Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Farewell Fair: Our Sixth Class are holding their annual ‘Farewell Fair’ tomorrow. They are fundraising to raise money for their graduation hoodies. The fair will involve a now annual bake sale, but in addition to that, the children will have various other items on sale such as books, toys, jewellery etc. Any donations of books in good condition, as well as the donation of baked goods would be greatly appreciated. Please send in any books (no more toys needed) and baked good tomorrow morning, if possible. There will be a nail painting station at the fair. If you would not like your child to get their nails painted, please send a note on Aladdin to their teacher. All children must have coins to buy items on Friday. Items will range between 20c and €2.

• Football: Congratulations to our football team on their outstanding victory over Gaelscoil Cill Dara yesterday, with an impressive final score of 9-9 to 2-2. Their hard work, determination, and teamwork truly paid off! A huge well done to all the players and everyone involved in the win. Next week, the girls will host their final league game against Ballymany. We wish them and their coaches, Ms. Marrinan and Ms. Brogan the very best of luck.

• Swimming: All children in Second, Third and Fourth Classes will begin their block of swimming lessons in Portarlington Pool tomorrow (please see Notice sent to all parents on 6^th February and again, on 3^rd April). The cost of the swimming has been very heavily subsidised by our Parents’ Association. I want to thank our Parents’ Association for prioritising swimming in their fundraising efforts.

• Cycle Safety Training: Ms. Marrinan’s and Ms. de Faoite’s Sixth Classes will take part in a six-session block of cycle safety training, beginning on Tuesday next, 6^th May. The course is aligned to Cycle Right, the National Standard for Cycle Safety Training in Ireland, and is delivered by qualified trainers from the national register. As we are a Green School, An Taisce are heavily subsidising the course, with the cost to pupils reduced to €5. At the end of the course, each pupil will receive a digital certificate of participation. Bicycles and helmets will be provided, but if the pupils wish, they can bring along their own bicycle and/or helmet (not needed for the first day – 6^th May). The dates of the sessions are as follows: 6^th May, 13th May, 20th May, 27th May 6^th June and 10^th June.

• Bicycles: We love to see children cycling/scooting to school. There is a covered bicycle shelter to the rear of the school available for the parking of bicycles/scooters. As bicycle/scooters are parked here at the owners’ risk, we strongly advise that they are locked while parked.

• Tag Rugby: Seán Brien, from Leinster Rugby will begin a two-week block of coaching sessions with Ms. Feeney’s and Ms. Gleeson’s First Classes tomorrow. Seán worked with some of our older classes earlier in the year. We look forward to seeing all the new skills the girls will acquire.

• Transition to Secondary School: The home-school liaison coordinator, Nuala Connolly and Guidance Counsellor, Olive Keenan from Ardscoil Rath Iomgháin will meet with our Sixth Class pupils here in the school on Thursday to speak with them about the transition to secondary school. They will answer any questions the girls have. We look forward to welcoming them to the school,

• Code of Behaviour: Our Code of Behaviour is available to view at www.bunscoilbhride.ie . I wish to remind you all that, as stated in our Code, jewellery (with the exception of small stud earrings at the bottom of each ear and a watch) is not permitted at school. Children should not come to school wearing hoop earrings / dangly earrings / earrings that are larger than a small stud, which are in breach of the code and pose a health and safety risk. Please ensure that children are wearing the correct uniform and that long hair is tied up. Mobile phones / electronic devices are strictly prohibited and should not be brought to school. Your cooperation in the implementation of our Code of Behaviour is very much appreciated.

• Library: Our school library has become a vibrant hub within the school, with weekly visits for all classes, allowing all children to take advantage of the huge array of books on offer. It has been well proven that reading regularly increases your child’s reading ability, improves academic ability, nurtures a love of reading for life and helps your child to learn about the world. Please ensure that your child treats the library books well and returns them for exchange as soon as she has finished reading them. A fee will be imposed to cover the cost of lost/damaged books.

• Oral Language: The theme for the month of May is ‘Debating’. All classes will be focusing on this theme for the month and we would ask that you support us at home, by questioning your child, asking her to justify her choices and to support her arguments. Oral arguments that cause your child to have to reason with you and formulate and deliver a response reflecting a point of view are always to be encouraged, even in Junior Infants!

• Dates for the Diary: All dates for the diary for this term are marked on the calendar in the Aladdin Connect app and we would ask you to keep an eye on this. Please note these dates are subject to change. Any changes to events will be recorded via the Aladdin Calendar.

• May Bank Holiday Closure: The school will be closed on Monday next, 5^th May. We hope you all have a lovely long weekend.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Confirmation: Our Sixth Class girls are receiving the sacrament of Confirmation at 11am this morning in Rathangan Church. We pray that the blessings of the Lord will come to the girls as they are strengthened in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We hope that they, along with their teachers, Ms. de Faoite and Ms. Marrinan, who have helped to prepare them for this sacrament, will have a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable day. I would like to thank the girls from fourth and fifth class who will be adding so much to the ceremony through their beautiful singing in the choir, directed by Ms. de Faoite, Ms. Rowley, Lisa and Ms. Rogers (from the Boys’ School). The photographer will visit the school on Tuesday next to take the Confirmation group and individual photographs.

• Bluebells Day: I want to thank you all most sincerely for your generous support of our Bluebells Day, which took place at school yesterday. A total of €2049 has been raised to date and the payment link will remain on all childrens’ ‘Money’ pages on Aladdin Connect until next week, should you wish to make a donation. We are excited to share that we are working towards purchasing a climbing frame and playhouse with a slide for our Bluebells Playground, which will make it suitable for use by entire classes. These play structures are designed to meet strict safety standards for schools, but they come with a significant cost. Without your generous support, we would not be able to make this purchase possible.

• Cross-country: The annual Cumann na mBunscol Cross-Country competition will take place on Thursday next, 10^th April at 10.30am in Rathcoffey GAA ground. Our cross-country coaches, Ms. Costello and Ms. Banks will accompany sixteen girls from third to sixth class, who will run the 1200m race. We wish them the very best of luck. Well done to all the girls who have been taking part in cross-country training in the school. We will host an in-school competition for all of these athletes during Active Schools Week later in term three.

• Football: Our Gaelic football team has been training hard the last couple of weeks in preparation for the Senior Football League. They will take on St. Brigid’s Primary School, Kildare next week in the first round of the competition. We wish them and their mentors, Ms. Marrinan and Ms. Brogan the very best of luck.

