Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope you are keeping well as we start a new month. Happy St. Brigid’s Day. Our news this week is as follows

• Parent/teacher meetings for Juniors to 2^nd class took place yesterday after school and continue today. Thank you to all those who attended yesterday. Please note that it is possible to meet with your child’s teacher at any stage if you have a worry or concern. Please contact the office to arrange an appointment so that the teacher is available to meet with you.
• As today is St Brigid’s day many of our classes are continuing a tradition that dates back 1500 years in Ireland by making St. Brigid’s crosses from rushes. 3^rd class were busy yesterday making these crosses. Well done 3^rd class.
• St. Tolas has registered to take part in Safer Internet Day which takes place on Tuesday February 6th.  Each class will be exploring age-appropriate lessons on how to stay safe online. We will also be designing posters to promote staying safe online. The theme of our weekly Cruinniú next week will focus on Safer Internet Day and the children will be given the opportunity to share their experiences about what they learn during the week. 
• The Webwise website is a valuable resource for schools and also has a Parents Hub which gives very good guidance for parents and guardians about helping to keep their child safe online. You can follow this link for excellent supports and advice to help you ensure your child makes the most of their time online. https://www.webwise.ie/parents/
• Pupils from 5^th and 6^th classes will be taking part in the Marian Keane memorial basketball tournament in Shannon Leisure centre next Wednesday. They will be playing teams from Clarecastle N.S and Stonehall N.S. We wish them all the best.
• First Confession for pupils in 2^nd class will take place on Monday 12^th February at 7p.m. in Mary Immaculate Church.
• For pupils in 6^th class making confirmation this year the Ceremony of Light will take place in Mary Immaculate Church on 24^th April at 7 p.m.
• Please see flyer attached re Check It Fits service where the RSA will check if your child seat for your car is safely fitted. They will be in Shannon next week. See flyer for details.
• Tomorrow 2^nd Feb is a national day to raise awareness around people living with Congenital Heart Defects. To celebrate the day people are asked to wear red. Pupils may wear a red tshirt/top on that day if they wish. There is no charge as the aim of the day is to raise awareness.
• As next Monday 5^th Feb is a public holiday St Tolas will be closed to pupils and staff. School will re-open as usual at 9a.m.  on Tuesday 6^th February.

Kind regards, Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, School Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians,

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

• Yesterday we celebrated Grandparents Day as part of Catholic Schools week. We were delighted to see so many grandparents from Senior Infants able to attend. We also think of those grandparents who could not be with us. Well done to all the pupils who performed lovely songs and poems to honour and celebrate the gift of grandparents. A special well done to Senior Infants who shared lovely memories of their grandparents with all of us.
• Pupils from 5^th and 6^th class are going to Shannon Leisure centre today for basketball training. They have been training at lunchtimes in school on Mondays and Tuesdays for the past few weeks.  Well done to all involved.
• Please see flyer attached re an Easter Camp that is being organised by some of the staff here in the school for pupils from St. Tolas.
• Shannon Athletics Club has been reformed after an absence of a few years since Covid. Training restarts next Wednesday 31^st Jan in the All Weather pitch here in Shannon. Please see flyer attached for details.
• Juniors are working on the theme of the Doctor’s Surgery in Aistear for the month of January. They are having great fun in the roleplay corner being the doctor, the nurse and the patients. I popped into Juniors this morning and they are working so hard on learning their letter names and sounds too! Well done Juniors.
• Next Friday 2^nd Feb is a national day to raise awareness around people living with Congenital Heart Defects. To celebrate the day people are asked to wear red. Pupils may wear a red tshirt/top on that day if they wish. There is no charge as the aim of the day is to raise awareness.
• Today we had two Gardai from Shannon Garda station visit 6^th class and Junior Infants. They discussed cyberbullying with the pupils in 6^th class and they talked about how the Guards help people in Junior Infants. They hope to come back another day and visit other classes.
• St Tolas has been chosen as the beneficiary for funds raised at Bingo on Wednesday 14^th February in the hall in Newmarket-on-Fergus. All monies raised that night will go to the school. The main prize for the raffle is a 50 inch Toshiba HD TV. There will be lots of other amazing prizes to be won on the night also.  As it is the start of the mid-term break children will be allowed attend Bingo that night as long as they are   accompanied by their parents.  We are now looking for sponsors for some of the games to be played on the night. Sponsorship for a game costs €140. If you know a company who would be willing to sponsor a game please ask them to contact the school office and we will arrange this. So make sure to mark your diary for a great night out on Feb 14^th.
• We are currently accepting enrolments for Junior Infants for September 2024. Please contact the school office for an enrolment form if you have a child or know a child who wishes to start school this year. The closing date is next Friday 26^th January.
• St Tolas will be closed to pupils next Monday 29^th January to facilitate staff inservice on the revised Primary Maths Curriculum. School will reopen to pupils on Tuesday next.
•  We have been informed that First Confession will take place for pupils in 2^nd class making First Communion this year will be on Monday 12^th February in Mary immaculate Church at 7p.m. We will be sharing First Confession with St. Senans school.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, School Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope you ae keeping well and are not too cold with the weather at the moment. Our news this week is as follows

