Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope you are well this week and that you have a lovely Valentine’s Day. Our news is as follows

• Thank you to the Parents’ Association for organising the Valentine’s Day cake sale today in school. We appreciate the donations of cakes and buns from so many parents also. All the monies raised for the cake sale will go towards school funds.

• Congratulations to the pupils in 2^nd class who made their First Confession on Tuesday evening last. I’m sure that their parents/guardians were very proud of them as we are here in the school. Well done to everyone involved.
• Faith Friends will start next Tuesday here in the school at 2.45p.m.-3.30p.m. for pupils in 6^th class making Confirmation this year. This programme lasts for four weeks and our pupils will be joined by pupils from St. Senans and Gaelscoil Donncha Rua. The Faith Friends leaders are volunteers from Shannon parish who will give up their time to run the programme with the pupils. This is a lovely example of the parish working with the pupils to support them this year as they prepare for Confirmation.
• Swimming lessons start today for pupils in 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th classes. Swimming is part of the Physical Education Curriculum and all pupils must take part unless there is a medical reason that prevents them from going swimming. All pupils must wear a swimming hat for the lessons as this is the policy of Shannon Leisure Centre. The pupils will attend 8 lessons in total.
• Wolfe Tones GAA are running a GAA skills camp next week on Thursday 21^st and Friday 22^nd February from 10am to 2pm both days. This camp is open to all primary aged children even if they are not a member of Wolfe Tones. More information from Mark O’Donnell, 086 7756053.
• We have registered with the Aldi ‘Play Rugby Initiative’ for primary schools.  The top prize is €50,000 towards playing facilities in a school. This would be very helpful as a major boost in helping towards our yard redevelopment.  If you are shopping there and can receive stickers we would be grateful if you can give them to St. Tola’s.  Please spread the word to all your family, friends and work colleagues that we would gladly take their stickers to help towards collecting the 300 stickers we need to enter the competition.
• St. Tola’s will be closed to pupils on Wednesday next 20^th Feb for staff training on the Primary Language Curriculum. The school is closed on Thursday 21^st Feb and Friday 22^nd Feb for mid-term break. We hope that all pupils, staff and parents have an enjoyable break. St. Tola’s will re-open on Monday 25^th February.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, Principal