SCHOOL NEWS in Brief…..

8^th January 2015

 From the Principal’s desk:

 Extra curricular activities start on Monday – further information below!

Welcome back to you all and a special welcome back to Tadhg in Rang 6, Lily in Rang 3 and Zain and Max in Senior Infants, all of whom were abroad for most of last term.

Our first big event of the year will be the participation of Rang 5 and Rang 6 in the Peace Proms concert in the RDS on 1^st February. Parents who wish to attend can purchase tickets online at (www.peaceproms.ie).

 Forest School will be starting for the pupils in rang 2 later in the month. A meeting for parents in Rang 2 to explain the idea behind this initiative will be held in the Seomra Spraoi at 8.45am sharp on Tuesday 27^th  January for about 30 minutes. In the Summer term, this programme will be extended to Senior Infants.

As usual, this term we will be teaching the Stay Safe Child Protection and Anti-bullying programme in Senior Infants, Rang 1, Rang 3 and Rang 5. All parents will have received information on the Stay Safe programme when you enrolled your child – please call to the office if you would like another copy of the parent booklet. Information can also be found online at www.staysafe.ie and on www.webwise.ie.

The Green School project continues this term with a focus on Water conservation. We have joined Recreate Ireland (www.recreate.ie). This is a social enterprise based in Ballymount that takes end of line materials from businesses and recreates them as art materials for schools.

Seachtain na Gaeilge will take place in March and we will also complete the Write a Book project in all classes before Easter.  Rang 5 will be involved in a shared programme with St Michael’s House Grosvenor NS. We will continue to work on the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy and the School Self Evaluation initiative and will keep you updated on these activities during the term.

We are also due to have the windows replaced on the stairwell near junior infants in the next few weeks as well as a number of minor maintenance works in the bathrooms and on the water fountains. You may have noticed the shrubs in pots in the main yard – as well as brightening up the yard they help to make it a safer place for all the children to play. Thanks to the PA for the suggestion!

A separate email was sent this morning about the DES primary online database – please make sure to read it.

Offers of places for next September are in the post – so if you have a sibling due to start and do not hear from us, drop in to the office next week. If you are deferring a place, please let us know asap so that we can offer the place to the next person on the list.

As always, please share with us any ideas you have for these or any other activities!

Below are a few reminders for the term….

 Dogs

Lots of you bring your dogs to drop and collect at the school. Dogs must be on leads at all times and in control of an adult. No dogs may be brought in to the school yard. I need all dog owners to make sure dogs are kept outside the yellow zigzag lines at the back gate. If you are leaving dogs on leads while you come in to the school, please tie them well away from the school gate either opposite the school or outside the zigzag lines. Parents also need to ensure that young children know how to pet strange animals correctly. It gets very busy at collection time in particular and dogs can become frightened by too much attention.

 Good manners

The New Year is always a good time to remind ourselves of good manners and kindness towards each other. This includes greetings, taking turns and being patient. We encourage older children to let those younger than them go ahead of them. Looking at people and giving them full attention when they are speaking to you is another way of showing respect to each other. We are practicing these things in school, so any help from home as well would be great.

Be on time

The gate is open a few minutes before 8.30am to allow everyone to get to the classrooms for 8.30am, the formal start of school. I expect that everyone should be in school on time and be well ready for the start of formal lessons at 8.50am. Class teachers will remind parents of children who need to be in earlier over the next week or two.

Remember we are in a residential area. There are families with young babies and also older people living in the houses behind the school. Please respect their property and wait quietly at the gate in the morning, leave quietly and promptly in the afternoon, do not climb on their steps and don’t block the pavement.

Absence

All absences from school must be accounted for. Please ring the school or email the office (secretary@rmds.ie) on the first morning of absence.  For absences longer than one day, please send a note or an email, so that we have a written record.  There are blank notes in the homework journal that can also be used for this purpose.

Mobile phones

A reminder about our policy on phones:  It is preferable that children do not bring mobile phones to school. If they need to bring them, then they should be switched off at the gate and put at the bottom of the schoolbag until children have left the yard in the afternoon. Children will be given one reminder to comply, after which phones will be confiscated and parents must collect them from the teacher/office. In general, expensive electronic devices should be left at home, please.

Joan Whelan

RMDS term dates 2015

School will reopen on 1^st September 2015

Extra Curricular Programme

Welcome back to the Spring term of extracurricular activities. Classes begin on the week of Monday 12^th January for a 9 week term (excluding the week of 16^th February), concluding on the week of 16^th March.

Below is the programme for this term.  Enrolment forms are also included. Enrolment is on a first come, first served basis. Children enrolled in the first term are given priority for this term.

Please return booking forms tomorrow – cheques can be given directly to the teachers next week.

• 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.

Please note:

• 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

 ***Please note swimming cheques and forms should be brought directly to the pool on Wednesday 15^th – any left in the office will be returned to the children.

Extra Curricular Application Form – Spring 2015

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 - Spring 2015

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)

Spring term 12^th January to 20^th March 2015

 RMDS School Age Childcare

Information from Caroline Percival on 085-1156506 or email childcare@rmds.ie.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on the school website, www.rmds.ie