Information: (17/04/24)
Dear Parents/Guardians,
As the roads near the school are still extremely slippy and never fully thawed today and in view of the weather forecast given for tonight and tomorrow morning (Thursday), we will probably have to remain closed again tomorrow. I will review the situation again in the morning and will let you know as early as possible. I hope you all understand that this decision is not made lightly and can only be made when I find out if the secondary school buses deem it safe to travel on the roads near the school or when people local to the school let me know what conditions these roads are in.
I know some people would have no problem making it to school but I have to consider the safety of all staff and pupils and prioritise this.
I just wanted to give you the heads up tonight in case anyone has to make childcare arrangements. Hopefully the weather will improve soon.
Keep an eye on the phones in the morning.
Thanks for your understanding.
Fiona (17/01/24)
Important Information:
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Photographs:
A professional photographer may visit the school next Tuesday when he is in the area. Are you interested in getting individual/family photos taken? Sample photos will be sent home with prices and you can then decide whether to purchase or not.
Please fill in the form below to let us know whether or not you are interested.
Board of Management:
A new board of Management has to be formed this month and we need a male and female parent to join the board for a period of 4 years.If you would like to be a parent representative on the Board, please fill in the 2nd form below before next Wednesday. The board meets between 6 and 8 times per year approximately. If more than 2 parents volunteer, elections will be held and all parents will be asked to vote.
Hot Lunches:
We are hoping to commence the hot lunches in a week or two. Sample lunches menus will be sent home during the week and you can decide whether or not your child will avail of them.
Have a lovely weekend.
Fiona
Photographs
Board Of Management
Welcome Back!
We look forward to welcoming all of our pupils back to school tomorrow. We hope you all had a great summer.
Here are a few points to note for this term.
Pupils should bring their own lunch and drinks for the first two weeks until we get the lunches up and running again.
Pupils should wear their uniforms every day this year (including on P.E. days). Make sure all uniform jumpers have your child's name on the label.
Books and copies will be given out to the children over the next week or two. You do not have to pay for any of these.
Ms. McGonigle will be teaching in the Junior Room again this year and we welcome Ms. Kelly to teach as Special Education Teacher (SET).
Children should be dropped off at school after 9.05. School will start at 9.20.
Junior Infants will go home at 12.30 for the first week.
Senior Infants go home at 2.00 and all others at 3.00.
Any questions, please get in touch by email, by filling in the form below or on the school phone number 0749145705.
School will be closed on Monday, 25th of September.
We look forward to working with you the parents/guardians again this year. Your support is always greatly appreciated.
Fiona
Welcome to our new Junior Infants!
We can't wait to welcome our new Junior Infants on Tuesday the 29th of August. Ms. McGonigle will be teaching the Junior Room pupils again this year. Your child should remember her from the induction day. School begins at 9.20 and pupils should arrive at school after 9.05 each day.
We have decided that Junior Infants will go home at 12.30 for the first four days to ease them in gently and will remain in school until 2.00 from Monday 4th of September.
Please label your child's belongings including uniform jumpers.
Children should bring their own healthy lunches (including a drink) for the first two weeks until we get the free lunches up and running.
If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to contact me by filling in the form below.
We look forward to seeing you next week.
Fiona Farry
Lastest News - June 20th
- raincoat
- sunhat
- suncream
- extra drinks
- sportswear
- runners
Parents of 6th class pupils will be invited into the school after this to see the 6th class graduation video. (Tissues will be supplied ;-) )
Children may be taken home after the awards.
Latest News - 17th of May
Dear Parent/Guardian
The remainder of the term will be a busy one so here are some dates for your diary.
- School will close for pupils at 12.30 on Friday 19th May and Friday 9th of June. This is to facilitate staff training in the Primary Language Curriculum and the New Primary Curriculum Framework.
- On Monday 22nd of May pupils will celebrate the culmination of the 6 years of our Shared Learning Experience with Creeslough N.S. Junior Room pupils will travel to Letterkenny for a Teddy Bear’s Picnic with the Juniors from Creeslough and Seniors will travel to Derry to walk the Peace Bridge with the Seniors from Creeslough. (More details to follow) This trip is paid for by the funding so there is no cost to parents.
- Standardised Testing will take place over the next two weeks and Summer Tests will be administered after this.
- A school tour has been organised for Monday, 19th of June. We are going to Xtreme Jump in Derry and to Wild Ireland afterwards. The cost is 16 euro per child and this can be paid in instalments (weekly/fortnightly) from now until the 19th of June.
- We are booked in to the cinema on Tuesday, 20th of June. (€5)
- We hope to have a Sports Day on Wednesday, 21st of June but this will be weather permitting.
