Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope you are well for this first week in October. Our news is as follows

• We are having a clothes recycling event here in the school on Tuesday 9^th Oct next. Now is the time to declutter those wardrobes before the winter sets in. All unwanted clothes as well as bed linen, towels, curtains, paired shoes, soft toys, handbags and belts are accepted. We cannot accept duvets, pillow or mats. The clothes may be left into the hall from tomorrow Friday, Monday and up to 9.30am on Tuesday morning. All funds raised go towards school fundraising.

• Thank you to the Mens’ Shed Shannon who made a gorgeous Buddy bench for the infant yard. Christy and his team generously donated this to the school and we are very grateful. It arrived today and it is really lovely. This will be a lovely spot for Juniors and Seniors to sit on.
• The girls’ football team will play in the Cumann na mBunscoil competition next Tuesday in Gurteen. We wish them well. Our boys’ football team will play in their competition on Thursday next in Stonehall. Well done to our boys and girls who have been training hard at lunchtimes for the past few weeks. Thank you to Ms. Vaughan and Mr. Tyrell for coaching them and giving up their lunchtimes to do so.
• 3^rd class are visiting the library today where they will get an opportunity to see the Bumbleance and learn about the valuable work this does bringing seriously ill children to hospital appointments all around the country.
• The Parents’ Association are organising a cake sale for next Friday 12^th We would be grateful for all donations of cakes and buns on the day.
• We would remind all parents about the need for vigilance around your child and using social media or gaming online. All devices from which your child can access the internet should be kept in the public spaces in your home such as the kitchen or living room. Children should not have access to the internet from their bedrooms. Please ensure that all privacy settings have been activated on any online games/apps and that your child is not communicating with people they do not know in real life. If your child is communicating with others online ensure that they are doing so in a safe and respectful manner. As a parent you need to be aware of exactly what they are doing online and encourage them to show you if they are worried or concerned about anything. Please monitor the amount of time that your child is spending online and that they are getting enough sleep. Keeping up to date with changes in this area can be overwhelming for parents so for further guidance please visit www.webwise.ie/parents. There are valuable hints and tips here and it is regularly updated.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, Principal