Dear Parents/Guardians,

Happy New year and welcome back to school for our second term this academic year. Our news this week is as follows

• Our week has been dominated by the weather as you are aware. Thank you for your understanding and co-operation this week as we have tried to ensure the safety of all who use our school when making decisions about opening and closing. At times like this it so important that we can contact everyone quickly as weather events can be unpredictable so if you have changed your mobile phone number or did not get text alerts this week please contact the office at 061 362894 and we will ensure that we have the most up-to-date information for you. I would also like to thank our caretaker Kevin who did sterling work all week but particularly on Monday when he cleared pathways of snow to allow safe access to the building. I would also like to thank Clare County Council who gritted the car park and the back entrance to the school for us on Tuesday.
• Our boys and girls’ basketball teams started training this week in preparation for the Marion Keane memorial tournament. This will take place in February and we wish our teams well.
• Our pupils in 4^th, 5^th and 6^th classes have restarted practising for the Peace Proms concert which will take place in the University of Limerick Sports Arena in March. There was a beautiful sound from the gorgeous singing here on Tuesday last and we are really looking forward to the concert.
• The Department of Education have informed us that all staff must attend in-service training in the new Primary Maths Curriculum. This will take place on Friday 31^st January so the school will be closed to pupils on that day. You might want to mark that date down in your diary.

Kind regards,

Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald, School Principal