Dear Parents/Guardians,

I hope you are keeping well and safe this week.  The weather has been colder but hopefully Spring will follow soon!  As I write this snow is falling and it would be lovely if we got enough snow to build a snowman! Our news is as follows

• Last week all the wifi access points in the school were upgraded. It will mean faster and more reliable wifi in all the classrooms. This will be very helpful when we return to school.
• Thanks to our fundraising efforts last year we have an order placed for a set of IPADs for use in the school. These will be delivered soon and will be used particularly in the Junior classrooms and for pupils with Special Educational Needs.   
• Juniors have been learning all about sneachta (snow) in Irish this week. Let’s hope they can experience the joys of playing in the sneachta before it melts.  
• Again I have seen some amazing work on seesaw this week. So many pupils (and parents) are putting in a huge effort.  Please remember if you or your child is finding it difficult please contact your child’s teacher and we will support you in any way we can.
• Next Wednesday will be Wellbeing Wednesday. For that day the focus will be on wellbeing and looking after our mental health.  There will be a few short activities to do that day across the school. The teachers will send them out via seesaw before Wednesday. This lockdown has been difficult for all of us and it is important to be kind to each other.
•  Just a reminder again that Shannon Family Resource Centre are offering free telephone counselling to any parents that find themselves struggling during lockdown. The service is available on Monday and Tuesday evenings from 6.30pm to 8.30pm and the number is 085 2829955. The counsellor is fully qualified and has been working with families and children for over 20 years.
• We are on mid-term next Thursday and Friday so there will be no school activities to do. The classes who normally have a zoom link up on Thursday and Friday will rearrange them for earlier in the week so the pupils will not miss out linking up with their class next week.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank our amazing staff who have been so dedicated and hardworking over the past few weeks. We all hope we are back to school in person soon. For next week I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable mid-term break. Stay off screens, take a break and stay safe.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, Principal