Clontibret N.S. Newsletter

April 2022

Ukraine Appeal

We want to sincerely thank everyone for their donations for the Ukraine appeal last month.  We raised €200 which was sent to Rachel Graham (Starfish Programme) from Ballynahinch, Co. Down and who for several years has taken teams out to the Ukraine to help in orphanages with young children who have been literally left on the orphanage doorstep.  Money has been sent into the Ukraine to the Pastors helping the refugees fleeing west and some money has also been sent to people who are now living abroad.  They have purchased items to send on a lorry that will be travelling into Chernivsy next weekend and will be collected and distributed to the churches.  

Pamela Carleton is asking if we would contribute to a food collection for Ukraine by this Friday 8^th April.  She would bring it to Armagh on Saturday where it will also go to help those in desperate need.  Colin Tinsley from Hope For Youth Ministries has already sent out 41 40-foot lorries of aid to help the victims of the conflict in Ukraine.  He is now organising another collection  – this time for food.  Long life food – tins of food (meat, beans, peas, carrots etc.), cereal, pot noodles, sweets, pasta and rice would be much appreciated.  

Create a Bee-autiful Garden And Save The Bees

Supervalu are working in partnership with Tidy Towns committees to improve pollination in Ireland and Save The Bees.  One third of the food we eat is pollinated by bees, yet 30% of our Irish bees are in danger of becoming extinct. Super Valu  have created a pack to help inform and guide us on how we can help Save The Bees.  They have included guide books and posters which contain pollination information and guidelines.  They have also included 2 packs of pollinator friendly flower seeds for the bees to enjoy.  Super Valu have also developed ‘Save The Bees’ school collection cards, available at your local Super Valu.  If you shop in Super Valu ask for these collection cards at the til as we are collecting them as we will be in with a chance to will a share of €50, 000.00.  Find out more about this campaign by visiting SuperValu.ie.

Swimming

Swimming lessons will commence for all pupils after Easter on Friday 29^th April for 8 weeks.  The lesson is from 1.00-1.50pm.  We will leave school at 12.15pm and be back at 2.40pm approx.  P.E. clothes should be worn.  Staffs are not permitted to assist children getting dried, therefore children in junior classes who are unable to dry/dress themselves must have an adult to help them.  If you wish you may come to the pool at 1.50pm to help your child.   Junior and Senior Infants may go home from the pool after swimming.  Please let Miss Hall know in advance so school bags can be brought to the pool.

Lessons/bus cost €7 per child – €56 in total, which must be paid in advance.  You can pay the full amount or weekly on a Tuesday. 

Swimmers must have hats and bring appropriate swim wear to the swimming lessons.  Anyone with a verruca cannot participate unless they have verruca socks on.  All children’s feet will be checked on the first day.

Our World 2050

The children have all written a book about what they think life will be like in 2050.  The books are with the publisher at the moment and we are excited to see their work in print.

Engineering Week

Recently we held an Engineering Week in School.  The whole school took part and we had a very interesting week.  The Senior Room had a choice of constructing a boat, crane or a bridge.  The Junior Room had a choice of making what they wanted.  The pupils had to speak about what they had made, what was the hardest and easiest part and what they enjoyed most about it.

Trip to Dublin by Zara

On Friday 1^st April we went to Dublin to the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street. First we got off the bus and took a quick photo, then we went in and saw the Egyptian treasures, we saw a sarcophagus.  We saw the mummified cat.  Then we went downstairs and saw the gold, we saw the lunula and the big wooden boat.  We saw all the beautiful jewellery and beads.  We were very interested to see the Ardagh Chalice and the Tara Brooch.  In the next room we all wanted to see the bog bodies which were preserved.  Next we went to see the pottery and canopic jars.  After the museum we went for a walk in St. Stephen’s Green Park while we waited for the bus.  Then we went to Dublinia.  When we arrived we waited outside for our guide to come.  First we went inside and the guide told us some Viking facts.  We saw some Viking helmets and spear heads.  We saw the clothes and shoes they wore.  We saw the simple house they lived in with a fire in the centre with no windows or chimney.  There was a young girl sitting in the corner.  We saw their feathers and daggers.  Once we left Dunlinia we got on the bus and went to Burger King.  I got chicken nuggets, chips and coke and it was really, really nice.   I had a really fun day in Dublin.

