Dear Parents/Guardians,

 We hope you are well this week. Our news is as follows

•  Thank you to all the families who have provided us with email addresses for this newsletter. This will greatly reduce our waste and help us to be more green.

• Some of our boys from 3rd/4th classes will take part in an indoor hurling competition today in Cratloe. We wish them all the best as they have been training hard.
• We wish our two quiz teams well as they will represent St. Tola’s in the Shannon Credit Union Quiz here in the school on Saturday at 2p.m. The pupils concerned have been busy putting in extra quiz practise at lunchtimes over the past few weeks. Well done!
• Thank you to Clare County Council who provided a free book on Raptors – Birds of Prey in Clare, Galway and Tipperary to every pupil from 1st-6th classes.
• Pupils in 3rd-6th classes began a programme of Sportshall Athletics on Tuesday last. This is run by Clare Sports Partnership who provide a coach to demonstrate the skills to the pupils. We were delighted that some Transition Year Students from the Comp are helping out with this initiative too.
• Next week is Catholic Schools Week. On Sunday the pupils in 6th class making Confirmation this year will have a Confirmation preparation Mass in Mary Immaculate Church at 11a.m. On Tuesday pupils from 2nd-6th classes will go to morning Mass in Mary Immaculate Church ( weather permitting). On Thursday we will host our annual prayer service to give thanks for the gift of grandparents. This will take place here in the school at 11a.m. and all grandparents are welcome to attend. The theme of Catholic Schools Week this year is Learning with Pope Francis to Care for our Common Home.
• Just a reminder to parents that school attendance is very important for your child to progress. If your child is unwell and unable to attend school please let us know. If they miss a number of days due to illness a doctor’s cert is very helpful for our records. If your child misses 20 days whatever the reason the school is obliged under the Education Welfare Act to make a report to the Education Welfare Officer with the reasons for the absences that you have supplied to us. We appreciate your co-operation in this matter.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, Principal