Dear Parents/guardians,

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

• Catholic Schools week has been celebrated this week.  The theme this year is “Live life to the full”. As part of this week we held a service on Zoom yesterday to give thanks for the gift of grandparents for all pupils. The theme for this was “Celebrating being back together again”.  We remembered that for some pupils they see their grandparents every day, for some they don’t get to see their grandparents very often as they live far away and we also remembered those grandparents who are no longer with us. Every class performed a poem or a song in honour of grandparents. We also had lovely artwork displayed in the school hall. The service can be viewed on the following you tube link which you may share this with grandparents but please do not share on social media thank you. https://youtu.be/3wUDi3jUaPM
• All classes will cover the Stay Safe programme as part of Social, Personal and    Health Education this term. This personal safety programme aims to give children
• the skills necessary to enable them to recognise and resist abuse/victimisation
• teach children they should always tell an adult about any situation they find unsafe, upsetting, threatening, dangerous or abusive
• develop children’s self-esteem, assertiveness and self-protective skills. Further information and lesson plans for all class levels may be accessed at www.staysafe.ie.  Alternatively, if you have any queries please contact your child’s teacher or the principal.

• First Confession will take place for pupils in 2^nd class who are participating in sacraments this year on Wednesday 2^nd Feb in Mary Immaculate Church at 7p.m. Pupils wear their school uniform for this ceremony. We wish our pupils who are making First Confession well.
• We have been informed by Shannon Parish that the date for First Communion this year is Saturday 30^th April at 10.30a.m. in Mary Immaculate Church. The date for Confirmation is Friday 6^th May at 11a.m.
• Our parent/teacher meetings took place this via a phone call. If you need to speak to your child’s teacher at any other stage this year please contact the school office where we will organise this for you.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope you are keeping well as we move through January. Our news this week is as follows

• Parent/teacher meetings are scheduled to take place next week. Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions these meetings will take place via phone. The caller ID will not show on the phone when you receive your call. We also ask that these meetings are confidential and your child does not attend.  If you were unable to book a slot via Aladdin contact the school office where we can assist you.
• If there is a positive Covid case in your child’s class we are sending out the link to apply for free antigen tests to the parents of all pupils in the class. This is because the new variant of Covid 19 is more transmissable and it appears to spread more rapidly. We thank all the parents who inform us when their child tests positive so we can alert all families in that class.
• Next week is Catholic Schools week where the theme this year is Living Life to the Full. On Wednesday we will celebrate the gift of grandparents. Grandparents may be very present in pupils’ lives, may live far away or may no longer be with us. We will remember and celebrate all grandparents.  Unfortunately, due to current restrictions this celebration will take place in school and we cannot invite anyone in. All classes will be reflecting on the gift of grandparents over the next week and will share a poem or song with other classes at a little ceremony on Wednesday next. We are all looking forward to this.
• Junior Infants are very busy at the moment learning their letters and sounds. This week they are learning the sound ”g”. Lots of great words start with “g” such as Granny, Grandad, green and even Goldilocks! Keep up the great work Juniors!
• Our Solas class have been learning all about lions and cheetahs this week. They have learnt lots of amazing facts and really enjoyed this topic.
• We are currently accepting enrolments for Junior Infants for September 2022. The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 28^th January. All applicants will be informed by 11^th February if their application is successful. If you have a child that you wish to enrol please contact the school office for an enrolment form as soon as possible.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians,

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

• A number of parents have expressed concern in relation to their child’s attendance and having to isolate due to Covid 19. I have spoken to the school’s Education Welfare officer and she has assured me that the service will be taking Covid into account and that there is no need to be concerned in relation to this. The school is still bound by the Education Welfare Act 2000 and must report pupils who cannot attend for 20 days or more in a year. If the absences are in relation to Covid 19 no action will be taken.  It is important though that if your child cannot attend due to Covid restrictions including isolating as a close contact please let us know so we have this information if required.  Also if your child has any symptoms of Covid they need to stay at home and contact your GP for advice.
• Our prefab for our Multiple Disability Class is almost finished. The class have moved out there today and it is their first day in their new room. We are just waiting for the contractor to complete the tarmac and groundworks around the prefab and we can reopen the path at that side of the school.  We are delighted with the space and it will make such a difference to the pupils in our Aoibhneas Class to have their own room.  Enjoy your new classroom Aoibhneas!
• Clare County Council have completed works to the paths on the Green Store side of the school. The gate on this side of the school are now reopened. Thank you for your patience and re-routing while these works were in progress.
• We are currently accepting enrolments for Junior Infants for September 2022. The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 28^th January. All applicants will be informed by 11^th February if their application is successful. If you have a child that you wish to enrol please contact the school office for an enrolment form as soon as possible.
• Senior Infants are learning all about different types of houses and homes at the moment. They are collecting all types of recyclable materials such as boxes and cartons and they plan to make their own models of different types of houses and homes. I can’t wait to see the finished creations!
• Second Class are learning all about healthy eating and the importance of exercise. The have learnt that exercise helps our bodies and our brains. They have also starting learning about where some of the counties of Ireland are and are getting familiar with the map of Ireland.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, Principal

Dear parents/guardians,

We hope you are well and that you had a lovely break over Christmas. Our news this week is as follows

• Thank you to Brendan from the Greenstore who donated a lovely kitkat chocolate treat to all pupils before Christmas. This was to say thanks to all in the school community for their support. We hope that every pupil enjoyed this.
• As you are aware there are high levels of Covid 19 circulating in the community at present. If your child has any symptoms of Covid please do not send them into school and contact your GP for advice. If your child is identified as a household contact of a person infected with Covid 19 they also must isolate and the HSE will advise you on the length of isolation.
• If your child does contract Covid 19 please contact the school either by email at office@tolasns.com or phone at 061 362894 to let us know. We will alert the parents of the pupils in your child’s pod if your child has been at school during the infectious period. At no stage will we identify any individual who has Covid 19. If there is a positive case in a pod the parents of those pupils can apply for free antigen tests. If there is a second case in the classroom within 7 days parents of all pupils will be notified and all pupils in the class can apply for free antigen tests. The school will continue to liaise with the Schools Covid advice line if there are Covid cases here in the school. This will ensure that the school has the most up to date health guidance in relation to Covid 19.
• Pupils in 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 6^th classes are still required to wear face masks at school. This guidance will be reviewed in February. Well done to all our pupils in these classes who attended today wearing their facemasks. Their class teachers will ensure they get regular mask breaks throughout the day.
• On behalf of all in the school community I would like to extend sincere condolences to Diana Fleming on the death of her grandmother before Christmas. I would also like to extend sincere sympathies to Edel Halliday on the death of her father-in-law recently. Ar Dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha.
•  Covid 19 is having a significant impact on staff also with some staff having to isolate. It is extremely difficult to find substitute teachers or SNAs at present. The school will endeavour to keep in person learning going for all pupils.
• Finally I would like to wish all pupils, parents/guardians and staff a happy and healthy New Year.  Let’s hope that 2022 sees the end of the pandemic and a return to a normal life.

Kind regards, Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, Principal