Our Trip to Dublin by Noah

As we travelled into Dublin we saw the famine statues along the River Liffey.  First we went to the National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street.  We saw lunulas and torcs.  At the Egyptian room I saw discs, canopic jars and sarcophagus. The chainmail helmet was a Viking helmet and it was very heavy.  We saw some skeletons with different body parts missing, like heads, stomachs, brains and legs.  We also went to a Viking adventure museum called Dunlinia.  Our guide told us that he named a skeleton Maggie.  Also at the start we saw a longship and the Vikings were the first people to introduce coins to Ireland.  There was a very big sword that looked like a cross.  We also saw some spears and axe heads in the museum.   There was a display of bells including St. Patrick’s bell.  Lots of people died from the Black Death which they caught from rats which died from it.  They had lice and when the rats died the lice would jump onto you and would bite you and then you would have the Black Death.  You only have 3 days to live and you would have a cross on your door so people would know not to go in.  You stayed in your house and spent time with your family before you die.  Leprosy was another disease they caught.  You were given a bell and you would ring it so people knew you had it.  On the way home we got to go to Burger King.  We had a great day in Dublin.

Dates for your diary:

Friday 8^th April                                         Easter Closing

Monday 25^th April                                    Reopening after Easter Holidays

Monday 2^nd May                                        Bank Holiday school closed

Monday 6^th June                                       Bank Holiday school closed

Friday 24^th June                                       Summer Holidays school closing

Matthew 28:5 – 7 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

March Newsletter 2022

• We are delighted to welcome Elea and Jake Lowey who have joined the pupils in the Junior Room this week. We hope they will settle happily in Clontibret NS.
• We were delighted with how well everyone participated in dressing up for World Book Day. Little Red Riding Hood, The Cat in the Hat, Spiderman, the Wimpy Kid, Mr. Happy, Antonio, Bob the Builder, Farmers Bunce, Bean & Bogus, Barry from the Sandman, Willy Wonka, The Golden Ticket, Matilda, The Ugly Sisters, Bear Grylls, Cat Woman, Lego Man, Mr. Bean, Dorothy form the Wizard of Oz, a jockey from Palomino Ponies, Emily from Charlotte’s Web, Mary Poppins, Stanley from Holes and Cinderella all made an appearance.
• A big thank you to Mrs Cosgrove and Sandra for making everyone delicious pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.

• We are celebrating Engineering Week in school this week and looking forward to seeing all the children’s designs and creations on Friday.
• ABP Clones donated and planted 6 trees on the school grounds on Monday – they were all native Irish trees – Sycamore, Hazel, Ash and Alder.
• Next week we are looking forward to doing some special Irish activities for Seachtain na Gaeilge.
• The Senior Room are going on an educational trip to Dublin on Friday 1^st We hope to visit the National Museum on Kildare Street where we will see artefacts from The Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age/Celts, Early Christian Age in Ireland, The Vikings and The Egyptians.                                                                                                                  We have been learning about these ages during History this year.  We also hope to visit Dublinia – The Viking Experience.  It will be a busy day and the pupils will need a large packed lunch.  We hope to leave early at 8.40am and we won’t be home until 4.30 so it will be a long day but hopefully enjoyable.  As this is an educational trip it will be free for all pupils.
• School Closures

School will be closed for Teacher Training on Wednesday16^th March and Thursday and Friday 17^th and 18^th March for St. Patrick’s Day.                                                                                                                      School will close at 3pm on Friday 8^th April for the Easter Holidays and re-open on Monday 25^th April.

• P.E. clothes are to be worn on Thursdays as Rosita will be coming to teach Dance starting this Thursday.