• Attendance Drive: I want to thank all of you for your support of our ongoing Attendance Drive. We have noticed an improvement in attendance and a huge improvement in punctuality since our Attendance Drive began on 19^th March. Regular attendance and being on time every day are important for your child’s success in school, as it helps them stay on track with their learning, maintain friendships and develop good habits for the future! Details of our Attendance Drive can be found in the message that was sent to all families on Friday 14^th March via Aladdin Connect.

• Heritage Trips: Ms. Coughlan’s and Ms. Brogan’s third classes visited the Bog of Allen Nature Centre this week. Ms. Geraghty’s and Ms. Freeborn’s fourth classes will visit the Curragh and Pollardstown Fen on Monday next and Ms. Banks’ and Ms. Freeborn’s fifth classes will engage in a field study at the Canal on Tuesday next. Heritage specialist, Nuala Madigan is working with all classes on their field trips, which are part of our whole school Geography Plan. I want to thank our Parents’ Association, who are fully funding all trips.

• Gardening Workshops: Gardening expert, Paddy Madden engaged half of our classes in a gardening workshop here at the school yesterday and he will work with the other half of our classes on Wednesday next. Photographs of our planting will be available to view on our school website www.bunscoilbhride.ie

• Maths Easter Egg Hunt: Our annual Bunscoil Bhríde Maths Easter Egg Hunt is taking place this fortnight, with all classes getting the opportunity to take part. Children, in teams, have to use their orienteering skills to find and solve maths clues and puzzles around the school grounds. There are lots of Easter goodies up for grabs, so a fun-filled hunt is guaranteed!

• Swimming: All children in Second, Third and Fourth Classes will begin their block of swimming lessons in Portarlington Pool on the week following the Easter Holidays (please see Notice sent to all parents on 6^th February and again, this morning). The cost of the swimming has been very heavily subsidised by our Parents’ Association. I want to thank our Parents’ Association for prioritising swimming in their fundraising efforts.

• Enrolment Meeting: A meeting with the parents of children enrolled in the 2025/26 Junior Infant class will be held in the school hall on Tuesday next, 8^th April at 7.30pm. The new parents will get the opportunity to meet with our current Junior Infant teacher and to mingle with one another over a cup of tea, kindly provided by the Bunscoil Bhríde Parents’ Association.

• Oral Language: The theme for the month of April will be ‘Idioms, Riddles, Jokes and Proverbs’. All classes will be focusing on this theme for the month and we would ask that parents support us at home, by sharing some proverbs, jokes, riddles and idioms with children and discussing with them what they’ve learnt in school on this topic.

• Uniform: Please ensure your child comes to school wearing the correct uniform. Canvas runners (including Converse) are not permitted at school. All footwear worn to school should be suitable for running, as children will be active at school every day.

• Hair: In accordance with our Code of Behaviour, all hair should be tied up where possible.

• Tennis: I want to sincerely thank Gary, of Rathangan Tennis Club who has completed ten tennis lessons with our Bluebells Class this term. Gary will run an Easter Tennis Camp from 22^nd – 25^th April. Further information about the camp is available by contacting 087-7679328.

• Bus Éireann School Transport: Applications for school transport for the 2025/26 school year can be made online at https://www.buseireann.ie  and must be submitted by Friday 25^th April. It is important that applications for school transport are made on time as late applicants are not guaranteed seats.

• Easter Holidays: The school will close for Easter holidays on Friday 11^th April at 11.45a.m. We wish everybody a happy and holy Easter. School will re-open on Monday 28^th April.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Attendance Drive: As you will be aware, our Attendance Drive started yesterday and will run to Friday 11^th April. We really appreciate your support in helping improve attendance and punctuality across the school. Details of the Attendance Drive can be found in the message that was sent to all families on Friday last via Aladdin Connect.

• Bluebells Day: On Wednesday, 2nd April, we will celebrate Bluebells Day to promote understanding and awareness of autism. I want to thank Ms. Rowley who has organised this event for our school. Bluebells Day will be a non-uniform day, with all children invited to ‘Go blue for Bluebells’, by dressing in blue. Throughout the day, each class will learn more about autism and have the opportunity to visit the Bluebells Classroom, where they can experience our sensory room, designed to be a welcoming and supportive space. 

• Donation Request: We are asking all families, where possible, to make a donation for Bluebells Day, which will go towards the purchase of play equipment for our Bluebells playground. While we have a fabulous enclosed soft-play area for our Bluebells Class, with a lovely swing set and spinner-bowl, we are very eager to add further playground equipment, which would allow for whole classes to use the area. Play equipment that meets the required safety specifications is incredibly expensive and we would really appreciate your support. I will share an optional payment link with all families in advance of Bluebells Day, or children are welcome to bring in their donation in cash on the day.

• Maths Easter Egg Hunt: Our annual Bunscoil Bhríde Maths Easter Egg Hunt will be running over the next few weeks, with all classes getting the opportunity to take part. Children, in teams, have to use their orienteering skills to find and solve maths clues and puzzles around the school grounds. There are lots of Easter Eggs up for grabs, so a fun-filled hunt is guaranteed!

• Camogie Blitz: Our camogie team will take part in the Cumann na mBunscol Mini 7s Blitz in Clocha Rince tomorrow. The girls will take on Scoil Mhuire, Allenwood; St. Patrick’s N.S.; Broadford N.S. and Clocha Rince N.S. The girls are looking forward to putting their skills to the test. For some of them, this will be their first match. We wish them the very best of luck. 

• Cross-country: The annual Cumann na mBunscol Cross-Country competition will take place on Thursday 10^th April at 10.30am in Rathcoffey GAA ground. Our cross-country coaches, Ms. Costello and Ms. Banks will accompany sixteen girls from third to sixth class, who will run the 1200m race. We wish them the very best of luck. Well done to all the girls who have been taking part in cross-country training in the school. Ms. Costello and Ms. Banks will host an in-school competition for all of these athletes during Active Schools Week later in term three.

• First Confessions: We would like to wish the very best of luck to our Second Class pupils, who will receive the sacrament of First Penance on Wednesday 2^nd April at 7pm in Rathangan Church. They have been busy preparing and practising their prayers and hymns for the occasion with their teacher, Ms. Ryan. We hope it will be a very special, holy and memorable occasion for them.

• Gardening Workshops: Gardening expert, Paddy Madden will engage all of our classes in gardening workshops over the next fortnight. While much of the planting will be completed indoors, we look forward to the classes planting out their seedlings in the school garden in the coming weeks when the weather improves, and we are excited about the fabulous crop of fruit and vegetables that we will be harvesting in the coming months. I want to thank Ms. Ryan for organising the gardening workshops and our caretaker, Gerry for ensuring our garden is prepared and ready for Paddy’s workshops. Photographs of the planting will be available to view on the class blog pages of our school website.

