Newsletters Archived
January Newsletter 2019Infant Children
Infant children (Junior & Senior Infants) should not be left unsupervised in the yard in the morning. Parents/Guardians should remain with their child/children until they are passed over to the care of their teacher at 8.30am. Under no circumstances should Infant children be dropped at the school gate to enter school grounds alone, particularly if the arrival is after the classes have gone in.
Meeting with Teachers
All questions/queries re school should be directed initially to the class teacher. Please contact the school secretary to make an appointment. (For safety reasons it is not possible for class teachers to meet with parents without an appointment as supervision arrangements have to be put in place. For the same safety reasons, teachers cannot take or make phone calls during class time). Parents of Infant children may be able to have a quick informal word with the class teacher when collecting their child at home time.
Absences due to illness
Whilst there is generally no need to telephone the school if your child is sick, we would greatly appreciate if you would contact us if your child contracts a contagious illness e.g. measles, mumps, rubella, etc. There are children in the school who are at increased risk of contracting these illnesses. Parents must acknowledge their child’s absence from school, in writing, at the back of the child’s School Journal (Education Welfare Act). Parents of children in Infants should speak to the teacher at the class line on the morning of their return.
Sick Children at School
Please do not send sick children to school for the following reasons:
- Children are unable to cope with the demands of school when they are unwell.
- Infection spreads rapidly in the confinement of the classroom.
- There is no indoor supervision for sick children during breaktimes..
Upcoming Events
15 February - In-Service Language Curriculum Training for Teachers (School Closed)
18-22 February inclusive - Mid Term Break
18 March - St Patrick’s Day
02 April - Confirmation Ceremony
15 - 26 April inclusive - Easter Break
06 May - May Bank Holiday
03 June - June Bank Holiday
28 June - School Closes for Summer Break
Reminders
HSE Documents/Permission Slips/Order Forms etc.
Throughout the school year, various Permission and Consent forms are sent home with the children. As there are currently 536 families and over 800 students is St Patrick’s N.S., it is now even more important that all forms are fully completed and returned to your child’s class teacher by the requested date. Deadline dates will be strictly adhered to.
Punctuality
As part our Statement Strategy for School Attendance, we promote punctuality and ask for your support. The 20 minutes between 08.30am and 08.50am is a very important time in the school day. This is when the younger children have activity time or structured play. It is a time when the teacher corrects homework, hears children’s reading or shares school news with children. About 93% of children are in the line by 08.30am. With your help we could raise this percentage even higher.
Procedure for entering the school each morning
The school bell rings at 08.30am. Children walk to their lines.
Please note, classes are collected from the yard by their teacher. As soon as the classes have entered the building, the doors are closed.
- The Blanchardstown door remains open until 8.50am.
- Only children who arrive after 08.50am should enter via reception and sign the “late book”.
Children may not enter the school building until 08.30am. Parents are responsible for the welfare of their children until the school’s duty of care begins at 8.30 am. On wet mornings, please time your arrival for 8.30 – 8.40am.
Access to Classrooms After Hours
With the exception of those attending Extra-Curricular Activities, children are not permitted to re-enter the classroom after 2.10pm. If in an absolute emergency (forgotten books, copies and general belongings does not generally constitute an emergency!) a child needs to gain access to his/her classroom outside school hours, he/she should come to Reception.
Extra-Curricular Activities
If your child takes part in a number of Extra-Curricular activities, it might be useful to write the activities into his/her school journal on the appropriate days. This will help him/her remember the activity and, if there is any confusion, the teacher can help by checking the journal.
Information regarding extra-curricular activities can be found on the website www.stpatricksns.ie on the Extra Curricular Activities tab and under archived newsletters.
Diswellstown Community & Recreation Centre and Local Community Activities
DramaHub
The new term of DramaHub begins this Saturday 12th January at 1pm and 2pm. Students will be prepared for the Leinster School of Music and Drama Exams. For further details contact Clodagh on 086 3736056 or visit our website on www.dramahub.ie
Porterstown Panthers launches free 2019 'Couch to 5k Programme' on 15th January 2019
Do you want 2019 to mean a fitter and healthier you?
Do you want to run 5k without stopping - but don't know where to start?
Do you like to chat and walk/run with other people?
Taking up running can seem like a scary prospect, especially if you feel out of shape or unfit. The Porterstown Panthers free ‘couch to 5K’ training programme will help you gradually work up towards running 5K in just six weeks, starting Tuesday, 15th January 2019. Our Couch to 5K programme works because it starts with a mixture of running and walking, to gradually build up your fitness and stamina. The six-week plan involves 3 training sessions a week, with a day of rest in between. Training will happen each Tuesday and Thursday evening at 7.10pm, meeting at The Carpenter pub / Spar car park in Carpenterstown, Dublin 15. On Saturdays we take part in Porterstown parkrun in Porterstown Park at 9.30am. Hope to see all on Tuesday, 15th at 7.10pm. More on www.Facebook.com/PorterstownPanthers
Porterstown ParkRun
What is it? - A Free Weekly 5km Timed Run. When is it? - Every Saturday at 9:30am
What does it cost? - Nothing - it's free! But please register before your 1st run.
Do I need to be a Runner? - ParkRun is for ALL abilities (walk, jog or run)
This is a free community event so please lend your support.
Website: www.parkrun.ie