Fáilte ar ais …..Bliain nua 2012/13
Dear Parents/Guardians
Welcome to all our new Junior Infants and to all the other new students who joined us for this school year.
Thank you to Gee Bee and her Adorable Mums who treated parents (and grandparents) to tea and goodies on Monday and Tuesday, making the parting from the little ones a little easier. Special thanks for sponsorship from Callagys Pharmacy, Londis, Tesco, Walsh Family Butchers, John Ryan Quality Meats, Rhapsody Dessert, Black Forest Bakery, Jim McGeeney’s Garage.
Confusion about Expenses and Voluntary Payment
In an effort to cut down expenses this year we curtailed the number of books for purchase to 3/4 books and offered a rental scheme.– the Parents Association are helping to subsidise this scheme. REMEMBER: Families with 2 or more children are only charged for 2. We also joined with St Joseph’s schools and halved the voluntary contribution for families that have children in both schools.
I realise that this is still a very expensive time of the year.
The school (and ultimately your children) are dependent on your support to provide the wide range of activities on our curriculum (specialised PE teachers and Recorder lessons). I am not sure if you are aware that grants to schools have all been cut so we are trying to manage on very limited resources.
Some parents have suggested that weekly/monthly payments would be easier to manage … a very good idea. This year we include Insurance on expenses list. However this is voluntary. If you wish to have your child insured please sign attached Insurance form and return to school with payment. …. If you have already paid for insurance … you must still complete the form and return it to the school.
CLOSING DATE FOR INSURANCE FRIDAY 22 SEPTEMBER
PARENTS ASSOCIATION AGM
The Parents Association will host a cheese and wine reception on Tuesday 25th Sep at 8.00. You will get a chance to hear about the many ways in which the school is supported by parents. We need representative from every class.
Meetings take place in the school on the second Tuesday of the month during the school year (Oct—Sep) at 8.30pm.
On the night of the AGM there will be a raffle for a class party. Each parent attending will get a ticket for the class/es of their child/ren … just imagine how popular YOU would be if you won this prize for your child’s class..
The meeting will also provides a very good opportunity for new people to the town and Junior Infant parents who are new to the school to meet with each other.
ART WINNERS
2012 has been a great year for all our artists:
The work of Chinazom Eloji, Niamh O’Ferrall, Aoife Boland and Kaylee Moore Kiernan was on display in the Local gallery in Kilcock before the holidays. Their work was again displayed in the Curragh last weekend where the sponsors of the competition, Moyglare Stud treated the artists and their families to a day at the races
The GAA celebrated their 125 birthday this year and Emma Browne, Julia Jurczyk, Lillian Okeke, Megan O’Brien, Aoife Cuffe, Jessica Quinn and Elena Teevan celebrated the occasion in art for which they earned awards.
Literacy Day
Saturday 8th Sep was International Literacy Day: the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) and the EBS produced a booklet At Home with Family Learning. This 50 page guide provides parents with 150 tips for helping their children with Literacy and Numeracy. There is also an online resource called helpmykidtolearn.ie which draws all the literacy resources produced by NALA and the EBS together “making them available in one place”.
Here are some of the tips to support your child’s learning:
Talk, listen and respond to your child: talking is one of the most important skills your child will learn. The more you talk with her, the better her knowledge of words and phrases and skills of communication will be.
Read and tell stories: sharing stories plays a very important part in your child’s development. Through hearing stories they not only learn language sharing stories plays a very important part in your child’s development. They not only learn reading skills but they also develop emotional qualities which help them make sense of their feelings.
Get your child to count things: learning number informally through play and discussion is a great way to learn maths.
I would encourage all families to become members of Kilcock Library.
We plan to put some helpful tips on vocabulary, maths, helping with homework on our website … so keep an eye.
CHILD SAFETY
The safety of our children is our primary concern. Thank you all for cooperating with traffic/parking restrictions … keep it up EVEN WHEN IT’S RAINING please!
To make it easier to monitor visitors to the school, we have decided to lock all access doors between 9.20 and 2.30 (except when Infants are going home 1.30-1.45) –access outside these times will be through Main Door. Please try to ensure you child is in her line to enter school with her class at 9.00am.
FROM MONDAY 17th SEP ENTRY AFTER 9.20 THROUGH MAIN DOOR.
DENTAL and VISION SCREENING
Permission notes for (Dental 2nd, 4th and 6th; Vision Junior and 5th) will be sent to you soon; please complete and send back to school if you wish to avail of the services.
Some errors in BOOK LISTS
There was an error in the book list (Rang 2); books have now been replaced and balance refunded; refunds for H/W journals have also been made to Senior Infants.
THANK YOU TO CATHERINE OMOLAOYE’S MUM and CHURCH FOR DONATION OF REAMS OF PAPER – REALLY APPRECIATED BY 4th, 5th and 6th.
Calendar of events for TERM 1
TUES 25th Sep @ 8pm AGM Parents’ Association:
WED 17 Oct: Sponsored Walk
MON-FRI 29 Oct—2 NovMid term Break:
TUES/WED 13/14 Nov: Parent Teacher meetings (Senior Infants – 6th class)
WED 12 Dec @10.30 Sale of Work:
WED 19th Dec Christmas Pageant:
Christmas Holidays: School closes at 12.00 on 21st Dec
Parents Association
THEMES FOR NO UNIFORM DAY
Last Friday of the Month €2
Sep: Jersey day
Oct: Hallowe’en
Nov: Denim Day
Dec: Santa Hat Day
Jan: Back to Front Day
Feb: Valentine Day
March: Green day
April: Fancy Hats
May : Summer
June: Shorts and Shades