• Heritage Trips: Ms. Coughlan’s and Brogan’s third classes will visit the Bog of Allen Nature Centre on Tuesday 1^st April, Ms. Geraghty’s and Ms. Freeborn’s fourth classes will travel to the Curragh and Pollardstown Fen on Monday 7^th April and Ms. Banks’ and Ms. Freeborn’s Fifth Classes will walk to the canal on Tuesday 8^th April. They will be guided on their trips by heritage specialist, Nuala Madigan. It is hoped that the children will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of these local natural sites. The trips are part of our Whole School Geography Plan and will be fully funded by the Parents’ Association.

• Assembly: Our whole-school assembly for the month of March will be led by Ms. Geraghty and Ms. Gleeson and will take place in the halla on Friday next.

• Permissions: We are currently seeking consent for involvement in after-school cross-country training for our Third to Sixth Class students. Please check if there are any permissions pertaining to your child on the Permissions tab of Aladdin Connect and accept or decline as appropriate.

• Reminder regarding Absences: Under the Education Welfare Act 2000, where a child is absent from school on a school day, the parents must notify the school of the reasons for such absence. This can be done via the Aladdin Connect app. Please contact the office if you need assistance with this. We are required under the Act to notify Tusla; The Child and Family Agency of any child being absent for 20 days or more. Our student administration system automatically sends texts to parents reminding them of this when a child misses 10 and 15 days.

• Dates for the Diary: All upcoming events for the remainder of the school year, as they become known to us, will be recorded on the Aladdin Connect app, in the ‘Calendar’ section.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• School closure: The school will close on Monday next, 3^rd March for staff inservice in the new Bí Cineálta Anti-Bullying Procedures and a staff meeting. Our school calendar for this school year can be viewed on our website https://www.bunscoilbhride.ie/school-calendar-2024-25/

• Debating Final: Excitement is building across the school as our fantastic debating team prepares for the finals of the Concern Primary Debating Competition! Having secured a place in the top two teams across Kildare and West Wicklow, this is a truly remarkable achievement for our school. The final will take place next Thursday in Kildare County Chambers, Naas, where our team will face St. Patrick’s N.S., Celbridge, proposing the motion: “Cities are essential to tackling climate change.” Our debaters, guided by Ms. Banks and Ms. Costello, have dedicated an incredible amount of time and effort to their journey through the competition. Their research and delivery have been inspiring, and the whole school has learned from their insights. In preparation for the big day, all Third to Sixth Class pupils will have the opportunity to hear the team’s speeches on Tuesday in the halla. This session will also include an open debate, where pupils can challenge points and engage in discussion. We are immensely proud of the team and their mentors and wish them the very best of luck in the final!

• World Book Day: We will celebrate World Book Day this year on Friday 7th March, with all classes participating in various different book-related activities. Our aim is to encourage children to read at home and to learn to love books. We would ask that you support us in this endeavour by encouraging reading and by taking your child to the library regularly. All children are asked to dress as a character from their favourite book on Friday (ensuring that they are appropriately attired for the weather). Book tokens to the value of €1.50 will be distributed to all children next week.

• Ash Wednesday: This year Ash Wednesday falls on Wednesday 5^th March. We will take all classes from Second to Sixth over to 10am Mass in the church on Ash Wednesday, as is our custom.

• Concerts: Our third night of concerts will take place in the school hall on Thursday 13^th March, with Ms. Choudhury’s Senior Infants, Ms. Feeney’s and Ms. Gleeson’s First Classes and Ms. Brogan’s Third Class performing. As you know, our hall is quite small so space is limited. We will not have seats for children and any children who have to come will have to sit on the knees of an adult. Children from our school should not come, where possible. They will have had the opportunity to see all the class plays during the school day. The concert will begin at 7pm, with doors opening at 6.30pm (please note that the doors will not open before 6.30pm). Entry: €5 per person (cash only please). All money raised is going towards the purchase of play equipment for our Bluebells playground. We look forward to another night of top-class entertainment. All plays have been / will be recorded and are available to watch back on the relevant class blog on our school website at www.bunscoilbhride.ie

• Seachtain na Gaeilge: Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge beagnach buailte linn arís (10ú – 14ú lá de mhí Márta). Beimid go léir ag úsáid cúpla focal chomh minic agus is féidir i rith Seachtain na Gaeilge. Beidh an Céilí Mór ar siúl againn ar an Céadaoin, an 12ú lá de mhí Márta. Beidh ‘Lá Glas’ ar siúl ar an Aoine, an 14ú lá agus beimid go léir ag caitheamh éadaí glasa ar an lá sin. Beir bua agus bain taitneamh as Seachtain na Gaeilge!Please attempt the cúpla focal at home with your child(ren). We will celebrate  Seachtain na Gaeilge with An Céilí Mór sa halla on Wednesday 12^th March, with all classes getting the opportunity to practise their Irish dancing. I want to thank Carmel Somers, who has kindly volunteered to help with our Céilí Mór. All the classes will engage in various activities to mark Seachtain na Gaeilge throughout the week. Friday 14^th March will be a non-uniform day to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge and we will dress in green on that day. Photographs of Seachtain na Gaeilge, together with the Céilí will be available to view on www.bunscoilbhride.ie

• Assembly: Our whole-school assembly for the month of February takes place in the halla today and will be led by Ms. Ryan’s Second Class and Ms. Banks’ Fifth Class.

• Oral Language: The theme for the month of March will be ‘Descriptions and Descriptive Language’. All classes will be focusing on this theme for the month and we would ask that parents support us at home, by using rich, descriptive language as much as possible, drawing children’s attention to such language in stories and discussing with them what they’ve learnt in school on this topic.

• Punctuality: School starts at 8.50am. It is vital that your child attends for school on time. Arriving even 12 minutes late for class each morning effectively means your child is missing out on one hour of tuition every week.

• Footwear Reminder: For health and safety reasons, canvas runners (Converse etc.) cannot be worn in school. All footwear must provide sole support and be suitable for running.

• Parent Volunteers: We frequently require parent volunteers to accompany us on school trips, work with classes or get involved in various activities here in the school. Under the National Vetting Act, all volunteers coming into our school must be Garda vetted through our diocesan office (Kildare and Leighlin). The process is very straightforward, but can take up to four – six weeks to complete. The forms required for Garda vetting for the school are available here in the office or can be emailed to you. Please let us know if you wish to be vetted. We would urge as many of you as possible to do so.

