An Focal Deireanach – Vol 5, No 11

Walking Bus

We’re going to try a new departure point to see if we can increase participation.  The walking bus will depart from Cappagh Stores on Wednesdays at 8.30.  Please join us!

 

Potluck and Assembly

An end-of-term potluck and assembly will take place on Thursday, 20^th December at 13.00.  There will be an early dismissal on the final day of term, Friday, 21^st Decmber at 12.00.

We’d ask parents to please park at Cappagh Park and walk over as parking is extremely limited. 

Parents are asked to bring something to share, enough for 4-6 servings.  Food can be dropped off in 3^rd Class from 12.30 onwards.  Each class has been designated a different item.

• Junior Infants: Sweet
• Senior Infants and 1^st Class: Savoury
• Second Class: Salad
• Third Class: Fruit

Following the assembly, everyone will get a chance to visit our museum showcasing all the great work the children have been doing with Aoife, our artist in residence.  The potluck will follow.

 

Last Day of Term

The last day of the term is Friday, 21^st December.  School will finish at 12.00 that day.  Afterschool @ KETNS will be open from 12.00 onwards.  Everyone is invited to wear their favourite winter jumper and we’ll have a special end-of-term disco.  We will do a collection for Cope Galway who support people who are homeless or are having housing difficulties.  The first day of the new term is Monday, 7^th January.

 

Afterschool Clubs – Make-up Classes

The make-up session for Superhero Training for the first term will take place this Thursday.  The make-up class for GAA skills will happen in January.

 

After-School Clubs

A new series of clubs will take place in the second term.  Most clubs will start up the second week after the break.  They will all finish in the first week of April.  Please sign up with Claudia from tomorrow morning onwards.

 

Afterschool Clubs

Junior and Senior Infants – 13.30-14.30

Mondays – Music and Drama with Matt

11 sessions – €55

14^th Jan until 1^st Apr (no class on 18^th Mar)

We will be working on learning a musical and will perform it for parents at the end of the last session.

 

Tuesdays – Arts and Crafts with Sylvia

11 sessions – €65

15^th Jan until 2^nd Apr (no class on 19^th Mar)

 

Wednesdays – Soccer Skills with Diana

Maximum participants – 10

12 sessions – €60

16^th Jan until 3^rd Apr

 

Thursday – Superhero Training with Miss Laurie 11 sessions – €55

11^th Jan until 4^th Apr (no class on 7^th and 21^st Feb)

 

Afterschool Clubs

First through Third Classes – 14.30-15.30

Mondays – Basketball with Vivienne

11 sessions – €55

14^th Jan until 1^st Apr (no class on 18^th Mar)

 

Tuesdays – Arts and Crafts with Sylvia

11 sessions – €65

15^th Jan until 2^nd Apr (no class on 19^th Mar)

 

Wednesdays – Gaelic Football with Andy

12 sessions – €60

16^th Jan until 3^rd Apr

 

Thursday – Superhero Training with Miss Laurie

11 sessions – €55

10^th Jan until 4^th Apr (no class on 7^th and 21^st Feb)

 

Fridays – Coding Club with Kristian and Laura of Corrib Kids Coding

12 sessions – €80

11^th Jan until 5^th Apr (no class on 22^nd Feb)

Children will use technology creatively using Lego Wedo to build and code robots and other structures , as well as code their own games using Scratch.  Children will learn coding basic through fun games and build simple apps on iPads.  All devices are supplied.

 

Artist in Residence

Aoife has worked very hard with the children to put the finishing touches on the museum.  We look forward to the grand opening of the museum on Thursday.

The older classes showed the infants around the museum, introducing their objects and describing the different art processes they followed.

Then, the infants got the chance to draw some of the objects in the museum.

 

Superhero

Apologies! An error was made in yesterday’s newsletter.  The make-up session for Superhero Training for the first term can’t take place this Thursday due to the assembly and potluck.  The last session of the first term will take place on Thursday, 10^th January.  Therefore, there will only be 10 sessions starting on 17^th January for the new term of Superhero Training.

 

Collection

In partnership with parents from Galway Educate Together NS, families are invited to make a donation to those men living in direct provision at Greater Western House while they await a response to their application for asylum.  Suggested items are socks, deodarant, shaving cream, etc.  These can be brought into the school through Friday.

 

Welcome to Caoimhe

A formal welcome to Caoimhe Geraghty who will be teaching First Class for the remainder of the school year while Margaret is on maternity leave.

 

Active Line

For our active line at the end of yard time, if anyone has santa hats for reindeer antlers, they can be brought in for a Santa Dash and Reindeer Jumps that will take place on Thursday and Friday respectively.

 

Open Evening

An Open Evening for prospective parents will take place on Wednesday, 16^th January from 18.30 to 20.00.  Please spread the word.  It is also very beneficial to have some parents present in addition to staff members to meet and greet and talk about our school.

 

Head Lice

We would encourage all parents to regularly check your child’s hair for lice on a regular basis, ideally once a week and treat accordingly if required.  Many thanks for your cooperation.

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PTA Meeting Minutes: 12^th December 2018 8pm

Thursday 20^th Dec

Pot Luck Dropoff: Dishes can be dropped off from 12.30pm through the front door.

Assembly: 1.00pm in the main hall for 30 mins – enter by door beside the office.

 

Museum: 1.30pm – parents leave the hall with their child and join queue to view the museum in room 3

Pot Luck

• The food will be in the third class room.
• Parents will leave the museum, go to third class room, choose food and walk with it to the hall.
• Drinks will be served through the hatch in the kitchen

Help

Before

• 4 parents – Trish, Clare, Diana and Maggie will help with set up from 11.30
• Setting out food, writing cards for food, setting up drinks in the kitchen

After

• Lots of help required here.
• Sign-up sheets will be placed outside Claudia’s office on the blue noticeboard.

Plates, Cups and Cutlery

• Diana sourcing re-useable items.
• If cannot find anything fast enough, Matt will organise something temporary.

Other items we will need more of:

• Jugs, kitchen towels, serving spoons, knives, tea towels

Please park at Cappagh Park and walk over to the school.

Friday 21st Dec

• Finish at 12 noon
• Disco
• Can wear a winter or Christmas jumper

Spring Fair 6^th April

• Time to look for raffle prizes
• Claudia will have Authorisation letters from the school available next week.
• Please tell Claudia where you are going to request prizes so eliminate duplication of requests.
• We can go back to places from last year.
• Deadline to have prizes in is 1^st February.

Raffle Tickets

• May be an option for someone to sponsor the printing of the tickets

Bouncy castles are booked

The café will be in the main hall.

Ideas:

• Kids could make creative items to sell, maybe seedlings
• Used bike sale
• Book sale
• Photo booth
• Balloon man who sponsors his time for the publicity of his business
• Face painting
• Children welcoming adults and telling them about their school

List of parents’ talents/skills to publish

Matt sent out the link to the form.  Parents are invited to complete the form online at http://www.ketns.ie/parent-professional-database/.

Other mentions

• We will be getting a devolved grant to replace all the exit doors in the classrooms and front doors.
• Some vents on windows are stuck shut if anyone knows how to fix them.
• Prefabs will be removed in time, but the process is complicated.
• We will be looking at applying for a devolved grant to fence the green area to separate the 2 schools.
• Walking bus participation is low from Cappagh Park. We will try running it on Wednesdays from Cappagh Stores.