Information Sheet: September 18
Welcome back to everyone.
A special Céad Míle Faílte to our three new Junior Infant classes. We hope you will avail of all the opportunities offered to you in St. Canice’s Co-Ed. and enjoy your time here.
Dates to Remember:
Friday 7th. Black and Amber /Jersey Day
Apple Pressing: Thurs Sept. 13th-details to follow.
Confirmation
Saturday May 11th 2018.
This is quite a lengthy newsletter but the information is very relevant to help keep things running smoothly in the school so please take the time to read it through.
Black and Amber/Jersey Day.
I have been asked to clarify what this means-we are celebrating participation in sport and in particular Kilkenny’s participation in the All Ireland Camogie Final. We wish our past pupil and Senior Panel member, Jenny Clifford and her teammates the very best of luck on Sunday. To mark the occasion we wear either Black and Amber jerseys or clothes in Black and/or Amber colours, Anybody who is not a black and amber supporter wears the jersey or colours of their club, county, country or team. You may also choose to wear your normal uniform or track suit.
Many classes participate in activities based around the occasion.
General
Communication
For new parents- an information sheet is sent out approximately once a month. A copy is sent by email from our database. If you do not have email, a hard copy can be collected by your child from the office. The school email is stcanices.ias@eircom.net. A copy of each info sheet is also posted on the school website http://www.stcanicesschool.ie
Please bring any of your queries/complaints/worries to your class teacher’s attention or to my attention. The majority of issues can be resolved speedily and to everyone’s satisfaction. If you need time to discuss an issue with your teacher or myself it is generally best to make an appointment first through Kay in the office.
Likewise, if you have any helpful suggestions or ideas please feel free to share them.
Special Education/Resource is co-ordinated by our deputy principal Peter Nolan. Queries regarding your child’s progress in this area should be directed to Mr Nolan or to your child’s resource teacher. If you feel that your child needs support in a particular area please let us know.
Access to School
For the safety of the children, all visitors and parents visiting the school should enter through the front door and report to reception. Please ring the doorbell and introduce yourself at the intercom. You will then be buzzed in. Office hours are 8.45am to 3.45pm.
School opens at 8.50. The yard is supervised from 8.40. Children can drop their bags in their “líne” and play in the play ground until lining up time when the bell goes. On wet days, school doors open at 8.40am. Children should not be on the premises before 8.40.
Similarly, children should be collected punctually from class or from after school activity. If you are delayed for any reason or if you are sending somebody different to collect your child, please call the office or let your class teacher know. There is no supervision after 3pm.
If your child needs to be collected early for an outside appointment etc., please sign the pupil out from his/her class on the “early Collection Sheet”
Please note, the area in front of the school is for Set Down Only. It is Not a parking area. Please respect other parents/drivers and leave this area clear for dropping off pupils. It keeps the whole set up running smoothly. There are two disabled car spaces for use of disabled drivers or drivers of disabled children-one outside the Junior end of the school and one in the car park.
The area past the barrier is for staff parking only and parents should not drive past the barrier.
Lost Property
Please mark all your child’s belongings clearly with a name. We do our best to keep items returned to owners.
Lost property items are stored in the First Aid room. Items with names are returned to the owners. Lost property is cleared out at the end of each term
Head Lice
Unfortunately, back to school also means, in many cases, back to head lice. W can only keep reminding people to check their children’s hair on a weekly basis and to treat all cases of lice in an appropriate manner. It is understandably very frustrating to be doing your utmost to keep your child lice free and then to see a new set of visitors. Everyone needs to be committed to doing this if a class is to be kept lice free. We always send an email to the relevant class if we see lice in a child’s hair or if a parent reports it, so please make sure that you then check your child and siblings. Our Parents’ Association have some metal nit combs still available for €5.
Attendance
The general attendance in the school is excellent -running between 95%-98%. There are a few exceptions to this. It is vital for children to be in school to make good progress. If your child misses a day you should send a note using the Homework Diary slips or other or else phone the office to tell us that your child will be absent and the reason why.
All absences and also all late comers are logged on our Aladdin database. We are legally obliged to report absences of over 20 days to the Education Welfare Board (Túsla).
Medical Form
We are currently updating our critical illness folder, basically a “What to do if….” Folder, which is kept in the first aid room in school. We will also update our asthma folder. Pupils already in the folder have been sent a form for this year. Will you please fill in the form as soon as possible and return it to the school (For attention of Mrs Conroy). Please don’t include a photograph. We will take a picture of your child in school.
If you feel your child no longer needs to be included in the folder, let us know. If circumstances have changed and your child now suffers from any condition which has implications for your child’s health/safety in school please fill in a Medical Form and return to the school. These forms are available on the website or from reception also.
Epipens/Jextapens
These pens have a relatively short life span. The ones we have at the moment are now mostly out of date. If we have a pen for your child please ensure that you keep us supplied with an in- date version.
Sport
Gaelic football:
Three teams have been entered in the Girls’ Schools’ Football League which will be starting shortly. An in school league for 4th,5th & 6th girls is also underway Mon-Thurs lunchtimes.
The boys’ in-school football league has commenced. Senior League 4th to 6th is on everyday at lunch time. Two teams have been entered in the Cumann na mBunscoil Boys’ Leagues which began last week.
Training for 2nd and 3rd classes will commence shortly for boys and girls.
Please encourage your children to take part in these sports. The only requirement is a gum shield and a change of shoes/runners/boots for the field. Thank you to all the teachers, (20 at the last count!), who are volunteering their time to provide these extra-curricular activities. It is a great addition to our school and the pupils’ general fitness and wellbeing.
Homework Hour
Homework hour has resumed. It runs Monday to Thursday from 2.45 to 3.45 and can be availed of on a daily or weekly basis. Contact Mr Hanrick or Mr Crowley for details.
Music Lesson
Music lessons recommence next week except for Junior Infants who start Sept. 17th.. All lesson schedules are on the Instrumental Music website. Link available on main school website.
There will be access to the school until 4pm, after 4pm the school is closed and doors are locked in order that the cleaners can clean all areas and wash corridors. Access after 4pm is restricted to the classrooms in which the music lessons are taking place. These are planned to be in rooms with a door to the outside. Neither children, parents nor music teachers will have access to the rest of the school after 4pm so it is important that all pupils bring their schoolbags, gear, etc.(that they intend bringing home) with them to their lessons. Music teachers are not allowed to admit parents or pupils into the school through their open door. Children should be collected from relevant door.
All queries regarding the Instrumental Music Programme lessons etc should be directed to the Music Administrator, Shirley O’Callaghan 0851252233
Thank you for reading through to the end. Please keep in touch with us in the school and avail of various opportunities to be part of one of the many parent committees etc. If you have any suggestions to offer please feel free to do so. I look forward to working with you over the school year 2018/2019 .