• Our website: Please check out our wonderful website www.bunscoilbhride.ie. It contains lots of photographs and information about all the events taking place in the school and in the individual classrooms. Each class has a blog under the ‘Classes’ tab on the home-page. Some of our school policies are also available to view on the site. A substantial amount of work goes into regularly updating it and it is well-worth a look.

• Calendar for 2025/26: Our school calendar for the next school year (2025/26) is available to view on our school website at https://www.bunscoilbhride.ie/school-calendar-2025-26/

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Quiz: Our Third and Fourth Class Rathangan Schools’ Quiz will take place on Monday next in our school hall and we look forward to welcoming the boys from Rathangan Boys’ School, who will work alongside our girls in mixed teams, with prizes up for grabs. Our Fifth and Sixth Class Quiz will take place on the following day in Rathangan Boys’ N.S. We would ask you to support us at home in preparing the girls for their quiz by helping them to practise and develop their general knowledge skills.

• School closure: The school will close on Monday 3^rd March for staff inservice in the new Bí Cineálta Anti-Bullying Procedures and a staff meeting. Our updated school calendar can be found on our website www.bunscoilbhride.ie

• Vision Screening: Vision screening of Junior Infant pupils by staff from the HSE will take place in the school on Wednesday 26^th February.

• School Tours: Teachers have finalised school tour details for the summer term and all parents received an Aladdin app message last week with all the tour details. A payment request for the school tours can be found under the ‘Money’ tab on the Aladdin Connect menu. All classes will go on a school tour this year. We are endeavouring to keep costs as low as possible. The reason we are eager to inform parents of the cost at this early stage, is to allow for children to save, in order to pay for their own school tour. School tours can be paid in instalments (min amount €5) and must be paid in full before Friday 30th May.

• Irish Dancing: Carmel Somers has been teaching Irish dancing to all of our classes. She will return to work with the girls again on Wednesday 26^th February. Photos of the Irish dancing can be viewed on our school website www.bunscoilbhride.ie  

• World Book Day: This year we will celebrate World Book Day on Friday March 7^th. All classes will be participating in various different book-related activities on World Book Day. Our aim is to encourage children to read at home and to learn to love books. We would ask that you support us in this endeavour by encouraging reading and by taking your child to the library regularly. All children are asked to dress as a character from their favourite book on Friday 7^th March (ensuring that they are appropriately attired for the weather). Book tokens to the value of €1.50 will be distributed to all children during the week of World Book Day.

• Homework: Homework is an important link between home and school and offers children the chance to consolidate their learning. Please ensure you check your daughter’s homework each evening and sign her homework journal.

• Party Invitations: Party invitations should not be handed out at school. This can instead be done outside of the school, in order to avoid upset to children not invited.

• Change of Contact Details: Please check that your contact details are recorded correctly on the Aladdin app and notify the school if you have changed your contact details (phone, email or address). It is important that we keep our records up to date, so that we can always get in contact with you should the need arise. Please ensure you have listed at least two emergency contacts on the app (contact the office if you need assistance with this). Please also let us know if you have not been receiving Aladdin app messages from the school.

• Midterm Break: The school will be closed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week; the 19^th, 20^th and 21^st February for midterm break and will reopen on Monday 24^th February. We hope you all have a lovely break.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Debating Team Victorious in Semi-Final!: We are thrilled to share the fantastic news that our debating team has emerged victorious in the semi-final of the Concern Primary Debating Final! The competition took place this morning at the Kildare Education Centre, where our team delivered an outstanding performance against a strong side from St. Patrick’s NS, Newbridge. A huge congratulations to our chairperson, Maria, and our speakers—Arianne, Eve, and Orna—who delivered exceptional speeches, rebuttals, and arguments in proposing the motion, ‘We should only buy Fair Trade products.’ Their hard work and eloquence truly shone through, making them deserving winners. The debate was recorded and is available to watch on our school website at the following link: https://www.bunscoilbhride.ie/debating-win/ . We are incredibly proud of the entire debating team for their dedication and teamwork, which played a crucial role in this achievement. A special thank you to their mentors, Ms. Banks and Ms. Costello, for their guidance and commitment in helping the team refine their debating skills. We now look forward to the final, provisionally scheduled for Thursday, 6th March in Naas — a wonderful achievement for our school! Best of luck to the team as they prepare for the final round!

• Grandparents’ Day: I want to sincerely thank our wonderful Parents’ Association and the many parents who voluntarily gave up their time yesterday to help serve tea and coffee to our visiting grandparents. We really are blessed to have such generosity and kindness in our parent body. Allowing our grandparents to congregate over a cup of tea and a treat in the hall made a really fabulous day all the more special. I also want to thank our hard-working staff, who put so much work into preparing for Grandparents’ Day with their classes, ensuring that all our visitors had a day to remember. Ms. De Faoite has been busy collating all the photos of Grandparents’ Day and they are available to view on our school website at the following link:  https://www.bunscoilbhride.ie/grandparents-day-in-bunscoil-bhride/

• Quiz: Our Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Class pupils are busy preparing for our annual quizzes, which will take place on Monday 17^th (Fifth and Sixth Classes) and Tuesday 18^th February (Third and Fourth Classes) in our school and in Rathangan Boys’ School respectively.  Teams will be mixed and the children will get the opportunity to work with the boys in practising their general knowledge and having lots of fun in the process. We would urge you to help the children develop their general knowledge at home over the coming weeks in preparation.

• Agri-Aware Mobile Farm Visit: A mobile farm will visit our school on Thursday next, with all classes getting to visit it. It will be a lovely opportunity for our pupils to learn about farm animals and their role in food production. There will be lots of opportunities for the children to interact with the animals and learn about their importance to Irish farms.

• Irish Dancing: Carmel Somers has, yet again, kindly volunteered her time to teach Irish dancing to our girls. Every class in the school is getting the opportunity to work with Carmel over two weeks, starting on Wednesday 12^th February. Carmel has also offered to help with our Céilí Mór during Seachtain na Gaeilge. We would like to thank Carmel sincerely for her kindness and generosity in giving up her time for the benefit of the pupils of our school.

• Oral Language: The theme for the month of February is ‘Socially functional language’ (introductions, giving thanks, complaints). All classes will be focusing on this theme for the month and we would ask that you, the parents support us at home, by encouraging your child to use appropriate socially functional language and by modelling good use of such language at home. We would also encourage you to discuss with them what they’ve learnt in school on this topic.

