Important Newsletter – June 2020
School will re-open on 31 August 2020
Thank you all for your continued support over the past few months as we all tried to live and adjust to life with Covid-19.
Please see the calendar with all dates for school closures for 2020/2021 that will be on the website in the coming days.
Book Rental – Money Owed and Return of Books
Thank you to everyone who returned their book rental books over the last two weeks.
We are trying to keep the cost of the Book Rental Scheme as low as possible for families. If we have to replace books every year this makes it very difficult to keep the cost down. The school office is open everyday from 11am – 2pm until 10 July so you can return books then if you have not done so already.
Book Rental Money for 2020/2021 school year costs €100 for all books, workbooks, stationery and much more. This can still be paid to the school office until 10 July between 11am – 2pm. Miriam will be available then.
Thank you to everyone who has paid so far. If you foresee any difficulties in paying please speak to us in confidence as arrangements can be made for payment in instalments.
Great care must be taken of all school books which children receive under the rental scheme.
September 2020 – Important Note
The Board of Management and Senior Management are currently in the process of doing a risk assessment to ensure the safe return of the children and staff to school in September. It will be completed nearer the time we will return to school, in accordance to government guidelines and advice from NPHET.
We will need to limit the number of outside non-essential adults in the building due to COVID-19.
We will have a new protocol in place for managing crowds as of next September and we will let you know what the school protocol is nearer the time.
6th Classes
We would like to say Farewell to all of the children in 6th class as they move to the next stage of their education. We wish you all every success and happiness in the future. We had a Drive-By Graduation on Monday 29 June where they were presented with their Certificates and a gift from the school to wish them well on their way. It was lovely to see all of the children and their families.
Farewell
We would like to wish Ms. Caithriona Lynch and Mr. Kevin Mullins every success as they leave us to go on Career Break for the coming school year. They have been a wonderful part of the St. Brigid’s team over the past number of years and they will be missed.
Class Allocation 2020/2021
2nd Class – Ms. Barry
2nd Class – To Be Confirmed
3rd Class – Ms. Dooley – will have Ms Dooley again
3rd Class – Ms. Lee – To Be Confirmed
4th Class – Ms. McGrane – will have Ms McGrane again
4th Class – Mrs. O’Beirne – will have Mrs. O’Beirne again
4th Class – Mr. Mullins – To Be Confirmed
5th Class – Ms. Egan – will have Ms. Egan again
5th Class – Ms. Caffrey – will have Ms. Caffrey again
6th Class – Ms. Friery – will have Ms. Arthur
6th Class – Mrs. Flaherty – will have Mrs. Flaherty again
Room 10 – Gemma Kerrigan – Gemma until December, Camilla McDonnell in January
Room 11 – Caithriona Lynch – Sub until December, Gemma Kerrigan in January
Learning Support – Ms. Ryan, Ms. McMullen and one more to be confirmed
We ask that parents always make an appointment to see the class teacher. The class teacher is responsible for the whole class and cannot speak with Parents at the line. Please put a note in your child’s diary if you wish to make an appointment or email the class teacher.
School Office
Please note that the office will be open until 10 July between 11am – 2pm.
Emergency Contacts – Email address required for all families
Please ensure that the Emergency Contact sheet has been filled out and returned to the class teacher in September. We would ask that the school has an up-to-date mobile number and email address that you may receive any texts or emails sent by the school using our texting service.
We will be moving to Aladdin Connect in September. We will be issuing any updates by email only. Texts will not be sent except in case of emergency. Please ensure we have your email address on file.
Contact with Teachers in September
In September, you will need to email the class teacher or send a note in your child’s journal for them to phone you. Meetings at the line, morning or evening, will not be possible as we need to ensure safe social distancing for everyone.
New email addresses have been set up for teachers and you will be provided with this address.
New Dates for Sacraments – Autumn 2020
Fr. Eamann issued a letter to the school last week that can be found posted on the school blog.
First Holy Communion: Wednesday 16 September 2020 at 2pm in St. Canice’s Church
Confirmation: Wednesday 7 October 2020 at 2pm in St. Canice’s Church.
The above dates are for all children in St. Brigid’s who were due to make their Communion and Confirmation in April/May 2020. The dates are provisional based on advice from NPHET nearer the time.
Important Note: As the Church of the Annunciation has closed down, we are very fortunate to have the Parish of St. Canice so nearby. The Parish has been very supportive and accommodating to all four of the schools using it for Communion and Confirmation ceremonies.
Just to make all parents and guardians aware, the Board of Management wishes to advise parents that the school is not in a position to organise for photographs to be taken in school after the Communion or Confirmation.
Cycling, Swimming, School Tours, Outside groups accessing the school in 2020/2021
Due to Covid-19 we are, as of yet, unsure how activities that we regularly organise for the children will proceed in the coming school year. We will base our decisions on advice from NPHET and let you know about arrangements nearer the time.
Label
Make sure that all clothing items, books, school bag, lunch box etc. are clearly labelled/marked with the pupils FULL name. St. Brigid’s is not responsible for items that are mislaid. We can’t hold on to any items that are found and not labelled.
School Website
www.stbrigids.com
Please refer to the school website, in particular the Latest News on the blog for recent updates and information. The website is of great benefit to our school and will provide parents, pupils and the public with instant information regarding our school.
Library
The school library will be closed for the foreseeable future due to Covid-19 as will class libraries. Please return all library books to the school before 10 July. 79 books were still outstanding as of 30 June 2020.
Parking
The area surrounding the school can become very busy in the morning and at hometime. Please be aware of our neighbours when parking. If possible, try to walk or cycle to school.
The yellow lines outside the school must be kept clear so that the lollipop lady can ensure the children cross the road safely.
Parents are not allowed to drive into or park in the school carpark to ensure the safety of the children and staff.
Parking on the school grounds is for Staff only. Parents, if someone is collecting your child for you please make them aware of this rule.
Testing
Please note: Drumcondra Testing will be carried out in school in the Autumn term, dates to be confirmed. Please ensure that your child is in school for these tests. The results allow us to support your child. It is a very time consuming task to test every child in the school. If your child misses the test we cannot guarantee that we will have time to retest. Exact dates for each class will be given nearer the time.
Birthdays
Please do not send in birthday cakes to school for distribution to the class. It is a very kind gesture but due to Covid-19 this is no longer possible. Children are not allowed to hand out invites to others in the class unless everybody is invited. Leaving children out can cause hurt and upset to them. Parents must make other arrangements.
Congratulations
Congratulations to all children who won prizes during the year. It was especially great to see all the various things you achieved during lockdown via email.
Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club will not be in operation in September due to Covid-19. We can’t guarantee social distancing in this setting. It is such a pity as we have such a dedicated team of volunteers to help with this every morning. We are working on an alternative option for the children.
Classes for Parents
St. Brigid’s will not be in a position to host any classes for parents including Cookery with Paul as only essential staff and workers will be allowed access in the school to ensure contact tracing can be done effectively. We look forward to being able to resume these activities in the future.
Happy Summer!
Teachers are on their holidays now! They will not be sending texts and they will not be answering emails or calls until the beginning of the next school year. If you need to make contact urgently with the school please email the school at the new email address info@stbrigidssgns.ie
We wish you all a very happy and safe summer and look forward to hearing the buzz of the children in our school building in September.
