SCHOOL NEWS in Brief, September 4th 2014
Please read carefully

Website: www.rmds.ie
Email: secretary@rmds.ie
Ph: 4961722

• RMDS News in Brief will be sent on Thursdays by email. Hard copies will be circulated to those who do not have access to e-mail. All notes are available on the school website,www.rmds.ie so please check it regularly.

• We have updated the text service over the summer. A test text will be sent tomorrow (Friday) at 8.30am – please let us know if you do not receive this. Your feedback is always welcome on how we can improve communication with each other, so don’t hesitate to make suggestions.

• Please go to the school website (www.rmds.ie) and return classroom contribution/school tours payment via the Easy Payment system asap. Click on the contact cloud and scroll down to the pay buttons. Junior infants and all new pupils have already paid this bill in full. Any queries, contact the office.

• The gate is opened in time for all pupils to be in their classrooms for 8.30 am, ready for formal lessons to begin at 8.50 am. Please ensure pupils are in their classes punctually each morning so that they can settle in and get organised for the day.

From the Principal:

Welcome back to you all – I hope everyone had a happy and relaxing summer and took full advantage of the lovely weather. We are delighted to welcome you all back to school, especially the new junior infants, who are settling in very well indeed. A special welcome to James and Senan in Senior Infants, Evan in Rang 1, Gwen in Rang 2 and Maia, Holly and Julia in R4. Congratulations to Therese Coogan who joins the permanent teaching staff, teaching Rang 1. We also welcome Amal Pererra to the teaching staff in a substitute capacity until Louise Ormiston returns to school after her maternity leave – Louise had a baby girl, Clodagh, during the holidays. We also welcome Jilly Swain, as job sharing partner with Caroline O Dowd in Rang 3. The Board continue to employ an additional classroom assistant to support the learning of all the students in the school. We shall be sharing a resource post with St Louis Infant School for the coming year – Therese Curran will go to St Louis’ every Monday.

Planning for the new school year is well underway and following the first board of Management meeting of the new school year, our further priorities will be outlined. As usual, we have had some maintenance work completed over the summer. The four senior classrooms and the railings were painted. Power washing of the yard and roof terrace has brightened up the play areas. We have also invested in additional resources and equipment for the infant classes and the resource rooms.

As always at this time of the year it is important to promote positive behaviour and respect for each other. All the classes will spend time at the beginning of the year exploring these issues as part of the SPHE and the Core curriculum programme. The Educate Together homework journal (for children from rang 1 upwards) contains lots of useful information as well as reminders about our ethos and how we do things here in RMDS. It is also a useful point of contact for incidental communication and for sharing school news with parents.

Class meeting dates are included in this newsletter. We look forward to meeting you all at these meetings, which we regard as an integral part of the partnership between parents and the school staff.

The Parents Association have asked me to let you all know that the first coffee morning of the year will take place on Friday 19^th September in aid of the Hospice Association – all are welcome especially new parents. This will be followed on Tuesday 23^rd September at 8pm by the Parents Association AGM – so make sure to save both dates.

Finally, the extracurricular programme begins next week (Monday 15th). The timetable is also included with this newsletter and more forms are available from the office if you need them.

As always, I look forward to working with you all over the next school year and remind you that your ideas and suggestions are always welcome.

Joan Whelan

Code of behaviour and the anti bullying code

Copies of the code of behaviour and the anti-bullying code are available from the school office and on the school website (www.rmds.ie). A display copy is available on the main notice board. Please note the rules below and practice with the children so that everyone keeps safe and happy during school.

Our rules for behaving well

The drop off rule: Wait quietly at the back gate in the morning. The school gate is opened in time for children to be in their classes for 8.30 am. No responsibility can be taken for children left before the gate opens. All children should have had time to settle in and get organized for the day in time for the beginning of formal lessons at 8.50 am.