• Lego Donation Request: We are seeking donations of Lego for some of our classrooms. If you have Lego at home that is no longer in use, we would be really grateful if you would donate it to the school.

• Heavy school-bags: We are attempting to address the issue of children carrying school bags that are too heavy to and from school, by asking them to unpack fully their bags every morning and only repack books marked for homework. Your help in tackling this issue is required as many of the items contained in school-bags are unnecessary ancillary items e.g. multiple heavy pencil-cases etc. Please go through your daughter’s bag with her and remove any unnecessary items.

• School Closure and February Bank Holiday: The school will close tomorrow, Friday, for staff inservice in the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum and on Monday 3^rd February for the February Bank Holiday, and will reopen on Tuesday 4^th February. We hope everyone enjoys the long weekend.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Concern Primary Debating Competition: The Bunscoil Bhríde debating team will travel to the Kildare Education Centre on the 30th of January to compete in the semi-final of the Concern Primary School Debating Competition. We will take on St. Patrick’s N.S., Newbridge in our first face-to-face debate. The girls are proposing the motion that ‘We should only buy Fairtrade products’. The team are putting in immense efforts in preparation for the upcoming debate. We will also hold a preparatory debate for all classes from Third to Sixth in the halla, in which all children will hear the speeches and will get the opportunity to challenge the girls on the points made, in an open debate. We wish the debaters and their mentors, Ms. Costello and Ms. Banks the very best of luck!

• Welcome: I want to warmly welcome Ms. Cronin to our staff. Ms. Cronin is a permanent member of the staff of Kildangan N.S., and has joined our Special Education Support Teaching team. She will remain with us until April 1^st.

• Catholic Schools Week: Catholic Schools Week will be celebrated in our school next week, from 20^th to 24^th January.  This year’s theme is ‘Alive in Christ’.  Because we are a Catholic School, this is a very special week in our calendar and it will be celebrated in many different ways in each classroom.

• Grandparents’ Day: On Friday 24^th January all grandparents are invited to visit their grandchildren’s classrooms. Grandparents Day is an initiative of Catholic Schools Week and it has been celebrated in our school for almost twenty years. This invitation to grandparents affirms and values their place not only in the lives of their grandchildren, but in the community in general.  This annual visit has become a highlight of Catholic Schools Week at Bunscoil Bhríde. Grandparents are invited into all classes and are encouraged to share their memories of school in the past and stories of the past with the children. Please note that Grandparents’ Day is for grandparents ONLY. For health and safety reasons we do not have space for extra adults in classrooms. We are also conscious that many of our grandparents are vulnerable and do not wish to put them at risk of infection in overcrowded classrooms. We ask that no parents / guardians come into the school on Grandparents’ Day, except in circumstances where grandparents need assistance due to mobility issues / special needs. Please let us know in advance of any accommodations that need to be made for such grandparents. The Bunscoil Bhríde Parents’ Association have kindly volunteered to provide tea/coffee for the visiting grandparents in our school hall. This will hopefully facilitate some banter and reminiscing among our visitors. Any donation of baked goods for our grandparents would be greatly appreciated and can be dropped to the school on the morning of Grandparents’ Day. While we hope lots of grandparents will visit our school for Grandparents’ Day, we are very conscious of the fact that not all children have grandparents living and also that not all grandparents will be able to make it to our school. Every year there are a number of children in every class who do not have a grandparent attend and, as always, there will be arrangements put in place again this year in all classrooms for the sharing of available grandparents, so all children will be included and will get the chance to learn about life and school in the past. It will be a fun, warm and welcoming day for all grandparents and children.

Timetable for Grandparents’ Day

Friday January 24th

Time	Class	Classroom
9am – 9.30am	Junior Infants – Ms. Ruttledge   Senior Infants – Ms. Choudhury	Room 1   Room 2
9.30am – 10am	Senior Infants – Ms. Costello   1st Class – Ms. Feeney	Room 5   Room 3
10am – 10.30am	1st Class – Ms. Gleeson   2nd Class – Ms. Ryan   Bluebells Class – Ms. Rowley	Room 4   Room 6   Bluebells Class
10.45am – 11.15am	3rd Class – Ms. Coughlan   3rd Class – Ms. Brogan	Room 8 (upstairs)   Room 11 (upstairs)
11.15am – 11.45am	4th Class – Ms. Geraghty   4th & 5th Class – Ms. Freeborn	Room 9 (upstairs)   Room 10 (upstairs)
11.45am – 12.15pm	5th Class – Ms. Banks   6th Class – Ms. Marrinan   6th Class – Ms. De Faoite	Room 15   Room 12 (upstairs)   Room 3

• Rushes wanted: All classes will begin to make St. Brigid’s crosses in the coming weeks. We are in need of rushes to make the crosses and will need a large number. We would be really grateful if you were in a position to gather rushes for us and drop them into the school. Our Parents’ Association will also be making crosses, which they will sell to raise money for our school.

• Basketball: Unfortunately, our journey in the Cumann na mBunscol league has come to an end for now. However, we want to take this opportunity to congratulate our fantastic team of Fifth and Sixth Class girls who showed such dedication by showing up to training each week over the last few months. A special thanks to their coaches, Ms. Gleeson and Ms. Banks, for their time, effort, and guidance throughout the season. Looking ahead, we are hoping to participate in the annual Sixth Class Blitz later this term. We will keep the girls updated on this event and will provide further information on the recommencement of training in the coming weeks.

• Dates for the Diary for this term: All important events and dates for the diary for the remainder of the school year can be found by clicking on the calendar icon within the Aladdin Connect app. Please keep an eye on this calendar as events will be added throughout the year.

• School Closure: The school will close on Friday 31^st January for staff inservice on the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum.

• Relationships and Sexuality Education (R.S.E.): R.S.E. lessons will begin in all classes next week. You all received a letter from your daughter’s teacher via Aladdin this week, together with a Home/School Links sheet detailing the content to be covered with your child’s class. It would be very helpful if you could discuss what is being learnt at school with your daughter(s) at home. Please feel free to contact the school with any queries you may have.

• Stay Safe: Senior Infants, Second Class, Fourth Class and Sixth Class will begin the Stay Safe programme in the next fortnight and will continue with the programme over the coming weeks. I would like to remind you again about the importance of discussing the issues covered in class with your child at home. The lessons covered over the course of the programme are as follows: Feeling Safe and Unsafe, Bullying, Touches, Secrets and Telling and Strangers. More information about the programme can be obtained on the website; www.staysafe.ie

• January Assembly: Our whole-school assembly for January (marking Catholic Schools Week and St. Brigid’s Day) will take place on Wednesday 29th January and will be led by Ms. Feeney’s First Class and Ms. Freeborn’s Fourth and Fifth Class.