Friday Hot Lunches:

11/3  Chicken Curry

25/3  Mince and potatoes/pasta

1/4    Sausage in a bap

8/4    Goujon Roll

                                           February 2022 Newsletter

• During February we completed our project based on the Duchas.ie School Heritage website. We read lots of stories that had been written by the pupils and teachers of Clontibret NS, Crieve NS and other local school during the late 1930s.  We found out about farm life, old customs and traditions, weather lore, fairy forts and life during the famine in our locality.  It was all very interesting and we learned a lot.  We then wrote our own stories and information about life in modern day Ireland.  You can find our stories on our website, clontibretns.com.
• I regret that Covid has finally arrived in Clontibret NS. We wish everyone who is ill a speedy recovery and we hope school life will return to normal after the mid-term break.  The Government is recommending the end of Covid restrictions from 28^th  The wearing of masks will be optional.  Social distancing precautions will end.  Our air filtration system will be in operation.  This is all excellent news and we will celebrate by having pancakes on Shrove Tuesday 1^st March.
• On 3^rd March it is World Book Day and we are encouraging the pupils to dress up as a Book Character for the school day. We would encourage the children to use their imagination to make interesting outfits.  We will have a “Character Catwalk” where each pupil can describe their character and why they chose their character.  We hope to do other fun Book related activities throughout the day.

Examples:

Characters-: Denis the Menace, Fantastic Mr Fox, Where’s Wally, Gangsta Granny, Horrid Henry, Mr Strong or Little Miss Sunshine

Princess Costumes-: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, The Paper Bag Princess, Ella Enchanted, The Princess and the Pig

Pirate Costumes-: The Night Pirates, Do Pirates Take Baths?, Shiver Me Letters, The Pirates Next Door

Animal/Bird Costume-: Pete the Cat books, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake, Cat in the Hat, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, The Ugly Duckling, Chicken Little, Centipede from James and the Giant Peach, The Very Hungry Caterpillar,

Rabbit Ears-: Peter Rabbit, Velveteen Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Pat the Bunny

Dress and White Apron-: Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, Cinderella

• Teacher Training for New Language Curriculum will take place on Wednesday 16^th March, therefore school will be closed.
• Friday Lunch Menu as follows:

4/3    Goujon Roll

11/3  Chicken Curry

25/3  Mince and potatoes/pasta

1/4    Goujon Roll

18/4  Sausage in a bap

Dates for your diary

School will be closed for half term on Thursday 24th and Friday 25^th of February.

School will also be closed on Wednesday 16^th, Thursday 17^th and Friday 18^th March for Teacher Training/St. Patrick’s Day/extra Bank Holiday.

School will close at 3pm on Friday 8^th April for the Easter Holidays and re-open on Monday 25^th April.

January Newsletter 2022
Welcome back to school. We trust everyone enjoyed their Christmas holiday and had a fun family time. We hope you are all rejuvenated for the New Year.
On behalf of all staff members, I wish to say a huge thank you for your extremely generous Christmas gifts. We really appreciate your kindness and good wishes.
The latest strain of Omicron/Covid manifests itself in slightly different way to the original coronavirus, which is often difficult to differentiate form the common cold without testing. If your child or anyone in your house displays any cold/flu like symptoms please keep your child at home until you have tested and that test is negative. Free antigen tests may be ordered on the HSE website: www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/testing/get-tested/ if you are aged between 4 and 39 and have Covid symptoms.

Welcome
We would like to welcome Maja Bogdanovic to the school and has joined us in 3rd class. We are delighted her family has moved to the area and hope she will settle well with us.

Upcoming Events and Activities:
• Each Friday from this week 14th January for 6 weeks GAA coaching will take place during P.E. Please wear tracksuits and runners
• Post Office Savings and Hot Lunches €3 (on Fridays) will continue as usual.
Menu as follows:
14/1 Sausage in a bap
21/1 Mince and potatoes/pasta
28/1 Chicken curry
4/2 Goujon roll
11/2 Sausage in a bap
18/2 Mince and potatoes/pasta

September 2022 Applications
If you wish to enrol your child in Clontibret NS or know anyone who wishes to enrol with us for next year 2022/23, please contact the office for an application form, 047 80865 or by email: clontibretns@gmail.com. The closing date for applications is 25th March.