The collection rule: Junior and Senior Infants are dismissed at 1.10 pm. They will be handed over to their parents / minders by the teacher at the school door. All other classes are dismissed into the school yard, where they should be met by parents / minders, punctually, at 2.10 pm. No responsibility can be taken for children not collected promptly at the normal closing times.

The walking rule: The inside of the school is a walking zone at all times. At drop off and collection times, everyone is asked to WALK in the yard too – No running and no scooting. In particular, toddlers waiting with parents or minders should not be allowed to run around as the yard gets very busy and congested at school closing time.

The climbing rule: No one should climb on the walls in the yard or up behind the grassy pit, including toddlers waiting for older siblings, at any time.

The left hand rule: Please hold the stair rail with your LEFT HAND at all times. Younger siblings should follow the same rule, for safety reasons. Take care and open the swing doors gently – once again using the LEFT HAND RULE – open on the left.

The clothing for school rule: Children in all classes should wear loose fitting, comfortable clothes all the time, as every day involves some movement and physical activity. Clothes should also be suitable for arts activities. All removable clothing and footwear should be labelled. Make up should not be worn to school. Low cut tops, string vests and t- shirts with offensive or violent slogans should not be worn to school.

The clothing for PE rule: In order to take part in PE, children must be wearing suitable clothing i.e. tracksuit and runners. Appropriate footwear is especially important. Some classes (Rang 1, Rang 3, Rang 4, Rang 5 and Rang 6) go to Mountpleasant Lawn Tennis Club for their main P.E. lesson. We have the use of this very valuable facility on condition that the children wear white soled, non-marking runners or light white soled plimsolls(which can be left on the coat hooks in school). This type of shoe is available in the shoe shop in the Swan Centre, and also in Dunne’s and Penney’s in town for between €5 and €7.

Children should not wear jewellery unless they are able to remove it themselves prior to their PE class. Long hair should be tied back.

The never leave the school rule: Children should never leave the school without permission from the teaching staff.

The language rule: Bad language (curses and swear words) or derogatory language (words like dork, nerd, crap, losers etc) is not acceptable at any time.

The scooters and skateboards rule: Scooters and skateboards should be carried or wheeled to and from the school gates. ‘Parking’ is available at the bottom of the stairwells!

The school telephone rule: Children are not permitted to use the school phone except for genuine emergencies such as cancelled activities / matches and illness.

The mobile phone rule: We prefer that children do not bring mobile phones to school. If they need to have a mobile with them, it should be switched off and placed in the schoolbag before they come into the school and not taken out until they leave the school premises in the evening. Children who do not comply will get one warning and then have phones confiscated. Parents may collect confiscated phones from the teacher or the office.

The road safety rule: Children can be left safely on the footpaths leading to the traffic warden, who will see them safely across the road. Parents who wish to accompany their children should park legally, before crossing with the traffic warden. In particular, do not obscure the traffic warden’s view when parking. Pedestrians coming from Ranelagh are also reminded that it is safer to stay on the footpath around the front and west (infant gate) sides of the school rather than going up the lane on the east (extension) side.

The safe driving rule: Please co-operate by not driving around the school between 8.15 am – 9.15 am, also between 1.45 pm – 2.45 pm. At infant collection times (1.10pm), please do not park on the double yellow lines by the infant gate.

The pets rule: Dogs may not be brought into the school yard. If you are leaving dogs on leads at the school railings, please leave them outside the yellow zig zag lines at the gate.

Healthy eating in school

As part of the SPHE programme, healthy lunches are promoted in the school. That means no crisps, fizzy drinks, sweets or chocolate etc. Everyone must have a lunch box to bring home food waste. This has the added advantage of letting parents see what is being eaten and what is left.

Children eat lunch at their desks in the classroom. Pupils are encouraged to sit while eating at a tidy place. This is an important time in the school day, particularly for the infants. It allows children to chat and to enjoy food breaks as a social activity. There is no food brought out to the yard.