• Student Council Bake Sale: A total of €700 for UNICEF was raised by our Student Council at the Bakesale they organised and ran just before Christmas. I want to congratulate our wonderful Student Council and thank you all most sincerely for your support of this fundraising initiative.

• School Tours: All teachers have sent a permission request for attendance at their school tours in June. Please ensure you have responded to the permission request on Aladdin Connect. Payment requests will issue next week to facilitate parents paying in instalments over the next few months.

• Oral Language: The theme for the month of January is ‘Questioning’. All classes will be focusing on this theme for the month and we would ask that you support us at home, by encouraging your child to pose fully-formed questions and ensuring that they have knowledge of and make use of all the question words (What? Why? Where? When? Who? How? etc.). We would also encourage you to discuss with them what they’ve learnt in school on this topic.

• Aladdin Connect app: Please check your child’s details on the Aladdin Connect app (including the numbers you have listed as emergency contacts) and ensure they are correct. Please contact us if you need assistance making any updates to this information.

• Names on Uniforms: Please ensure that your child’s name is clearly marked on her uniform and tracksuit jumper, her coat and hat.

• Late Arrivals/Early Departures and Absences: Children arriving late to school or leaving early must have their arrival / leaving time recorded on Aladdin Connect. This can be done by parents. If your child is arriving late to school, please accompany her to the front door of the school. All absences must be explained. This can be done by selecting the reason for absence on Aladdin Connect. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. Please contact the school if you are having any issues with using the Aladdin Connect app.

• Coming to school: School begins at 8.50am and children should be dropped to school as close as possible to this time. The gate will open and supervision will be provided from 8.40am. The church car-park is a public space and children should not be dropped outside the school gate before 8.40am.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Concerts: Our final night of Christmas concerts will take place in the school hall tonight, with Ms. Coughlan’s Third Class, Ms. Geraghty’ Fourth Class and Ms. Marrinan’s Sixth Class performing. As you know, our hall is quite small so space is limited. We will not have seats for children and any children who have to come will have to sit on the knees of an adult. Children from our school should not come, where possible. They will have had the opportunity to see all the class plays during the school day. Tonight’s concert will begin at 7pm, with doors opening at 6.30pm (please note that the doors will not open before 6.30pm). Entry: €5 per person (cash only please). We look forward to another night of top-class entertainment. All plays have been / will be recorded and are available to watch back on the relevant class blog on our school website at www.bunscoilbhride.ie

• Debating: We are thrilled to announce that our talented debating team has secured a place in the semi-finals of the Concern Primary Debating Competition! Following a stunning display of debating prowess, the team triumphed over Ballyshannon N.S. in the quarter-finals. This is a tremendous achievement, and we could not be prouder of them. The semi-finals will be especially exciting, as it will be the first face-to-face competition after previous debates on Zoom. The date and venue are yet to be confirmed, but the anticipation is already building. A huge thank you goes out to Ms. Banks and Ms. Costello for their incredible guidance and mentorship, as well as to the girls on the team, whose talent, passion, and work ethic have left us in awe. We wish our debating stars the very best of luck as they advance to the semi-finals.

• Oral Language: For the month of December, our whole-school Oral Language theme is Vocabulary Development. All classes will be engaged in activities based around helping the children to develop their vocabulary. This is something that you can quite easily work on at home with your child(ren). It is only through school and home working closely together that we can achieve the very best outcome for your child(ren).

• Internet Safety Workshops: Our senior classes (Fourth – Sixth Class) are engaging in Internet Safety / Cyber-bullying workshops over this fortnight. The workshops are being facilitated by Ger Brick, who also delivered an excellent talk to parents on this topic on 26^th November last. I want to thank our Parents Association, who are funding Ger’s engagement with our school community.

• Use of social media: Please be advised that social media apps such as Tiktok and Snapchat have a minimum user age of 13 and are wholly unsuitable for children in primary school. We are aware of a small number of children using these apps and can only assume parents are unaware of the dangers they present and the harm they can cause to children. This was clearly outlined at the Internet Safety Talk that was organised for all of our parents on 26^th November last. Children at primary school level are emotionally and socially ill-equipped to deal with social media and we would urge all parents to exercise parental responsibility and to ensure children who are online at home are fully supervised at all times. Please check out www.webwise.ie and inform yourselves of the dangers of the apps your children may be using and please take steps to address this usage.

• Reminder: No medicinesare allowed at school. If your child has a medical condition for which medicine/inhaler etc. must be administered, please contact the school, as Board of Management approval must be granted for this. Please see our administration of medication policy at www.bunscoilbhride.ie for more information.

• Christmas Assembly: Our whole-school assembly for December will take place on Wednesday 18^th December. We will be treated to tin whistle tunes from all of our middle and Senior Classes and Christmas Carols from all classes. We look forward to a musical extravaganza!

• Special Visitor: I have heard a rumour that our Parents’ Association have been in contact with a very special person from the North Pole, who may visit the school on Friday 20^th December. We look forward to warmly welcoming our special guest!

• Christmas Presents: Again this year, we ask you not to purchase Christmas gifts for teachers. What the teachers really value is the words of thanks and appreciation uttered by pupils and parents. This is worth far more to us than any gift that can be purchased.

• Christmas Holidays: The school will close at 11.45am on Friday 20^th December. We would like to wish you all a very peaceful, happy and holy Christmas and every blessing for the year ahead. Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh go léir!

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Concerts: Six of our classes will hold their class plays next Thursday night, 6^th December and on the night of Thursday 13^th December, with three classes performing each night. See timetable below. As you know, our hall is quite small so space is limited. We will not have seats for children and any children who have to come will have to sit on the knees of an adult. Children from our school should not come, where possible. They will have had the opportunity to see all the class plays during the school day. The timetable for the concerts is outlined below. All concerts will begin at 7pm, with doors opening at 6.30pm (please note that the doors will not open before 6.30pm). Entry: €5 per person (cash only please). We look forward to two nights of top-class entertainment. The remaining six classes will perform inMay (see the Calendar in the Aladdin app for dates).

