your child where exactly you will collect him/her at 2.30pm, e.g. in the yard, at the front wall, at the Church etc. We would ask that you phone or email the office to let teacher know that you are happy that your child knows where they will be collected. They will then be allowed to exit the school through their exit door & make their way to their agreed collection point.
  • 2^nd – 6^th Class: teacher will allow each pod to leave the classroom separately in order to minimise contact. (Please ensure your child knows where they will be collected e.g. school yard, front carpark, church carpark)

 

Parents of all children are requested to say goodbye to their children in the yard and let them enter the building / prefab by themselves.

 

Drop Off / Pick Up can be a busy time with traffic congestion, we ask everyone for extra patience at these times. Please observe social distancing at all times!

Any pupil who gets anxious for whatever reason after leaving the school is asked to return to the school via Door 1 (beside secretary’s office) and sit outside Principal’s office where they will be supervised until contact is made with their parents.

 

Please label all children’s clothes and belongings clearly including lunchboxes, drink containers, jumpers, cardigans & coats etc.

Your child should come to school in their PE clothes on their PE day. Teacher will let you know on what day your child will be having PE. Please make sure that your child has runners for PE.

Please ensure your child brings their raincoat to school for days that will be wet. Outdoor activity is being encouraged by the Department of Education.

 

Children with long hair should have it tied back.

 

Please make sure you have downloaded the Aladdin app on your phone and have notifications turned on, as teachers may be using it to correspond with parents during the school year.

If your child has been absent from school please record the reason for the absence on the Aladdin app (you will need to wait until teacher has marked your child absent first, before you will be given the option to record the reason).

Staff request all outstanding monies for book rental and school costs be paid as soon as possible. Please do this via the Aladdin app, if at all possible. (Any issues please contact the office).

No adults, other than staff members should enter the building. Messages for teachers can be sent by email / phoning the school office.

If an adult has to collect a child during the school day, the following arrangement will apply:

• When adult arrives at the school, they should phone the office (091) 844510 at the front door of the school (Door 1) to alert the office they have arrived
• The child will be brought from their class to the adult by a member of staff
• The adult who is collecting the child will be asked to sign the child out
• No adult should enter the school building, unless invited to do so.

Each class will have their own outdoor zone for break time. The school bottom yard, top yard and front of the school have all been divided into zones and break times are also being staggered. Each class has been assigned their “zone” in the yard and their set break times.

As per current guidelines, all staff will wear face coverings where a distance of 2m cannot be observed

Everyone will use hand sanitiser upon entering the building and again after each break. As per DES guidelines, the school will provide sanitiser. (Please inform us of any allergy issues).

Classrooms will be cleaned daily, with toy / resource sharing kept to a minimum and cleaned as per guidelines

Physical distancing from Junior Infants up to 2^nd class is not a Department of Education recommendation, 3^rd to 6^th class pupils will be in Pods in their classes with 1m between the pods where practicable.

Pupils and staff will wash their hands regularly and will be reminded of technique. We ask each pupil to wash their hands at home before coming to school

Pupils must be kept home with high temperature, cough, breathing difficulties or loss of taste or smell. Pupils should also be kept home if generally unwell. Pupils should stay home for 14 days after returning from a country not on the green list. If showing symptoms, pupil will be isolated and parents called. Parents will contact GP. HSE contact tracing will inform parents and school if a Covid 19 case is confirmed.

We have a nut free policy in the school due to allergies, please ensure your child does not have products containing nuts in their lunch.

Please provide your child with fruit/veg for first break. Children have a 10 min eating break after they come in from their two yard breaks. A colour-coded summary of our Healthy Eating policy is attached.

The healthy school lunch delivery service “The Lunch Bag” is available in the school again this year. For more information see www.thelunchbag.ie. Download the app to your smartphone, select your county and then choose the school name.

An introductory lunch will be sent home with the new Junior Infants today (Thursday).

It is school policy that invitations to birthday parties are not distributed at school out of respect for the non-receiver. You can join a “Class list” on Aladdin, by changing your security settings – this allows you to see contact details for parents of other children in your child’s class, provided you have given permission for your details to be shared also.

Donation of IT Equipment:

Over the summer holidays we received an incredibly generous private donation of 20 x Apple Mac Book Airs! These Apple Mac Book Airs will be used by the children in the classroom as a very valuable resource under our Digital Learning Framework.

 

Languages Connect:

We are delighted to announce that Scoil Chroí Naofa has been successful in our application to take part in the Languages Connect sampler programme this term. Mrs Trehy will be giving the pupils in Miss Feeney’s 3^rd class and Mrs Monson’s 6^th class an introduction to Irish Sign Language (ISL).