Dates for your Diary – School Closed
Mid-term break Thursday/Friday 24th /25th February
St. Patrick’s Day Thursday/Friday 17th/18th March

October 2021

Important Upcoming Events

We hope to take the Junior Room pupils to Armagh Planetarium as they are learning about Space during Aistear this month. The trip is planned for Friday 22nd October. A bus has been booked. Children will be home by 2.50pm. School uniform should be worn and pupils need to bring a packed lunch.
We plan to take the Senior Room pupils to visit the Marble Arch Caves on Thursday 21st October as we have been learning about limestone landscapes, caves and rocks. A bus will bring the pupils to and from the caves within the school day. School uniform should be worn and pupils need to bring a packed lunch.
The cost of the trips are being covered by school funding.
Our hot lunch will therefore be served on Wednesday 20th October next week so everyone may avail of it. It will be pizza and chips next week.

Hot Lunch Menu – Please remember to bring your lunch money to school on the Tuesday.
15/10 Sausage in a bap
20/10 Pizza and chips
5/11 Goujon roll
12/11 Chicken curry
19/11 Sausage in a bap
26/11 Mince and potatoes/pasta
3/12 Goujon roll
10/12 Chicken curry
17/12 Pizza and chips

Clothes Collection
We hope to have a Clothes Collection for second hand clothes, shoes and household textiles (not duvets or pillows) on Wednesday 3rd November. Please ask friends and family members to help out so we can have as large a collection as possible. It’s a good time of year to have a clear out. Please bring the clothes into school on the Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.

Parent/Teacher Meetings
We hope to have Parent Teacher Meetings on Thursday 18th November. More details will be available after the half term holiday. If this does not suit please let us know.

Photographs
Photograph orders/money is now due as orders will be collected by the photographer next Wednesday 20th October.

Book Rental and Insurance Thank you very much if you have already paid your book rental and school insurance. €60 per child for the book rental and €5.30 for school insurance, which covers your child during school hours. This may be paid over the next month.

Dates for Your Diary
Halloween Half Term School is closed Monday 25th October-Friday 29th October.
School will re-open on Monday 1st November.

September/October News

Trip to Castleblayney Adventure Centre
On Friday 24th September we went to Muckno Adventure Centre. Everyone met at the Castle car park. We walked down to the adventure centre. We were split into three groups. We all got to do seven activities. At lunch Marissa brought everyone hotdogs and after lunch the junior room went out on canoes and the senior room got changed into wet suits to do water sports. We did last man standing on the paddle boards, while one of the leaders made waves with a speedboat. At the end we all got to go on the speedboat. I had a great time, the water sports was my favourite part. I would love to go there again.
By Lucy

On the 24th September we went on our school tour to Muckno Adventure Centre. We did loads of fun activities. Some of them were frisbee throwing, building a bridge, roasting marshmallows on flint and steel, building a tower with ropes, making a pizza blindfolded, a maze with golf balls and the best part was the paddle boards. We had our lunch in the middle of the day. Marissa Lowey brought hot dogs for everyone. They were really nice hotdogs. After lunch we got changes into our wet suits to go into the water. The little ones went on canoes to an island. We had a great day.
By Timothy

• We are enjoying the return of the Friday Hot Lunches. We really appreciate Marissa’s hard work and varied menu and the goujon rolls from the Braeside.
• Brian Parker from the Faith Mission visits the school twice each month. He talks to the pupils in the Junior Room one week and the Senior Room the following week.
• Euan Treanor has been giving excellent soccer coaching to all the pupils on Wednesday afternoons.
• 12 ipads have been purchased and we are starting to use them in each classroom to facilitate learning in Maths and English. They will also be very useful for Geography, History and Science project work and research.
• The pupils are making excellent progress in their oral language skills. Each child has been giving very articulate and confident oral presentations on Thursdays. This is a very important yet daunting life skill and we are very pleased with their preparations and confident delivery.
• We are delighted with the very large collection of used school bags that parents donated to Mary’s Meals. They will be filled with lots of educational goodies and sent to Africa in the coming months.
• We are currently teaching the Stay Safe Programme during SPHE lessons – this will continue in November.