Concert Date:	Class Performing:
Thursday 5th December	Ms. Costello’ Senior Infants Ms. Ryan’s Second Class Ms. de Faoite’s Sixth Class
Thursday 12th December	Ms. Coughlan’s Third Class Ms. Geraghty’ Fourth Class Ms. Marrinan’s Sixth Class

• Debating: I am delighted to announce the wonderful news that our Bunscoil Bhríde Debating Team, having beaten Scoil Bhríde, Naas in their most recent debate, are now through to the quarter-finals of the Concern Primary Debating Competition. This is a wonderful achievement, and I want to congratulate the girls and their mentors, Ms. Costello and Ms. Banks, who are now busy preparing for their next debate. On Monday 9^th December, we will take on Ballyshannon N.S., Kilcullen, in proposing the motion that, “School holidays are too long”. The debate again, will take place via Zoom, with all classes from Fourth to Sixth having the opportunity to tune in. We will also hold a preparatory debate for all classes from Third to Sixth in the halla on Friday next, in which all children will hear the speeches and will get the opportunity to challenge the girls on the points made, in an open debate.

• Internet Safety / Cyberbullying Workshops: I want to thank those of you who attended our Internet Safety Talk for Parents with Ger Brick on Tuesday night. Ger will engage our Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Class pupils in an internet safety / cyberbullying workshop on Friday 6^th and Friday 13^th December.

• Basketball: Well done to our basketball team who were victorious last Wednesday in their match against Scoil na Naomh Uilig, Newbridge. In a tightly contested game, the girls played superbly. The match went to extra time, with the girls scoring the winning basket for a final score of 12-10. I want to congratulate the girls on their perseverance and teamwork and thank their coaches, Ms. Gleeson, Ms. Costello and Ms. Banks for giving so generously of their time. Currently, we are awaiting results of other games to see where we stand in the league. We are hopeful we have done enough to progress further! We are also planning to take part in a friendly basketball match against Kildare ETNS in the near future, with the date to be decided. Due to the cold weather at the moment, we have had to cancel recent training sessions. We will let the girls know before next Wednesday if training will be going ahead.

• Farewell to Ms. Garrahy: I want to thank Ms. Garrahy for all of her work with us over the last two years. We all wish her the very best of luck as she leaves us tomorrow to begin her exciting adventure in Australia.

• Friendship Week: We celebrated Friendship Week last week with the main message being “the only way to have a friend is to be one”.  The week-long emphasis was on creating and extending friendship. The children sat beside somebody new every day and were encouraged to play with different children on the yard. Each girl had a ‘secret friend’ for the week who they made a big effort to be extra-kind / friendly to. Our Secret friends were then revealed on Friday! Friendship Week culminated with our ‘coffee morning’ when the girls came together with another class for a chat and a treat. The Golden Ticket draw for kindness prizes will take place at tomorrow’s assembly.

• Noel Hendrick’s Visit: On Tuesday 19th November, we welcomed Noel Hendrick, Ireland’s Olympic Canoeist, to Bunscoil Bhríde. The children led Noel through a jubilant and colourful guard of honour before proudly singing Amhrán na bhFiann in his honour in the halla. The girls were enthralled by his inspirational talk about never giving up on finding a sport that you love and his personal story of resilience. We presented Noel with hundreds of creative designs for his new canoe and impressed the Kildare Olympian with a fiercely energetic and spine-tingling ‘An Haka Gaelach’ performance. This was a really special day in the history of the school which will be remembered for years to come. Huge congratulations to Ms. Freeborn’s class on their tremendous work in making this visit a huge success for us all. Videos and photos of the visit can be viewed on our website at the following link: https://www.bunscoilbhride.ie/olympian-visit-to-bunscoil-bhride/

• Oral Language: For the month of December, our whole-school Oral Language theme is Vocabulary Development. All classes will be engaged in activities based around helping the children to develop their vocabulary. This is something that you can quite easily work on at home with your child(ren). It is only through school and home working closely together that we can achieve the very best outcome for your child(ren).

• Reminder: No medicinesare allowed at school. If your child has a medical condition for which medicine/inhaler etc. must be administered, please contact the school, as Board of Management approval must be granted for this. Please see our administration of medication policy at www.bunscoilbhride.ie for more information.

• Switching on of the Christmas Lights: The Rathangan Christmas Lights Committee have requested that our girls (from 2^nd to 6^th class) sing some Christmas carols at the switching on of the Christmas lights after Mass on Saturday (approx. 7.15pm). Children attending must be accompanied by a parent/guardian and will remain the responsibility of that parent/guardian for the duration of the event. We will be meeting outside Dillon’s across from the crib on the night.

• Assembly: Our whole-school assembly for the month of November will take place in the halla tomorrow and will be led by Ms. Costello’s Senior Infants and Ms. Banks’ Fifth Class.

• Parking: The church car-park is a busy place and we would ask you to exercise extreme caution upon entry and to adhere to our car-parking rules (outlined in the diagram attached to this email). We would appeal to parents and anyone who drops children to school or collects them, not to park in the yellow box, in the wheelchair parking spaces, between the wheelchair parking spaces or alongside the school wall. Parking is in a single row alongside the Noone Engineering wall and in three rows along the middle white lines ONLY. Driving around the church is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Incidents of really dangerous driving have been observed by parents and staff members. Such incidents place our children at risk. We would ask that you inform all individuals who drop / collect your child to / from school about these rules which are in place for the safety of all.

• Annual Child Safeguarding Review: Our current Child Safeguarding Statement (relating to Child Protection), including our Risk Assessment is available to view on our school website www.bunscoilbhride.ie We are currently reviewing this Child Safeguarding Statement and would welcome your feedback on these policy documents. I want to thank the parents who have taken the time to complete our survey, providing us with feedback. If you have not already done so, we would be grateful if you would take a moment to complete it at the following link: https://forms.gle/TRFvAdou3DYa4cQR7

• Scholastic Book Club: Don’t forget that our latest Scholastic Book Club is now online at https://schools.scholastic.ie/scoil-bhride-n/digital-book-club. There are hundreds of fantastic children’s books to choose from at reduced process, and every €1 you spend on this month’s Book Club will earn 20c for our school in Scholastic Rewards. Orders must be placed by December 3^rd.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We hope you are all well. Our news is as follows:

• Applications for Admission to Junior Infants 2025/26: The deadline for receipt of applications for admission for the 2025/26 school year is tomorrow. Application forms have been distributed to all of the local preschools and are available to download from our school website www.bunscoilbhride.ie or on request from the school office on 045-524540.

