4th March 2021
Dear Parents / Guardians,
We hope all is well with you this fortnight. Our news is as follows:
- Return to School: We were so thrilled to welcome back some of our girls over the last two weeks. We are eagerly awaiting the return to school of our 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th classes, who we hope to see on Monday 15th March, subject to Department of Education and Skills confirmation. It’s been wonderful to see the lovely smiles and happy faces coming through the gates and to hear the hum of activity around the school again. I want to thank you all for your cooperation in facilitating our safe return to school. In order to keep our whole school community safe and to ensure that we are able to keep the school open, we ask that you do not send your child to school, should she be displaying any of the symptoms of Covid or feeling any way unwell. Your child should not be in school if anyone in your household is awaiting a Covid test or test results. We are appealing to you all to adhere to the Covid Level 5 restrictions. There should be no play dates or mixing outside of school. If we all adhere to these guidelines, this will reduce the risk of the spread of infection to our staff, pupils, our families and the wider school community. For further information from the Department of Education on the return to school, please visit https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a04fc-advice-for-students-and-their-families/#health-advice-for-parents
- Dealing with a Positive Covid Case: We continue to rely on our wonderful parent body to keep us informed, and I ask that you continue to let me know immediately (in confidence) once you become aware of a positive case in your household. While we have been very fortunate to date, with no cases of Covid-19 in our school, we will, no doubt, like other schools, encounter a positive case in our school in the coming months. If and when we do, we will deal with it swiftly and effectively, following all HSE guidelines and ensuring the confidentiality of all involved. To assist you, I have attached an up-to-date Quick Isolation Guide from the HSE, which I ask you to keep somewhere safe and consult with when required.
- School Drop off and Collection: We are asking that all parents wear a mask when dropping off / collecting children at the school gate. Please avoid contact / congregation with other parents at this time. If you need to have a meeting /quick chat with either myself or one of the teachers, please phone the office so that this can be arranged via phone / Zoom.
- Return to School Declarations: I want to thank the parents of all of the children who have already returned to school, for your cooperation in completing the Return to School Declarations on the Aladdin app. Please be advised that this declaration will need to be completed every time you wish your daughter to return to school following any absence (even one school day). The declaration can only be filled out after 3pm on the day your child is marked absent, and it should only be completed on the evening before or morning of the return to school.
- Seachtain na Gaeilge: Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge beagnach buailte linn arís (15ú – 19ú lá de mhí Marta). 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 Máirt, an 16ú lá de mhí Márta. Beimid 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) as well. Tuesday, 16th March will be a non-uniform day to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge and we will dress in green on that day. While all the classes will engage in activities to mark Lá Glas (Green Day) on this day, all classes will also take part (individually) in An Céilí Mór outside. Photographs of the event, together with activities of the day will be available to view on www.bunscoilbhride.ie
- Maths Easter Egg Hunt: Our annual Bunscoil Bhríde Maths Easter Egg Hunt will run over the fortnight beginning 15th March, 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!
- World Book Day: World Book Day is being celebrated in the school today. All classes are participating in various different book-related activities and are having lots of fun. Our aim is to encourage children to read at home and to learn to love books. We would ask that you support us by encouraging reading and by taking your child to the library regularly (as soon as easing of restrictions allow). Book tokens to the value of €1.50 have been distributed to all children to mark World Book Day.
- Change of Contact Details: Please 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 let us know if you have not been receiving app messages / text messages / emails from the school.
- 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.
- Footwear Reminder: For health and safety reasons, canvas runners (Converse etc.) cannot be worn in school. All footwear must provide sole support.
- Aladdin School Calendar: All upcoming events and school holidays can be viewed on our school calendar on the Aladdin app.
- St. Patrick’s Day: The school will close for St. Patrick’s Day on Wednesday 17th March. Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh go léir!
Kind regards,
Maria Rogerson