- 6th class graduation will take place on Thursday 22nd of June.
- Once again, due to the increases in the cost of living, we ask that parents do not purchase end of year gifts for staff.
- School holidays commence on June 23rd when we will close at 12.00
- Return to school on Tuesday 29th of August. (TBC)
- As the weather is so changeable, we ask that children bring coats to school every day, no matter what the forecast.
- The school has received a grant to purchase all school books and copies for the next school year (2023/2024) so parents do not need to pay for these.
Fr. O Doherty has asked that Confirmation children attend mass on Sunday 28th of May at 11.00 and that First Communion children attend mass on Sunday 11th of June at 11.00 wearing their First Communion outfits.
Confirmation
Dear Parent,
As you aware, Confirmation takes place this Saturday at 11.00. Bishop McKeown will be confirming the children.
Fr. O Doherty has asked that everyone is seated in the church no later than 10.45.
Each family has been allocated a row of seats. The confirmation child’s name will be on each row.
Your child should sit at the end of the row beside his/her sponsor.
The seats allocated to our school are to the left when facing the altar.
Any additional family/friends can sit in the vacant rows behind the confirmation children.
Please remind the sponsor that they should stand to the left of the child when taking them up to be confirmed and should place their right hand on the child's shoulder. They should give only the name that the child is taking as their confirmation name when prompted by Bishop McKeown.
Tea/Coffee will be served in Murlog School after the ceremony. A professional photographer will also be present, should anyone wish to get photos taken.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me tomorrow or Friday.
I hope you all have a lovely, enjoyable day!
Fiona
Return to School:
The school calendar can be viewed below this post for any of you that have misplaced it.
School lunches will recommence tomorrow. Please ensure your child brings a coat to school every day.
Thanks for your co-operation.
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Contact Us
Latest News - Wednesday 14th of December :
Just an update for you all. Many of the things we had planned to do with the children had to be cancelled/postponed this week due to the awful weather and the high numbers absent. However, we still have some treats planned for them.
We will go ahead with the school plays/performances next Tuesday. Children who have been absent will be able to read their lines and we will hopefully have a full day of rehersals on Monday, so there is no need for anyone to worry about that. It has been so long since we were able to have parents/guardians into the school that we feel it is important to go ahead with this if we can. It will just be short, simple shows but the children are very eager to perform for you all.
Junior Room performance at 10.30. Senior Room (including 2nd Class pupils) will be at 11.00. We will not be bothering with costumes in the Senior Room.
Pupils do not have to wear uniforms any of the days next week.
We will have a Christmas movie afternoon on Friday the 16th in school.
We are going to the cinema on Wednesday the 21st of December (weather permitting). We will have the children back at school for 12.30 so they can be collected then.
Take care on the roads again over the next few days. Hopefully we are nearing the end of this cold spell.
Finally, thanks for all of your support during 2022. It is very much appreciated. We wish you and your families a very Happy Christmas and a Wonderful New Year!
Fiona & Staff
If anyone has any questions, please use the contact from below.
Update - 30th of June
Dear parent/guardian,
We hope the children are enjoying the holidays so far. The first week has flown by!
Booklists:
Some great news!!!
We are lucky to have received a grant to purchase all school books for the next school year so it will not cost you anything. The school will purchase all textbooks and copies for the year 2022/2023 and these will be given out to the children when they return on the 31st of August.
School Lunches:
Pupils will once again be able to avail of free snacks for 11.00 and free hot dinners at 12.30. You will be able to choose whether or not your child avails of this or not when they return to school so please send in their own lunch and drinks for the first week. (See below for lunch procedures)
School Uniform:
Uniform jumpers and t-shirts are available to purchase from Caroline Lafferty ( Embroidery and Alterations) in Convoy. 087-7978043
We have a new crest this year but pupils may still wear the jumpers with the old crests. Please note - getting a crest on the t-shirt is optional, however, you do need it on the jumper.
Please ensure that your child wears plain navy trousers/tracksuit bottoms/skirt/pinafore from September. These may be purchased wherever you wish.
Return to school:
The school calendar for the academic year is posted below. A hard copy of this will be sent home with the end of year reports in the next week or two.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in touch using the form below the calendar or by email scoilcholmcille@hotmail.com
Wishing you all a lovely summer and hoping the weather improves,
Fiona :-)
Lunch Procedures:
- Children will choose any snack from their lunch at 11.00
- At 12.30 children will be encouraged to eat the healthy part of their lunch sandwich, fruit etc. first. They may then eat their treats.
(Some pupils may need to have treats put out of sight for a while so as not to distract them when eating their healthy lunch)
- Children will be encouraged to drink plenty of water during the day and after exercise.
