Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope you are well as we head towards the end of the first term of the current school year. Our news this week is as follows

• Juniors and Seniors made lovely Christmas cards recently for the Senior Citizens of Shannon. They did a great job and no doubt these will bring Christmas cheer to our elderly. These were collected last Monday by members of Shannon Gardai. The Guards brought a lollipop for every child to say thank you. The pupils in Solas and Aoibhneas classes got to meet the Gardai also and they brought the pupils out to their van to show them the sirens and lights. The pupils were very excited!
• Thank you to all classes who have decorated the school hall with their wonderful art work. It is so cheery and bright as we all pass through the hall on the way out to the yard.
• All classes are busy putting together a short performance for Christmas at the moment. Due to Covid restrictions we cannot have parents/guardians in the building at present. These performances will be recorded and shared with you.
• We will hold a virtual Carol service next Wednesday here in the school with all classes joining from their own room. Each class will share a song or a poem. This year we will record the Carol service also and share the link with you afterwards. This is always a special event and even though we have to have social distancing hopefully it will be uplifting and joyous too!
• St. Tola’s will close on Wednesday next 22^nd December at 12p.m. for all pupils and staff. This term has been difficult due to Covid but I would like to thank all parents/guardians for your co-operation and support with all Covid measures. It is greatly appreciated. I would also like to say a huge thank you to every staff member for their dedication, hard work and good humour. Even though we are living through a global pandemic our wonderful staff come in every day and are positive and affirming to our pupils and have gone the extra mile to make sure that school life continues in a safe way. Finally, I would like to thank our pupils for their co-operation with all Covid measures and for the way they too have got on with school life. I especially salute and thank our pupils in 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 6^th classes for their maturity and the way they have conducted themselves since the introduction of face masks for this age cohort. I hope that every family gets to enjoy a well deserved break over the coming weeks.
• St. Tolas will re-open to all staff and pupils on Thursday 6^th January 2022 at 9a.m. Nollaig faoi mhéin is faoi mhaise daoibh go léir.

Kind regards, Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians,

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

• As you are aware St Tolas was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday this week due to Storm Barra. Thankfully there was no damage done to the school and we are all back today Thursday 9^th December. Thank you for your co-operation in relation to the storm.
• The Christmas annuals have arrived at the school and will be distributed to those who ordered them this week. We hope the children enjoy them.
• Thank you to all pupils in 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 6^th classes who are wearing their masks in school. I am so proud of the pupils and how well they are doing. The Department of Education issued further guidance this week in relation to this matter. Pupils do not wear masks outside in the yard. They do not wear masks for P.E or while eating. I have instructed class teachers to take regular mask breaks throughout the day when the class go outside for a couple of minutes to get some fresh air. I would like to thank all parents/guardians also for your co-operation. We all hope this is a temporary measure and there will be no requirement to wear them after the review in February. We all hope the numbers contracting COVID 19 will reduce in the coming weeks. As you are aware the number of primary aged children, including here in St Tolas who have contracted Covid 19 in the past few weeks has been high. Wearing masks is one measure to slow down the transmission of Covid 19.
• The construction of the prefab for our multiple disability class is continuing. Good progress has been made in the past few weeks and we hope this will be completed very shortly. This will be a great space for our Aoibhneas class and I know the pupils and staff are looking forward to getting into their new room!
• 3^rd class are working hard on their tin whistle. I had the pleasure of hearing a few bars today! Well done 3^rd class – keep up the good work.
• 4^th class were making Christmas hats today also. These are turning out really well. All the pupils were really enjoying this. I can’t wait to see the finished hats!

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope you are well as we begin the final month of 2021! Our news this week is as follows

• From last Monday 29^th November the free antigen programme has been rolled out for primary schools. If your child tests positive for COVID 19 you are required to let the school know. You can do this by emailing office@tolasns.com or ringing 061 362894. We will then contact the parents of the other pupils in your child’s pod with details on how to apply for free antigen tests. We will not be identifying any pupil who has tested positive.  5 tests will be delivered and parents will be asked to administer tests on day 0,2 and 4. If the child is well, symptom free and receives a negative antigen test they continue to attend school. Parents do not have to administer antigen tests if they so wish and the child can continue to attend school as long as they are symptom free.  If the antigen test is positive they restrict their movements and parents need to book a PCR test.  If the antigen test is negative and the child has any symptoms parents need to book a PCR test and the child remains at home until they receive the results of the PCR test. I would like to thank all the parents who have co-operated with this new programme this week.
• As you are aware the government announced on Tuesday evening last that all pupils from 3^rd-6^th classes in primary schools are now required to wear masks. There are some exceptions to this including pupils who have medical conditions and pupils with certain categories of additional needs. We are aware that an adjustment period will be needed for pupils to get used to wearing masks and all staff will be sensitive to the needs of the pupils at this time. I was so impressed by the pupils yesterday when I visited 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 6^th classes to chat about this new requirement. Many of the pupils were wearing masks from yesterday and they had some insightful and interesting questions for me. Further clarifications may be received by schools in the coming days on this issue and I will communicate them when I receive them. This is a temporary measure and we all hope that numbers being infected by COVID 19 nationwide decrease in the coming weeks and this requirement for our pupils will be lifted.
• All classes are busy preparing a short song/poem/performance for Christmas. This will be shared on Seesaw with parents before the end of term. It will not be possible to have parents attend in person this year due to Covid restrictions.
• We will have our annual Carol Service on Wednesday 22^nd December at 10a.m. and it will take place via Zoom. The Zoom link will be shared with parents/guardians closer to the time but you may want to mark the date and time in your diary.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, Principal