Clontibret N.S. September 2021
Welcome
We are delighted to welcome everyone back this term. Staff have been busy preparing for our return.
A special welcome to our new Junior Infant – Emily. We wish her well in her time with us. It is our hope that this school year will be full of successful experiences for all pupils.
We are delighted to have Miss Hall in the Junior Room again this year and wish her well.
• The main front door entrance will continue to be for staff only.
Junior Infants may be collected at 1pm for the first 2 weeks and then at 2pm from the back classroom door in the school yard.
Senior Infants may also be collected at 2pm from the back classroom door.
Children should not arrive at the school before 9am due to health and safety reasons.
All parents should come to the back of the school at home time (staying socially distant) to collect your children at your given time. Please arrive and leave as promptly as possible.
If you wish to communicate with any staff member please make an appointment by phoning the office or send a written message in the lunchbox/homework notebook.
• P.E. will be on Wednesdays – P.E. clothes and runners may be worn.
• It will cost €60/child to rent books and workbooks for the school year. This includes photocopying and contributions towards P.E. coaches. Pupils need to take good care of readers and text books that will be used every year. This should be paid before 20th October 2021.
• You may purchase insurance cover on a ‘compulsory’ basis whereby all pupils in school are insured for €5.30 each where cover is limited to School Related Activities only. We have used this insurance cover for several years and we feel it is the best cover out there at the moment for school pupils.
• Please return the attached annual consent form asap. A copy of the school year is also attached.
• Post Office Savings will resume on Tues 28th September. Children may bring savings in weekly in a clearly marked envelope and in turn we will buy post office saving stamps which will be returned to the children at the end of the year.
• Please attach names to school uniforms as sometimes jumpers can be misplaced.
• It is important that all pupils go outside to play everyday at lunchtime. All children should bring coats so they may go outside on damp days. A child may only stay inside if they have a note from home.
• Well done to all the children who are continuing to bring lots of fruit and vegetables every day. Treat day is on Fridays. Some healthy snacks that we encourage include wraps, pasta, sandwiches, bread sticks, rice cakes, crackers, yoghurts, fruit, vegetables, cheese and cream crackers.

School Tour
We plan to have a school tour on Friday 24th September to Castleblayney Outdoor Adventure Centre. Parents will be responsible for bringing their own children to the Adventure Centre and collecting them at the end of the day. The price is €25 per child and we ask that this is paid to the school in a marked envelope with your child’s/children’s name and ‘school tour’ on it by Tuesday 21st September please. We ask that you drop your child/children off at the castle car park at 9.45am and we will walk them down to the adventure centre. We will return the children to this car park at 3.00pm.
The morning will begin with an introduction of the staff and a brief overview of the centre and the day’s plan. The tour for the children will run from 10am-3pm, and the day will be split in two halves. The Junior Room will have a canoe trip to the island and they will roast marshmallows. They will make mud faces, partake in team tasks and make popcorn. They need to wear weather appropriate clothes, take a change of clothes, a raincoat and a substantial lunch.
The Senior room will take part in archery, team games, orienteering and climbing. Their water sports will include paddle boarding or canoeing (weather dependant). Again they need to wear weather appropriate clothes, swim gear to wear under a wetsuit as they will be getting wet, old shoes to wear in the water and again a substantial lunch as it will be a busy day.

Covid Response Plan
Please ensure that you are familiar with the school’s current Covid response plan which was emailed to all parents prior to school reopening. A copy of the plan is on the website (under Covid19 Information tab). With the rise in the number of positive Covid cases in the area please be extra vigilant of the symptoms of Covid. I appreciate many symptoms are similar to a common cold and children will pick up colds etc. especially when back at school. It may be a case that in order to rule out Covid your child will need a Covid test which you can book online or by “walking in” to the Monaghan GAA Centre, Cloghan, Monaghan A75 VE84 between 11am and 2pm every day. If any member of the family is awaiting a test result, children or staff must not attend school.
It is going to be the case that some children be deemed “close contacts of a positive Covid case” throughout this year. If you are contacted by HSE to inform you of this, your child will be tested twice and they must not return to school until after the second negative PCR test. While awaiting the results of the 1st test, all siblings remain at home. If the 1st test is negative, and siblings don’t appear to display any symptoms they may return to school. If children are at home due to being close contacts, your child’s/children’s teacher will liaise with them to provide school work.