- Crisps, fizzy drinks and chewing gum are prohibited.
- We encourage parents not to send in more than one treat per day.
(These are subject to change depending on lunch suppliers)
Reminder - Tuesday, 7th of June.
We are heading on our school tour tomorrow - Wednesday and we have some very excited pupils!
Please ensure that you child wears their uniform and brings a raincoat as most activities are outdoors.
Children should also bring a change of clothes including socks and shoes . These should be in a plastic bag or in their school bag.
They should also bring an extra drink and an inhaler if required.
Please fill in the food choice below for children in Junior Infants and Senior Infants as this needs to be ordered today. Please fill in if your child is absent today.
Please note - Infants will finish at 3 p.m. tomorrow and Friday.
School Tour - Lunch Choice
Wednesday, 1st of June.
We will take the children on a school outing to Lurgybrack Farm on Wednesday, 8th of June. This trip will cost € 14 per child and this includes entrance fee, the bus and lunch. Money can be sent in up until that day. (Please ensure your child has an inhaler in school for the trip if they sometimes require one.) We will return to school at 3 p.m. More details to follow.
We are also collecting €1 per child or a small donation to support Donegal’s Relay for Life to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society. This can be sent in tomorrow.
Reminder: School will be closed on Friday 3rd of June and on Monday 6th of June for the Bank Holiday.
We are hoping to have a Sports Day for the children on the 15th of June – weather permitting. More details will follow.
The new Junior Infants and other new pupils will visit the school on Friday, 10th of June from 1-3 p.m. We would ask that the current Junior and Senior Infants remain in school until 3 o clock on that day.
School will close on Wednesday 22nd of June at 12.00 for the summer holidays and reopen for pupils on the 31st of August. Calendars for 2022/2023 will be sent home next week.
Tuesday, 8th of March
School will close at 12.30 on Friday 25th of March to facilitate staff training in the Primary Language Curriculum.
All parents need to fill in the consent form below as soon as possible so we can confirm numbers. One form will suffice per family. I'm sure the children will be very excited about this.
Permission Slip
Update - 25th of January
These will hopefully assist, along with other measures, with curbing the spread of Covid 19.
Guidelines - 5th of January 2022
Dear Parent/Guardian,
We would like to wish yourselves and your families a very Happy New Year.
In advance of returning to school tomorrow, we ask that you:
- read the following guidelines
- confirm that you have read them (below)
- fill in the return to school declaration form (below)
As we commence term two, we are all aware of how high the numbers are and of how extremely transmissible the current strain of Covid 19 is. Bearing this in mind, it is imperative that you refamiliarise yourself with the symptoms of the virus and that your child does not attend school if they are showing any of these symptoms.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 (coronavirus) are:
- fever (high temperature - 38 degrees Celsius or above) - including having chills
- dry cough
- fatigue (tiredness)
Less common symptoms of COVID-19 include:
- loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this could mean they're completely gone or just different to normal
- nasal congestion (runny or blocked nose)
- conjunctivitis (also known as red eye or pink eye)
- sore throat
- headache
- muscle or joint pain (aches and pains)
- different types of skin rash
- nausea or vomiting
- diarrhoea
- chills or dizziness
Symptoms of severe COVID‐19 include:
- shortness of breath or breathing difficulties
- loss of appetite
- confusion
- pain or pressure in the chest
- fever (high temperature - 38 degrees Celsius or above
There is currently a huge staffing crisis with teachers & snas either off with the virus or deemed a close contact. We are expecting this to get worse in the coming weeks and need you to be aware that if we cannot source a substitute teacher, your child's class may have to remain at home until a teacher is found.
We would ask that you social distance as much as possible when collecting your children at 2 o clock and that people remain in their own cars at three o clock.
Many thanks for your co-operation and remember to fill in both forms below.
Fiona Farry
Guidelines
Declaration:
Wednesday. 1st of December.
Dear parent,
After seeking clarification, it appears that pupils in the Senior Room will have to wear masks from now on. (unless they have a medical exemption/medical cert)
I am sending home copies of the letters received from the Department and guidance from the Chief Medical Officer.
We are asking that you send a mask in with your child from tomorrow morning onwards. We will ease them in gently to wearing the masks for short periods of time tomorrow and Friday to give them a chance to get used to them before we start properly next Monday. Each child will be given a plastic bag with their name on it, in which they can store their masks, while eating their lunch and out in the playground.
I have spoken to the children this morning and answered questions they had. I reassured them that it was nothing to worry about and that we will take plenty of fresh-air breaks until they get used to wearing them. I also want to reassure you, that we will not have any child sitting in class in obvious discomfort, we will gradually ease them into the wearing of the face-coverings.
