You know it’s back to school time when the Rose of Tralee is on the telly and we’re gearing up for the all-Ireland championships. This Monday at 8:50am, we’re back for our fourth year. We should be welcoming 130 pupils this year. I thought I’d write a short article for parents, new and old(er!), to know what to expect when you arrive. Most of the information was sent to you in your packs over the summer with the reports anyway but, no harm in refreshing.
I suppose the first question we’ll be asked will be about books. We are able to source books cheaper because we can get them in bulk. Therefore, we pass this saving on to you. All your children’s books have been delivered to the school so you can pay for them in the office during the week. The total cost of books has remained the same as last year and includes all other expenses such as copybooks, photocopying costs, art and craft materials, insurance and book rental. It comes to €125 for everything. Most people have paid a €50 deposit already so this can be subtracted. You are welcome to pay for your books in installments. Just talk to Siobhán in the office.
So what does your child need to bring in on the first day? A small snack should cover them for little break. Please don’t overload their lunchboxes as they only get 10 minutes to eat their little break! We also encourage healthy eating so we appreciate your support in this. Aside from this, your child will need a pencil, rubber, sharpener, colouring pencils/crayons and a pencil case. It would also be useful to have glue and a scissors too.
School starts at 8:50am every day. The gates will open 5 minutes beforehand, due to the Croke Park Agreement. Please do not ring the doorbell before this as we cannot open the school for insurance reasons before 8:45am. We will also be opening the doors of the school for collection of children 5 minutes before pick up time. Again, please do not ring the bell beforehand as it distracts classes.
Classes for Junior Infants will end at 11am for the first week and increase over the next 2 weeks. Senior Infants finish at 1:30pm everyday (except the first day) and all other classes will finish at 2:30pm (except the first day). On our first day, the school will close at 12pm. Anyone needing the after school’s service should contact Trish.
I would encourage you to read the information packs that we sent out to you to familiarise yourselves with the general set up of the school. We’re all looking forward to meeting you on Monday.