Newsletter/Nuachtlitir September 2012

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome

I want to take this opportunity to extend a hearty welcome to all new members of  the St. Corban's school community, our new pupils and their families and our new teachers. Fáilte róimh go léir. We send our good wishes to last year's 6th class boys who have moved on to post primary education and we hope that they will engage positively and productively during their time in second level education.

Our thanks and good wishes to Ms. Doyle, Ms. Barrett, Mr. McManus, Ms. Clifford and Ms. O'Brien who have left St. Corban's. We wish them well in their travels. We would also like to acknowledge in particular Mr. Lalor who retired as Deputy Principal of St. Corban's after many years of dedicated service to the pupils and wider community of St. Corban's B.N.S. We hope it will be a long and rewarding retirement. We would like to welcome back to our school Ms. Bonner and Ms. O'Riordan.

Looking forward to the 2012-2013 school year we exhort our new 6th class pupils to accept that there is a responsibility attaching to their new status as the senior boys. High standards must be set and maintained by our 6th classes.

Arrival & Dismissal of Pupils

As a measure to establish easy and reasonable exit of pupils from our school at 3.00 p.m., we are issuing the following guidelines:

1. Pupils being collected at 3.oo p.m. should be collected outside the school. Parents/Guardians should not enter the school grounds especially at the big gate as this gate is used by boys with bicycles to exit.
2. In order to prevent crowds gathering at the school gates parents/guardians are asked to establish a rendezvous point as far away from the gates as possible bearing in mind pupil safety.
3. Pupils of 1st and 2nd class should use the gates closest to Eurospar to exit the school. All other classes should use the other pedestrian gates. Only pupils with bicycles should use the big main gates.
4. There should be no waiting on the yellow box directly outside these gates.
5. Parents/Guardians and pupils are not allowed to use the rear entrance of the school at the old swimming pool site due to health and safety regulations.
   
   

School Timetable

School begins at 9.10 a.m. and this marks the start of formal supervision. Pupils may enter the school grounds from 8.50 a.m. onwards but supervision is not provided. First Aid will be available at the secretary's office from that time.

Parent Information Booklet

Each family has been supplied with a Parent Information Booklet which explains our rules, policies and procedures to parents. It also includes information on all school related activities and our yearly calendar.

Arranging to Take Pupils From School

When parents/guardians wish to take a pupil from the school (e.g. for a medical appointment) the class teacher should be informed in writing. All pupils must be signed out at the main office by the parent/guardian where they will be given a sign out slip. This sign out slip is to be presented to the pupil's class teacher before the pupil leaves his classroom.

Healthy Eating

To encourage healthy eating and awareness of good dietary practice we recommend school lunches should contain food of high nutritional value and a suitable drink - preferably milk, fruit juice or water. Fizzy drinks should not be included. Chewing gum or crisps of any kind are not allowed.


Texting Parents

We will continue to contact parents using our parent texting service. Please ensure we have your correct contact mobile phone number. If you change your number please contact the school to notify us of the change.

P.E./Swimming

As part of our P.E. curriculum the boys in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th classes will go swimming on Tuesday or Thursday for 10 weeks this school year. Teachers will inform their classes as to the starting date for these lessons. Swimming, as part of the aquatics strand, is a compulsory part of the P.E. curriculum. Boys can only be excused from this activity on medical grounds.

Parent Information Evenings

We are holding information evenings for parents in our school hall in September on the following dates:

• Tuesday 25th September from 7.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. - 1st class
• Thursday 27th September from  7.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. - 3rd class
  

Information about the programmes in each class will be made available at this time also.

Parent Teacher Meetings

Parent teacher meetings will take place on Tuesday 20th, Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd November aftr 3.00 p.m.

Parents Association A.G.M.

St. Corban's P.T.A. will hold its A.G.M. in the school hall on Wednesday 26th September at 8.00 p.m. All parents are invited to attend.

Fill The Van

Thursday 27th September 2012. Help charity and save the environment. Send any unwanted clothing, household linen and footwear to the school for collection. Bring what you can and fill the van!


Label Everything!

Please check that your child's name is written clearly on his books, jumpers, sweatshirts, bags, lunch boxes etc.

Mrs. Bernie Lackey

The school community has been saddened this month by the retirement of Mrs. Bernie Lackey who has been working in the school  as a cleaner for the last 15 years. Mrs. Lackey has given great service to our school and her pleasant manner around the school will be missed. We wish her a long and happy retirement.

Mise le meas,

John Drewett
Principal