It is up to you whether your child wears a cloth or a disposable mask. Cloth masks will have to be sent home and washed daily.
A supply of disposable masks will be available in the school, should your child's mask break.
It doesn't really make sense that pupils have to wear masks all day while sitting in their pods but then can remove them for half an hour to eat their lunch while sitting at the same tables, next to the same children! (Unless Covid takes a lunch break at that time too!)
However, as a school, whether we agree or disagree with these new measures, we have no choice but to follow procedure. Rest assured, we will try to make it as easy as possible for the children.
Please fill in the form below if you have any questions and check your child's schoolbag for the notes that will be sent home.
Kind Regards,
Fiona
Please note - we will contact you again if we receive any further updates from the Department.
Contact Us
30th of November:
Dear parent,
We learned from the media/news reports this evening, that the wearing of masks by pupils in the Senior Room has now been made a requirement with immediate effect.
Only after this news had broken, did we receive an email to the school at 5.16 p.m. confirming that this is indeed the case.
The email however did not inform schools of when this was to begin. Because of such late notice, and lack of guidance from the Department of Education to schools, it will not be compulsory for senior room pupils to wear masks tomorrow (Wednesday) until I get further advice.
This advice will be sent home to you tomorrow and pupils will probably have to wear masks from Thursday, unless they have underlying difficulties which may prevent them from wearing a mask.
If, after you receive the information tomorrow, you have questions for me, do not hesitate to get in touch. I'm sure you will all agree, that giving schools and parents such short notice to introduce such a measure is ridiculous.
Kind regards,
Fiona
Newsletter - 24th of November:
Parent-Teacher Meetings:
Subbing Crisis:
Christmas Fundraiser:
Remain Vigilant:
15th of September, 2021
Dear Parent/Guardian,
I hope you and your family are keeping well. We are delighted that all of the children have settled so well into school.
- Consent forms have been sent home with the children today. Please fill these in for each child and return to the school as soon as you can.
- Remember to give some extra phone numbers in case we are unable to contact you.
- Homework has recommenced so please ensure your child does a little each night.
- Please read the advice below, given to us by the Department of Education and Skills and please keep your child at home if they have any of the symptoms mentioned. (Child must remain at home for 48 hours after symptoms have gone in the case of fever or diarrohea)
- Sandra, our secretary is in the office from 10.00 to 12.00 from Monday to Thursday. Please phone her on (074) 9145705 should you wish to pass on any message to the teachers or if you wish to make an appointment with the teachers. Otherwise, you can use the Contact Us forms available here on the website. (See below)
- School lunches are going down well with the children. They get two healthy snacks at small break and a hot dinner at lunch time. If you choose to send in lunch for your child, please limit the treats (chocolate/sugary snacks) to one per day, if at all, as mentioned previously. We always have plenty of healthy snacks and fruit left over so rest assured the children will not go hungry. Fizzy drinks, sports drinks, chewing gum and crisps are not permitted.
- We are delighted to welcome Ms. McClintock back to cover admin days and also would like to extend a warm welcome to Ms. Thompson who is joining us this year.
- We will continue to have P.E. on Wednesdays so children may wear their sports gear on these days. Please ensure your child brings a coat to school every day.
We appreciate your co-operation in all of the above.
Information for parents/guardians:
- a high tempereature (38 degrees Celsius or above)
- a new cough - this can be any kind of cough, not just dry
- shortness of breath or breathing difficulties
- loss or change in sense of smell or taste
- extreme fatigue
- aches and pains
- diarrhoea
- headaches
- feeling sick or vomiting
- headaches
Return to School - August 2021
New Junior Infants will have an introductory session in school from 1.00 to 2.00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 25th. (They do not have to wear a uniform for this session)
All pupils will return to school on Thursday, August 26th.
This will include information regarding the precautions that the school will be taking regarding Covid-19.
Return to School for Senior Room Pupils
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Pupils from 4th to 6th class will return to school on Monday, the 15th of March and we will be delighted to welcome them back.
The following contains some information which you may find useful in preparation for their return. Some of this has already been posted to students on Edmodo.
Pupils should pack their bags today, returning all books, copies and workbooks that were sent home.
Check that uniform is washed and clean.
Children should wear warm tops underneath their uniforms as windows will be open to provide adequate ventilation.
Warm coats must be brought to school each day.
Carambola lunches will be delivered on Monday. There is no need to change your child's order.
Pupils may be dropped off at school between 9.00 and 9.20 in the morning. Only one family should enter the school at a time. Others should wait at the gate until the hand sanitisers are free. Parents should remain in their cars for both drop-off and collection times.