School Holiday List 2021-2022

School Will Reopen: Wednesday 1st September 2021
Halloween Half Term: School Closed Monday 25th – 29th October
School Will Reopen: Monday 1st November 2021
Christmas Holidays: School will close at 12.30 on Wednesday 22nd December
School Will Reopen: Thursday 6th January 2022
Spring Half Term: School closed on Thurs & Fri 24th & 25th February 2022
St. Patrick’s Day: Thursday 17th March 2022
Easter Holidays: School will close at 3pm on Friday 8th April 2022
School Will Reopen: Monday 25th April 2022
School Closed: 2nd May – Bank Holiday
6th June – Bank Holiday
Summer Holidays: School will close at 12.30 on Friday 24th June 2022

November Newsletter 2020

Welcome Back
We would like to welcome you all back after the mid-term break and hope you enjoyed your time off. Please continue to encourage your children to adhere to the Covid Rules as we are now in Level 5.

P.E.
As P.E. has changed to Mondays this term, please remember to wear PE clothes and runners on that day.

Clothes Collection
Bags of clothes /shoes/handbags may be left in the school for collection on Wednesday 4th November. Money will be used for lunchtime toys and equipment.

Christmas Cards
We have registered for the Christmas Cards for Schools – we hope to create them this week-if you would like to help your child design a card – this could be done instead of Oral Homework on Wednesday evening – they can be coloured/ decorated in school on Thursday.

Book Rental & Brennan Insurance
Thank you to those who have sent in their Book Rental Money. €60 per child is due before the end of November. Some Brennan Insurance is still outstanding, please forward €5.30 per child asap.

Junior Room
The Junior room enjoyed learning about the Farm and Farmers’ Markets in October. This term they are looking forward to learning about People Who Help us in Our Hospitals.

Senior Room
The Seniors have been learning about Life in Australia. In November they will learn about life in Ancient and Modern Greece.

Parent Teacher Meetings
Due to the current situation we are unable to hold our parent teacher meetings as usual in November. If you have any concerns about your child/children’s academic progress or any other concerns you wish to discuss with us, please phone after 3pm to arrange an appointment.

Healthy Eating
We encourage the children to continue with healthy lunchboxes. Well done to all the children who are continuing to bring lots of fruit and vegetables every day. Some healthy snacks that we encourage include wraps, pasta, sandwiches, bread sticks, rice cakes, crackers, yoghurts, fruit, vegetables, cheese and cream crackers. Treat day is on Fridays, where a small treat of a biscuit/sweets/chocolate/crisps is allowed. Please do not send them during the rest of the week.

Christmas Holidays
School will close on Tuesday 22nd December at 12.30 for the Christmas break and re-open on Wednesday 6th January 2021.

Clontibret National School Aughnameal, Clontibret, Co. Monaghan
Tel: 047 80865
27th August 2020
Dear Parents,
We are really looking forward to reopening our school next week on the 1st September but of course due to the pandemic school will be a little different and many new procedures will have to be introduced. We recognise that for many parents and pupils our return to school will be a very anxious time. As a school community we have endeavoured to put policies in place to ensure the health and safety of all our pupils and staff. The following letter outlines the new procedures. Please be aware that they are provisional and will be reviewed and updated if and when required. We strive to fulfil all Department of Education guidelines
• A Covid 19 policy Statement has been prepared and will be available on the school website.
• The classrooms have been deep cleaned. School will be cleaned every day after school – tables, chairs, sinks, toilets, wash hand basins, surfaces, door handles, light switches must be disinfected each afternoon.
• The staff will wear face visors or masks.
• All staff have completed Covid Induction training.
• Hand sanitizer stations have been set up at each entrance point. A labelled Non –alcoholic sanitizer bottle will be given to each pupil and staff member to use at their own desk.
• Pupils and staff will be encouraged to wash hands or use hand sanitizer –
 Before coming to school
 On arrival in school
 Before and after using public transport
 Before and after eating
 After using the toilet
 After coughing or sneezing
 Where hands are dirty
 After playing outside
 If in contact with someone displaying Covid symptoms