• Olympian Visit: Slalom canoe Olympian, Noel Hendrick will visit our school on Tuesday 19th November. All classes will welcome Noel and we are asking everyone to wear green for the occasion (Tuesday 19th November will be a non-uniform day) and to bring in any Irish flags they may have at home (this is optional). All the middle and senior classes are all busy learning ‘Amhrán na bhFiann’ (our national anthem) and they will also perform ‘An Haka Gaelach’ for the occasion. You can help them at home by practising both, which are available at the following links:

Amhrán na bhFiann

Video Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM8IsILx-ac

Lyrics: See attached

An Haka Gaelach 

Video Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QWJMZrhiGw

• Chess Club: Chess lessons for Fifth and Sixth Class pupils commenced last Monday, 11^th November. Chess lessons will run from 2.30p.m. to 3.30p.m., with the next lesson on Monday 18^th November. After Monday, it will change to Tuesdays, starting from Tuesday 26^th November. These lessons are for both beginners, as well as experienced chess players. Everyone is welcome to come along and join. We are hoping to take part in a chess tournament after Christmas. I want to thank Ms. Marrinan and Ms. Beary for giving so generously of their time in running our Chess Club.

• Basketball: Well done to our basketball team who travelled to Ballymany N.S., Newbridge on Monday to play the first game of our Cumann na mBunscol league. Unfortunately, we were beaten on the day, but the girls’ played superbly and really enjoyed the experience. Our next match is scheduled to take place towards the end of next week against Scoil na Naomh Uilig, Newbridge, with the venue and times yet to be decided. I want to commend the girls on their dedication to the sport and to training each week and to thank their coaches, Ms. Gleeson, Ms. Costello and Ms. Banks. There will be no training next week, 20th November. 

• Book Club: Our new Scholastic Book Club is up and running! Go tohttps://schools.scholastic.ie/scoil-bhride-n/digital-book-club to browse the latest books and order online. For every €1 you spend on this month’s Book Club, our school will earn 20c in Scholastic rewards. Please note, there is no obligation on any family to purchase books. We are running this Book Club for families who wish to purchase books for their children, as the books retail significantly cheaper than in other bookshops. If you wish to purchase any books, please place your order online by December 3^rd to ensure delivery before Christmas.

• Debating: Our debating team will take onMercy Convent N.S., Naas, in the first round of the Concern Primary Debating Competition later this morning. We will oppose the motion that “Every person in Ireland should be given a bike”. Last week the girls delivered their speeches to all of our classes from Third to Sixth in the school hall and accepted rebuttals from the floor, allowing all of the girls to experience a debate in action. We wish the team and their mentors, Ms. Banks and Ms. Costello the very best of luck.

• Internet Safety Talk for Parents: All parents are invited and strongly encouraged to attend our Internet Safety / Cyber-bullying Talk for Parents with Ger Brick, scheduled to take place via Zoom on Tuesday 26^th November at 7.30pm. A link will be sent out to all families closer to the date. I want to thank our Parents’ Association, who are funding this talk and also funding the workshops Ger will engage in with our Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Classes in December.

• Tidy Towns: We want to congratulate the wonderful Rathangan Tidy Towns Committee, who were awarded a silver medal in the recent National Tidy Towns Competition; a tremendous achievement, and their second year in a row to achieve this superb result. Vanessa Mack, from the Tidy Towns Committee will attend our next Green Schools Committee meeting, scheduled to take place today, and I am delighted to report that she will be bringing along the prestigious silver medal. We look forward to warmly welcoming her.

• Science Week: Science Week is being celebrated all around the school this week, with lots of science activities taking place in all classes. I want to thank Ms. Ryan for co-ordinating our whole-school engagement in Science Week. All classes will engage in a workshop on Biodiversity over the next fortnight as part of the Science Week activities. Fifth and Sixth Class will also host a much-anticipated Science Fair in the hall tomorrow for all classes. I want to thank the girls and their teachers, Ms. de Faoite, Ms. Marrinan, Ms. Banks and Ms. Freeborn for the tremendous amount of work they are putting into organising the Science Fair.

• Friendship Week:  Friendship Week is being celebrated in the school next week, from Monday 18^th to Friday 22^nd November. The emphasis for the week will be on creating and extending friendship, with the motto ‘to have a friend, you have to be a friend’. Children in all classes are being encouraged to make new friends within their classes, with lots of fun activities taking place.

• Christmas Annuals: If you wish to order a Christmas Annual for your daughter (optional), please pay via the e-payment link which was sent to all parents earlier this week (available under the ‘Money’ tab in the Aladdin app). The annuals are as follows: Jr & Sr Infants – Súgradh, 1^st & 2^nd – Spraoi, 3^rd & 4^th Siamsa, 5^th & 6^th – Sonas and the cost is €5 per annual. Please type in the name(s) of the annual(s) you wish to order when you are paying on the app (‘Notes’ section) – this is important so that we can order the correct annual for your child(ren). Multiple annuals can be purchased via the payment link. Payment must be made via the e-payment link by Thursday next, 21^st November. No cash accepted. 

• Parent-Teacher Meetings: Please ensure you have booked your time slot for Parent Teacher Meetings for either next Tuesday or Wednesday evening. Booking slots are only available to parents who have not already met their child’s teacher at a Pupil Support Planning Meeting. Booking can be done via the ‘Parent Teacher Meetings’ tab on the Aladdin app. Please ensure you arrive promptly at your appointment time. Meetings will be 10 minutes in duration and we ask that parents knock on the classroom door at their appointed time. Chairs will be provided outside the classrooms. Please ensure you know your child(ren)’s classroom number(s). Rooms 1 to 6 and Room 15 are downstairs and rooms 7 to 12 are upstairs. While these are our annual, formal meetings, if an issue arises for your child during the year, the teachers are happy to meet with you if you make an appointment with Catríona in the office or send a message to your child’s teacher on the Aladdin Connect app.

• Annual Child Safeguarding Review: Our current Child Safeguarding Statement (relating to Child Protection), including our Risk Assessment is available to view on our school website www.bunscoilbhride.ie We are currently beginning the annual process of reviewing this Child Safeguarding Statement and would welcome your feedback on these policy documents. We would be grateful if you would take a moment to complete the survey at the following link to provide us with feedback to inform our review –  https://forms.gle/TRFvAdou3DYa4cQR7

• Illnesses: If your child is suffering from an infectious illness, please inform the office, so that we can inform parents of the other children in the class and alert them to the symptoms. Your support in this regard is greatly appreciated.

• Aladdin App: It is possible for both parents to download the Aladdin app. Please phone the office or send us a message if you wish for the link to be resent.

• Dates for the Diary: As you know, our school is a busy place, with lots going on! Please keep an eye on the Aladdin Calendar (within the Aladdin Connect app), which details the dates of all upcoming events, including our class plays, which are all taking place this year. Dates are subject to change and new dates will be added as events are confirmed.

Kind regards,

Maria Rogerson