Dear parents/Guardians,

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

• Our Mass to celebrate the beginning of the school year took place today in the school hall. Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who took time out of their busy schedules to join us today. Thank you to all the staff and pupils who participated so well in the preparations and in the Mass today. Thank you to Fr. Tom Ryan who celebrated the Mass today. We were sorry to learn that Fr. Arnie could not join us as his mother is unwell. We wish her a speedy recovery.

• Both boys and girls from 3rd-6th classes have started football training at lunchtime over the past weeks. Thank you to Ms. Vaughan and Ms. Hehir who are giving up their lunchtimes to train the pupils in preparation for our upcoming matches in the Cumann na mBunscoil competition. The boys will play their competition next Friday 29th Sept in Stonehall N.S. and the girls will play their games in the camogie pitch in Shannon. Details and times will follow next week.
• 2nd class will have their Communion Enrolment Mass next Sunday at 11a.m. in Mary Immaculate Church. It is parish policy that pupils wear their school uniform to all Communion preparation Masses during the year. Pupils need to be seated at 10.45a.m and pupils sit with their family at the front of the Church. This marks the beginning of the preparations for First Communion and we wish our pupils and their families well for the year ahead.
• It has come to my attention that several Infant parents are bringing dogs into the school grounds when they come to collect their child. On health and safety grounds we cannot allow any dogs into the school grounds. Several pupils have allergies and we also have pupils who are very afraid of dogs. We thank you for your co-operation in this matter.
• 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.
• Pupils in 5th class will begin the Friends for Life programme next week. This is a 10 week programme designed to promote resilience and life coping skills in children of this age. Ms. Hehir and Ms McGuane will facilitate the programme in 5th class as part of Social, Personal and Health Education ( S.P.H.E.) We thank Ms. Hehir and Ms.McGuane for presenting the induction session for parents last night here in the school. Thank you to the parents who were in attendance. We understand that not every parent was able to attend last night and a letter and information sheet about the programme is going home to those families today.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald