December 9Th, 2015 Dear Members of Our School Community, I Hope You
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
December 9th, 2015 Dear members of our school community, I hope you are all well. Here’s an update on our most recent news. Killeeneen N.S. Drop-off and Pick-up Traffic Management during floods Rhynn Bridge (on the Kilcolgan side of the school) and Caherdevane (on the Craughwell side of the school) are closed as a result of flooding. The only route the school buses can take to get to school is via Fauba Road and Killeeneenmore. Buses will approach the school, morning and evening, via the Fauba Road (the narrow road on the Kilcolgan side of the school) and will leave the school via Killeeneenmore (turning left at Killeeneen Cemetery). There is very little opportunity for reversing if you meet traffic coming against you, so we ask people dropping children to school to PLEASE observe a one-way system for as long as Rhynn Bridge is closed with flooding. Between 8.45 and 9.45 am, and between 2.30 and 3.30 pm, PLEASE APPROACH THE SCHOOL BY THE FAUBA ROAD, AND LEAVE BY KILLEENEENMORE (turning left at Killeeneen cemetery). This arrangement will add less than 5 minutes onto your journey, but will prevent traffic congestion, delay and frustration on everybody’s part. There is nothing we can do about the weather, but, with cooperation, we can manage the sitution as best we can. To accommodate the extra time the bus run will take, bus children will leave school at 2.50 pm for as long as Rhynn Bridge is closed. Normal times apply for ‘cars and walkers’. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. Presentation of Irish Flag Tomorrow at 11.30 am we will have a visit from members of the armed forces based in Galway. As part of national celebrations for the 1916 Centenary, they will present the school with an Irish flag and a copy of the Proclamation. Parents are welcome to attend the short ceremony in the GP Room….standing room only! School Closures: *Please take note of changes to closures in Terms 2 and 3: Christmas holidays: close on Tuesday, December 22nd, holidays begin on Wednesday, December 23rd Return after the Christmas holidays on Monday, January 11th (new arrangement) Mid Term: Thursday 18th and Friday 19th February Easter Holidays: School closes on Wednesday, March 16th. School reopens on Monday, April 4th. Closed on Friday, April 29th and Monday, May 2nd Closed on Monday, June 6th *Close on Thursday, June 30th for summer (new arrangement) Please note that the Board of Management is now informing parents in line with Department of Education and Skills guidelines, that the Easter Break may be shortened if our school is forced to close during the year due to inclement weather. Please take this into account if you are considering booking holidays at Easter. New Board of Management Congratulations to Sheila White and Jim Deely who were elected as Parent Nominees to the new Board of Management. Many thanks to them and the other candidates for putting their names forward for the Board. Many thanks also to John Langan and Tanya Corcoran who have agreed to join the new Board of Management as Community Nominees. The new Board of Management, to run from December 2015 to November 2019, is as follows: Sheila White Parents’ Nominee Jim Deely Parents’ Nominee Tanya Corcoran Community Nominee John Langan Community Nominee Fr. Kevin Keenan Patron’s Nominee (Chairperson) John Callanan Patron’s Nominee Éadaoin O’ Callaghan Teachers’ Nominee Siobhán Gohery Acting Principal This group of 8 people works as a ‘corporate body’ in the management of the school. They bring the ‘voice’ of the group from which they were nominated to the table for discussions, rather than ‘representing’ that group as an elected politician would. Items for discussion at Board level, therefore, are brought to the attention (in writing and signed) of the Chairperson, not to the nominee elected by that group. Relevant information from meetings and decisions taken that are not of a confidential nature are communicated as usual to the parent body via newsletter, notes, texts, etc. All-Star at Killeeneen N.S.! We are very proud of Ms. Cooney who was awarded the prestigious All-Star award recently, naming her the best camogie corner-back in the country! Congratulations, Ms. Cooney! New build The builders, FVG, are making great progress since moving in on October 27th. Thank you all for your patience and cooperation during this busy time. Carol Singing 6th class will go carol singing on Thursday, Dec 17th, in the Eyre Square Shopping Centre. This annual carol- singing day has been a tradition for 35 years in Killeeneen N.S. This year we are collecting for the Galway Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and for the Killeeneen N.S. Building Fund. To make this event possible, we