Dear Parents/Guardians,

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

• It might seem a bit early to talk about Christmas but our Parent’s Association are organising class calendars which will be on sale before Christmas. Each class will have their own calendar which will feature a class photo. If you do not wish your child to be included in the class photo for the calendar please let the office know  either by phone or email office@tolasns.com

• The Parent’s Association are organising a cake sale next Thursday 24^th October which will take place in the hall at 1p.m. Donations of cakes/buns will be gratefully accepted and may be left in to the school on Thursday morning. Please label all tins/containers with your child’s name so we can return them to their rightful owners.
• As you are aware all schools are obliged to monitor attendance. Over the past two years attendance rates have improved significantly here in St. Tola’s. We thank you for your co-operation in this matter. Under the Education Welfare Act 2000 the principal is obliged under the law to report the names of pupils who miss 20 days or more in a school year regardless of the reason. To help you keep track of your child’s attendance we will send a text reminder if your child misses 10/15/20 days. If your child is absent you need to let us know the reason for the absence.
• Can I remind parents that if your child is late for school you need to come in through the main school door and not the playschool entrance. Ringing the playschool buzzer is very disruptive for the playschool.
• We are delighted that Clare County Council have added an extra disabled access parking space in the car park. Both spaces are now clearly marked and we ask that these are left clear for families who need them. Shannon Gardai have also been monitoring the car park and have informed us that they will be issuing tickets to drivers who are not taking due care in the car park and who are blocking the entrance or exit.
• The term of office of the current Board of Management will end on 30^th November 2019. The Board of Management comprises of eight members, two of which are elected by the parent body. The meeting to hold an election for two parent nominees to the Board of Management will take place on Wed 6th Nov here in the school at 8p.m. The term of the new Board will be from 1st Dec 2019 until 30th Nov 2023. All parents of pupils currently attending the school from Junior infants to 6^th class are entitled to be nominated and vote at this meeting but must attend in person to do so. A mother and a father will be elected to the Board of Management as parent nominees at this meeting.
• St. Tola’s has been informed by the Department of Education and Skills that the teachers will be required to attend in-service training on the revised primary Language Curriculum on 12^th November next. The school will be closed to pupils on that day.
• As we approach Halloween we are all thinking about Halloween dressing up! If your child wishes to wear their Halloween costumes in to school on Fri 25^th Oct they may do so. Please remember that they will be going outside at breaktimes so make sure that they have some layers underneath and can run about safely. If they do not wish to dress up that is fine and they may wear their uniforms instead.
• St. Tola’s will close for mid- term break at 2.40pm on Friday 25^th October and will re-open on Monday 4^th November.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, Principal