Welcome Pack

Welcome to all the new families joining our school community. Below is some useful information you may find helpful.

Contact Information:

Canal Way Educate Together National School is located on Basin Lane in Dublin, school phone number: 01-4021418

School email: [email protected]

Use school phone or email to communicate with a class teacher, Eavan manages and forwards correspondence. Arrange a meeting with your class teacher through this process. Quick chats with teachers happen at the beginning or end of most school days, teachers are very approachable.

Dermot Stanley is the school principal, direct email is [email protected]

School Day

All classes begin at 8.30am, Junior and Senior Infants finish at 1.10pm, 1st class- 6th class finish at 2.10 pm

Sibling Hour

Sibling hour was suspended due to covid restrictions and will start again as soon as possible.

Facilitated sibling hour option is available in the school. There is a cost attached to this service, which allows parents of the children with different finishing times to do one collection at 2.10pm.

For parents collecting at 1.10pm and 2.10pm there are some public spaces that can be used during this hour, most popular is the small playground at the F2 in Rialto.

Special Educational Needs

Parenting a child with special educational needs can add new and unexpected demands to your life. Canal Way parents have set up a support group to share information and offer support to one another. For more information contact [email protected] or call Dawn on 0879162959

Afterschool Activities

Afterschool activities were suspended due to covid restrictions and will start again as soon as possible.

In previous years, activities have included: Capoeira; Runner Beans; Yoga; Games Club; Speech and Drama; Club Gaeilge; French; Spanish; Guitar; Chess Club; Lego Club

Afterschool Providers

Footprints Early Years, St Catherines Sports Centre, Dublin 8 083 4899826

Carefree Days, Sarsfield Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8. Tel: 01 6264743

Creative Kids, The Haven, Basin Street, Dublin 8. Tel: 087 6836863

WaterLily Montessori, 22 Old Kilmainham, Corner of Shannon Terrace, Kilmainham, Tel: 01 5518354 www.waterlily.ie

Child’s Play, 1A St Kevins Avenue, Blackpitts House, Blackpitts, Dublin 8. Tel: 01 4544463 www.childs-play.ie

Safari Childcare Hibernia Building, Heuston South Quarter, Military Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8. 01 5241247 www.safarichildcare.ie

The Nest Creche, Brabazon Hall, Ardee Street, Dublin 8. Tel: 086 0469012 www.thenestchildcare.com

First Steps Preschool Montessori & Afterschool, 2 Huxley Crescent, Off Cork Street, Dublin 8. Tel: 01 4544603 www.firststepsmontessori.ie

Kids Inc, 60 Grosvenor Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Tel: 01 4911925 www.kidsinc.ie

Kiddies Korner, 292 Sundrive Rd, Dublin 12. Tel: 01 4730783

Travelling to the school, transport options.

Canal Way ETNS is a city school, located in a residential area, there are two other schools on Basin Lane, together we create a lot of traffic on the lane, we ask that families from Canal Way Educate Together respect the lane. There is a designated school zone around the perimeter of all 3 schools, this restricts vehicle use on the lane. As access to the school and parking can be difficult we suggest walking, cycling or scooting to school. There is a Lollipop Person on James Walk each morning and afternoon to support safe passage.

The nearest Luas stop to the school is Fatima, on the Red Line, a 3 minute walk from the school.

Information and Communication

As principal, Dermot is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school, including providing guidance and direction to the teachers and other staff of the school. Dermot reports to the Board, and the Board supports him in his role as principal. Much of the daily life of the school is organised and co-ordinated by school secretary, Eavan O’Connor.

More information on the Role of the Patron, Board of Management, and Parents Association.

You can contact Dermot at [email protected] and Eavan at [email protected]
If you want to contact the Board, please email Treasa ([email protected]).

Get to know your school, the Canal Way website is updated regularly, this is a good resource for all parents. The school use Aladdin to communicate with parents, each family has access to a login to this platform, the Aladdin App can be downloaded and notifications turned on to ensure prompt receipt of communication. The school issue a bi- weekly newsletter, this is an opportunity to read the school news, and to get an insight into what is happening within the school, in the classrooms and across the school community.

Throughout the year there are school events, some are for fundraising purposes, all are for our community and to encourage togetherness and happiness for the children. All families are encouraged to attend and participate in the school’s events.

Every parent / guardian of a child in the school is automatically a member of the Parents Association and each class is represented on the Parents Association Committee. The class rep will keep their class informed of Parents Association activities. Reach out to your class rep and make sure they have your contact details. Most classes have a group WhatsApp so be sure to join.

There is a buddy system in place in Canal Way. New and incoming students have the choice to ‘buddy’ with a family already established within the school. The buddy system is in place to support new families at Canal Way by widening their network as soon as they arrive.

Create your network, introduce yourself at the school gate, initiate playdates with other families, try be to inclusive.

Some Suggested Twitter Follows:

School: @canalwayetns; @EducateTogether

Local/ community accounts: @RespectRialto; @RialtoRoundabo1; @DynamicDrimnagh; @TidyDrimnagh; @libertiesdublin;

Local services: @Tempsyngest (GAA club); @IMMAIreland (museum of modern art, in Kilmainham); @DublinEventG; (Dublin event guide for free events)

Local government: @dccscarea (Dublin City Council South Central Area); @CityPartnership (Dublin South City Partnership); @dubcilib (Dublin city libraries)

National government: @NormaFoleyTD1(Minister for Education)

Grown Up time

Coffee First! The nearest coffee shop to the school is Coffee District on James Street this is a good stop for a take away coffee, and fancy cake. Groundstate on James Street offers coffee and yoga. Container Coffee, also on James Street is good for coffee and has a cool outdoor space. The Arch Café is a community focused café and part of the F2 community centre, this is s good spot for a reasonably priced lunch.