Parents must fill in the return to school declaration form on Sunday or Monday morning only (before your child returns to school) stating that your child does not have any Covid-19 symptoms. This form can be found here Parents' Page
Any child who has a high temperature should be kept at home until 48 hours after the temperature has returned to normal.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch using the contact us form below.
School will be closed on Wednesday as it is St. Patrick's Day and we will close for Easter Holidays on the 26th of March.
Once again we would like to thank you all for your co-operation during such challenging times. We really appreciate how difficult it is to motivate children at home each day to do their work. You will be glad to hear that we will not be giving any homework until after the Easter holidays.
Kind Regards,
Fiona
Contact Us:
Latest Developments as of 23rd of February 2021
Dear Parents/Guardians,
You may have heard on the 6 o clock news this evening, as we did, the arrangements for the return to school for our pupils. An email arrived to the school inbox only after it was broadcast on the news.
The school will be open for Junior Infants, Senior Infants, 1st class and 2nd class from Monday, the 1st of March. Ms. McEleney, Ms. Long, Mary and Shauna will work from the school building from this date.
3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th classes cannot return to school until Monday, the 15th of March. This is as per government guidelines, so we have no choice but to adhere to it. Ms. Farry will continue to provide remote learning activities for the senior pupils during this time.
We understand completely that this situation is far from ideal and that some children may not wish to attend school until their siblings return on the 15th or that some parents may feel that the numbers/cases are still too high/unsafe for them to return yet. Ms. McEleney has kindly agreed to continue to provide lessons/activities on SeeSaw for those two weeks, should anyone require it.
We would be grateful if parents of pupils in the Junior Room would fill in the form below before Thursday evening to let us know if you intend sending your child in on Monday. This will enable us to arrange seating and plan accordingly for a safe reopening.
All parents will be required to fill in a Return To School Declaration Form on the Sunday before their child returns, stating that the child does not have any symptoms of Covid-19. This form can be found here.
We wish to reassure you all, that we will do our utmost to ensure that procedures and guidelines are diligently followed to keep our school premises a safe environment for your child/children as we did in term one, from September to December. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions in the comment box below.
Thanks again for all of your co-operation and we look forward to seeing all of the children!
Fiona & Staff
Home-School Links
Newsletter 8th of January 2021:
Dear parents,
We would like to wish you all a Happy New Year and hope you had a happy and safe Christmas.
Unfortunately, we find ourselves in a position where we will not be returning to school and have to embrace remote learning once again.
Staff will be taking the next few days to prepare for this so it will commence on Tuesday next.
This time we will be assigning work on a fortnightly basis including both on and offline activities to cater for those who may have poor internet connection. Work should be dropped off at the school every second Friday evening between 2 and 4 pm where you will be given the following fortnight’s work for your child/children. Work will be corrected and returned to your child on pick up.
For the next fortnight, work can be collected from the school on Monday, 11th of January between 2 and 4.
Junior Room Pupils:
Thankfully, all children have been practising using Seesaw since our return to school in September and have a good grasp of it at this stage. During this period, I will be combining online learning with a fortnighly workbook. These will work together. The workbook will be laid out in a day by day format and should be signed by a parent/guardian when the work is completed each day. I will be supporting the workbook with videos/tasks on Seesaw also. I may ask for some work to be uploaded onto Seesaw, however, I would ask that not all work be uploaded. Workbooks can be dropped to the school every second Friday and the following fortnight’s work will be available to collect.
All passwords for Seesaw have remained the same. If anyone wishes for their password to be sent out again, please let me know by Sunday evening.
If anyone, parent or child, has any queries about the work provided please do not hesitate to contact me on either of the following.
FAO: Bernie Mc Eleney scoilcholmcille@hotmail.com
seesawcloughfin@gmail.com
If any child has problems with understanding a task or needs additional support, I can also send a video/explanation to them on their Seesaw account so please get in contact.
Senior Room Pupils:
Senior room pupils will be given a workbook containing a fortnight’s work. This will be set out into daily activities which should be completed every day. (Monday to Friday). This will be supplemented by Maths videos, Irish reading recordings and other work on Edmodo. Pupils should log in to Edmodo every day to see what has been added.
Encourage your child to take their time with their school work. They should only do one day’s work per day! There is no point in rushing through the whole workbook in one day. The work will be corrected and returned and then yourself and your child should look at any corrections and advice.
Should your child have difficulty with any topic, encourage them to send me a message on Edmodo and I will reply in due course
Any textbooks, copies, worksheets etc that your child requires will be given to you on Monday between 2 and 4 p.m. They will also be given password reminders for Edmodo or whatever else they will need. Parents of 4th class pupils will be sent a link to a video explaining how to use Edmodo over the weekend.
