Príomhoide
Dear Parents,
The summer is fast approaching and I’d like to share the following dates and information with you.
Dates for your diary:
May 2014
Tuesday 20th Standardised Testing English 1st to 6th (see note *)
Wednesday 21st Cork City Sports (Best of luck to all taking part)
Thursday 22nd Standardised Testing Spelling 1st to 6th
Friday 25th Lenrec Recycling (clothes/ books/ phones/ bags/ belts/ fabrics)
Wednesday May 28th Standardised Testing Maths 1st to 6th
Thursday 29th Middle Infants Screening Test for Senior Infants
June 2014
Wednesday 4th Standardised Test Early Numeracy/ Maths for Senior Infants
Thursday 5th New Junior Infants Parents Information Evening @ 7.30pm
Wednesday 11th School Tours for Juniors/ Seniors/ 4th (more details to follow)
Thursday 12th School Tours 1st/ 2nd/ 5th/ 6th(more details to follow)
Friday 13th School Tour 3rd (more details to follow)
Thursday 19th 6th Class Leaving Night
Friday 20th Incoming Junior Infant Introductory Morning Session
High Street Books – School Book Shop set up in the Halla
Laura’s School Uniforms and Tracksuits available in the Halla
Friday 27th Finish for summer holidays,
August 2014
Wednesday 27th School Staff return to school
Thursday 28th Children return to school
Standardised Tests *
We are currently carrying out standardised tests in our school for all classes from Senior Infants to Sixth Class as per the dates above. We would encourage you to ensure your child:
ü Is in attendance on these days
ü Has a sharp pencil, eraser and parer at hand
ü That s/he has a good breakfast and has had plenty of rest the previous nights to ensure s/he will perform to the best of his/her ability
Please keep in mind however, that it is important you should remain relaxed and not panic your child about his/her performance. Standardised tests are only one of the many indicators that we take into account when we are assessing your child’s academic
The results of these standardised tests will be included in your child’s end of year report. You will receive your child’s report card by mid-June.
Cork Lower Harbour Main Draining Project
Public Information Meetings are being held at the moment and we have been asked to bring it your attention. One was held last week in Carrigaline and one is due to be held for Ringaskiddy/Shanbally in the coming weeks but the date hasn’t been announced. More details on the scheme and how it affects communities in the area is on www.corklh.com The project involves constructing a new treatment plant in a site behind Shanbally towards Carrigaline, 15 pumping stations and 40 km of sewers, one stretch of which will be along the road in the front of the school, through the roundabout and down towards Ringaskiddy. This is scheduled to be constructed and completed between 2015 and 2016. You might like to inform yourself better about this project by attending the upcoming meeting or checking their website.
First Holy Communion
Huge congratulations to our Second Class who made their First Communion last Saturday. The children were superbly prepared by their teacher, Claire O’Connell, and the ceremony was beautifully led by Fr. Con Cronin. A heartfelt thanks to Claire for her tremendous work leading up to it and to all the parents, staff and people in the community who helped make the day such a success and wonderful memory for the children.
Thank you
- A thank you to those parents who have dropped old school uniforms and tracksuits into the school over the past few months. It has been a great help to other parents especially given the change in uniform supplier which was unavoidable. One of our parents, Tracy Crotty, on her own initiative altered and repaired some to make them attractive. We were hoping to take delivery of the 2014/2015 school tracksuits by May but unfortunately it will not now be available to buy until June 20th at the school.
- Thank you to parent, Nadine Wolfe, who is assisting us in setting up a new accounts system to facilitate work in the office.
- You may have noticed huge work in and around the school last week! Local employer, Novartis, as part of their worldwide Community Day sent volunteers to the school to do a clean-up in the area as well as painting and refurbishing work around the school. Following their work we now have a Sensory Room, which should prove invaluable to the children who avail of it. They also funded the paint and equipment needed. We are extremely grateful for this and would like to thank those people involved especially parent, Suzanne O’Leary who spearheaded our involvement. Our own 6th Class also took part in the clean-up!
WSE
Our WSE concluded last week. It was a lengthy and comprehensive process with school staff, Parent Association members, Board of Management members and pupils involved. The Inspector is due back to us this week to briefly report their findings. From our perspective it was a good time to take stock of our planning, communication, policies and our teaching of the children. An official Whole School Evaluation will be published in due course and will no doubt guide us in future development and planning.
Monies
I would like to thank those parents who have contributed the Voluntary Contribution this year and remind those who haven’t that there is still time to do so. Notes will be going home shortly for school tours and we hope that the costs of these will stay approximately the same as last year.
More Dates for Your Diary!!
August 2014
Wednesday 27thSchool Staff return to school
Thursday 28th Children return to school
October 2014
Monday 27th to Friday 31st October inclusive- all schools close for mid-term
December 2014
Friday 19th All schools close for Christmas Holidays.
January 2015
Monday 5th All schools are back after Christmas.
Please note that our school is open on Tuesday 6th January.
February 2015
Thursday 19th to Friday 20th Closed for mid-term
March 2015
Monday 16th to Tuesday 17th Closed for St. Patricks Weekend.
Friday March 27th All schools close for Easter Holidays
April 2015
Monday 13th School opens after Easter Holidays
May 2015
Monday 4th to Tuesday 5th inclusive Closed for bank-holiday weekend
Friday 29th Closed for bank-holiday weekend
June 2015
Monday 1st to Tuesday 2nd inclusive Closed for bank holiday weekend
Friday 26th June Closing for summer holidays
Many parents requested that we look at other ways of organising mid-terms, especially the February break. This year we are taking the mandatory 2 days and are using discretionary days to extend bank holidays in March, May and June. We hope this will facilitate most parents but we are conscious of the difficulty of suiting everyone. We will review this annually.
Final Congratulations
Congratulations to Mollie Barrett, 6th Class, who has been selected to play in Thurles next Sunday in the Cork Primary Game. This is an exhibition camogie game played at half-time of the Senior Match between Cork and Waterford and it is a great honour for Mollie to be selected. She has progressed through the trials process and hopefully this will mark the beginning of a long career in the Red Jersey for Mollie. The team will travel by bus to Thurles and will welcome the Cork Team on to the pitch. After the game they will dine and travel home with the Cork Team. Mollie will get to keep her Cork kit as a memento of the day. Hopefully Mollie will inspire more Shanbally NS children to follow in her footsteps and play for Cork.
Is mise le meas
David Nolan