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Principal’s Note
A new school year has just begun and already it feels like we had never been away. Thankfully, we had that beautiful July, and for once it felt as if we had a real summer before returning in September.
I’d like to welcome David, Chloe and Kiersten, three children who just joined us recently, and we hope they have a lovely time with us.
I’d also like to welcome our Junior Infants. They’ve settled in very nicely (well done all concerned!) and the whole school is enjoying their energy and enthusiasm.
Ms. Ciara Lyng from Kilkenny has joined the staff while Ms. Nolan is on maternity leave, and I’d like to extend to her a hearty Oylegate welcome.
As part of our School Improvement Plan, we are putting a big effort into problem-solving in maths. Every Friday we will devote our maths time to working on problems using the RUDECCC framework.
Read the question
Underline key words or numbers
Draw a picture or diagram
Estimate the answer
Choose numbers
Calculate
Check your work
The children may find it difficult at first but, obvious as it sounds, practising problem-solving regularly will improve their problem-solving skills.
Cyclists
It’s great to see the children cycling to school. Please take great care on the road and wear your helmet. Cyclists are asked to remember to
School Extension
The school extension program made a lot of progress over the summer. However, we have run into a few problems and the program is not progressing as quickly as we would wish. The Board of Management is working hard to ensure that progress resumes as quickly as possible.
Uniform
Just a reminder that the summer uniform is finished and that children should wear their full uniform (except for PE day when the school PE uniform should be worn).
Thank You
A big thank you to all the staff for their work during the school extension program. June was very busy as staff tidied up the school in preparation for the building works. We moved a lot of items up to the upstairs storage area, and covered up the affected areas as much as possible.
Anne deserves particular credit because of the amount of work she has undertaken while her office has been out of commission. Everything had to be moved. And when we came back in mid-August there was a huge amount of work to be done to get the school operational.
The delay in the project has added greatly to the inconvenience and I would like to thank the staff for their professionalism.
Names on Belongings
Please ensure that your child’s name is on every one of his/her belongings. Coats, jumpers, lunchboxes and tracksuit tops are constantly being mislaid and it helps considerably to have names on the items.
Unwanted Toys
Ms. Sidney has requested that any unwanted toys in good condition (Lego, Kinex, toolboxes, dolls, cars, lorries, etc.) might be donated to the Junior Infant room. So, if you’re decluttering, and the toys are in good condition, please drop them into Ms. Sidney.
Contact Details
It is very important that the school has up to date contact details for each child. This includes mobile phone numbers, addresses, persons to contact in the case of an emergency, email addresses, etc. So, if any of the above have changed, please pass on the details to Anne in the office.
Medical and Family Details
Please contact the school with any changes in your child’s medical or family details. This might include new reports from HSE agencies, or custody arrangements in the case of separation.
All information will be treated with strict confidentiality. Having copies of reports form HSE agencies, etc. can make a big difference to the school because we may be able to access extra resources for your child. Also, knowing the background to a family issue allows us to deal with the child in a sensitive manner and provide emotional support.
Before and After School Supervision
Children will be supervised before school from 9.10 am. Children will not be supervised before this time.
Children will be supervised after school until 3.10 pm. Children will not be supervised after this time. Children should be collected from the school gate at 3 pm. Please take care in escorting them across the road.
School Contribution
Many thanks for the school contribution of €65. Parents may pay €2 per week if they wish. Envelopes will be sent out beginning next Thursday.
Art and Photocopying
Many thanks for the €25 art and photocopying payment. Due to government cutbacks, schools are seriously underfunded, and only the generosity of parents is keeping the system afloat.
Pupils’ Insurance
Parents have the option of paying for insurance (€9) for their children. This will cover them all year round, in and out of school hours. This can prove particularly useful in the event of dental injuries as they can often be very expensive. The school recommends that parents avail of this insurance if they are in a position to do so.
G.A.A.
Training for the Rackard League will begin shortly. All are welcome (4 th, 5 th, 6 th), regardless of whether they have trained with the school previously. Training is held in the Oylegate/Glenbrien pitch after school Wednesday. Many thanks to Niall and Caroline for their kindness in giving up their spare time to train the children of the school.
Book Rental Scheme
Many thanks to the Book Rental Committee for their hard work in ensuring that the children have all their books for the current year. Books should be covered and kept in good condition. Thank you for your co-operation. Anne has asked that all insurance, milk, art and photocopying money be paid by Friday. Thank you.