Welcome back to everyone. It’s wonderful to see all our pupils settling in so well to their new classes. A special mention of welcome to our new infants!
For your information here is an overview of staff in our school:
Junior & Senior Infants: Bébhinn Granaghan (Deputy Principal)
1st & 2nd Class: Dee Griffiths
3rd & 4th Class: Maeve O’ Sullivan
5th Class: Odharnait Collins
6th Class: Maura Collins (Principal)
Support teacher/team teaching: Evelyn Harrington
Support teacher/team teaching: Niamh McCarthy (shared with the Gaelscoil)
SNA job share: Maureen Whooley & Ellie Cronin
SNA (part time): Flor McEvoy
Flor will retire in November and will be replaced by Irene Lupton who has previously covered our EAL teaching.
Bus Escort Miriam Nolan
Secretary (parttime) Deirdre Collins
Caretaker (parttime) Séamus O’ Driscoll
Cleaner (parttime) Ann O’ Sullivan
We had some work done over the summer, with thanks to our Parents Association fundraising. Firstly, we have lovely shelving for our new library area. Huge thanks to Pádraig Kiely for getting this done. We are currently stocking the shelves and look forward to lovely library time with our pupils. We also installed a climbing wall for gross motor skill development, along with breaktime fun. Finally, we purchased 3 cocoon outdoor seats which provide lovely cosy corners for breaktime chats! Many thanks for all your support with fundraising activities in the past – it’s great to see your efforts being enjoyed by the children.
Our morning/afterschool club is back up & running by Curious Minds Ltd. Staff for this year include Síleann Connolly in the morning time from 8-9.10am and Karine Le Gloanec (that some of you may remember from Baltimore Community Play school!) every afternoon from 2-6pm. If anyone would like to avail of this service, please email bookings@curiousminds.com
Just a few other points to note that are useful to know:
- Our uniform is for sale throughout the year. To order anything, please message your child’s class teacher on Aladdin and you can pay on Aladdin or by cash. If you just pay on Aladdin without sending the message, we don’t see this. The notification for uniform payments will always be on your page as this payment option remains open all year. For anyone worried, it doesn’t mean that you owe money!
- Please label everything, even for the older pupils!
- Reminder that supervision of children begins at 9.10am. Children should not be dropped off before this time please as they will be outside unsupervised.
- If anyone needs to take medication in school, please send a note into school. Medication will be administered by principal only.
- Pupils from 2nd to 6th need their tin whistles and folder on Tuesdays for music lessons with Ms French. Infants will enjoy percussion and music appreciation lessons.
- We will shortly share our annual Voluntary Phone Policy whereby we encourage parents to pledge not to buy a smart phone for their child until the end of 6th class, as supported by the Board of Management and Parents Association.
Aladdin is always the best place to contact your child’s teacher and will be checked in the mornings before school and the afternoons when the children are gone home. The school phone is manned by an SNA when the secretary isn’t in. That number is 0872247529 if someone needs to text during the day.
Here’s to a great year for all at Rath NS!
Rath National School 