We would ask you to remain in your cars and maintain social distancing at all times. We will distribute your supplies over the fence as soon as we are ready and answer any questions you may have then.
We also have some laptops that can be loaned out to families for the duration of the closure. Please email the school before Sunday if your family requires one. scoilcholmcille@hotmail.com or fill in the form below.
Ms. Long will also be available to assist children who attend her room. This will be discussed with parents on an individual basis.
We realise that this is an extremely difficult time for everyone and with the numbers continuing to rise it is worrying and can lead to anxiety. We are not trying to burden you with school work but are rather trying to make sure your child/children’s education does not come to a standstill. We can be contacted by email or through the form below should you have any concerns at all.
Please do not hesitate to contact us.
School Closure January 2021
What will be in the boxes?
Each box contains 4 WEEKS' WORTH of breakfast (cereal, fruit juice), lunch (pasta & sauce, baked beans, spaghetti shapes, flavoured noodles, packet soups, wraps) and healthy treats (tinned fruit,cream crackers, digestive biscuits, popcorn). These items may change depending on availability.
Carambola Food Boxes
Message to Parents 19/08/2020
Dear Parent,
We are looking forward to welcoming your child/children back to school on Thursday, 27th of August in line with current guidance and recommendations. The Board of Management and staff have been working hard over the past few weeks to prepare for a safe re-opening of the school. We have updated our procedures and routines to allow for as much physical distancing as is possible and practical.
Children may be dropped off at school between 9.00 and 9.20 with their school bags and coats. A sanitisation area will be set up outside the front door. All children will be supervised while they sanitise their hands before entry to the school. Only one family should enter the school at the same time. Others should wait in the car until this area is free. Parents should remain in cars when possible.
Once inside the school the children will be divided into two class “Bubbles” (as per government guidelines) one for the Junior Room and one for the Senior Room. These Bubbles will have different break times so as to minimise interaction between the “Bubbles”.
While social distancing is not required within the Junior Room under the Department of Education’s “Reopening Schools Roadmap”, a high level of cleaning and hygiene will be maintained in in their classroom and indeed throughout the school.
Within the Senior Room, the pupils will be divided into three “pods” (again per government guidelines) with a maximum of 5/6 pupils per pod. Each pod will be at least a metre away from other pods. While sharing of materials, books etc. will be allowed within pods, they will not be allowed to share with pupils in other pods.
Pod 1 = 4th Class = 5 pupils
Pod 2 = 5th Class = 6 pupils
Pod 3 = 6th Class = 5 pupils
The guidelines also state the many times that children will have to sanitise and wash their hands throughout the day. These include but are not limited to the following:
- on arrival
- before break time
- after coming in from play time
- before lunch time
- after lunchtime
- after using the toilet
- after coughing/sneezing
- if hands are visibly dirty
- before going home
We are fortunate that warm water runs to the classrooms and to the sinks in the toilets which will facilitate regular hand washing. Antibacterial soaps and hand sanitiser dispensers have also been purchased. (If your child has any skin allergies, please contact me to discuss this).
As we have four toilets for the children, these will be designated as follows:
Toilet 1 – Junior Room Girls
Toilet 2 – Senior Room Girls
Toilet 3 – Junior Room Boys
Toilet 4 - Senior Room Boys
This will all be explained to the children when they return to school and all toilets and sinks will be cleaned regularly during the day.
Extra time will be given to the cleaner this year as we have received funding from the department specifically for this. Desks and chairs etc. will also be cleaned during the day while the children are outside on their breaks and classrooms will be ventilated as much as possible during this time. Extra antibacterial cleaning products have also been purchased. Desks and chairs in Ms. Long’s room will be wiped down after each group of children. Visors will be worn by all staff and in certain situations masks may also be worn for short periods of time.
School Uniforms: It is very important that uniforms are kept as clean as possible.
Children should change out of school uniforms immediately after school when possible.
We are changing P.E. day to Wednesday this year. Students will be permitted to wear suitable, clean P.E. gear e.g. tracksuit to school on this day.
This will also give parents the opportunity to wash uniforms on Tuesday nights to have them ready again for Thursday mornings.
(Note: We will not be travelling to the C.P.I. for the first term and P.E. will be done in the school yard.)
Please try to keep to a minimum the sharing of materials between home and school. Pencil cases will be kept in school as mentioned in previous communication. We would also request that pupils do not bring in any toys/books etc. from home as they will not be permitted to show or share them in school.
To ensure that we keep everyone in our school community safe, it is of the utmost importance that children do not come to school if they are sick or are displaying any COVID symptoms.