 

Health & Safety:

1. For the purpose of social distancing cars will no longer use the staff carpark. The school are using this as a yard which gives us more space to keep the children in smaller groups during break times.
2. No cars are allowed onto school grounds except in exceptional circumstances agreed with principal. All cars should be parked outside the school grounds in car parks outside the school gates and at the Church.
3. Please ensure that your child does not walk on the wall.
4. Please note that Coláiste an Eachréidh and Gael Scoil Riada are operating out of the old Presentation Secondary school building. As a result there will be difficulty parking and a lot of additional traffic.

The Board of Management will not accept responsibility for children in the school yard before 8.40am or after 2.30pm.

 

General Reminders:

• Punctuality: The staff of Scoil Chroí Naofa consider punctuality to be of paramount importance. Please ensure that your child is in school by 8.50am (at the latest) to avoid disruption to the beginning of the school day for teachers. Roll call is taken in the early morning, every day. If your child arrives late to school, they should go to the main front door (red door 1) where the secretary will let them in & bring them to their class.

• School Uniform: Your co-operation to ensure that your child wears the full school uniform every day (except on PE day) is most appreciated.
• Absences: In accordance with Section 18 of the Education Welfare Act 2000, when a pupil is absent for part or all of a school day, parent(s) must notify teacher or Principal of the reasons for the pupil’s absence. If a pupil is absent for more than 20 days during the school year, the school authorities must inform the Education Welfare Board who consult with parents. In order to comply with the Act, staff and I need your cooperation with the following:

1. If your child is absent, please log the reason for the absence on the Aladdin app
2. If your child has to leave the school during the school day, the person who is collecting your child must sign him/her out at the Secretary’s Office.

• Child Protection: The Department of Education and Science has introduced Child Protection Procedures for Primary Schools in relation to Child Protection and Welfare. The Board of Management has adopted these procedures as School Policy.  Consequently if there is a matter of concern in relation to the abuse of children we are obliged to report this to Túsla, who will assess the case and provide the necessary support for the child concerned.
• Medical Problems: Please make the school aware if your child has any medical problems. The information given in this regard will be treated with total confidentiality. In the case of a child necessitating urgent medical attention and where parents cannot be contacted, he / she will be taken to a local doctor or A&E.
• Head Lice: Please check your child’s hair regularly and treat any infection immediately.
• Change of Address: If you change address, email or phone numbers, please inform secretary so she can update school records. Regular school newsletters will not be handed out to the children, they will only be e-mailed, so please ensure that we have your most current e-mail address on file.
• News Publications: During the coming year we will be submitting articles and photos to the Connacht Tribune, the Tuam Herald and the Athenry News & Views Magazine, etc. If you do not wish your child’s name or photo to be submitted please contact the school.
• There will be no in-person school assemblies this school year. Mr Naughton will continue to record virtual assemblies which he will share with all classes.

• Please continue to visit our school website @ scoilchroinaofaathenry.ie for up-to-date school news, photos and events. We are always striving to improve the website; please forward any ideas/suggestions to [email protected]

Community Links:

• The new “Mass Path” between Scoil Chroí Naofa and the church carpark opened during the summer months. Please note this path provides access to the church for the whole community, so you are asked to be respectful when using it.
• Yoga Fun for Kids with Laurie in Athenry Community Hall. Thursdays at 3.15pm. For children aged 5 – 12 yrs. Contact Laurie on 087 0569552.
• Athenry Swans Hockey Club – a newly formed club open to children aged 6 to 14 (boys and girls). Check out www.athenryswanshockeyclub.ie for more information. The Athenry Swans are currently running a competition for all schools in the Athenry area. Your child is asked to design a crest for the new club. There are fabulous prizes for the winning person & their school.
• Brownie & Girl Guides re-open in Athenry on Friday 1^st October. If you wish to register your child in either brownies or guides, please email: [email protected]. Please give your child’s name and date of birth. If you are available to volunteer as a unit helper please mention this on email.

 

Bike Week events:

• The annual Pedal Parade for Bike week will take place on Sunday 12^th September. Meet at the market square at 4pm. There will be prizes for the best decorated cycle!
• On Monday 13^th September at 4pm there will be a Bike Clinic (Bike to Basics) at the Bike Shop in Prospect. Learn the basics of how to care for your bike. There will the free maintenance packs to the first 20 participants.
• On Wednesday 15^th September at 6.30pm: As part of Athenry’s designation as a National PoetryTown and to celebrate BikeWeek the “Wheels of Athenry” are delighted to bring you “Poetry in Motion”. This easy 1 hour fun cycle which takes us on a poetic journey around the streets of Athenry is suitable for everyone but you must have a light for your bike. For more info and to register for this event go to: https://bit.ly/3jOZCod

 

With every good wish for the year ahead.

Yours sincerely

 

Fergal Naughton  

Principal