• No social distancing measures need to be implemented in the Junior Room.
• The pupils in the senior classroom will be seated 1 meter apart and will need to stay seated in their own seat when they come into school in the mornings and while eating their lunches.
• The two classrooms will be kept as separate pods throughout the school day. The pupils from each room will play in separate areas of the playground. The teachers will stay with their own class and only the SET will work with pupils in both classrooms.
• The main front door entrance will be for staff entrance and exit only.
• The emergency doors that lead into the school yard will now be used by pupils for entering the school in the mornings and exiting in the afternoon.
• In line with DOE guidelines we hope to facilitate staggered arrival times-this is simply to avoid gatherings of pupils and parents and to ensure pupil safety. Please contact us by phone if your time slot is unsuitable. Children should not arrive at the school before 9am due to health and safety reasons.
• Parents of JI-2nd class pupils may accompany pupils to the entrance door at the back of the school.
• All parents should come to the back of the school at home time (staying socially distant) to collect their children and bring them safely to their cars. Please arrive and leave as promptly as possible.
Group A Bus
Leave at 2:50pm
Group B
Arrive at 9am
Leave at 2:50pm Finnegans, Lexie, Eryn, Katie, Leah D., Carletons
Group C
Arrive at 9:10am
Leave at 3pm McCreerys, Adam, Lucy, McRorys, Leah Mc
Group D
Arrive at 9:20am
Leave at 3:10pm McChesneys, Barkers, Reuben, Loweys, Treanors
• Junior Infant pupils may be collected at 1pm for the first two weeks and then at 2pm from their back classroom door in the school yard.
• Senior Infants pupils may be collected at 2pm from the back classroom door.
• If you wish to communicate with any staff member please make an appointment by phoning the office or send a written message in the lunchbox/homework notebook.
• Face to face meetings must be prearranged at an agreed time and will follow socially distant guidelines.
• Anyone who enters the school building must fill in a contact tracing form.
 PE will be on Wednesdays-PE clothes and runners may be worn .
 Pupils should keep their pencil cases in school-please label all stationery.
 Only reading homework will be set for the month of September to help pupils resettle into school.
 It is vital that the school has up-to date contact details-mobile phone numbers of parents/guardians so that pupils can go home as soon as possible if they display any Covid symptoms in school. Please inform us of any new telephone contact details.
 It will also be important that all pupils adhere to the school code of conduct at all times to ensure a calm, happy and good working environment for all our pupils while in school. The rules will be discussed with the pupils and rewards and consequences will be awarded as necessary.

The most effective way to ensure our health and safety is to keep Covid out of the school community. Please read the attached www.gov.ie Department-of-Education and Skills Advice

Keeping our school community safe and healthy will be a team effort –with pupils, staff and parents all playing a vital part. We thank you in advance for your ongoing cooperation and support-many of these new procedures are frustrating but we must try our collective best.
Yours Sincerely,

Julie Crawford

Clontibret N.S. September 2020
Welcome
We are delighted to welcome everyone back this morning. Staff have been busy preparing for our return.
A special welcome to our new Junior Infants – Jack and Joel. We wish them well in their time with us. It is our hope that this school year will be full of successful experiences for all pupils.
We would like to welcome Miss Hall to the Junior Room and wish her well for the coming year. We would also like to congratulate Miss Johnston on her recent wedding and welcome Mrs Kilfedder to Clontibret NS.
Please find attached a leaflet from the HSE with ‘Advice for Parents’.
A Covid 19 Policy Statement will be available on the website.
The main front door entrance will be for staff only.
Junior Infants may be collected at 1pm for the first 2 weeks and then at 2pm from the back classroom door in the school yard.
Senior Infants may also be collected at 2pm from the back classroom door.
Children should not arrive at the school before 9am due to health and safety reasons.
All parents should come to the back of the school at home time (staying socially distant) to collect your children at your given time. Please arrive and leave as promptly as possible.
If you wish to communicate with any staff member please make an appointment by phoning the office or send a written message in the lunchbox/homework notebook.
P.E. will be on Wednesdays – P.E. clothes and runners may be worn.
You may purchase insurance cover on a ‘compulsory’ basis whereby all pupils in school are insured for €5.30 each where cover is limited to School Related Activities only. See the attached leaflet.
Please sign and return the Parental Permission Form. At present we will not be participating in trips/educational visits but we hope that things may return to normal later in the year.
Post Office Savings will resume on Tues 6th October. I hope to have last year’s savings updated and sent home within the next week.

