Dear Parents / Guardians,
We hope all is well with you this fortnight. Our news is as follows:
- Enrolments for 2022/23: Tomorrow, Friday 10th February is the closing date for receipt of applications for admission to Junior Infants 2023/24. Please note applications can only be processed when accompanied by the child’s birth certificate. Application forms are available from the school office and can also be downloaded from our school website.
- Grandparents Day: We celebrated Grandparents’ Day last Wednesday at Bunscoil Bhríde. We were thrilled to have such huge numbers of grandparents visit our school. The children welcomed them into their classrooms and entertained them with songs, poems, games and tunes. There was a lovely atmosphere around the school and the staff and children were delighted by the grandparents’ tales of the past, in particular tales of school in the past. We would like to thank them for taking the time to come in and share their stories with us. We all benefitted hugely from the experience. I would like to thank our excellent Parents’ Association, whose members organised and served at the lovely reception in the hall for our guests and also all the families who baked and brought in delicious treats for the occasion. I would also like to congratulate and thank the members of our Student Council, who did a terrific job welcoming our guests and guiding them around the school.
- Peace Proms: Our Sixth Class girls performed at Peace Proms in the RDS on Saturday night last. It was a truly spectacular event and a phenomenal and memorable experience for the girls (and I think for all the parents who attended). The girls, as always, were the most excellent ambassadors for our school. I want to sincerely thank Ms. De Faoite, Ms. Rowley and Ms. Dillon who have been preparing the girls for the last few months and who gave up their Saturday night (of a bank holiday weekend!) to accompany the girls to the RDS. We are truly fortunate to have such a hardworking, dedicated staff.
- Vision Screening: Vision screening of Junior Infant pupils by staff from the HSE will take place on Thursday 23rd February in the school.
- School Tours: Teachers are currently finalising school tour details for the summer term. All classes from Senior Infants to Sixth Class will go on a school tour this year (Junior Infants will engage in a Teddy Bears’ Picnic here at the school in the last term). Details of the tour destinations and the cost will be issued to all parents of children in these classes next week. 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.
- Basketball: Our Cumann na mBunscol basketball league has concluded for this year and I want to congratulate all of the girls who took part. Unfortunately, the semi-final did not go our way but we are so very proud of all the girls’ commitment and teamwork throughout the season. The girls will continue basketball training over the next few weeks to prepare for the upcoming basketball blitz in Prosperous on March 9th. I want to thank Ms. Gleeson and Ms. Dineen who have been coaching the girls after school each week.
- World Book Week: This year World Book Day falls on Thursday March 2nd. We have decided to extend the celebrations and celebrate ‘World Book Week’ from Thursday 2nd to Thursday 9th March. All classes will be participating in various different book-related activities during the week. 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 Thursday 2nd March (ensuring that they are appropriately attired for the weather). We have also booked a Scholastic Book Fair to take place in the school during World Book Week (more details of this to follow). Book tokens to the value of €1.50, which they can use at the book fair will be distributed to all children during World Book Week.
- Ash Wednesday: This year Ash Wednesday falls on Wednesday 22nd February. We will take all classes from Second to Sixth over to 10am Mass in the church on Ash Wednesday, as is our custom.
- 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.
- 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 app messages / text messages / emails from the school.
- Half day closure: The Department of Education and Skills have instructed all schools to close for a half-day this term to facilitate staff inservice in the new Primary Languages Curriculum. Our half-day closure will take place on Tuesday of next week (Tuesday 14th February). School will close on Tuesday next at 11.50am.
- Midterm Break: The school will be closed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week; the 15th, 16th and 17th February for midterm break and will reopen on Monday 20th February. We hope you all have a lovely break.
Kind regards,
Maria Rogerson