These symptoms include but are not limited to:
- cough (of any kind)
- high temperature
- loss of smell/taste
- any cold/flu like symptoms
Temperatures will also be taken using a non-contact thermometer if a child feels unwell at any stage in school. If the child feels displays symptoms, they will be moved to an isolation area, their parents will be contacted immediately, asked to collect the child and all other parents will be notified. If at any stage a pupil or staff member tests positive for the virus, we will at that stage have to follow whatever guidelines are issued to us by the HSE.
At home time each class bubble will line up in the yard after being brought out through different exits. Families will be sent to their cars by the staff. We would ask that parents remain in their vehicles. Staff will ensure children are accompanied safely. We appreciate your patience while this is happening.
It is also important that everyone follows all related public health guidelines, including self-isolation for 14 days after returning from a country not on the travel ‘green list’ at that time.
All teaching principals have now been instructed to take one office (admin) day per week. So as to alleviate any disruption to the education of pupils in the senior room, we managed to join a cluster with some other local schools. A sub will be employed by the cluster to teach one day per week in each of the five schools. While this sharing of a teacher with other schools is not ideal, the only othere alternative was to have a different sub every week. The Department advised all schools nationally to from clusters. Ms. Farry will be in the office every Wednesday and the same sub will teach the senior room pupils on this day. Interviews are being held shortly for this position so we will let you know the name of this teacher as soon as it has been confirmed.
We are looking forward to welcoming our new Junior Infants into the school from 2.00 – 3.00 on Wednesday, 26th of August. Parents will be allowed to accompany them at this time only. We would ask that parents wear masks and sanitise hands before entering the school.
We are still awaiting some more guidance from the Department of Education and we will relay this to you as soon as we get it. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions/concerns. You can fill in the form below on the website or email/phone the school.
We are doing everything in our power to safely reopen the school but we will also need your co-operation and assistance to do so.
Please read our Covid Statement here and explain to your children.
Kind Regards,
Fiona Farry
Questions regarding the safe reopening of Cloughfin N.S.
Message to parents/guardians 13/08/2020
- Staff Day
- Induction Hour for new Junior Infants from 2.00 - 3.00
- Return to school for all pupils
- (Junior Infants will finish at 12.30 on Thursday & Friday)
A provisional timetable for the year will be posted on the website this weekend.
As we have recived a grant for book rental books, you will not be charged for these and will only have to pay for the copies, folders, diaries and one textbook that they write into. This will be a maximum cost of €20 per child and will not be due until the 30th of September.
- All Junior Room pupils require a pencil case, 3 pencils, a sharpener, eraser and twistables. (no markers)
- A lunchbox and a reusable drink bottle
- A pencil case, 2 pencils, a sharpener, eraser, twistables/colouring pencils, ruler, 2 red pens, 2 blue/black pens and a highlighter.
- A lunchbox and a reusable drink bottle
All children will be required to bring a rainjacket to school each day. Pencil cases will be kept in school so children will require extra pens/pencils at home.
School Uniforms:
Children should change out of school uniforms immediately after school when possible.
We are changing P.E. day to Wednesday this year. Students will be permitted to wear suitable P.E. gear e.g. tracksuit to school on this day.
This will also give parents the opportunity to wash uniforms on Tuesday nights to have them ready again for Thursday mornings.
(Note: We will not be travelling to the C.P.I. for the first term and P.E. will be done in the school yard.)
Free School Lunches:
Pupils will continue to receive free school lunches from Carambola this year. As this will not commence until Monday September 7th, children will need to bring their own lunches until then. (No crisps or fizzy/sports drinks)
As previously mentioned, further information will be issued to you by post early next week.
In the meantime if you have any specific queries/concerns regarding your son/daughter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind Regards,
Fiona Farry
Suggested Activities for 15th - 19th of June
Suggested Learning Activities for 8th - 12th of June
Suggested Learning Activities for 2nd - 5th of June
Message from the Principal - 2nd of June
Suggested Learning Activities for 25th - 29th of May (Junior Room)
Message from the Principal - 25th of May
Dear Parents,
It’s hard to believe that we are almost at the end of May already. We hope that you and all of your family are keeping well.
Suggested learning activities for this week have been added to the website above and to Edmodo for the Senior Classes. Remember it is up to you, the parent, to decide how much work your child does each week. Circumstances may vary from week to week and sometimes your child (or yourself) may need a break from the work. You will know best.
Thanks to all who have responded to the online questionnaire. If you haven’t had a chance to fill it in yet, we would appreciate if you could do so before the end of the week.
Teachers will be in the school building this week and we will arrange pick up times for you to collect the resources requested by some of the children.