• St Tolas has been chosen as the beneficiary for funds raised at Bingo on Wednesday 14^th February in the hall in Newmarket-on-Fergus. All monies raised that night will go to the school. We will sponsor the main prize in the raffle on the night and it will be a fabulous TV. There will be lots of other amazing prizes to be won on the night also.  As it is the start of the mid-term break children will be allowed attend Bingo that night as long as they are accompanied by their parents.  We are now looking for sponsors for some of the games to be played on the night. Sponsorship for a game costs €140. If you know a company who would be willing to sponsor a game please ask them to contact the school office and we will arrange this. So make sure to mark your diary for a great night out on Feb 14^th.
• We are currently accepting enrolments for Junior Infants for September 2024. Please contact the school office for an enrolment form if you have a child or know a child who wishes to start school this year. The closing date is next Friday 26^th January.
• St Tolas has been informed of an in-service day for all staff on the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum which will be implemented from September 2024. This training will take place on Monday 29^th January and the school will be closed to all pupils on that day.
• We have a large number of pupils from our school band signed up to start music lessons here in the school with Ms Hansbury and Ms Flynn. Pupils have chosen the instrument they wish to learn and we will have lessons in guitar, tin whistle, keyboard, concertina, clarinet and violin. A huge thank you to Ms Hansbury and Ms Flynn for all their hard work on this project.
• Due to the poor weather conditions this week the Paddy Carrig Memorial Competition due to be held in Wolfe Tones GAA on Tuesday last was postponed. It is hoped to organise this competition for Shannon schools when the weather improves.
• Boys’ and girls’ basketball training continues at lunch as they prepare for the Marian Keane memorial tournament which will take place in February.
• Next week is Catholic Schools Week. The theme this year is Catholic Schools: Communities of Service. Next Wednesday the 24^th January we would like to invite the grandparents of our pupils in Senior Infants to join us for a short prayer service to celebrate and give thanks for the gift of grandparents. Due to lack of space in the hall we can only invite the grandparents of one class. We thank you for your understanding. 
• Please see a flyer attached re Shannon Chess festival to be held in Shannon Library on Saturday 27^th January.
• Please see a flyer attached re a Wellness Event for Parents/Guardians in Shannon Library on 24^th January.

Kind regards, Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, School Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We hope you had a restful break and are ready for a new year and a new school term. It was lovely to meet all our pupils again this week.  Our news this week is as follows

• We are currently accepting enrolments for Junior Infants for September 2024. If you have a child to enrol or you know of a child who wishes to attend St Tolas please contact the school office for an enrolment application form before January 26^th.
• Pupils in 5^th and 6^th classes have started basketball training at lunchtimes. We are very grateful to Dean Flynn and Cliodhna Mulcahy from Shannon Jets Basketball club who are helping out with coaching. The pupils went down to Shannon Leisure Centre this morning to do some training on a bigger court. We will be participating in the Marion Keane Memorial Basketball tournament this term and the pupils are looking forward to this competition.
• Just a reminder that attendance at school is very important. It is very difficult for pupils to progress if they miss significant time from school. If your child is sick – has a temperature or is vomiting etc they should of course be kept at home. Under the Education Welfare Act 2000 the school is legally obliged to report all absences over 20 days in a school year. It is important that you provide a reason for any absence as we send in the reasons provided by you if making a report. If the reasons are due to exceptional circumstances such as illness you will not hear from the Education Welfare officer. We are now sending text alerts to parents if their child has missed 10 /15 days so this will help you keep track of any absences. If you are taking your child out of school for a holiday we ask that you inform the school of this in writing for our records. We would ask that as much as possible you schedule family holidays for when the school is closed.
• Parent/teacher meetings for Junior Infants to 2^nd class will take place on 31^st January and 1^st February after school. The times will be sent out tomorrow to parents/guardians concerned.
• As the weather has turned much colder this week it is important that pupils would bring a coat to school every day. If the yard is free of ice we will be going outside to play and get some fresh air.
• Can I please remind parents/guardians once again to take due care and caution when entering and exiting the car park.  If there are no spaces you may park on the road as long as you do not cause an obstruction to any neighbours.
• St Tolas has been informed of an in-service day for all staff on the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum which will be implemented from September 2024. This training will take place on Monday 29^th January and the school will be closed to all pupils on that day.

Kind regards, Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, School Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope you are well in this lead up to the Christmas break. Our news is as follows

• Thank you to all our parents/guardians and family members who joined us yesterday for our Christmas performances. It was lovely to see you. We are very grateful for your understanding in only staying for your child’s play. Our hall has limited space and we appreciate your co-operation in this matter.
• Well done to each and every pupil who gave a terrific performance at their play yesterday. We were so proud of every pupil. A huge thank you to every staff member who supported the pupils in preparing for their performance. It was wonderful to see everyone shine on the stage.
• Thank you to the Parents’ Association who organised the raffle and congratulations to the winners. We are especially grateful to the members of the Parents’ Association who gave up their time to sell tickets yesterday at the shows.
• Last Friday pupils from Senior Infants went to the sorting office in the Post office here in Shannon to see how the letters and parcels are organised before delivery. They had a wonderful time and had lots of questions for our postal workers. Yesterday they went to visit the Post Office and got to post a special card before Christmas. Well done Seniors!
• 5^th and 6^th classes had a lovely trip on Tuesday when they were invited to see Back to the 80’s Musical performed by pupils in St. Caimins’ school here in Shannon. It was lovely for them to see this performance and some familiar faces who were past pupils. 
• Tomorrow we will hold our annual carol service here in the school for our pupils. This is a lovely tradition on the day of the holidays when we take a little time out of all the busyness to just reflect on the meaning of Christmas together as a school.
• I would like to wish our cleaner Rima every good wish as she leaves us. Rima has given sterling service to St Tolas in her many years working here. She has always given 100% to the school and we will miss her. We thank her for all her hard work and dedication over the years and we wish her every blessing for the future. We hope she will return to us at some point in the future.
• St Tola’s will close to pupils and staff tomorrow Friday 22^nd December at 12p.m. for the Christmas holidays. I would like to wish all in our school community a happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.  The school will re-open for all on Monday 8^th January 2024 at 9a.m.

Nollaig Shona daoibh go léir.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, School Principal