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