Drinking water is available in all the classrooms and there is a drinking fountain in the yard. Children are encouraged to drink water during the day. It is a good idea for children to have a plastic bottle which they can refill.

These policies extend to extracurricular activities and to the school age childcare service. Children returning to the school to take part in afterschool activities should not bring fast food, fizzy drinks etc. into the school with them.

PARENT / TEACHER COMMUNICATION.

We will contact you with any concerns we might have regarding your child in school. Equally, we would encourage you to talk to us about your concerns, no matter how small. The afternoon is more suitable for formal meetings and appointments can be arranged with Mary/Eleanor in the office. If it is difficult for you to visit the school, we can arrange to make phone contact at a suitable time.

The period between 8.30 a.m. and 8.50 a.m. is a useful point of contact for incidental matters and clarification. The homework journal or a note in the school bag is also useful. For more detailed or sensitive discussions, we encourage you to arrange a meeting with the class teacher. This means both parties can sit down and discuss issues confidentially and in comfort.

CLASS MEETINGS 2014 WILL TAKE PLACE AS FOLLOWS:

JUNIOR INFANTS -Tuesday 16^th September

SENIOR INFANTS -Thursday 25^th September

RANG 1 -Wednesday 17^th September

RANG 2 - Friday 19^th September

RANG 3 - Wednesday 24^th September

RANG 4 - Thursday 18^th September

RANG 5 - Tuesday 23rd September

RANG 6 - Monday 15^th September

All meetings will take place at 8.45 am (sharp) in the seomra spraoi and will be finished by 9.30am. There will be an opportunity for individual questions with the teachers after the meetings. Individual Education planning (IEP) meetings for parents of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) will take place before the end of October – resource teachers will contact you directly to make arrangements. Individual parent / teacher meetings will take place during the last two weeks of November.

RMDS term dates 2014/15

Extra Curricular Programme

Welcome back to the 2014/2015 year of extracurricular activities. Classes begin on the week of 15^th September for a 12 week term and conclude on the week of 8^th December. We have a few changes and additions this year. We are pleased to introduce Junior Einsteins (www.junioreinsteinsscienceclub.com), a science club teaching the core aspects of Physics, Chemistry and Biology through ‘make & do’, messy experiments, quizzes and games. The children make and do their own experiments, wearing their lab coats and goggles, using real scientific equipment including a university grade Van Der Graff Generator. These classes are slightly more expensive than others due to the experimental equipment used in the class that they will get to bring home.

There is now 'mini squash' available for Junior Infant and Senior Infant children. The classes are fun and the activity level of the class is high so the children will be kept busy for the whole time. Every activity has hidden elements to improve movement, hand eye coordination, balance, and concentration. Ultimately the aim is to play squash but the activities during the class will be of benefit to any sport in the future. Children are picked up from school on a Wednesday at 1.10 pm and go to Mount Pleasant where the activity takes place, they are then dropped back to the school at 2.10 pm for pick up.

Please note that Basketball on a Monday is now 4^th- 6^th class; Thursday basketball is for 1^st- 3^rd class. French has been changed to a Tuesday and Drama is now on a Wednesday.

In accordance with the healthy eating policy of the school, the Board have advised the leaders of the classes that sweets should not be used as treats except to mark the last class of each term. In order that every child in the school has the opportunity to take part in the extra curricular activities, the Board will continue to offer financial support to families who might otherwise not be able to avail of the programme.

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

• Envelopes should be deposited in the box outside the office/at the gate
• Please use a separate form and envelope for each application
• Extra application forms are available beside the box or fill 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 extra curricular 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

**Gaelic will not begin until the week of 22^nd September and will finish on 15^th December

***Please note swimming cheques and forms should be brought directly to the pool on Wednesday 17^th – they should not be left in the school

Extra Curricular Application Form – Autumn 2014

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 2014

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)

Autumn Term 15^th September to 12^th December 2014