Fair play to you all and to all of the children for persevering with the school work at home. We realise it is difficult but we love seeing all the work the children are doing and their creativity – it really is a credit to you all so keep the photos coming if you can.
Once again, we would like to remind you to please get in touch if we can do anything at all to assist your child or family during these difficult times.
Kind Regards,
Fiona & Staff
Suggested Learning Activities for Junior Room Classes
(18th - 22nd of May)
A short video for all of our pupils.
Suggested Learning Activities for Junior Room Classes
(11th - 15th of May)
Message from the Principal - 5th of May
Kind Regards,
New Admissions Policy:
Under the Education (Admissions to Schools) Act 2018, the Board of Management was asked to draft a new Admissions Policy. This is now available for consultation with you, the parents of Cloughfin N.S. The draft policy is available for viewing here Admissions Policy You may comment through the feedback form beneath the policy up until and including Wednesday 29th of April. Many thanks.
Message from the Principal - 19th of April 2020
Dear Parent,
We hope you and yours are keeping well in these strange times. Please tell the children we miss them and hope to see them in the not so distant future.
At the moment we do not have any idea when we will be given a return date and although there is a lot of false speculation, it is important that we take it on a week to week basis until we are given official confirmation. However, I cannot see a return before June at the earliest.
Junior Room:
Work for the Junior Room for this week will be put up on the school website shortly. Ms. McEleney has also posted some worksheets to all of her pupils and you should receive these from An Post on Monday or Tuesday. We will also be posting some workbooks to all Junior Room pupils but we are waiting for them to be delivered.
Senior Room:
Senior Room work will be added to the Online Learning Platform Edmodo before tomorrow. I have created some videos especially for Maths and Irish which may help explain the topics for this week. Quizzes/assessments will be added during the week. We have also ordered some workbooks for these pupils and they will be posted out in due course.
If your child finds any worksheet/activity too difficult – leave it and keep a note of this. We will go over this work with them when they return to school. There is no point in causing unnecessary stress for you or your child.
As mentioned before, these are only suggested activities for your child. We have to make some work available but it’s up to you how much or how little they do. However, we would strongly encourage that some reading should be done every day or read stories to younger children.
If you feel your circumstances have changed and would now like a food pack of non-perishable goods delivered to you under the Schools Meals Programme (Pasta, Cereal, Bread etc.) please email the school confidentially for more information or fill in the Contact Us form below.
The Board of Management has been asked to add a new Admissions Policy to the school website so that parents can view it before it is sent to the patron. This will be available for viewing before the end of the week. You are asked to contact the school before 28th of April should you have any concerns regarding this policy.
If you have any worries regarding your child/children, would like to seek advice or have any questions at all, please feel free to contact any of the teachers.
Ms. McEleney – berniemceleney@outlook.com
Ms. Farry & Ms. Long – scoilcholmcille@hotmail.com
Finally, each child will catch up properly on school work when they return to school. Every child in the country is in the same boat. The priority is that your child/children and family circle are safe and healthy. This will eventually pass and normality will return. In the meantime, take care of yourselves and don’t be afraid to contact us.
Best wishes,
Fiona & staff.
Easter Holidays
Padlets with Links to Educational Websites:
Resources for 1st & 2nd Classes
Resources for 3rd & 4th Classes
A message to all parents from the principal. (March 27th)
Dear Parent,
We hope that you and your family are keeping safe in these unprecedented, worrying times.
As you may be aware schools will now remain closed until the 20th of April at the earliest.
We do not want you to worry about school work during these times. The most important thing you can do for your child/children is to keep them safe and practise social distancing.
Whilst we have provided links for online learning and have the online learning platform Edmodo for the senior pupils, any work assigned is optional. We will also be posting some work for the Junior Room pupils on the school website from next Monday. It is up to you what tasks you wish them to perform.
We are continuing to update the learning links for each class so please check them and the school website regularly.
They will not fall behind. We will do our very best to make up for lost time when we return to school. Keep in mind all of the activities that your child is doing at home from free play, to lego, to art, to helping around the house – these are all forms of learning. Reading stories together or reading books is one of the most valuable activities at this time.
If however, you do not have access to printing facilities, good internet or sufficient devices or books and would like some printed worksheets please email the school today or tomorrow (March 28th) at the latest and I can make up some for you. I can arrange to leave them in the shed where you can collect it whenever suits you. (following appropriate HSE guidelines)
Again do not stress about school work, just ensure that you and yours are safe.
Please feel free to email the school at any stage if you have any questions or want advice. If at all possible we will do whatever we can to assist you.
Kind Regards,
Fiona & the staff of Cloughfin N.S.
School Email: scoilcholmcille@hotmail.com or use the Contact Us form below.
