Newsletter 25.04.2024 - Canal Way Educate Together National School, Dublin 8

Message from Dermot

Welcome to our newsletter. There’s lots happening around the school these days as we enter term three, which is always a busy period. Today, we had some of our sixth-class children celebrating their Confirmation Day at Catherines Church in Donore Avenue—congratulations to them, ye looked fab! We recently had families celebrating Eid, and it was great to see the children come to school all dressed up and eager to share stories of the celebration with their peers. The sixth class is gearing up for their graduation film, and the school is buzzing as they prepare or this. Congrats to our 6th class children who participated in the Poetry Slam with local schools – GMBDS and St Catherine’s. PHOTOS HERE

Thanks so much to our Parents Association Committee for organising yet another event this weekend—the Sponsored Walk. Details are provided below. A big thank you to the committee for their work in organising activities, fundraising initiatives, after-school activities (a special thanks to Aline), and of course our hoodies – thanks Aude for this one.

Thanks to Paula Madej, our parent who has been working very patiently with me, redesigning our Welcome Brochure, which we will be giving our new families next week when we welcome them to our school at our welcome evening. Another 50 junior infants in 2024!

Enjoy the newsletter and the weekend ahead.

Muintir / Family & Grandparents Day

Next Thursday and Friday the 2nd and 3rd of May we will celebrate Muintir Day in our classrooms from 10:30 – 11:00 followed by a coffee morning in the hall from 11.00. We will host the event in our classroom and online via Zoom (to facilitate those who can’t be there in person). Children are asked to cap their visitors to 2 in person or on Zoom so we can safely manage the event. This event is a celebration of the people in our children’s lives who mean a lot to them and have supported them on their journey through life.

Theme

Our theme this year is ‘The school that helped form me’ We would love to hear stories from your school life in Ireland or wherever you may have gone to school from around the globe. Our children love hearing stories from your school days and childhood and would like to ask you about them.

Timetable

Thursday 2nd May

Friday 3rd May

Cliona’s Junior Infants

Marcella’s Senior Infants

Jessica’s Second Class

Dee’s Third Class

Ellie’s Fourth Class

Simon’s Fifth Class

Fiona/Hazel’s Sixth Class

Sean’s Junior Infants

Jan’s Senior Infants

Rebecca and Blaithín’s First Class

Conor’s Second Class

Liah’s Third Class

Orla Fourth Class

Nell’s Fifth Class

Ciaran’s Sixth Class

Travel To Canal Way

As our school is in the heart of Dublin 8 we would strongly encourage all to travel by public transport. The luas and many Dublin Bus stops are nearby, our school doesn’t have good on-street parking in the locality.

Hoodies – Order Now

The Canal Way hoodies and beanies are now available to order! They cost €25 euros for children’s sizes and €5 per hoodie goes to the school. Beanies cost €10 euros. Adult sizes are available in XS, S and M and bigger sizes are at the sample making stage.

Please note that when you place your order, the preview for the products will show a plain hoodie or a plain beanie but they DO come with the school logo.

Please note the hoodies are small fitting, we recommend sizing up.

https://www.schoolwear.ie/product/canal-way-educate-together-school-hoodie/

TUSLA – Attendance

Moving forward, attendance warnings will be sent via the Aladdin app to inform you about your child’s attendance status. It’s crucial to keep your attendance records updated on the app, as we are legally required to report absences exceeding 21 days. Please ensure you document your child’s activities or reasons for any absences. If you require assistance with this, please reach out to the school.

Your child must be in class at 09.30am to be marked present. If your child is not in school at 09.30am, they will be marked absent. If your child arrives after 09.30am, you can record this in their reason for absence on the Aladdin App for that day.

REMINDER SCHOOL CLOSED

Mid Term

May 6th to 10th

Assessment Dates

STANDARDISED ASSESSMENT DATES

Infant Assessment Week– 13th-16th of May

1st-6th Assessment Week 20th-23rd of May and 27th to 30th of May

It is crucial you do not plan any trips during this time and that your child arrives at school on time each morning.

These assessments are to identify children who are in need of support, and they also form part of our school profile when teaching recourses are being allocated by the Department of Education.

There is no need to do additional prep/ study for this – please. No pressure is placed on the students from the school as we are aware this is just a brief snapshot of their capabilities. All core subjects will be assessed at each class level.

Teachers, of course, consider all the child’s work over the year, using informal and formal assessment methods to evaluate the progress they have made.

School Calendar 2024/2025

Please find our calendar for next school year 2024/2025. Click on image to download calendar and it can also be downloaded from our home page of our school website.

As always we may have extra days of school closure which we cannot forecast, for example – voting, weather, training.

Hot Meals in Canal Way

As many of you are aware, children will be provided with hot meals in national schools in the coming year or two. We have been approved some months ago and we are currently working on infrastructural modifications which will be needed to facilitate the equipment for the initiative. It is a substantial piece of work, and we have not resolved this. We ask for your patience with us while we get this sorted, and we will get this up and running as soon as we can.

No Dogs on the Yard

Please refrain from bringing your dog to our school yard, regardless of whether they are leashed or carried. We have children and families who prefer not to have dogs in the yard, and it is also our school policy. Thanks for your support.

Parents Association Committee

Save The Dates

Sponsored Walk – THIS Sunday 28th April 14:00 – 16:00 at the Iveagh Grounds, Crumlin Road
Summer BBQ – Saturday 15th June at Canal Way ETNS

Fundraising Target
- We have raised €6257 of our €14,000 target so far

Outstanding Moneys due to the School

Thankyou to all families who have kept up with their payments to the school. Typically, we request funds at the beginning of the school year for materials, and throughout the year for trips and learning activities. The school manages its finances carefully as was noted in school inspections before.

However, like many others, we are experiencing the impact of rising living costs and ever rising bills. Therefore, we kindly urge those with outstanding payments to make an effort to settle them. If immediate payment is not feasible, installment options are available through the Aladdin App.

If you are facing difficulties in meeting these payments, please send a courtesy email to me so that we can plan for this and support you accordingly.

24 / 7 Insurance Cover

A reminder that the school has arranged 24/7 accident insurance for your child. While we hope you won’t need it, if any accident-related costs arise, you’re covered. There are all the necessary forms and info docs on our Publications Page on our website. Please contact Dermot for any support you may need.

Though claims are few, this coverage is invaluable when needed. Please keep this in mind.

Lá Mór Gaeilge – Irish Language Day in Smithfield April 28th

Conversation, Culture, and Craic! Promises to be a great day out. Click image for details,

Free Webinar – Carers and Parents

FREE online webinar What is Coco’s Law – A webinar for parents/ carers & practitioners.

Under the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act, Coco’ s Law created new offences which criminalise the non-consensual distribution of intimate images prohibiting the sharing of intimate images without the original poster’s consent. This important webinar will focus on awareness and understanding of Coco’s Law, recognition of the issues that it covers & guidance on how to avail of its provisions (reporting). Keynote speaker on the night is Fiona Jennings, Head of Policy & Public Affairs with the ISPCC.

It takes place on Tuesday April 30^th at 7pm. REGISTER HERE