SCHOOL NEWS in Brief…..

 7ú Aibreán 2016

Newsflash from the Green Schools Committee!

GreenschoolsIreland.org  contacted Ms. Halpin on Tuesday to let her know that our application for our third Green Flag on the theme of Water was successful ! Not only that but RMDS has been chosen as the water school of the year for the Dublin region!! 

We are one of four Primary Schools in Ireland to receive this award in 2016. We have won €750 for the school and will also receive our Water flag award and a trophy at a special ceremony in the Radisson Blu hotel on May 4^th.

The committee would like to thank all the children in the school, the Energy monitors, the Bin busters , the Water monitors , the slogan writers, the poster makers, the Water Song singers , the staff and all those who have helped make RMDS a green friendly school in which to learn.

Meanwhile the work goes on ! April 22^nd is Earth Day all over the world. The committee will organise special activities in school on that day. Check the website www.earthday.org. where  you will be able to sign the Paris Agreement thereby helping to keep the heat on world leaders to phase out carbon from this planet and help impact climate change.

Keep an eye out in the rest of the newsletter for the date of the National Spring Clean where we will join together to help clean up around our school !

From the Principal

Welcome back to the Summer term. I hope you all had an enjoyable break over Easter. A special welcome to Síbha who joins us in rang 1 and good wishes to Max and Nell who are in the US for the rest of the term.  We have a busy term ahead as always and I would ask you to note the contents of this newsletter carefully, please.

Be on time

I expect all pupils to be on time for school, especially with the brighter mornings.  We open the gate in time for everyone to be in class for 8.30am. Children who arrive after 8.40am are late.  I have reminded rang 5 and rang 6 today of their responsibility to get into school on time.

The Green area in the yard

Please note there is no access to the high green area in the yard at school collection time, for anyone! That includes toddlers and family members waiting to collect children. We have reminded the classes of this and a zero tolerance policy is in operation!

The Park

As we announced before Easter, the improvement works at Mountpleasant Square Park will be completed before the Summer break. Plans are underway for the painting of the wall and the planting is about to start. The gates have been removed for repair and we hope to have an update shortly on the play feature that our children helped to design.

Write a book project

The write a book project is underway in the classes at present and we look forward to the presentation assembly later in the term. We are hoping this year to produce a real book, using all the stories written by the pupils from rang 3 to rang 6 - it promises to be an exciting summer read. Further details are available from the class teachers.

Choir members – choir starts again tomorrow – be at the front door gate at 8.10am as usual.

Dates for your Diary

The school website (www.rmds.ie) has details of all closures, (including provisional term dates for next year) and upcoming events on the calendar section. The annual school tours and outings for all the classes are also included here.

Parents of rang 2 are invited to Forest School next week on 12^th and 13^th April – your invitation will have come home in the school bag.

The first event of the term will be the annual Spring Clean up of the area around the school. This is organized between the Parents Association and the School Council. We will meet at the school gate on Wednesday 20^th April at 9am for about 45 minutes.  Gloves and equipment will be provided. No toddlers please!

We will meet the Senior Infant parents to explain the Forest School Programme for the class on Tuesday 3^rd May at 8.45am in the Seomra spraoi. In the meantime be on the lookout for walking boots or wellies, waterproof leggings and jackets for your child if they don’t have them already.

Rang 6 (with some help from Rang 5) will treat the school to a musical performance on 19^th May. This will be followed by a performance for parents on Friday 20^th May at 9.30am.

The Educate Together AGM will take place in Donabate on Saturday 21^st   May.

The Reception Day for the incoming junior infants will be Friday 3^rd June – there will be no school on that day for the present junior infants.

The summer term brings lots of sporting activities, kicking off with the primary schools athletics in Santry stadium on Wednesday 25^th May. Pupils from Rang 3, 4 and 5 are busy training each Tuesday from now on in Irishtown Stadium for the event. Cricket coaching for rang 4,5, and rang 6 takes place from this coming Friday. GAA coaching with Simon Lambert has finished for the year and we say a big thank you to Simon. We also congratulate him and his club, Ballyboden St Enda’s, on winning the all Ireland Club championships in football on St Patrick’s Day in Croke Park.  The annual Sport for All Day will take place on Friday 10^th June and the annual Sports Day and Summer Fair on Sunday 12^th of June.

The RMDS End of Year Parents Night Out is provisionally planned for Friday 20^th May. The Rang 6 graduation will take place on Friday 24^th June at 9.30am in the GP room.

School will close for the summer at midday on Wednesday 29^th June.

School will reopen on Thursday 1^st September 2016.

Other school events and dates are available on the calendar on the school website (www.rmds.ie)

Extra Curricular Programme

Welcome back to the Summer term of extracurricular activities. Classes begin on Monday 11^th April, concluding in the week beginning Monday 13^th June.

Gymnastics news: Olivia and Grainne from Gymstars are our new gymnastics teachers.

New system for swimming bookings: Bookings for swimming must be made directly with Swan Leisure in advance. RMDS Pool Booking forms are available from the school office or contact paddy@swanleisure.ie. Parents/guardians must stay on the premises for the duration of the lesson (Swan suggest setting up a rota amongst the group to cover this).

Junior Einstein: Payment can be made electronically to Junior Einsteins Science Club account. BSU: 28731022 / Sort code: 93-33-92 / Iban: IE42AIBK93339228731022 /
BIC: AIBKIE2D. AIB Cornelscourt, Dublin 18. Use reference: RMDS & your child’s name.

Squash: There will be no class on Wednesday 20^th April, this will be made up on 22^nd June

Below is the programme for this term.  Enrolment forms are also included. Children enrolled last term are given priority for this term as long as their booking forms are returned tomorrow. Cheques can be given directly to the teachers next week.  From Monday, applications will be taken on a first come, first served basis.

• Envelopes should be deposited in the box outside the office/at the gate in the morning
• Please use a separate form and envelope for each application
• Extra application forms are available beside the box or you can write out the required information on a sheet.
• Children should be collected from the front door of the school (Ranelagh Road) for activities which take place in the school.  For activities which begin later in the afternoon, children should be dropped to the front door. Collect at the Mountpleasant LTC or Herbert Park otherwise.
• Please collect your child promptly.
• To ensure that all children enjoy these classes, we expect the same standards of  behaviour as we would in school.  All children are expected to act with respect and kindness to their peers and teachers.  Children who are not able to do this will not be allowed to take part and monies paid will be refunded.
• Extra curricular teachers will contact you if classes are cancelled for any reason.
• Cancelled classes will be made up at the end or monies refunded if that is not possible.
• Contact the extracurricular teacher in the first instance regarding any issues or difficulties that arise.  If that does not sort out the problem, please contact the principal.
• Classes will only go ahead if there are sufficient numbers enrolled

Summer term 11^th April to 19^th June 2015

Extra Curricular Application Form – Summer  2016

Name of extracurricular class: ______________

Name of child:  __________________ Rang _____

I enclose a cheque for _____

Signed: _____________________ (parent /guardian)

Mobile: ________________

I wish to avail of financial support (please tick) 

Extra Curricular Application Form – Summer 2016

Name of extracurricular class: ______________

Name of child:  __________________ Rang _____

I enclose a cheque for _____

Signed: _____________________ (parent /guardian)

Mobile: ________________

I wish to avail of financial support (please tick) 

Joan Whelan