D8 Mens Shed operates from 9.30-1.30 Monday – Friday in Dolphin House Community Centre, Rialto, for more information contact 01-4544682

South West Inner City Network on Rainsford Street offer a range of programmes to the community, Failte Isteach is a conversational English class, the Growing Group are a local group of gardeners that share a local space, the Computer Club is a drop in service for adults aimed at improving basic techie skills, the Women’s Group focusing on the personal development of the members, and Community Yoga is an accessible session for all, yoga has a charge of €5. Call 01-4536674 for more details.

Recreation

GAA is very popular in Canal Way ETNS, development coaches from local clubs visit the school to train our children.
The club teams represented in the school include:
St. Kevins Hurling
Synge Street / Templeogue Gaelic Football Club
Good Counsel/Liffey Gaels.

Football
There are a number of clubs coaching schoolboys + girls locally from age 6 up:
Larkview
Crumlin FC
Mourne Celtic
Lourdes Celtic

Basketball
The Oblates in Inchicore does training for boys and girls aged 7 and up

Scouts
Polish Scouts in Dolphins Barn
Donore Road Scouts
Inchicore Scouts

Libraries
There are a number of libraries within a short radius of our school, they include:
Dolphins Barn Library on Parnell Road in Crumlin,
Inchicore Library on Emmet Road, (Currently closed)
Kevins Street Library,
Ballyfermot Library,
Central Library in the Ilac Centre
Rathmines Library

Swimming Pools
(with swimming lesson options)

Ballyfermot Swimming Pool, Blackditch Road, call 2228580
Crumlin Swimming Pool, Windmill Road, call 4555792
Swan Leisure, Rathmines, call 4967908

Local Parks/Play Areas

Weaver Park playground and skatepark
Bridgefoot Street Community Garden
F2 playground and pitch
IMMA gardens and ground
St. Patricks Park playground
Iveagh Gardens
Eamon Ceannt Park playground, pitches, velodrome
Harolds Cross Park, playground and garden
Phoenix Park
Memorial Park
Bushy Park playground, skatepark, pitches.

Head Lice

Headlice are very common in young children and their families. There is a course of action that can be taken to contain the spread. If your child has headlice please contact the school, a message will be sent to all parents of the class to treat children. Your child can continue to attend school, however a course of treatment should continue until the issue is resolved. For further information:

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/head-lice-nits.html

Representation

Our school is located in the South West Inner City electoral area, the councillors responsible for local concerns and representing this area are

Michael Pidgeon (Green Party)

Tina MacVeigh (People Before Profit)

Michael Watters

Maire Devine (Sinn Féin)

On a national level our school is in the Dublin South-Central electoral area, the TDs representing this area:

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Sinn Féin)

Bríd Smith (People Before Profit)

Joan Collins (Independents 4 Change)

Patrick Costello (Green Party)

Results from the Survey of Parent/Guardians May 2021

Summary 

What is the Parents Association about and what should it be doing? We wanted to know what parents/guardians thought. We invited you to tell us and 177 of you did. Thank you!

This is the first time a survey like this has been carried out among the parents/guardians. It has been a challenging time for everyone in the school but the responses were mostly very positive, offering support to the work of the association and giving very useful comments and suggestions as to how it can play its part even better going forward.

While a small committee (the Parents Association Committee – PAC) meets monthly to plan events and share ideas, importantly the Parents’ Association is made up of every parent/guardian in Canalway Educate Together School.  We hope this survey will become an annual part of the work of the association- finding out what it can do to support each other, our children and the school.

Key Messages 

• The Parents’ Association and the Parents’ Association Committee are a valued resource and doing very positive work, and many respondents said thank you.
• Respondents especially noted the good work of the PAC in coordinating extra-curricular activities and fundraising.
• Respondents want more opportunities to meet with other parents, share information, advice and support, and build community.
• Not all respondents are aware that the Parents’ Association includes every parent or guardian in the school. We need to communicate the existence and function of the Parents’ Association better.
• There was a strong interest in getting more involved with the Parents’ Association, either by serving on the PAC, or by volunteering time and skills.
• There were a number of comments about communicating with school management, and representing parents’ collective concerns and issues.

Next Steps

The Parents Association is taking these results on board and already are taking steps to:

1. Improve communications with parents/guardians as to the role of the PA; how you can support its work and get more involved; and supportive information for particular stages of school-life e.g. starting at the school and moving on to secondary.
2. Facilitate more peer support, information and support events and practical supports to parents/guardians including a Buddy System and Information Pack for new parents/guardians; tailored information and support events such as transition to secondary school.
3. Reflect the views of parents/guardians in the work of the PA and include this in its Constitution.
4. Clearly communicate the purpose of fundraising for the school. Government capitation grants do not cover the full costs of running the school, and so educational “extras” such as IT resources, library books, sports equipment and so on are only available to our kids when we raise money for them. This should be made clearer to all parents.
5. Aim to repeat a survey annually to inform the work of the PA; and
6. Share the results of the survey with the School Board.

To read the full report click below to download:

Parents’ Association Survey Results May 2021

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