08 September 2019

Dear Parents,

At the beginning of the school year, may I take this opportunity on behalf of the staff, to welcome
all the children back to school. Welcome to our new Junior Infant pupils. I hope their time in school
will be a happy experience for them and that by co-operation and mutual understanding between
home and school, we will be able to work together for the children’s benefit.

Junior Infants will continue to go home at 12:00 for these 2 weeks. They will then go home at
2:00pm from Monday, 16th September onwards.

We seek your co-operation with the following:

 Please label all children’s clothing and belongings clearly including lunchboxes and drink
containers if you have not already done so.
 Please make sure that your child has indoor runners/shoes.
 Please check & sign your child’s homework every night.
 All children require an old large shirt/t-shirt (labelled) for Visual Art activities.
 Check your child’s schoolbag regularly for letters.
 Please provide you child with a plastic bottle as they find it difficult to open juice cartons.
 Please sign your child’s homework.
 Check your child’s hair to ensure that any infection of head lice is treated at once.
 Staff request that money for book rental and outstanding art and craft money etc to be
forwarded to the class teacher.
 Please comply with the following procedure when forwarding money to the school:-
o Money should be placed in a sealed envelope.
o The child’s name should be marked on the outside.
o The amount in the envelopes should be clearly stated.
o The purpose for which the money is forwarded should also be clearly stated.

If you change address or phone numbers, please inform the school so we can update the school
records. This is most important as we often need to contact parents by phone.

Please find attached our list of foods & drinks recommended & not recommended in our school.

If there is anything that is concerning you about your child at school, and you feel you need to
discuss it with their teacher, please contact the secretary/teacher for a “meeting request form”
as it is not always possible for teachers to meet with parents before school due to supervision duties
and class preparation.

The Board of Management will not accept responsibility for children in the school-yard before
9:15am or after 3:00pm.

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 and other appropriate persons.
In order to comply with the Act, staff and I need your cooperation with the following:
  If your child is absent, please write a note to teacher stating the reason and give it to your
child on the day your child is returning. It is unnecessary to phone as well.
 If your child has to leave the school during the school day, please write a note or enter into
“Leave early page” in their homework diary.
 We also operate a “sign in/sign out book”, please sign same also.

The Department of education and Science has introduced Guidelines and Procedures for all schools
in relation to Child Protection and Welfare. These guidelines promote the welfare of all children.
The Board of Management has adopted these guidelines 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 the local Health
Board, who will assess the case and provide the necessary support for the child concerned.

Dancing starts Friday 6th September - €2 per lesson.

Yoga starts this Tuesday 3rd September - €2 per child.

Wishing Pearses Niamh Kilkenny (Galway Senior team) and Orla Kilkenny (Galway Senior Team
Management) the best of luck in the All Ireland Senior Camogie Final this Sunday in Croke Park
against Kilkenny.
The Galway County Camogie Board in conjunction with all the National Schools in Galway City &
County are urging all schools to take part in a No-Uniform Jersey Day this Friday September 6th to
support the girls on Sunday. Children can wear their club or county jerseys this Friday to school.
Anyone who wishes to do so can contribute €2 (or whatever amount you wish) on Friday.

The following is the correspondence received from Galway Co. Council which is self-explanatory.
For now patience and co-operation is needed until we secure grant aid.

“A chara

I refer to your application for funding under the CLÁR Scheme for 2019 and the recent
announcement by the Department of Rural and Community Development of 6 successful projects
for County Galway. Unfortunately, this represents a reduction in funding from 2018 when 15
projects were approved for funding, and this situation is reflected across the country.

I regret that your application was unsuccessful in being short-listed for funding this year.”

Hope all last year’s 6th Class are settling well in Secondary School!

Any old library books are welcome at any time during the year.

Also enclosed is our School Calendar.

Looking forward to your continued support throughout the new school year.

Sincerely,

________________________________
Principal

Encls.