Dear Parents/Guardians,

We wish you a happy New Year and a welcome back to the second term of the current school year. Our news this week is as follows

• As we start back to school for the new year can I remind parents once again to take due care and caution especially in the morning when using the car park. Please see a letter from Garda Paul Clancy attached to the back of this newsletter in relation to this issue. We want to ensure that all pupils and staff can access the school in a safe and secure manner. We thank you for your co-operation.

• The annual Clare InterSchools table quiz will take place here in St. Tola’s on Thursday 14th Jan next. We will have two teams representing our school at this quiz and we will have teams from schools all around the county. Good luck St. Tola’s.
• Congratulations to Alannah Mason in 1st class who won the hamper in the Christmas raffle. Congratulations also to Edmund Hillery in 1st class who won second prize of a beautiful ceramic wall hanging made by Raquel Walsh. Thank you to the Parent’s Association for organising the raffle and to the many parents who bought tickets . A total of €609 was raised.
• An Internet Safety workshop will take place for parents here in the school on Thurs 21st Jan from 7.30p.m.-9.30p.m. A lot of pupils may have received smart phones or other devices that can access the internet over Christmas. This workshop looks at practical ways that parents can ensure that their children are able to use the internet in a positive and safe manner. A letter in relation to this talk is being sent out to all families today and booking is essential. If you would like to attend please return the completed booking form to your child’s teacher at your earliest convenience. 3rd and 4th classes and 5th and 6th classes will have a cyber bullying and internet safety talk also on that date in school. We thank the Parent’s Association who are funding the cost of this workshop.
• We welcome Ms. Ciara Lynch to the staff. Ms. Lynch will be covering a learning support/resource post for the remainder of this school year. Ms. Eleanor Howard is now teaching 3rd class for the remainder of this year as Ms. Lorraine Connolly is on maternity leave.
• For the pupils in 2nd class who are making their First Communion in May this year there will be a Mass in Mary Immaculate Church this Sunday at 11a,m, as part of the Do This In Memory of Me programme. Pupils are asked to wear their school uniform and to be seated in their places by 10.45a.m. First Confession will take place on Tuesday 2nd Feb at 7p.m. in Mary Immaculate church. Please note that this is a different date to the date printed on the leaflet given out at the information meeting at the start of the year.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, Principal