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. Coughlan 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. Rowley, Ms. Dillon, Ms. Brogan and Ms. Rogers (from the Boys’ School).
- 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 €2078 was raised, which will go towards the purchase of sensory equipment for our school.
- Football: The girls’ team got off to a fantastic start in their league with a brilliant first-round victory over Scoil Mochua last week, winning on a scoreline of 2-9 to 0-2. The girls followed up this success yesterday with another excellent performance against St Joseph’s N.S., Kilcock, coming away victorious on a scoreline of 2-7 to 0-3. The team has shown great determination, teamwork and skill in both matches. We are all very proud of their efforts. After the week off in May, the girls will return for their third-round game at home in Rathangan, where they will face San Carlo SNS. We wish the girls the very best of luck in their next match!
- Junior Infant Vaccinations: The Junior Infant vaccinations will be administered by staff from the HSE on Wednesday 13th May.
- 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.
- Anti-Bullying Policy: The annual review of our anti-bullying policy will take place during term three. It can be viewed on our school website www.bunscoilbhride.ie. It addresses cyber-bullying, which as we know has become an issue of national concern. I’m sure you are all already aware that there are risks and dangers associated with your child using social media. If you allow your child to use social media, parental supervision is required at all times. I would like to make you aware of the fact that the legal age for using most social media apps is thirteen. Our school has safeguards in place with regard to pupil internet/website access at school. It is important that all parents are aware that use outside school falls under parental responsibility.
- 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 for midterm break next week (Monday 4th to Friday 8th May inclusive). We hope you all have a lovely break.
Kind regards,
Maria Rogerson