need parental help to supervise the children while collecting money and to supervise the small groups as they go about their shopping during the break. Parents of children in any class are welcome to volunteer. If you can give some time, it would be much appreciated. We can only run this event if we have enough parental supervision. Please indicate below the times at which you are available. The arrangements for the carol-singing day will be as follows: School will continue as normal for all pupils except for the 6th class children who are travelling to Galway as a carol-singing group. Some parents and teachers will accompany the children to Eyre Square Shopping Centre. The schedule is as follows: Leave Killeeneen National School 11.30 am Sing & collect 12.45 – 2.15 p.m. Break 2.15 – 3.00 p.m. Sing and collect 3.00 – 4.15 p.m. Eat 4.15 – 4.45 p.m. Arrive back at Killeeneen National School 5.30 p.m. approx. The children are being brought to and from Galway by Donoghue’s Bus, who, as they do every year, provide the service for this trip free of charge. We are very grateful to them for their generosity. Our proposed return time of 5.30 p.m. at Killeeneen N.S. is subject to traffic congestion, etc, and is therefore approximate. If you live along the route the bus will be following, and would like your child to get off as the bus is coming back to the school, just let us know. I am conscious that some of you might like to go to support our carol singers as you have done for so many years in the past. If you want to do this, it is perfectly acceptable to take your child a little early from school on Thursday to enable you to see the singers before they finish at 4.15 p.m. Nursing Homes We are visiting the two local Nursing Homes with our 6th class carol-singing group on Monday, Dec. 21st. We need some volunteers to transport the children who will be performing. The schedule is as follows: 10.40 a.m. Depart from Killeeneen N.S. for Kilcolgan Nursing Home 11.00 a.m. Sing in Kilcolgan Nursing Home 12.00 pm: Depart from Kilcolgan Nursing Home for Clarinbridge Nursing Home 12.15 pm: Sing in Clarinbridge Nursing Home 1.15 pm: Return to Killeeneen If you can transport children to either or both destinations, please let us know, using the forms below. Thanking you for your co-operation and support. Internet Safety Please take time to read the attached points, put together by Ms. Mullins, in relation to internet safety for children. In these days of increased use of social media sites by young children, it is incumbent on us, as parents, to monitor the use of these sites in the interests of the children’s safety and wellbeing. Infant Collection Time Infant collection time is 2.10 pm. We ask that parents and childminders are very prompt to collect their children at 2.10 pm, as it is disruptive to other classes to have traffic on the corridor for any longer than is necessary. The front door will be opened at 2.10 pm to facilitate collection and will be locked afterwards, in the interest of safety. Access to the school outside this time is via the buzzer system at the far door. We also ask that noise levels are kept to a minimum on the corridor, as other classes continue to work until 3.10 pm. Parking Please reverse into spaces in the car park to make for safer exit. Please car-pool wherever possible. Fabric We are clearing out storage areas and have fabric that we don’t need. If it would be of benefit to anyone, please let me know. Forms re. Administration of meds at school Please contact the school for relevant forms and a letter to be sent to the Board of Management in relation to the administration of medicines at school. Parents must submit these documents before staff are permitted to store or administer/supervise the administration of meds. On the advice of the Asthma Association of Ireland, any child who has an inhaler at school should also have a volumiser. These are available for a little over €6 from any pharmacy, or at a reduced rate through the Asthma Association of Ireland. Yours sincerely, ____________________________________________ Siobhán Gohery Acting Principal Killeeneen N.S. ****************************************************************************************** CAROL-SINGING IN GALWAY DECEMBER 17TH 2015 I am willing to supervise children in the Eyre Square Centre on Thursday, Dec 17th, from (time) ______________________________ to (time) _____________________________ . Signed _________________________________ ****************************************************************************************** SINGING IN NURSING HOMES DECEMBER 21ST 2015 I am available to transport children to and from Kilcolgan Nursing Home ___________ I am available to transport children to and from Clarinbridge Nursing Home _____________ I can bring ______(number) children in my car.