September Newsletter 2019

Welcome
We trust everyone had an enjoyable and rejuvenating summer holiday.
A special welcome to our new Junior Infamts – Bonnie, Rhys and Zac; Noah – 1st Class and Scott – 5th Class. We wish them well in their time with us. It is our hope that this school year will be full of successful experiences for all pupils.
P.E. P.E. until Halloween will be on Monday, so no uniform is needed then. Remember suitable runners and loose, comfortable P.E. clothes. A soccer coach will be teaching soccer and ball handling skills.
Lunch Time
It is important that all pupils go outside to play everyday at lunchtime. All children should bring coats so they may go outside on damp days. A child may only stay inside if they have a note from home.
Healthy Lunches
Well done to all the children who are continuing to bring lots of fruit and vegetables every day. Treat day is on Fridays. Some healthy snacks that we encourage include wraps, pasta, sandwiches, bread sticks, rice cakes, crackers, yoghurts, fruit, vegetables, cheese and cream crackers.
The Parent Teacher Association has suggested providing hot food in the school on Fridays. The food would be prepared in the Braeside at a cost of approximately €5 per child. A choice of two meals would be offered each week. Children would bring in money and their choice on Tuesday so food can be ordered. Children do not have to participate every week. We will try this as a trial basis until Halloween. More details to follow shortly.
Junior & Senior Infants
Junior infants may be collected from school this week at 1.00pm.
All infants should be collected at 2.00pm sharp from 9th September.
Are you interested in sending your Junior or Senior Infant child to an After School Club from 2-3pm on Monday-Thursday? It would cost €12.00 per week or €4 per day. Most children would need to use the service regularly to make it viable. Activities would include—craft, playtime, outside games, story time, cookery, construction toys, playdough etc. Please let Mrs. Crawford know ASAP.

Concerns
If your child is upset by work, or another pupil/teacher please contact the class teacher so any problems can be dealt with immediately. You may ring the school between 9.00-9.20 and 3.00-3.20 to make an appointment to speak to the teacher. Annual Consent Form Please return the attached yearly consent form asap. A copy of the school year is also attached.
Tin whistle & Guitar Classes Tin whistle and guitar classes will recommence next week for the Senior Classroom—tin whistle on Tuesday 10th September and guitar on Wednesday 11th September.
Brennan Insurance
We have used this insurance cover for several years and we feel it is the best cover out there at the moment for school pupils. This year we have been given the choice to purchase cover on a ‘compulsory’ basis whereby all pupils in school are insured for €5.30 each where cover is limited to School Related Activities only. The main advantages to running a compulsory scheme are:
• The premium is lower – Last year’s prices were €10.10 for 24 hour cover or €6.50 for school cover – a saving of €4.80 or €1.20 respectively on last year’s prices.
• There are no separate forms for parents to complete for each child.
If you could forward €5.30 per child to the office in an envelope labelled ‘Insurance’ and your child/children’s names by 26th September please.
School Book Scheme
It will cost €60/child to rent books and workbooks for the school year. This also includes photocopying. Pupils need to take good care of readers and text books that will be used every year. This should be paid before 24th October 2019.
Primary Language Inservice Training There will be no school on Tuesday 1st October due to a staff training seminar.
Homework Policy
All homework should be completed neatly every day. Pupils should always try their best. If your child is unable to do their homework due to illness please send in a note. If a homework assignment is forgotten it should be given to the teacher the next day. If there is not a legitimate excuse explained by a parental note for not presenting a homework the child will complete it at break time in school.
Post Office Savings
Post Office savings will begin on Tuesday 17th September. Children may bring savings in weekly in a clearly marked envelope and in turn we will buy post office saving stamps which will be returned to the children at the end of the year.
Dates For Your Diary –
Tuesday 1st October School closed due to staff training
Monday 28th Oct-Friday 1st Nov School closed – Mid-term break