Dear parent(s)/guardian(s),
Welcome to our first newsletter of the year. I hope you received my letter last week with contact details, as this will hopefully be our last paper-based newsletter. In this newsletter, there are a few reminders that I need to give you as well as some news about the new school building. I hope your child(ren) has been enjoying their first full week back to school. We’re thrilled with how quickly everyone has settled back! We’ll have our next newsletter with the news of what’s happening in the classes this month. Until then, keep happy, safe and learning, Simon.
Email Addresses and Contact Details
Please ensure to send back the contact forms that went out during the week. If you have misplaced it, please drop into the school and Siobhán will be happy to update your details.
Parents’ Council AGM
The Parents’ Council AGM will be held in the school shortly. Please look out for more information on this. It promises to be a great evening and we look forward to seeing you there.
Events Coming Up
We’re going to spend this month settling back into routine but in October, we’ll be having Healthy Eating Week, Childline Breakfast, the Primary Pleadge Launch and our annual Autumn Festival.
When your Child is Absent from School
Government measures dictate that when your child misses school, a written note with a reason must accompany him/her on return. We also have an online absence note on our school web site, which may save you time and hassle. You can also email the teacher directly. A phone call is appreciated but a note (electronic or otherwise) must arrive in the school.
Swimming
A note went home about swimming lessons for this year. Swimming is part of the PE programme and is compulsory for all primary school children. If your child cannot do swimming lessons for any reason, you must fill in the form with a valid reason.
Fire Safety and Security
As you know, we are preparing to move to our new school building in the next couple of months. As part of these preparations, we’re introducing security measures here so we don’t have to do everything at once in the new building. Last year we introduced lining up in the mornings. This month, we are getting all adults who wish to stay in the building for coffee or a meeting, etc. to sign in and out of the building. This is not for drop off or collection, only if you are in the building for a period of time.
New Building
Our new building is flying up! We are currently hiring an intern that will help with moving to the new school. We envisage that once we get the keys, it will take approximate one to two months to get everything ready. If you’ve any recommendations or can offer some help, let us know.
Reverse Integration
We now have two special classes for children with Autism. One of the most fantastic things about having these special classes is the ability for the children to integrate into classrooms with the view to fully mainstreaming in their own time. Another great aspect is that children from our mainstream classes have the opportunity to “reverse integrate.” This means that a group of children will visit the classes and play games, etc. with their friends in Emer and Vicky’s classes. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to drop in and ask.
Learn Together
This week, Rosh Hashannah, the Jewish New Year took place. This festival often coincides with the new school year. Traditions include dipping apple into honey to wish each other a sweet new year. It’s a yummy treat although a sticky one!
Healthy Eating
Please remember that the school has a Healthy Eating Policy. You can read the policy in full on our school web site. If your child brings in food that is not allowed, we ask them to keep it in their bag. There are some great recipes that we have shared online so please check them out.
Social Media
Carlow Educate Together has its own Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts. We update constantly on Facebook so if you’re on it, be sure to “like” us. We also use the service to answer any questions you might have. Feel free to send a message any time and we’ll get to you as soon as we can. Please read our Internet policy for information on etiquette.
School Lunches
School lunches are going well so far and orders should be processed in the next week or so. If your child no longer wishes to receive a school lunch, please let us know as soon as possible as we want to reduce waste as much as possible.